Who knows if Mortal Kombat II would have been made if it weren’t for the successful “disappointment” of the reboot’s box office gross during the pandemic era? Making just under a cool hundred million dollars in 2021. The film was a moderate success on a modest budget by today’s standards.
Yet, here we are with Mortal Kombat II. Based on the controversial and uber-successful ’90s video game franchise, the original films fizzled out, coming across as a viral, rabid, and demonic The Karate Kid, a suped-up ’80s Sasha Mitchell martial-arts vehicle, or any J.C.V.D. motion picture. but held back by its PG-13 ratings.
Now, the reboot is back with all its bloody, brutal glory. Yes, the story in the first two films is simplistic. However, that is more of a source material issue. At least the sequel embraces its video game roots, delivering an addictive amount of brute-force action, an above-average amount of addictive comic relief for the genre, and a visceral good time.
What is Mortal Kombat II About?
Karl Urban in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Max Huang in Mortal Kombat II (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Karl Urban in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Tati Gabrielle in Mortal Kombat II (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Karl Urban in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
C.J. Bloomfield in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
The last time we entered the world of Mortal Kombat, Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) banished Shang Tsung (Chin Han) after he threatened to bring armies rather than individual fighters. Raiden intended to train new warriors for the next big tournament, with his champions beginning the recruiting process. Cole (Lewis Tan) then left for Hollywood.
We assume it for the search for Johnny Cage (The Boys star Karl Urban) in Los Angeles. However, it is Raiden and Sonya (Jessica McNamee) who recruit Cage to fight in the “high-stakes” tournament (is there any other kind?). However, this time, Earthrealm’s champions take on Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) to prevent him from conquering Earth.
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What makes this movie different from the 2021 reboot is that it now focuses on the grand tournament. While this is a back-to-basics approach, some may even say too simple for its own good, it does return to the roots of the video game franchise beloved by millions. More importantly, it places a greater emphasis on the characters and humor.
For example, Kitana (Resident Evil’s Adeline Rudolph) is given a backstory and a three-dimensional character arc, adding emotional weight to the intense battles throughout the bloody action extravaganza. Then we see the return of Hasashi’s Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada), but it is fumbled a bit, as we only see him in CGI-heavy action scenes.
Mortal Kombat II Review
Joe Taslim in Mortal Kombat II (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Adeline Rudolph in Mortal Kombat II (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Adeline Rudolph in Mortal Kombat II (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Josh Lawson, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Karl Urban in Mortal Kombat II (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Karl Urban in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Karl Urban in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
The first took time to establish the lore and build the mythology. Now, the sequel immerses the audience, drawing them into its more-than-urgent walls. Yet, be forewarned, the background is soaked in grotesque CGI, which takes you out of the experience, only to be brought back in by its bloody, wicked carnage.
Director Simon McQuoid, now working with a script from Jeremy Slater (Moon Knight), leans into all the campy goodness and lore of Ed Boon and John Tobias’s video game franchise, resulting in a film much closer in spirit to the animated spinoffs than the original ’90s movies. Even the fights and choreography are electric.
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Yet, somehow, do not feel too staged. For example, in a movie like Love Hurts, bad guys just wait for the hero to hit them. However, authentic as it can be, the movie then pays homage to the video game. You’ll notice video game mimicry, arcade-style physicality, such as live-action idle animation, imitation, and combat stances.
The movie jumps right into the story, keeping things so dumbed down that you almost need to be a fan of the original reboot to know what is going on. Though it does come across as “console cinema,” turning on the game immediately starts to play. The dialogue is bad, with the comic timing varying widely, depending on the actor performing.
Is Mortal Kombat II Worth Watching?
Karl Urban in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Karl Urban in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Karl Urban in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Karl Urban in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Karl Urban, Mehcad Brooks, Jessica McNamee, and Ludi Lin in Mortal Kombat II (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Karl Urban, Mehcad Brooks, Jessica McNamee, and Ludi Lin in Mortal Kombat II (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
That is how Urban saves the movie, with pitch-perfect comic relief from Cage, who excels at combining arrogance, vanity, and sarcasm into a humorous force. The best scenes involve him and CJ Bloomfield’s Baraka, again nodding to Cage’s signature moves. Also, Josh Lawson’s shtick, at first annoying, begins to grow on you when paired with the star.
For what it’s worth, Mortal Kombat II is worth watching because of perspective. However, you are far more likely to be entertained by it and appreciate it more if you are a fan of the original games and a vintage video gamer. Everything about the experience is tailored to give the movie a nod to the original, a fanboy (and girl) fan service.
Which, from the point of view, is a very funny, visceral, bloody, and brutal return to video game glory.
You can watch Mortal Kombat II only in theaters starting May 8th!
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