Mortal Kombat’s (2021) adventure from console to cinema was met with lurid disappointment amongst fans of the video game series. Unable to capture the famous brawling magic or intense rivalries and alongside shoddy, cringe-inducing dialogue, the release was marked as one the worst video game adaptations of recent memory. Critically, the film debuted to poor reviews thanks to a bland protagonist, Cole Young (Lewis Tan), and served a narratively confused mess that couldn’t even hash together captivating fight sequences.
Despite these criticisms, Mortal Kombat (2021) accumulated enough box office reward to discuss a sequel. Which often plays as Warner Bro’s 2.0 attempt at a Mortal Kombat movie, dancing the line between a soft-reboot and sequel with carefree ease. This time around, Earthrealm’s heroes must face off against Shao Kahn’s (Martyn Ford) evil army in a tournament that threatens the existence of Earth. Enticing audiences to return to cinema seats and give the franchise another chance through fan favourites entering the fight, such as washed-up action star Johnny Cage, played by Karl Urban (The Boys), but is it enough for a flawless victory?
At its core, Mortal Kombat 2 is a significant improvement upon its predecessor, but still far from perfect. Audiences really desire one quality factor from such a movie, and that’s high-stakes, unpredictable fights ending with brutality and bloodspill. And ultimately, fans receive this. It becomes apparent as the picture progresses that more care has been infused into this sequel, especially in such areas. Fight choreography feels visceral and raw, selling these fighters as champions of their realm and pumping adrenaline into every single face-off, somewhat making up for a simplistic narrative that makes little attempt to be remotely ambitious. Audiences are guaranteed to grasp their mouths in shock at these champions writhing in unimaginable pain as their heads are sliced open, or spikes pierced through their chests. Mortal Kombat 2’s greatest achievement lies within the ability to keep audiences guessing, unable to guess how battles will end, right up until the dramatic finale. Alone, this viciousness carries the film to success, serving as gripping one vs one brawls occasionally interrupted by the requirement of storyline movement.
Mortal Kombat 2 is as far away from an accessible family film as fans could hope for, offering beautiful homages to the legendary video game series, whether through one-liner references or preposterous weaponry. Given the fast-paced two hour run, viewers may rightfully be disappointed at the lack of individualistic narratives running alongside the primary plot. Newcomers Karl Urban, Johnny Cage, and Adeline Rudolph’s Kitana (Hellboy: The Crooked Man) possess the basic foundations of such, encouraging audience support, but both ultimately fall flat, despite mildly interesting parallels in the climax. Johnny Cage’s washed-up 90s actor without a purpose is overplayed whilst offering nothing new, and Kitana suffers tremendous grief and torture that is barely touched upon. Both possess enough initial intrigue that teases more narrative competence this time around, but stop evolving towards the halfway mark, where their underbaked plots remain tediously safe.
However, Warner Bro’s risky sequel finds charm within its magnetic cast, possessing a surprisingly delightful chemistry certain to leave theatres roaring with laughter. Much success in the comedic department can be attributed to Josh Lawson’s return as Kano (St. Denis Medical) who steals every scene in which he appears, offering a refreshing break, and genuine laughs, from otherwise clunky dialogue. Admittedly, his tunnel visioned writing direction threatens to become tiresome towards the end, especially in absence of any semblance of plot-driving motivation, but his timing and meta-humour rescue stale scenes on the brink of death, keeping Mortal Kombat 2 alive with unstoppable energy for all two hours.
Criticism elsewhere can be applied to many within the cast. Karl Urban’s accent slips far too often and becomes more reminiscent of his role as Butcher in The Boys, and Lewis Tan’s (Cobra Kai) Cole Young is delivered with sheer uninterest, remaining frustratingly bland. Much like the 2021 release, the film is far too congested. No room is allowed for performers to shine, leading to wasted potential within the relationship between Tati Gabrielle’s (The Last of Us) Jade and Adeline Rudolph’s Kitana, offering nothing more than immediate implications of friendship. Given the context of the Mortal Kombat franchise, this is a difficult conundrum. Fans expect fights to the death from an illustrious array of characters, but cinematic success demands storytelling basics to achieve more than middling success. Unfortunately, Simon McQuoid’s (Mortal Kombat) directorial efforts finds no room for both to co-exist, simultaneously flicking between the two options and making little attempt to marry them.
At best, Mortal Kombat 2 delivers magnetic fights with magnificent backdrops ripped from the video game series. At worst, a simplistic plot proves tiresome and disruptive towards action. This made for fans sequel plays best when consumed as a highlight reel, an almost admirable effort from the writers room to admit their previous shortcomings. Instead focusing on immersing audiences into the champion’s war and individual bloodshedding clashes, rather than attempt and fail an intriguing overarching plot. Improvement has been made upon its predecessor, and one may be fair to question how good a Mortal Kombat movie can really be, and if nothing else, this sequel seems to answer that question. Mortal Kombat 2’s existence is clear, to provide fans mindless entertainment and encouraging brains to be turned off. Whilst far from a summer blockbuster guaranteed to break records, more than enough fun can be found in this flick that is certain to warm the hearts of many disappointed by Mortal Kombat 2021’s poor efforts.
Mortal Kombat 2 Releases in Theatres May 8th
