Warner Bros.
I have always been a Street Fighter fan.
I never really got into the Mortal Kombat games or even the 90’s films. In fact, I haven’t seen 1997’s Mortal Kombat Annihilation.
That being said, I was extremely enthusiastic about 2021’s Mortal Kombat reboot.
Mostly because I love Hiroyuki Sanada. I was still convalescing after my kidney transplant during lockdown the previous November. I was basically stuck in the house, and so movies, regardless of their quality, were a lifeline for me.
While enjoyable for what it was, and knowing that video game movies aren’t the surest of bets for reliably quality filmmaking, Mortal Kombat was a thing that happened.
Fast forward to 2026.
It is five years later, and I am scrolling through YouTube, seeing what new trailers are out, and I see the visage of Karl Urban sporting a shit-eating grin and what looks like a blue roller disco jacket and black Ray-Ban style sunglasses. Underneath the image are the words, Mortal Kombat II Teaser Trailer from New Line Cinema. I honestly thought it was one of those terrible fan films that pepper my feed often. Nope. It is a ridiculously bonkers trailer for a new Mortal Kombat film STARRING KARL URBAN as Johnny Fucking Cage!
Wait. So I am going to get an over-the-top ridiculous Mortal Kombat sequel with BOTH Karl Urban AND Hiroyuki Sanada?! Sign me the fuck up!
Well, folks, I am here to tell you that the new Mortal Kombat II film will soon be gracing your local cineplex and my god… It is redonkulous.
I and most of my fellow critics, as well as the entire packed theater, loved every second of this stupid, blood-soaked, and violent chef d’oeuvre. It is amazing.
Let’s be crystal clear here. It is by no means a “good” film. And that isn’t a bad thing.
What it is is brilliant. Brilliant because this movie had people screaming, cheering, yelling, and clapping with every easter egg, every recognizable brutal finishing move, and all of the gratuitous violence that made the original game and the subsequent sequels so incredibly popular. The film is also surprisingly funny. The filmmakers leaned into the cheese and the absolute absurdity of the premise as a whole.
Newcomer to the franchise, Karl Urban is, however, no stranger to genre films and shows. Star Trek, Dredd, The Boys, Doom, and Lord of the Rings, Urban knows his way around a franchise. He has always given it the right amount of gravitas, fun, and respect to fill whatever shoes his character might need without hamming it up too much, but also not taking his performance too seriously when it calls for it as well. I wasn’t too sure how this 53-year-old actor was going to pull off Johnny Cage. But rest assured. He nails it.
As do the rest of the ensemble. They treat each character they play with respect for the fans who love them. At no point did I get the feeling that they felt “better than this” or that these roles were below them. They know how beloved each and every Mortal Kombat character is and play them with the appreciation they deserve.
Returning to the director’s chair is Simon McQuoid, who made his directorial debut on the previous MK film. I hadn’t realized till now that that was his first feature film. Perhaps that explains a lot of my issues with that film. Well, regardless of whatever reservations I have about the prior film, McQuoid handles MKII with a deft hand and a keen eye for the action.
The filmmakers must have heard the fans’ gripes about the 2021 film because they didn’t make the same mistakes twice. More importantly, they also didn’t pull a Disney and Lucasfilm and what they did to the maligned Star Wars sequel trilogy when they pulled a complete about-face in the direction of the franchise to pander to a small but vocal few who cried foul at The Last Jedi.
What we have is a perfect example of giving the fans what they want, but not compromising the integrity of the franchise itself.
Is this movie dumb? Yes.
Is this movie brainless? Yup
Does this movie have a ludicrous amount of mindless blood and violence that borders on the abhorrent? Absolutely.
Is the plot preposterous and absurd? Totally.
Well, you just defined Mortal Kombat in all its glory. Mortal Kombat II got the assignment and delivered a well-landed flurry of well-timed, expertly placed hits. This film isn’t for everyone, but who it IS for will love it.
Also, Hiroyuki Sanada can finish me anytime he wants. Just super sayin.
With how energized and pumped I am after seeing Mortal Kombat II bring on the new Street Fighter reboot movie because I am ready!
