Get ready to join Earth realm’s mightiest heroes in a high stakes battle against the tyrannical Shao Kahn and his Outworld forces looking to capitalise on their nine-tournament winning streak, conquering and enslaving humanity.
Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) needs one more victory in Mortal Kombat and with a dwindling list of Earths champions the gods need some new life to step in and take on the mantle of saving us all. They choose an unlikely hero the one and only Johnny Cage, (Keith Urban) in his youth an aspiring martial arts champion, now a washed up 90s action movie star. Reluctantly Johnny must step into his role alongside returning characters Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) and Cole Young (Lewis Tan). Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) once again casts his watchful lighting filled eyes over the Earths champions mentoring them and preparing as best he can for the tournament they all now must face.
Mortal Kombat 2021 came and hit just enough of the right notes to keep the fans wanting more. Its new idea to promote protagonist Cole Young, not seen in the games, but a direct descendant of Scorpion prompted a feeling like it was a setup to something more. While mostly well received it was missing something, after all Mortal Kombat without the tournament will always feel a little empty.
From the moment Mortal Kombat II bursts onto our screens you know you’re in for something more this time around. Fight choreography has been improved beyond expectations with nastier more punishing moves spurting blood around the screen like a 90’s arcade machine. Fatalities are brutal and visceral with some iconic game stages getting a faithful cinematic recreation. The action is relentless, brutal and feels almost nostalgic while improving on what they have done before holding onto just enough of that 2D video game feel. You can almost feel a rush of excitement as our champions step onto a stage that we have spent countless hours on, this is fan service at its finest.
There isn’t a whole lot more to be said about the story itself, it is essentially a bare bone action centric flick, but it works. Urbans’ turn as Johnny Cage brings much needed charisma and his ability to sink into the character provides an anchor point for those around him to flourish. His story is one of redemption and he perfectly leans into campy 90s action star tropes as he comes to grips with all that is going on and the very real premise that each moment could be his last.
The other main driving force is Katana (Adeline Rudolph), who as a young child saw her father defeated by Shao Kahn and her people enslaved, herself forced to serve the tyrant. Kitana is an interesting character that plays her cards close, even from her closest friend Jade (Tati Gabrielle). There is always a sense there is so much more to her, we get to see her grow and evolve throughout ultimately witnessing the power she truly holds.
Mortal Kombat II knows exactly where it wants to position itself. Its story may be fleeting but the performances all carry the required weight to keep you entertained. It prioritises the tournament and combat over complex story tropes allowing you to enjoy the simplicity of it. Humour is a big focus but never overbearing, again leaning into self-aware territory. For many of us the return of Kano, perfectly portrayed again by Josh Lawson, will be a highlight. His fresh no holds barred approach had me in stitches every time he opened his mouth. It’s a refreshing thing to witness the arrogance that fits the character so well performed in a way that just works.
Mortal Kombat II is for the fans. We have a MK movie exactly how it should be. The tournament on full show. The champions growing and evolving their fight styles and learning to unlock their unique special moves along the way. There are some truly amazing fight moments on screen making it a standout video game adaption. It is brutal, gory and fun, a movie perfectly suited to be shared with popcorn and mates.
