'Mortal Kombat' Movie Drops The First Seven Minutes Online, And It's Brutal

The hype for the new Mortal Kombat movie is hotting up as its release date is only a few days away. We've gotten the chance to see the first seven minutes of the upcoming movie, and we like how the classic fighting series has been reinterpreted for the silver screen.

The scene starts peacefully, in fact. Sweeping over a tranquil forest farm on Hanzo Hasashi's compound in the early 17th century, we know that it's only a matter of time before this quietude is shattered by the arrival of the Lin Kuei clan. However, this bloody bait and switch isn't going to be a gimmick of the movie. "One of the earliest shots in the movie is the kunai blade being used as a gardening tool by Hanzo's wife," explained director Simon McQuoid in an interview at the start of this year. "[Hanzo's] the leader of a ninja clan and he's strong, but also... at the beginning, he's a peaceful family man," added actor Hiroyuki Sanada. "It is like a family drama with excitingly brutal fighting. That's the image of this movie for me."

If you're adrift in the ocean of lore that makes up a Mortal Kombat movie, then never fear, because we've got a refresher on all you need to know before you switch over HBO Max on April 23rd. The general gist is that a down-on-his-luck MMA fighter named Cole Young is suddenly set upon by a strange cryomancer (also known as Sub-Zero). It turns out that Cole is the key to Earthrealm's survival, as Outworld has secured nine of the ten deathmatch victories required to invade and conquer his world. Our hero, burdened with glorious purpose, tracks down characters like Jax, Sonya, Kano, Liu Kang, Kung Lao and Raiden to prevent the total subjugation of Earthrealm from Shang Tsung's ambitions.

Straightforward, right? Well, even if you're not here for the story, you won't be disappointed with the level of guts and gore that the movie will deliver. "It's not a shiny film... I wanted the dirt and the grime to come through," said McQuoid. It transpired that the Mortal Kombat reboot had to dial down the violence, and even then, there's still a battle that's "one of the most brutal fights" ever seen by producer Todd Garner. Oof.

Topics: News, Mortal Kombat