The Pissed Take - Mortal Kombat II

MORTAL KOMBAT II -or- TEPID WOMBAT: La suite AKA Better than the first one is not enough.

Release Date 27Apr2026

MORTAL KOMBAT II is the second in the rebooted series of motion pictures based off of the long running MORTAL KOMBAT series of video games. The first time around began with the mildly enjoyable MORTAL KOMBAT in 1995, with a horrendous sequel following in 1997. There are animated titles, web series, and even what was to be a regular television show.

The game that started it all was created by ED BOON and JOHN TOBIAS of MIDWAY GAMES and released in 1992. The game coming from a stalled video game adaption of the JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAMME movie BLOODSPORT was inspired by the 1984 game KARATE CHAMP and by the movies ENTER THE DRAGON, BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, ZU WARRIORS and THE SWORDSMAN - both by TSUI HARK. There are 12 main games in a 24 title library. I lived a block away from a restaurant that got the cabinet in 1992 and had little tournaments in that hour before the bus would pick us up for school. I actually lived a few blocks from Midway Games while they were making MK2 and went to the same gym as Ho-Sung Pak (Liu Kang) and the Pesina bros (Raiden, any Ninja). SUB-ZERO was my guy! Totally could have been truly fun movies…

MORTAL KOMBAT II is the second of the reboot series (They're beginning work on the 3rd), and this time - they actually have the tournament. Initially, this excited me, but that excitement was short-lived…

NO SPOILERS!

SHAO KHAN, leader of Outworld, has taken control of Edenia, and has his sights set on Earthrealm. Elder god RAIDEN has his cadre of Earthrealm defenders but is missing just one. Enter JOHNNY CAGE, former action movie star and just as former champion martial artist to fill out the team. The odd man out, not knowing anything about cross-realm tournaments, magical kung-fu bullshit, and saving the world - he is coerced into participating. Much anemic f#ckery commences.

I made the mistake of watching this in the theaters... again. The first one was a total streamer that should have been viewed that way, and I did not learn my lesson. The promise of the tournament in its full glory got me into a theater seat and once again, I wish I stayed home. You see, the game's creators wore their influences on their sleeves. They had fun with it, we got a much better game than the Van Damme adaptation it was originally supposed to be. The movies unwisely didn't get the hint. Because of this, the presentations of all adaptations outside of the games have missed out on what could have been spectacularly fun experiences. The sheer goofiness of the concept alone should have inspired the producers but all have instead relied solely on the basic beats of the games, while adding in the most uninspired extras I have to assume nobody really understood what they were adapting.

I was bored by most of this film. The action looked like a martial arts demo, photography was a half-step above direct-to-video - in fact this movie plays like the current slate of streaming movies: bland, basic, and forgettable. The editing clearly exposes what was cut out and when - very awkward, and the performances are somnambulic. There are a few moments that stand out, chief of those are the Liu Kang/Kung Lao fight scene, but the rest is unimpressive. Karl Urban, a man who made DREDD watchable through sheer force of will, couldn't find the will here. I can't help but feel this was a paycheck gig.

The one standout is ADELINE RUDOLPH who injects a bit of life into the show whenever she is on screen. The rest of the cast barely have time to make ANY impression. A shame.

THE GOOD: The design and effects were pretty good, the Johnny Cage movie shoot at the beginning was fun but could have done more. The Shaolin monks fight in the portal stage was the best in the film. Adeline Rudolph as Kitana brought much needed energy.

THE BAD: A boring mess — getting to the end so I could drop weight was the best part of the movie. Most of the fights and fatalities, the focal points of the series, are not great and shot/cut without rhythm. The story is unengaging and tries to add way too much from across the games at weird points (the Amulet of Shinnok can juggle my satch). I didn't care about anyone or anything happening on that screen.

SEE IT: STREAM HO(E)!!! If you must, go see it where films go to die.

DON'T SEE IT: Tweezing your toe hairs may be more diverting