Mortal Kombat Earns R Rating From MPAA For ‘Strong Bloody Violence’

The MPAA has made the new Mortal Kombat film the first of the film franchise to match its games’ ratings, giving it an R. The live-action adaptation has been rated by the board as R for “strong bloody violence and language throughout, and some crude references.”

The movie is directed by Simon McQuoid from a script by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham. It stars Joe Taslim, Ludi Lin, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Chin Han, Hiroyuki Sanada, Max Huang, Sisi Stringer and Lewis Tan. It arrives on HBO Max and in theaters on April 16th and is described as follows:

Used to getting beaten for money, MMA fighter Cole Young is unaware of his legacy – or because Emperor Outworld Shang Tsung sent his best warrior, Sub- Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole. Fearing for the safety of his family, Cole sets out to find Sonya Blade and Jax, a special forces major who carries the same strange dragon Cole was born with. Soon he finds himself in the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and Protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with seasoned warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and devious mercenary Kano, as he prepares to take on Earth’s greatest champions against enemies of Outworld in a high-risk battle across the universe. But will Cole be under enough pressure to unlock his arcane – the immense power in his soul – in time to save his family and stop Outworld once and for all?