Mortal Kombat II Review

Mortal Kombat 2, much like its predecessor, understands its identity as a movie about "colorful weirdos beating the [expletive] out of each other." This review of the new film comes from someone who grew up playing the original games, appreciates Netherrealm's recent entries, and found the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie better than expected. The first film spent considerable time on exposition through its original protagonist, Cole Young, outlining the rules of a multiverse where realms settle dominance through scheduled tournaments. While the 1995 movie depicted the tournament, the 2021 version focused on establishing its existence, with Outworld's sorcerer Shang Tsung cheating by preemptively killing competitors. The first film, despite not showing the titular tournament, exercised restraint, saving much for later and teasing fan favorites like Johnny Cage and Princess Katana. Mortal Kombat 2 wastes no time in delivering on what the first film set up. It opens with a flashback in Adena, introducing King Jared, Synindel, and a young Princess Katana, alongside Kahan, leading into a gruesome fight scene. The film prioritizes the thrill of characters tearing each other apart over their motivations, acknowledging that the deep lore, while present, isn't the primary draw. The sequel thankfully sidelines Cole Young, focusing instead on Carl Urban's Johnny Cage and Adeline Rudolph's Katana. Katana, now grown, offers insight into Outworld, where Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn have unsportsmanlike intentions for the upcoming tournament. Johnny Cage's onboarding to Earthrealm's team provides exposition mixed with smart-aleck commentary. While Carl Urban is generally adored, his portrayal of Johnny Cage is somewhat subdued compared to previous iterations, perhaps intentionally depicting him as a washed-up has-been. His one-liners lack the punchiness of Josh Lawson's Kano, who, miraculously, returns from the dead "because reasons" and continues his entertaining banter. The film is filled with pop culture wise-cracks, mostly referencing other Warner Brothers IP, which, surprisingly, aligns with the source material's often outlandish elements and the DLC guest characters in recent Mortal Kombat games. Returning characters like Kung Lao, Jax, Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Raiden, and Scorpion are well-handled, though some, like Scorpion, could have had more screen time. The film impressively balances a stacked but not bloated roster, giving each character something to do without dragging the plot. Character deaths are thrilling and impactful, and the film doesn't shy away from gruesome fatalities. Mortal Kombat 2 excels in its combat. Despite abundant special effects, they never overshadow the clear, cleanly shot fight choreography, which has a good weight and is easy to follow. Visually, the film is engaging, with vibrant blood, fireballs, lasers, and neon magic, often framed like the video game. A minor nitpick is the sound design, specifically the needle drops. While the end credits feature a great remix of "Techno Syndrome" and Johnny Cage's movie within a movie uses "Rock You Like a Hurricane," the rest of the score is decent but unexceptional. Licensed tracks, given the film's pop culture references, would have been a welcome addition. Mortal Kombat 2, like the Super Mario Galaxy movie, understands its audience. It prioritizes the "fun first, story second" approach of video games. While it may not offer carefully crafted characters or complex conflicts, it delivers on its promise of colorful weirdos beating each other up. The film earns an eight out of ten. It's big, loud, gruesome, and fun, easily clearing the low bar for video game movie sequels.