Mortal Kombat II (2026) review — Thank the Elder Gods, no Animalities

Sometimes you need a loss to feel out an opponent, and this movie makes the 2021 outing look like it was just a practice round. Five years later, the fight continues, but it’s clear everyone has been training, the writing has been tweaked, there’s a little more money involved, and those reshoots probably helped too. Mortal Kombat II is an example of learning from mistakes, feeling how a battle is going, and shifting the style. That doesn’t mean there isn’t still a ton of room for growth, but for fans of the franchise, the hype is feeling much more legit right now.

Shang Tsung’s cheating tactics didn’t quite work out in the first one, so it’s time to resurrect a few characters, bring in a bigger, better bad guy, get to the tournament finally, and LET MORTAL KOMBAT BEGIN! Now complete with this strange row of red and blue flames acting like a scoreboard in the sky where everyone can see it. A ‘skyboard’ if you will. You know, that’s a perfect example of stuff in this movie that really keeps growing on me, even the little things I didn’t like aren’t too distracting, except for that title placement. We didn’t want to go to a black screen first or… no? Okay.

I’d even recommend this movie to those who didn’t like the previous one. A lot has changed, and it’s clear that the people making the film were listening to criticisms, ignoring stuff like the tattoos and arcana in favor of bringing in more elements and references from the games. There are some funny deep cuts here for the references, even if most of them are Warner Bros. properties. Cole Young returns, but is taking a step back so some of the other older (and new) characters have more of a chance to shine. He’s no longer the point of view character; that’s more of Johnny Cage’s role now.

Some characters haven’t changed much. Sonya Blade’s military rank is still General Exposition, and Raiden only feels a little more important here, even though he’s put out for a large chunk of the movie. Everyone feels like they have a role, however, something to do, and even the people who die feel as if they’re placed well in the story. I like Jax so much more in this sequel, and as a big fan of Jade and Quan Chi, I was pleased to see they were treated well here. My favorite necromancer finally got his live-action film debut after being cut from Annihilation. This is also a good showing for Shao Kahn, Kitanna, and their tumultuous relationship.

Finish him

The story is kind of what we expect, but instead of focusing on reworking the character and retooling setups for the lore, this follow-up can let us throw in more fighting and base any new dynamics off what was already built. Thankfully, for those who didn’t see the 2021 film, there isn’t too much that can’t be picked up on with some context, and they even throw in a couple of quick flashbacks to help out. Going back to the game basics and worrying less about keeping this version grounded seems to have worked for the plot, and the dialogue has been tweaked as well, leading to some good lines. Some don’t work, and there are a few that shouldn’t, but still do thanks to the actors. Not all of the acting is good, but I like the confidence, and everyone is trying. Poor Sindel never works. I wasn’t sold on Karl Urban as Johnny Cage at first. It’s like he has two American accents brawling inside of him, and they sometimes overlap, making a couple of his lines sound strange. He also has some of the more tonally awkward portions (especially with Baraka), while he’s supposed to be the comedic relief along with Kano, who is just superb. I wonder if those segments weren’t part of the reshoots.

A prime example of the movie trying to trim the fat, or escape some of the trappings from the first, is seen in the pacing. Not only do we get to the fights faster and they’re spaced out more evenly, but the dramatic points also hit their ebb and flow more consecutively, keeping the adventure moving. The speed does mean that there isn’t much time to let the deaths sink in, and when there is barely any moment to breathe, the brief pauses to add to the overall story stick out more. The balance here, and what makes it still work, is that the movie doesn’t bother explaining everything. The fans, or people who paid close attention to the first one, will know what’s going on, and that’s enough.

The locations received a major upgrade, now featuring many notable places from the game (gotta love that Dead Pool). Compare them to the sets from the last movie, and it feels like night and day. A few of them are quite small or heavily green-screened, and yet, the effort is hard to miss. Even the cinematography seems more on point, utilizing some shots and style from the genre that inspired the games, while giving an almost 2D look to a couple of key moments. There are more moves from the source material as well, and the CGI for those doesn’t look too bad (with one or two exceptions). I loved that they gave Cole a couple of special attacks, things that look like they could have been from his move set if he were in there. 

Fatality

I’ve watched the movie twice now and keep thinking about several scenes from it. I’m just still trying to figure out how I feel about Liu Kang’s realization and exit at the end. Also, I wish these end credits had some different visuals.

Mortal Kombat II isn’t breaking any molds here, but fans can finally say there’s a live-action sequel that doesn’t suck. Sure, it’s a little dumb, kind of cheesy, and the ending is almost just a weird light show, but fans are receiving a lot of what they want. It’s hard to complain about this one, and it appears we’re getting another sequel, if not some additional spin-offs as well. So, maybe get a little hyped. There’s nothing like a second chance, everyone loves a comeback, and if round one doesn’t go your way, do like Mortal Kombat—fight harder.  

B