My quick rating - 6.7/10. Mortal Kombat II starts by throwing us straight into Edenia. A young Princess Kitana receives a protective necklace from her father, King Jarod. It's a nice little moment before Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) inevitably arrives to remind everyone that peace and happiness aren't really things that exist in Mortal Kombat. There's some quick narration explaining the situation, a brutal outcome that fans will see coming from a mile away, and before long we're jumping ahead to an older Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) as Outworld issues its challenge to the Elder Gods.
In other words, they don't waste much time getting to the good stuff.
Right off the bat, what caught my attention was the confidence of Mortal Kombat II as opposed to the 2021 edition. The 2021 Mortal Kombat takes up too much time trying to shove a new character down our throats, when there are so many fan favorites already. This sequel finally puts the spotlight where it belongs.
That includes Johnny Cage.
His introduction might be my favorite in the entire movie. We get a wonderfully cheesy clip from one of his old action movies, Uncaged Fury, complete with a grainy logo and over-the-top action. Then reality hits, and we find him signing autographs at a convention while reliving his glory days. Karl Urban absolutely steals the show here. His version of Johnny Cage isn't nearly as arrogant as previous incarnations, but he's endlessly entertaining. Every scene he's in gets a boost. And if some of those younger-looking shots caught your eye, that's because they actually used his son, Indy Urban.
A brilliant decision was bringing Kano back. Josh Lawson was one of the strongest parts of the previous film, and I'm glad the filmmakers seemed to realize that. Kano continues to be a professional pain in everyone's backside, delivering some of the funniest moments in the movie. And Kano wouldn't be the same if his mortal enemy Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) didn't return as well.
Of course, nobody is buying a ticket to Mortal Kombat II for character development.
The fights are exactly what they should be. Fast-paced, brutal, visually stunning, and packed with iconic moves and fatalities from the games. The choreography is excellent. The weapon work looks fantastic. And the CGI blends seamlessly with all the ridiculous powers and effects. This is a noticeable step up from the 2021 movie.
As someone who recently finished Mortal Kombat X, I found it especially fun to spot locations and story elements pulled from the games. Writer Jeremy Slater clearly spent time looking at what fans actually love about the franchise, and director Simon McQuoid listened.
Keep an eye out for Ed Boon as a bartender too. The co-creator of Mortal Kombat sneaks into the movie for a fun little cameo.
I still think the 1995 Mortal Kombat has the better soundtrack, and Christopher Lambert remains my favorite Raiden, but in terms of faithfully recreating the games, Mortal Kombat II is easily the strongest adaptation yet. The production values are on another level compared to the '90s films, and gamers are going to eat this one up.
The general audience probably will too.
The fatalities, however, might leave a few people reconsidering exactly how many bones the human body is supposed to have.
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