From Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, we seem to be having the same conversation every few weeks. A sequel to a video game movie doesn’t get the best reviews, but fans of the IP won’t mind. Mortal Kombat II seems inclined to continue this trend. Like the previous Mortal Kombat, this isn’t a film that’s going to appease those looking to analyze the story, themes, or character motivation. If you’re just here for the gory as hell action and fan-favorite fighters, though, Mortal Kombat II will be a flawless (enough) victory. Hey, at least it’s better than Annihilation.
Actually, the plot of Mortal Kombat II shares a few parallels to that 1997 clunker. Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) is once again the big bad, although this one thankfully has a mask that doesn’t look like it was purchased from Spirit Halloween. Adeline Rudolph makes her debut as Kitana, a warrior princess who seeks to avenge her biological father. Kahn assumes the role of her stepfather. Stuck in the middle is Jade (Tati Gabrielle), who loves Kitana like a sister but is loyal to Kahn. So, they basically have the same dynamic as Gamora, Nebula, and Thanos.
The humor here is also quite MCU-coded, with most of the jokes being references to other movies like The Lord of the Rings. Funny that Karl Urban has both franchises in common. In a sea of performances that are hit and miss, Urban is the clear standout as Johnny Cage, a Hollywood action star who must now prove himself as a true warrior. He’s a lot more fun to watch than Cole Young (Lewis Tan), who’s downgraded to supporting player with Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), and Liu Kang (Ludi Lin).
While the plot is essentially just an excuse for showdowns, the fight scenes more than earn the film’s R rating. Even if the CGI can look fake, the fatalities are as inventive as they are bloody. Of course, it’s not like death really matters in a series like Mortal Kombat. Multiple characters are resurrected throughout the film. I guess it’s not a spoiler to say that one of them is Kano (Josh Lawson), seeing how he was in the film’s trailer. The minute he’s resurrected, though, Jade points out that they didn’t need to. Yet, for whatever reason, the bad guys keep Kano around.
The decisions that the characters make don’t always add up, creating numerous plot points. Mortal Kombat II also has a hard time deciding who exactly its main character is. The film seems torn between Johnny and Kitana, opting to give us two origin stories for the price of one. It amounts to an overstuffed narrative, although Rudolph and especially Urban have just enough charm to keep us invested in their respective character arcs. Many critics will surely dump on Mortal Kombat II, and their criticisms won’t be invalid. As pure mindless escapism, though, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have fun with it. Does that make Mortal Kombat II a good movie? Objectively not, but that’s why we call movies like this guilty pleasures, which is the most I’ve come to expect from this franchise anyway.