For many, video game movies have had such a bad run in the past that they are willing to accept something that crosses an incredibly low bar simply because of the forgettable thrills that come with visual familiarity. However, in recent years, some studios have risen to the challenge of delivering better entries in this genre. While there have still been some ambitious flops (Warcraft) and empty blockbusters (Five Nights At Freddy’s, A Minecraft Movie), we’ve had a trilogy of well-liked, well-reviewed Sonic the Hedgehog films, some low-key greats (Werewolves Within, Exit 8), as well as the return of Mortal Kombat, which ended up being the most-watched film on HBO Max during Warner Bros. “Project Popcorn” experiment in 2021. That reboot of the popular fighting game series went heavy on the lore, while still delivering plenty of fights and keeping things straightforward enough not to alienate general audiences. Now we have Mortal Kombat II, a sequel that follows the traditional pattern of going larger, and in this case, it actually proved better. Shortcoming aside, this bigger, bloodier brawler kontains plenty of fun and killer action.
Given the nature of the games, which are rooted in one tournament that will determine the fate of Earthrealm, while the sequel may pick up with returning characters arriving in their new status quo, we’re basically back at the beginning of the same story, but from a new perspective. Wisely looking at characters actually from the games this time around, we get to see the backstories of Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) and Johnny Cage (Karl Urban). Kitana is the princess from a realm that, unfortunately, lost its tournaments enough times for Outworld emperor Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) to take over. Cage is a past-his-prime movie star with an extensive martial arts background. He’s recruited by Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), God of Thunder, to join Earthrealm’s other warriors to keep Shao Kahn from winning another tournament and taking over the world.
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It would be easy to dismiss this as just an excuse to put together various characters for their bloody fights, but director Simon McQuoid and writer Jeremy Slater have more on their minds than just indulging in brutality. No, it’s not excessively deep thematically either, nor are the performances anything to write home about, for the most part, but there is a sort of gravitas being aimed for that I can appreciate. On the downside, it also means the pacing is once again affected by just how willing the film is to treat all of this stuff seriously. Still, there’s an earnestness on display that allows this movie to be more than just a series of recognizable easter eggs spotted between bouts.
Much like the first film, there’s an effort to put various worlds on display, highlighting the different realms and showing the existence of an entire universe to the best of the filmmakers’ abilities within this genre and on this budget. That said, an issue I had with the first film was how little wonder seemed to be conveyed when a character encountered the impossible for the first time. Fortunately, this is where the solid casting of Urban comes into play. Despite being in the joke in his performance, his take on Johnny Cage allows for a character who actually reacts to the scope of what is being asked of him, thereby grounding these people in a reality where the ridiculousness of what’s taking place is addressed.
Again, only a handful of actors bring something to these roles, and Urban was certainly a nice win for this sequel. Rudolph and Tati Gabrille as Kitana and her loyal bodyguard/friend Jade also bring what’s needed for the film’s most emotional plotline. Ford is surprisingly effective as Shao Kahn, who has very little to work with beyond wielding a large hammer, but hey, at least the guy stands up and fights as much as anyone else, and brings intimidation with him (the kick ass helmet helps). Ludi Lin’s increased presence (and muscles) as Liu Kang works well enough, even as the films continue to strain to avoid making him the lead. Plus, the fantastic Hiroyuki Sanada returns for a brief period as Scorpion. The actor is so good that he can make this sort of nonsense not seem beneath him. And I also enjoy the idea that he and Joe Taslim’s Bi-Han are cursed to have the same battle in hell forever.
All of this being said, is it true that Josh Lawson’s Kano is too good to get rid of? One would think that just by adding Johnny Cage, this film would be satisfied by the presence of a new, sarcastic, joke machine who can fight. And yet, here we are with the return of Kano, and Lawson just continues to kill it as the motor-mouthed mercenary with a laser eye. One would think his one-liners would become tiring, but they really don’t. Instead, this is now a series reliant on a few things – Scorpion’s hooks, fireballs of any kind, lost appendages during battle, and, apparently, the humorous witticism of Kano.
When Kano does shut up, and the film gets down to the action, however, this feels like a sequel that really took notes on the first one to heart. Sure, this is still a major studio’s attempt at a martial arts film, meaning there are limitations. However, the action is pretty solid here and clear to comprehend. We get a lot of fights, colorful and inspired locations, and an appropriate level of stakes. This is the sort of film that doesn’t play it safe with its characters, which adds urgency to our desire to watch these major sequences unfold. At the same time, the choreography, editing, and art design all go into making these sequences effective and memorable. Oh, and for anyone concerned about fatalities, Mortal Kombat II is leaning in plenty when it comes to all of the ways for a character to be finished.
With enough new additions to make a familiar story interesting enough, without drowning the audience in backstories, Mortal Kombat II is living up to being a satisfying follow-up to a decent enough reboot. It’s not asking a lot of the audience, just that they come prepared to take in the thinnest of stories, enhanced by the decades of video game lore that inspired it, for the sake of seeing a large variety of violent fighting matches. Yes, there are low bars we’ve been seeing video game movies cross. Still, there’s a large volume of entertainment to be found in this upgrade of a sequel that continues to suggest we could be coming closer to a genuine masterpiece adapted from an interactive distraction. (Toasty!)
Mortal Kombat II opens in theaters and IMAX on May 8, 2026.
