Though there are plenty who have a soft spot for the 1995 version, fans were ready for a new big-screen adaptation of Mortal Kombat. The new reboot followed the same story of unique characters being brought together for deadly fights. However, one key difference from the 1995 version was that the reboot embraced the blood and gore of the games.
With a well-earned R-rating, this new adaptation certainly delivered on those famous fatalities in a way fans should love. In fact, some of these moments are so gruesome that they will likely stay with viewers long after the credits roll.
Hanzo Finds His Family
The opening scene introduces Hanzo Hasashi, who lives a peaceful life with his family in 17th century Japan. When fetching water from the stream one day, his compound is visited by the assassin Bi-Han who confronts Hanzo's wife and son, looking for his enemy.
Hanzo then hears screams and rushes back home to find his wife cradling their young son, both frozen to death in an ice block. For a violent video game movie like Mortal Kombat, this was a surprisingly sad sequence to begin the story with.
Kano And The Gnome
The Australian loudmouth Kano serves as both the comic relief character in the movie as well as the guy you want to see die the most. He is an obnoxious and vulgar man with more than a few bad habits. While at Sonya's home, he spits a big mouthful of snot at one of her garden gnomes, and the movie gives the audience the unnecessary close-up of the spit dripping off the gnome.
With that stomach-churning image in mind, it is almost poetic how Kano meets his fate at the end. While fighting Sonya on her front lawn, she manages to grab one of the gnomes and stick it right through his eye.
Jax Loses His Arms
Though Jax was introduced in the games with two regular arms, he would eventually be upgraded to having metal arms, which made him a much better and more popular character. So, when Jax shows up in this movie with two normal-looking arms, it's pretty obvious he's about to have an accident.
Sure enough, Jax makes the foolish choice of fighting Sub-Zero on his own. Despite Jax's best efforts, Sub-Zero is too powerful for him. The ninja eventually freezes both of Jax's arms and shatters them into tiny bloody pieces.
Blood Dagger
After waiting the entire movie for the two fan-favorite characters to face off in their full glory, Sub-Zero and Scorpion come face to face for the final fight. It is one of the better fights in the movie, with these two skilled warriors each getting their good hits in. But, one gruesome moment that surely excited fans of the game was when Sub-Zero cut Scorpion and proceeded to freeze his blood into a dagger and stab him with it.
Shang Tsung Takes A Soul
Shang Tsung was the final boss in the original Mortal Kombat game as well as the main villain in the 1995 movie. However, this time around, he is mostly just the threatening presence that lurks around and sends his minions to fight for him.
However, there is one moment when Shang Tsung gets in on the action. When the heroes attempt to escape to "the void," he is able to seize Kung Loa and drain him of his soul. Seeing as Kung Loa was the most impressive of Earth's fighters, it was grim seeing him reduced to a decrepit skeleton.
Sonya Puts A Hole Through Mileena
Mileena makes for a pretty terrifying and grotesque baddie in the movie as one of Shang Tsung's main warriors. As a result, it is fitting that she also gets to go out in a pretty gruesome way.
While Cole is battling Mileena, she begins to get the upper hand on him. Just when it looks like she'll finish him off, Sonya arrives with her newfound powers she received after killing Kano. She sends an energy blast right through Mileena, leaving a big hole in her middle with her spine visible.
Kano Takes Reptile's Heart
Reptile is a character who has taken a few different forms in the video games, sometimes appearing as a ninja similar to Sub-Zero and Scorpion. However, in this movie, he is presented as a monstrous lizard who is sent by Shang Tsung to kill Earth's warriors.
Reptile clearly has a lot of confidence as he tries to take on Cole, Sonya, and Kano at the same time. While he handles himself pretty well at first, Kano is able to get his hands on a knife. He slices Reptile up his midsection, sticks his hands right through the creature, and rips out his heart.
Cole Slices Goro
When the fan-favorite character of Goro arrives to fight Cole, the least powerful of Earth's fighters, it feels like a pretty unfair matchup. Indeed, Goro puts a good beating on the helpless Cole and even takes the time to threaten his wife and daughter.
That proves to be Goro's mistake as seeing his family in danger awakens Cole's powers and he goes on the attack. Armed with dual blades, Cole cuts off one of Goro's four hands, stands him through the eyes, and slices his belly to let his innards spill out.
Jax Tries Out His New Arms
After losing his arms thanks to Sub-Zero, Jax is fitted with some pretty pathetic-looking robotic ones. Seeing Jax walking around with these ridiculous tiny arms one of the most hilarious segments of the over-the-top movie.
But he manages to an upgrade just in time for him to face off with the hammer-wielding Reiko. Jax's new arms allow with to take away Reiko's weapon and beat his face to a pulp. As a finishing move, he claps Reiko's head with both metal arms, exploding it in a bloody mess.
Flawless Victory
Going into the movie, fans knew the movie had to deliver one of the famous "flawless victories" from the games in which someone kills an opponent without taking a single hit. Not only do they deliver on this, but it makes for the movie's best moment.
Shang Tsung's flying minion Nitara circles above Kung Loa, waiting to attack, but, when she finally does, he's ready. He leaps into her back and throws his bladed hat into the ground. He then flies Nitara into the blade face-first, splitting her right down the middle.