The reboot of Mortal Kombat arrives this year, 2021, and a lot are excited to see how the characters of the iconic game in existence for 30 years will come to life on the big screen and on HBO Max. Mortal Kombat really has a lot in store but is it safe for kids? Find out here what rating has been given to the upcoming film.
Mortal Kombat 2021 has a star-studded line-up with Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Mechad Brooks as Jax, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Hiroyuki Sanasa as Hanzo Hasashi/ Scorpion and Joe Taslim as Bi-Han/ Sub-Zero. Also joining the cast would be Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Max Huang as Kung Lao, Matilda Kimber as Emily Young, and Laura Brent as Allison Young.
Which Mortal Kombat Character Are You? Take the quiz!
Mortal Kombat will be the directorial debut of Simon McQuoid, and he worked for this film with the producers James Wan, Todd Garner, and Bennett Walsh. The film will be under Warner Brothers and it went on a long journey to finally arrive. It has been in the works since 2015 when James Wan signed as the producer of the film, later on, a year after, Simon McQuoid was hired as the director.
In an exclusive interview with EpicStream, McQuoid shared how his background in video game commercials such as Halo and Playstation came in handy in directing the film. With a game as iconic as Mortal Kombat, it requires such precision to pull off a film reboot successfully and it seems that McQuoid has got the touch even before it all began.
Mortal Kombat follows the fictional universe of the realms in a high-stakes battle. It will feature Cole Young, unaware of his lineage, fearing for his family's safety after Emperor Shang-Tsung sent Sub-Zero to find him. He met Jax and with his help, he searches for Sonya Blade. He later found the sanctuary of Lord Raiden who gives a sanctuary with those bearing the same mark as him. He trains with them alongside Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Kano, in preparation to stop Shang-Tsung's Outworld.
With such a much-awaited film, even before the release of Mortal Kombat, a lot are already excited for what's in store for the film and if it would be having a sequel that even its stars McNamee playing Sonya Blade and Lawson portraying Kano hopes for it, McQuoid shared with EpicStream that having a sequel for Mortal Kombat is in the hands of the audience and it is for them to tell whether there would be one.
Mortal Kombat will be released in both theaters and on HBO Max. With the pandemic still ongoing and the threat to health still hasn't died down, the film will also be released on HBO Max where it will be available to stream for 31 days from the release date. For a monthly subscription price of $14.99, you may be able to access Mortal Kombat as well as all the films and series on HBO Max.
What Rating is the Mortal Kombat 2021 Movie?
With the fight scenes and violence that the film has, it has been given an R-rating as there are some scenes that are too brutal and bloody, just like that on the game. The film even got close to being given an NC-17 rating, one that bars those aged 17 and below from seeing the film.
In McQuoid's interview with SFX Magazine posted on GamesRadar, he said, "We wanted to push the [blood, gore, and fatalities] right to the limit. Obviously, there's a point where the film becomes unreleasable if you push it too far, and that would be a very unwise return on investment for the studio." It is that gruesome, are you ready for it?
Is Mortal Kombat 2021 Movie Safe for Kids?
The easy answer is NO, it is NOT SAFE for kids. With an R-rating or Restricted, those under 17 would have to have parents or an adult guardian accompanying them to be able to watch the film. The violence shown in the film is too realistic and extreme which makes it unsafe for children. Parents would have to ensure that they learn more about what the film has first before bringing the kids with them in watching an R-Rated film.
Mortal Kombat almost had an N-17 rating completely barring children from watching the film. In McQuoid's press statement reported by Yahoo!, he said, "What we had to be a bit careful of was … you can get to NC-17 territory pretty quick. It's different in a video game when it's not real human beings." He added that they had to push what they can for the R-Rating, at the same time, being faithful to the narrative so that fight scenes would not come off subpar.
Mortal Kombat premieres on April 23, 2021, in theaters with a same-day release on HBO Max.
Related: Ludi Lin and Max Huang Share Awesome Story about the Mortal Kombat Family [EXCLUSIVE]
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