The first trailer for Warner Bros.' Mortal Kombat reboot had plenty of moments that gave fans of the franchise exactly what they want, from some iconic lines to the promise of the Scorpion/Sub-Zero showdown. However, perhaps its best moment came in its opening moments when a simple question got answered once and for all: Why don't the franchise's fighters use firearms to win their fights?
In the opening scene of the trailer, Jax hunts down the icy-powered Sub-Zero, and when he corners the icy ninja, it appears that he has him dead to rights. Jax fires his weapon mere inches from Sub-Zero's face, but the rifle, and the bullet itself, freeze in place as Sub-Zero uses his mystical powers to defend himself. This is precisely the kind of superpower Sonya Blade warns of as she narrates over the first look at the film, and Jax learns their deadly effect all too soon.
Now with the upper hand, Sub-Zero turns his powers to Jax's arms, freezing them in place in a move reminiscent of his signature fatalities. This serves as the new origin for Jax's own signature weapon, as the character is known in the games for his cybernetic arms seen later in the trailer. Clearly, such technological means come as an effort to level the playing field, because when it comes to Mortal Kombat, mortal weapons just won't be enough.
Some characters in the franchise use firearms to great effect, with Errol Black and Stryker being two of the more notable examples. But in a world of mystical ninja, walking gods made of lightning and dragon kings who survive explosions that level temples, there is only so much that conventional weapons can do. What the trailer neatly showcases is what happens when those seemingly straightforward solutions are applied to situations where they're irrelevant. A gun can only do so much, and a character is better off learning to throw a fireball.
That's not to say guns are without their place in Mortal Kombat. Characters like Stryker not only build their entire design around it, but there are also people like Cassie Cage who integrate such weapons into their playstyle without it completely dominating their aesthetic. This results in fights that are more interesting and cinematic, as gunplay and martial arts are fused together in unique and engaging ways.
Judging from the inventiveness of the action showcased in the trailer, these are exactly the qualities the reboot seeks to highlight. Whereas the 1995 Mortal Kombat film kept its magic closer to the chest, only fully revealing it to the heroes once they were inexorably bound for the tournament, it seems this reboot will hit the ground running by engaging with the series' supernatural elements right from the start. It seems like common sense to bring a gun to a martial arts fight, but when mystical powers are involved, common sense starts to look pretty stupid.
Directed by Simon McQuoid and produced by James Wan, Mortal Kombat stars Lewis Tan as Cole Young; Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade; Josh Lawson as Kano; Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden; Mehcad Brooks as Jackson "Jax" Bridges; Ludi Lin as Liu Kang; Chin Han as Shang Tsung; Joe Taslim as Bi-Han and Sub-Zero; Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion; Max Huang as Kung Lao; Sisi Stringer as Mileena; Matilda Kimber as Emily Young; and Laura Brent as Allison Young. The film arrives in theaters and on HBO Max April 16.