‘Mortal Kombat II’ Review: A Sequel That Hits Hard and Ages Harder
Mortal Kombat II has everything a movie based on the video game should have. There are extended fight scenes with excessive gore, faithful character portrayals, and visual recreations of various game levels. Yet, for a movie that hasn’t even been released in theaters, it feels as dated as a Sega Genesis console.
The sequel introduces new ideas. One of them is bringing on Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, an action star from a bygone era. The film shows one of his films, and the fight scenes are over-the-top silly, like an exaggerated ’80s Jean-Claude Van Damme movie. Then, the film, which is supposed to be set in the real world separate from Cage’s films, is just as exaggerated and ridiculous as an ’80s Jean-Claude Van Damme movie.
What is Mortal Kombat II about?
Directed by Simon McQuoid and written by Jeremy Slater, the sequel follows two distinct narratives, all centered around the threat of Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford). The first centers on Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), who quietly seeks vengeance against Shao Kahn for her father’s death. The setup for Kitana is confident, depicting the death of her father as brutal as a Game of Thrones tragedy. Older Kitana quietly serves Shao Kahn while continuing to train with her close friend Jade (Tati Gabrielle), a loyalist to Kahn’s kingdom.
Then there is Johnny Cage, an action star that Hollywood has left behind. When we first meet Karl Urban as Johnny, he is attending a pop culture convention for fans to meet and greet icons. Unfortunately, Cage’s booth is mostly empty, with very little interest in autographs. As the gods begin the tournament, they select certain individuals to represent their realm, and Cage becomes one of the chosen fighters.
Once Cage crosses over and meets all the Earth realm defenders, such as Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), and Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), Cage’s experience almost feels like a fish out of water comedy. He has no powers to speak of, and everyone around him is either an otherworldly monster or immensely powerful.
The most faithful adaptation from New Line Cinema
Once the tournament begins, it becomes difficult to argue that Mortal Kombat II fails to capture the video game’s feel. Characters are blipped into dangerous spaces against their will. For example, Sonya Blade squares off against Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen) inside the pit of spikes.
The violence is also on par with what fans would expect from the video game. However, the fatalities are never as visually impressive as those from the video game franchise. But as far as fight sequences and adapting the sensation of a gripping Versus battle from the game, Mortal Kombat II definitely has it correct.
The best of these sequences appears in the poster featuring Kung Lao (Max Huang) and Liu Kang. It is in this matchup that Mortal Kombat II almost finds the inspiration fans have been craving for decades. The choreography is intense, with stellar, threatening combat that continues to escalate. And as the sequence builds, it ends on a wild note that drew the biggest reaction from the movie theater audience. Unfortunately, as incredible as the sequence is in execution, it marks the peak of the film, and it never reaches those heights again for the rest of the film.
Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat II already feels dated
As the combat sequences continue beyond the battle between Kung Lao and Liu Kang, the film pushes the characters into deeper realms, such as the Netherrealm in Mortal Kombat. As a profession, VFX artists are the most underpaid and abused in the industry, so this is not intended to slam anyone’s hard work. That said, the final result needed more time to render. There are scenes inside the Netherrealm where viewers can clearly see the seams of someone standing in front of a blue screen. The depiction of Hell is almost indistinguishable from that in the 1997 movie Spawn. And bear in mind, Spawn is about to turn 30 years old.
There is also something about the aesthetic of Mortal Kombat II that is visually unpleasant. Some of the color grading feels like a mix of metallic black, with occasional muted tones and saturation. It makes everything feel overly diluted in terms of personality on the screen.
While Johnny Cage’s moments are among the most entertaining in the film, his character arc sometimes comes across as unintentionally funny. One key factor in his ability to survive is that he is an actor. There is a pivotal moment where Sonya Blade looks at Johnny, who is trying not to die, and she says, “You’re an actor. Act!”, and Cage somehow finds his potential to fight. It was extremely difficult not to think of Team America: World Police when a puppet shouts, “Gary, you must use your acting!” At this point, it was extremely difficult to take anything from the film seriously.
Overall, Mortal Kombat II is the most faithful adaptation of the game. However, it isn’t without glaring issues, such as a cheap aesthetic and an overreliance on blue screens. Karl Urban gives everything to make the film work, and for the most part, it is a better film. However, it barely clears that quality bar. The fans will enjoy it. Maybe that will be enough.
Also check out: Game Review: Mortal Kombat 1 Sets a New Standard
