Video game adaptations can be a tricky beast. They can either go the prestige route like The Last of Us with its Emmy-nominated television series, or be a dreadful reference marathon such as The Minecraft Movie. While 2021’s Mortal Kombat film had a myriad of issues, such as the lack of the tournament that serves as the game series’ centerpiece, and a focus on an original character created for the film rather than one of the franchise’s existing cast, it had its heart in the right place by trying to honor the original game series. With the expansion of a sequel, the series had the opportunity to course-correct to deliver not only an engaging film, but also one that fans of the series deserve.
I’m pleased to report that despite some near-fatal flaws in the storytelling department, Mortal Kombat II is mostly a success.
Mortal Kombat II opens with a flashback depicting Outworld ruler Shao Kahn usurping control of the realm of Edenia, and right off the bat, establishes itself as more in tune with the lore of the Mortal Kombat series than the previous movie. The 2021 film struggled in this regard because the film followed Cole Young (Lewis Tan), an original character who served as an audience self-insert. While that route might have worked to bring in audiences who had no prior experience with the games, the decision felt like it went against what Mortal Kombat is: a battle between the six realms for complete control.
Instead, this opening establishes one of the leads of the film: Princess Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), adoptive daughter of Shao Kahn. With Kahn overthrowing her birth father, she sets out in hopes of one day taking back the throne and freeing the people of Edenia from Outworld’s rule.
She’s not the only protagonist though; the film also introduces Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) as a washed-up action star who’s sought out by Lord Raiden to join Earthrealm’s champions for the upcoming tournament. While this depiction isn’t accurate to the game, Urban’s performance brings a sense of lightheartedness and bravado to the entire experience that was sorely lacking in the 2021 film.
With the main characters established and the characters from the first Mortal Kombat reintroduced, this is where we start to see cracks in the sequel itself. The dual-protagonist format feels unfocused as the film hops around between Earthrealm, Edenia, and the Netherrealm. Kitana’s story is depicted as one of revenge and redemption as she struggles to play double agent against Shao Kahn taking over the realms, while Johnny Cage’s is… about him struggling to be an actual fighter instead of an actor. It feels so unfocused at times that I’m convinced that at one point, this might have been two different scripts that were mashed together. In fact, Cole Young appears in the film so little that this feels like the producers making a grand apology for the 2021 movie (right down to the title card just saying “Mortal Kombat”). What makes this more disjointed is the clear jump in quality the Kitana storyline has over that of Johnny Cage.
With the storylines established, Mortal Kombat II gives audiences what the first film was sorely lacking: an actual fighting tournament.
What Mortal Kombat II lacks in storytelling quality it makes up for in pure video game thrills. It’s awesome to see stages and characters from the game brought to life from filmmakers who have a clear affinity for the franchise. Stages like The Pit, The Dead Pool, and The Portal from the original MKII video are brought to life in staggering sequences that make the most of a large Hollywood blockbuster budget.
There’s a moment in the IMAX version that even recreates the beginning of fight sequences from the recent games’ story modes. Say what you will about this film franchise, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Mortal Kombat II comes from people who actually enjoy the video games on a deep level. The fights are fast and fluid and feature some great moments and fatalities from the games. There’s even an entire act in the Netherrealm that boils down to one large fight sequence that was dazzling to see on screen.
The 2021 outing struggled to differentiate itself from the infamous 1995 film. It felt as if it was going through an identity crisis, unable to decide if it wanted to be a tragic story about redemption, a gritty martial-arts film, or a prequel to what audiences and fans know as “Mortal Kombat.”
Despite the uneven story balancing, Mortal Kombat II firmly establishes itself as embracing the high-camp tone of the series and other elements that make the series worth celebrating, right down to using a brand new version of “Techno Syndrome,” the famous track from the 1995 movie, as its ending theme. It’s refreshing to see an adaption embrace its video game roots after criticism over previous entries.
Ultimately, Mortal Kombat II is the sum of its parts and nothing more, but it’s exactly the film this franchise needed to build momentum. I liked the 2021 movie more than most people, but the sequel feels like the jolt in the arm that was sorely needed. It trades a grim, serious tone for one larger-than-life like the video games it’s based on. While the storytelling does fall apart, with one half being considerably weaker than the other, I couldn’t help but have a huge grin on my face for the entire runtime. If the filmmakers can somehow make a clearer and more focused story for the sequel in development, then the third time might be the charm for Mortal Kombat.
