MORTAL KOMBAT II

Director
Simon McQuoid

Starring
Karl Urban
Adeline Rudolph
Tadanobu Asano
Martyn Ford

The film opens by setting the stakes with a flashback to the powerful warlord Shao Kahn [Ford] taking over the land of Edenia. We see how his arrival and brutal rule will reshape this kingdom and, should the heroes of Earthrealm fail to win Mortal Kombat, that will be the fate of our planet too. Years later, we catch up with Raiden [Asano] recruiting the latest batch of warriors to stand as our champions. The newest of which is aging action star, Johnny Cage [Urban]. But the tournament won’t be straightforward as the forces from Outworld deal in underhanded tactics to ensure their victory.

Anyone who’s played fighting games will know that the story between the fights is lore-rich but ultimately disconnected; it’s taken seriously by the fans but we all acknowledge it’s essentially padding. Subsequently, with the tournament being the skeletal structure of this film, the ‘plot’ feels undeniably rushed and vignetted. Granted, we finally have an actual tournament (something glaringly absent from 2021’s Mortal Kombat), but it’s very easy to determine who’s going to win and lose each bout – killing all notion of suspense – not to mention giving rise to an incredibly disjointed sense of pacing. That said, each fight is visually pleasing in settings and locations that are direct references to the games, with the disparate fighting styles making for unique showdowns.

As fans of the games know, Mortal Kombat lives and dies with the characters. Yes, the fatalities are renowned, the lore is headache inducing, but the characters you choose to fight as are a major driving force. Which is why creating an entirely original lead for the previous outing was an unfortunate misstep (but more on that later). This time around, the dour seriousness and weighty solemnity are offset by the inclusion of Johnny Cage, adding some much needed levity and silliness. And by the time Kano [Josh Lawson] is reintroduced, a significant amount of the runtime descends into sophomoric expletive laden comic relief. The flip side of this coin is the deadly serious story of Kitana [Rudolph] as the princess of the fallen Edenia, forced to serve Shao Kahn. While the Scorpion/Sub-Zero rivalry in the previous film was much more engaging, this new branch of the story is less po-faced and doesn’t end up overly derailing the film’s momentum.

But it’s where the supporting cast comes in that the film truly falters. See, other than the inclusion of Johnny, and Kitana’s revenge quest against Shao Kahn, each and every other individual comes off as disposable. From new additions to returning faces, the weight and gravitas of their presence is never really felt. Let’s take Jax [Mehcad Brooks] for example, who’s back with his robo-arms. He gets a fight scene or two, but the majority of his dialogue is reduced to empty quips like “Yeah, let’s not do that,” “Oh you’re definitely gonna die” and that age old classic, “Damn!” He’s a hollow shell of a person. An action figure to be placed in the background, then given a throwaway line to remind you he’s there. And that’s the case for most of the cast. The impact and significance of the Liu Kang/Kung Lao story is boiled down to a “we’ll get back to this in the next film”, Scorpion and Sub-Zero making a brief return seems obligational rather than necessary, and Kitana’s family woes (her mother Sindel being a zombie slave, and her closest friend Jade having torn loyalties) rattle through like a skippable cut scene. The film spends its entire runtime warning us of the spectre of death as if we should care and invest ourselves, only for characters to be killed then resurrected as evil henchmen. Meaning the stakes are simultaneously the most urgent, as well as completely inconsequential. Thankfully, Benjamin Wallfisch’s score is left to do a lot of the emotional heavy lifting where the script and acting can’t carry the weight.

On paper, fighting games should be the easiest to translate to film. We have countless examples of movies and stories about training to overcome odds in a tournament setting, and the effect that can have on those competing. But while certain elements are fixed, all new mistakes are being made – most strikingly, emulating the games to a fault. The real question is how much it actually matters. Mortal Kombat 2021 set the tone and made an enjoyable enough feature that appealed to its intended fanbase. Now, with this follow-up, they’re simply leaning into that formula. There’s no evidence that the team behind this feature are looking to win over new audiences, more to sink into its rhythm and be as authentic as it can for its primary demographic. Which, ultimately, it achieves. Sure, it’s a grubby, base movie, but it has several standout moments that are very fun in the cinema. And isn’t that also the core arcade Mortal Kombat experience people enjoy? With a third film all but guaranteed, it’s safe to say we can expect more of the same. And, at this point, you’re either out or in.

Release Date:
08 May 2026

As a prime example of the visual cartoonishness contrasting the absurd humour, the fight between Johnny Cage and the monstrous Baraka is very entertaining. Equal parts comedy and acrobatics, the tension is low but the engagement is high. Johnny hiding behind a curtain, only for two kids to point him out, Baraka being baffled by a smiling Johnny entering a flow state of dodges, the slapstick nature of it all, it’s oddly amusing. Shirking any form of nuance or high-brow opportunities, the script embraces its campy foolishness and delivers something admittedly very fun.

Notable Characters:
**spoilers**
One thing that will likely be talked about at length is the dismissive exit of Lewis Tan as former lead, Cole Young. Tan’s acting was never really the problem, it was the first film’s decision to look over an extensive roster of characters and choose to create an entirely new, although wholly forgettable, one. But for anyone worried that they did Tan dirty, it’s worth remembering what I outlined earlier: very few characters are given any form of grace or room to breathe. The fact Cole is even gifted dialogue and a chance to fight, rather than being casually written off between films or killed in a hasty cold open, is quietly commendable.

Highlighted Quote:
“Don’t look at me with that tone of voice, you big bleached dildo. I’ve just been dead.”

In A Few Words:
“Too many fights and faces to juggle to have any lasting significance, but a fun time nevertheless.”

Total Score: 2/5

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