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Review: ‘Mortal Kombat II’ is a Sequel that Stays True to Its Arcade Roots, but isn’t Quite a Flawless Victory
May 6, 2026Ben MK
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Ever since Paul Thomas Anderson's Mortal Kombat was released in 1995, video game fans have been eagerly anticipating seeing their favorite fighting game franchises brought to the big screen in all their brutal, bare-fisted glory. Fast forward three decades, and with both Mortal Kombat II and Street Fighter arriving in movie theaters mere months apart, it's a dream that appears to have finally been realized. After years of suffering through such lackluster adaptations as the Jean Claude Van Damme version of Street Fighter and Anderson's own followup, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, moviegoers were rewarded with a new, more promising contender in the form of Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat in 2021. And now, with Mortal Kombat II, McQuoid is back for round two, as he assembles a fan-favorite mix of old and new fighters for a deadly tournament that will decide the fate of our world. Set shortly after the events of its predecessor, the story follows Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), a princess from the noble realm of Edenia, whose father, King Jerrod (Desmond Chiam), was violently killed by the ruthless Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), the Emperor of Outworld. The last man standing in the way of Outworld's ten-tournament domination over Edenia, Jerrod's death paved the way for Shao Kahn to become its ruler, taking Kitana's mother, Queen Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen), as his wife and adopting a young Kitana (Sophia Xu) as his own daughter. But after years of training under the tutelage of her bodyguard, Jade (Tati Gabrielle), Kitana is ready to take back what's rightfully hers, secretly collaborating with the God of Lightning, Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), to help overthrow Shao Kahn and restore peace to Edenia. It's a mission fraught with danger, with Shao Kahn's spies lurking everywhere and his necromancer, Quan Chi (Damon Herriman), wielding his dark magic to help his master locate a powerful artifact known as the Amulet of Shinnok, which can grant its wearer immortality and the god-like powers. Little do any of them realize, however, that the key to winning this battle might rest in the hands of the most unlikely person — a has-been action star named Johnny Cage (Karl Urban). Once a highly skilled martial artist with unlimited fighting prowess and the sunglasses-wearing star of such cult-classic B-movies as Uncaged Fury, Hard to Cage and Rebel Without a Cage, Johnny now finds himself sitting alone at his comicon table, while attendees rush to take pictures with their favorite YouTubers and influencers. But after being recruited by Raiden and soldier-turned-fighter Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), a reluctant Johnny soon comes to realize that there's something much more pressing than just fame and fortune. Along with Sonya's partner, the mechanical-armed Jax Briggs (Mehcad Brooks), MMA star Cole Young (Lewis Tan) and Raiden's former pupil, Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Johnny must help defend Earthrealm by taking part in Mortal Kombat and facing off against Outworld's most fearsome fighters. The question is, after all these years of being out of the spotlight, does Johnny still have what it takes to best his opponents in real life? And even if he manages not to get himself killed, will he and his fellow Earth warriors be able to outsmart their enemies and steal Shinnok's amulet before Shao Kahn is able to use its magic to become the most powerful god in all of Outworld? Throw in a resurrected Kung Lao (Max Huang), who has been reborn to do Shao Kahn's bidding, and a resurrected Kano (Josh Lawson), who once again proves to be the wild card, and you have a stacked roster of combatants. That said, for all its cutscene-worthy dialogue, game-accurate costume design, and action-packed fight scenes, there's still something missing from this sequel, despite the fact that it makes a concerted effort to give audiences more of what they expect from a Mortal Kombat adaptation. Make no mistake, viewers who came out of 2021's Mortal Kombat wishing that that film was more faithful to its arcade roots will be delighted to see that McQuoid and company have committed to delivering precisely that kind of experience, from the custom studio logos done in the familiar MK font to the return of Scorpion's trademark "Get over here!" Unfortunately, all this fan service doesn't quite make up for the movie's clunky and dated script, which more or less exists to cram in as many homages and characters as possible, irrespective of how ridiculously cheesy the result might be. It all makes for a fun but ultimately superficial followup that eschews the more character-focused and narrative-driven aspect of some recent video game adaptations in favor of something more bombastic and crowd-pleasing. Nevertheless, for Mortal Kombat fans, that may not necessarily be a bad thing. After all, bringing an acclaimed game series such as this one to the big screen doesn't just demand crafting a worthwhile story, but also catering to the fan base. And while Mortal Kombat II's story certainly leaves something to be desired, it does do the latter quite well, making it not a flawless victory, but a victory nonetheless. Mortal Kombat II releases May 8th, 2026 from Warner Bros. Pictures. The film has an MPAA rating of R for strong bloody violence and gore, and language. Its runtime is 1 hr. 56 min. |
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