Mortal Kombat II Review: Brutal, Bloody, and Better Than Before

Mortal Kombat comes back with a sequel to its 2021 reboot film and it is bloodier than ever!

Promotional photo of cast in Mortal Kombat II

Everyone remembers their first fighting game. For many in the United States it was Mortal Kombat. From fast-paced action to bloody finishers, Ed Boon and John Tobias’ ‘Mortal Kombat’ is a landmark for video game culture in the United States. It attracted a niche crowd in the arcade community due to its cool character designs and over the top gore. A film adaptation has been tried a few times before, and it seems like they finally found the rhythm for success!

‘Mortal Kombat II’ is a sequel to the 2021 reboot and while still not perfect, it improves on it in every way.

Firstly, we must ask what makes a good video game adaptation? The answer might vary depending on who you ask. In recent years, we have had many options to gauge our answer from. We have had excellent adaptations such as ‘Exit 8’ and controversial ones like ‘Mario Galaxy’. Just recently the entire conversation sparked back up online with the release of Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ trailer. It seems like it is a genre of film that is quite difficult to achieve success with. However, I think ‘Mortal Kombat II’ honors the original material in several ways.

The cinematography, for starters, has taken a massive leap in terms of quality. For a movie where its first release suffered from a pandemic release, the sequel more than makes up for it. It is a film that is shot in IMAX and utilizes the format in perfect moments. Unlike its predecessor, Mortal Kombat II does not cut short in the visual department. For a film that takes place in different ‘Realms’ it utilizes its CGI well.

The acting is another major improvement in the sequel. Karl Urban cast as Johnny Cage was an excellent choice. His portrayal of Johnny was spot-on to what we are familiar with in the franchise. Nailing a role as big as this is important to a franchise like Mortal Kombat considering how big Johnny Cage is.

Another major improvement was taking some shine away from Cole, who felt very bland as a protagonist in the first movie. That shine was shifted to Liu Kang, another major character in the Mortal Kombat lore. Here, he felt much truer to his character and not just some young guy who shoots fireballs.

Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat II

One part that felt short of great was the dialogue. Truthfully, it was just as painful as the first movie. Without giving too much away, the moment Kano was reintroduced after dying in the first film (some magical things went on!) I knew we were in for a drag. Kano’s role is meant to be the comic relief in an action movie that doesn’t always take itself seriously – but sometimes it feels as though Kano’s character is stealing so much screen time. This is a great thing for the actor for obvious reasons, but Kano’s dialogue shoehorns itself into both movies which are supposed to be about a deadly fighting tournament. It just feels too egregious at times. Though, to be fair, he felt very balanced out when bouncing humor off with Johnny. Truthfully speaking, the dialogue has some permission to be cheesy coming from a franchise that has a guy pop up in the corner yelling “whoopsy!”

The characters that were brought into this film were much more diverse than in the first film as well. Here, they expand into the Shao Kahn side of the lore. Outworld’s deadliest fighter is joined by characters like Sindel, Kitana, Jade and Baraka. Admittedly, some of these characters feel more like boxes checked off a roster than fully developed presences. Even so, having beloved characters from the franchise appear is always better than having a new original character that simply doesn’t connect with anyone.

Noob Saibot was another character added to the cast. With Bi Han (sub-zero) dying in the first film, fans knew that this fan favorite would appear in the sequel and it truly did not disappoint. The fight between Noob and Scorpion was perfectly choreographed and looked great effects-wise.

Noob Saibot in Mortal Kombat II (2026)

Now, this would not be a Mortal Kombat movie without the fatalities. They did not hold back on the gore in this film whatsoever. You can go in expecting blood and guts everywhere and you will still be overwhelmed – but it would not be Mortal Kombat without that!

Overall, Mortal Kombat II is a fun time! It does the franchise justice by giving the fans exactly what they want. It is okay if it is not the perfect cinematic experience because it serves its purpose – it makes you want to go back home and pick up whatever Mortal Kombat game you can get your hands on. I can wholeheartedly recommend this to fans and casual action-comedy lovers alike. This movie is by no means a “flawless victory” but it for darn sure is “TOASTY”!