Review: MORTAL KOMBAT II Puts Kombat First for Better and Worse

Well, to anyone who complained that Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat reboot didn’t feature a traditional tournament, your wishes are granted in Mortal Kombat II. But, as often is the case, it’s a monkey’s paw situation. Writer Jeremy Slater picks up where Greg Russo and Dave Callaham left off in 2021. By that, I mean returning characters—whether alive or by the power of necromancy—are thrust into Mortal Kombat faceoffs with zero hesitation. Like, that’s not an exaggeration. The movie starts, there’s a quickie Shao Kahn backstory, another brief Johnny Cage scene, and WHAM, tourney time!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against violent, martial-arts style over substance in a Mortal Kombat adaptation. The problem is more about overcorrection. Mortal Kombat II leaps into the rigidity of an interdimensional battle of champions without any substantial buildup or pacing, none of which carries over from a film that was released nearly five years ago.

Under the tutelage of Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), Earthrealm almost has a full squad of competitors. Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), and Cole Young (Lewis Tan) are formidable together. Still, they need one more teammate—enter washed-up B-movie yester-star Johnny Cage (Karl Urban). On the other side is Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) and his band of bloodthirsty Outworld killers, including his daughter by acquisition, Kitana (Adeline Rudolph). But, Shao Kahn doesn’t want to make this Mortal Kombat a fair contest, continuing to search for the Amulet of Shinnok, which would grant him immortality.

As far as the Mortal Kombat-ness goes, McQuoid honors the classics while going all video-game nerd on the visuals. You’ll get an Ed Boon cameo as a bartender helping Johnny drown his over-the-hill sorrows, which is a fun inclusion for franchise diehards, but there’s even more overt nods. Flaming diamonds appear in the sky, replicating an in-game health bar, while levels with acid pits and elevated dojo platforms are torn from side-scrolling fame. Particularly, the recreation of combat zones made me smile, given the amount of detail that went into capturing the deliberately dangerous vibe of each stage. Pair that with cinematographer Stephen F. Windon’s flips to flattened frames before the brutality begins, evoking a 2D feel, and McQuoid will earn gamers’ praise.

However, Mortal Kombat II reads as wonky and clumsy in its handling of the scant storytelling it boasts. “But Matt, it’s a punchy-kicky-beheady movie—who cares?” Sure, heard. And the fatalities are rad, bashing craniums or dishing out gore with iconic Mortal Kombat weapons, though they felt low in number compared to the last film. Still, there’s a rushed quality that disservices almost every character outside Kitana and Johnny Cage, and even these focal players run generic arcs of any commonplace brawler tale. One Earthrealmer is done so laugh-out-loud dirty it’s almost inconceivable, like McQuoid considers his prior movie a waste of time. There’s nowhere for the ensemble to shine outside their called-upon matches, and even then, winners here and there are announced before momentum can build.

Then again, when Mortal Kombat II finds steady footing, for however long a pocket it lasts, there’s surefire entertainment value. Urban’s take on Hollywood brat Johnny Cage is grizzled and worn-down, but the sparkle of the nutsack-puncher’s ego eventually comes out in the New Zealander’s performance. Josh Lawson scores zinger laughs as Kano, calling Quan Chi (Damon Herriman) Pennywise or spreading his degenerate charms as comedic relief. Hiroyuki Sanada and Joe Taslim never disappoint with their choreography, adding a veteran action-star presence. Plus, we even get a Drax Lite take on Baraka from CJ Bloomfield, who forms an adorable broship with … well, [redacted]. Not to mention, Adeline Rudolph bites into a damn-the-man take on Kitana that inspires hopeful resistance to dictatorial evils through action and protest.

I waffle on Mortal Kombat II because the kombat is killer, like last time. The architecture is devoted to the popular arcade button-masher-turned-console-controller-masher. But something is missing from McQuoid’s vision, even at its peppiest and deadliest. Paul W. S. Anderson’s 1995 cult-loved adaptation feels more energetic and more lively, while there’s an Outworld glibness that envelopes McQuoid’s production. A movie about punishing combos, featherweight agility, and courageous tenacity starts to trudge along, weighed down by a lack of heaving intensity. You’ve got all the right pieces, but why don’t they fit?

Mortal Kombat II is the fan-service answer to “GIVE US A TOURNAMENT,” not without detrimental results. It’s the no-frills, down-and-dirty take on a true Mortal Kombat test of might, shoving all that waste-of-space exposition and development to the side. Some might say that’s unnecessary for a Mortal Kombat adaptation, and they’re not wrong to a degree, but I digress. As is, Mortal Kombat II should be safe watching for general fans of fighting game properties—albeit a glancing blow when it comes to most elements that don’t involve broken bones or severed limbs.

Movie Score: 2.5/5