Mortal Kombat II – Review

As the sequel to 2021’s reboot, Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat II has two toss-ups going for it. The first is its nature as a live-action video game adaptation – while attitudes and mindsets towards the genre have shifted in recent years, the initial stigma remains. Next is its position as a follow-up, which often isn’t as well-regarded as the first instalment. 

This return to the arena, fortunately, rises above all of that (not that expectations were particularly high to begin with though) to deliver a bloody good time, with more style and er, guts spewing forth. Gone is the shaky confidence of its predecessor, replaced by exuberant charm that leans into the spirit of the source material, delivering deft action choreography, and more glorious gore. There may be some missteps along the way, but the film represents one step closer to a flawless victory and does justice to fans who wanted more from the first outing. 

Set after the events of Mortal Kombat, the follow-up marks the debut of two previously absent characters from the games – Kitana, played by Adeline Rudolph (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and Johnny Cage (Karl Urban, The Boys), the latter of whom is chosen to participate in the namesake tournament organised by Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford, Kingsman: The Golden Circle), the big bad from the Outerworld who seeks to rule Earthrealm alongside his adopted daughter, Kitana. 

It doesn’t take long to realise that the new pair drives the story forward, different as they are. Johnny is a washed-up Hollywood action star who trash-talks his opponents, while seriousness and vengeance flow through Kitana’s veins, and both exude strong individual presence. Where the previous protagonist Cole Young (Lewis Tan, Deadpool 2) struggled to drum up emotional resonance, the arcs both new fighters undergo here strengthen their sense of connection with audiences, even if a little, and the parallel shots between them near the end of the film serve as a constant reminder of their significance. 

On the flip side, the characterisation of Johnny in Mortal Kombat II may not sit well with some. The egotistical, cocky personality in earlier game titles has been toned down, aligning more with his mature persona in Mortal Kombat X and 11, with a humour that swings between low-brow and deadpan wit. Johnny’s banter with the cybernetic-eye-wearing Kano (Josh Lawson, Superstore) is particularly amusing, especially since the latter’s quips prove more wicked than before. But genre star Urban sells it with a level of dedicated sincerity, even if he can’t quite believe he’s been chosen to fight for the planet.

The campy absurdity works for the most part because the sequel doesn’t take itself too seriously, but not every joke sticks. At times, certain dialogue borders on cringeworthy or awkward, and nods to pop culture, including The Lord of the Rings, John Wick (with an explicit Keanu Reeves namedrop to boot), Voldemort of Harry Potter fame, and Pennywise from It – all intellectual properties belonging to Warner Bros, naturally – can fall short. 

Elsewhere, other characters suffer from a similar push-and-pull fate. Returning faces such as Liu Kang (Ludi Lin, Aquaman), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee, Packed to the Rafters) and Jax (Mehcad Brooks, CW’s Supergirl) have their fair share of the spotlight without stealing attention from the new kids on the block, serving as a contrast to underutilised figures, both old and new. However, it’s worth noting that the issue isn’t unique to Mortal Kombat II and often comes up in sequels with an ensemble cast.

The storytelling, to nobody’s surprise, is nothing special, either. Although the sequel is more consistent and has tighter pacing, it leaves questions and loopholes, as well as overly convenient solutions and jarring quick cuts, in its wake. None of this matters, though, because let’s be honest, nobody watches a fighting game movie for its plot. The thrill lies in witnessing tense, high-octane action, which is available in spades. 

It goes without saying that visceral, hard-hitting choreography is a given, and the sequel excels on this front. Barring the opening moments of Johnny’s entrance, where the deliberately clumsy execution feels disjointed from the overall flow, the fight sequences are a spectacle to behold, marrying grounded, slick martial arts with the distinctive flavour of each character. The weight behind every hit is also conveyed well – be it a heavy weapon swing, a flurry of bare-knuckled strikes, or the unleashing of abilities. 

The bigger hook, of course, is the violent, gruesome Fatalities that the franchise is known and loved for. A handful of them (and fewer than expected) are executed over the course of Mortal Kombat II, and a primal sense of exhilaration never fails to follow, especially after a satisfying buildup. For all that combat is its greatest weapon, there are still niggles that peek through – the CGI effects can be inconsistent, and some fights finish too quickly. More majorly, characters described as all-powerful don’t always live up to the standard of their video game counterparts, diminishing their presence in the film. 

What it also does well is to lean into its roots without overdoing the fan service. References are woven in neatly, from a battle stage inspired by “The Dead Pool”, the arena first introduced in Mortal Kombat II, and metaphorical health bars to the signature gong that signals the start of a match. Then, there are the iconic character catchphrases and one-liners, including Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion’s (Hiroyuki Sanada, Shogun) “Get over here!” and Johnny’s “It’s show time!”, alongside additional appearances from familiar faces like Jade (Tati Gabrielle, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen, Primitive War), Jerrod (Desmond Chiam, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), and Baraka (CJ Bloomfield, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga). Oh, let’s not forget the various remixes of the main theme song.

In many ways, Mortal Kombat II is what the first film should have been. It harnesses its strengths well and gives fans what they want – exhilarating bone-breaking action, callbacks to the source material, and characters to root for. While far from flawless, there’s charm to be found in its imperfections, stepping in as compensation for a shaky start.

Si Jia

Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.