Film Review: Mortal Kombat II
Finish The Fight
Introduction
This is a quick review of the newly released film Mortal Kombat II. Please note that this is just one of the many movies I will have watched each year, and my initial grade for this film may change over time, for better or worse. To stay up to date on my thoughts about other movies and any potential changes in my opinion on this one, follow me on Letterboxd.
Plot
Via Letterboxd: The fan favorite champions, now joined by Johnny Cage himself, are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.
Review
I’ve rarely spent much time playing the Mortal Kombat video game series. My biggest connection to the franchise comes from my dad renting the two nineties films for us when we were way too young to be watching them. Those movies are, of course, not great or critically well-regarded. The 1995 film is a fun nostalgia trip, but the 1997 sequel is one of the worst video game adaptations ever made.
And yet, the franchise has refused to give up on film. In 2021 (after being delayed from 2020), Mortal Kombat was rebooted for the big screen. Unfortunately, that film made the baffling decision to move away from what makes Mortal Kombat what it is; there was no proper tournament, the signature fatalities and ultra-violence were mostly saved for one big moment near the end, and the story centered on a completely new protagonist with absolutely no connection to the games. On top of that, it was a messy, poorly paced, and badly written movie. It had its moments, but ultimately felt like an underwhelming attempt at a proper adaptation.
Despite mixed reviews, middling audience scores, and a same-day streaming release, the film performed well enough for Warner Brothers and New Line Cinema to move forward with a sequel. Originally slated for release late last year, Mortal Kombat II was pushed to Mother’s Day weekend (of all dates) as a follow-up to The Devil Wears Prada 2, helping unofficially kick off the summer box office season (though some might argue that honor belongs to the upcoming Star Wars release).
This was my first press screening in months, as I’ve been busy at home taking care of the little woman. I saw it with my best friend, who’s a gamer and even a fan of the maligned 2021 film. We grabbed some drinks beforehand, so maybe that added to the experience, but in short…I liked it. This is a pretty significant step up from the previous movie.
Most importantly, this film doesn’t shy away from its source material. There’s an actual tournament this time, real stakes, and the ultra-violent fights, complete with brutal fatalities, are present throughout. It finally feels like a Mortal Kombat game brought to life, while still giving the characters some motivation and arcs.
The ensemble is fairly large, featuring returning characters, but the biggest addition is Johnny Cage, played by Karl Urban. His version of Cage is a breath of fresh air and a major upgrade as the central figure compared to Cole from the last film, who didn’t resonate much. Cole is now relegated to a supporting role, and to his credit, Lewis Tan returns and is a trooper over the demotion, trying to do his best with the little screen time he has compared to before.
With Cage’s introduction comes a lighter tone. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I found myself laughing out loud at several of his quips and comedic moments. Impressively, this balance works even alongside the film’s gnarly violence. It ends up being a solid popcorn flick for audiences to head out to this weekend, and I think hardcore fans will especially love it. Honestly, I’d even call this the best film in the franchise so far.
That said, this isn’t necessarily a great movie either. Some of the same issues from the 2021 film return, messy editing, rushed pacing, and clunky exposition that leads to awkward dialogue and moments that may confuse non-fans. The film clearly isn’t aiming to be much more than a blood-soaked action spectacle.
All in all, this is a noticeable upgrade from the 2021 entry and a decent popcorn flick, even if its flaws keep it from ranking among the better video game adaptations out there. It’s no Mario, but it’s also no Sonic. I’d give Mortal Kombat II an okay enough B-. I was barely negative on the first film, and I’m barely positive on its sequel.
“TL;DR”
Pros: Leans into the source material much harder than the previous film did; Features much lighter comedic moments that make it a fun audience film; Karl Urban brings a breath of fresh air as our new protagonist; Gnarly fatality kills that match the gory action of the games
Cons: Messy editing that creates some hurried pacing; Exposition heavy dialogue and scenes that could easily lose a non-gamer; Feels very much “for the fans” and less so like its trying to give us a well put together film that has lasting power
Grading
