The Wasteland Reviewer

Mortal Kombat II (2026) Written Review

Are you ready for a fight? After a revival of the iconic video game franchise, Mortal Kombat, on the big screen in 2021, director Simon McQuoid brings this crazy crew of combatants back to the big screen. The first film in McQuoid’s revival left a lot to be desired. There was literally no tournament in the film. With such a wide variety of crazy characters, they decided to introduce a brand new (and quite bland) protagonist. They even left one of the franchise’s biggest characters out of the film (Johnny Cage). But with Mortal Kombat II, McQuoid and company took all that into account and delivered a thrilling new entry into this franchise. 

How does the script from Jeremy Slater size up? This is a bit of a mixed bag for sure. The dialogue is certainly a mixed bag. They are stuck in a space where there are tons of expositional dialogue that falls flat and is at times quite awkward. Most of the characters are saddled with clunky dialogue as well. But anytime Johnny Cage or Kano open their mouths, the quips fly and the film gets hilarious and fun.  The film does have the Mortal Kombat tournament as a basic structure which does help the film. But they do lean into a MacGuffin-focused plot as well which is quite awkward and uninspired. This two-hour film does have some forced threads there to include more beloved characters which will only speak to serious fans. The film does deliver some satisfying arcs along the way with Katana overcoming her oppressor (Shao Khan), Johnny Cage proving that he still has purpose in his life, Jade struggles between her friend and her duty, and Liu Kang struggles with the reappearance of his dead brother. Outside of them, most of the other characters are quite underused. 

Does McQuoid bring the goods from behind the camera? The most important element of Mortal Kombat II is the fighting. The choreography is top-notch. The energy and thrills are making for some intense encounters. The CGI is relatively strong with some sequences looking a bit too artificial in the background. The fatalities are brought to life with plenty of wild blood and guts. As an action film, Mortal Kombat II certainly delivers. Tonally, this sequel is quite uneven. The film starts off with plenty of weight and emotion with Katana’s tragic backstory. There is some serious mythology built up and stakes. Honestly, some of the film takes itself a little too seriously. But whenever Cage and Kano pop up in the film, they lighten the mood for sure which is a welcome change. Pacing-wise, the film moves quite well as there is always something (or a few somethings) going on in the story.

How does the cast stand out in this bonkers and brutal action flick? There are a few standout performers in a sea of underdeveloped characters. First off, the physicality across the board is quite impressive which makes the fight sequences even better. Katana might not have the most personality, but Adeline Rudolph does bring an earnest presentation and some good heart to this central role. Karl Urban is one of the biggest stand outs with his charm, humor, and general presence as Cage. Martyn Ford is not asked to do too much in variation, but he is grueling and physically intimidating as they come in his performance as Shao Khan. Tati Gabrielle has some good energy like Jade (who gets more attention than you might think). There are some uninspired performances along the way including Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade and Chin Han as Shang Tsung. Ludi Lin gets a few emotional moments to shine like Liu Kang while being quite cool in the process. Josh Lawson steals the show, yet again, as Kano who is just endlessly entertaining throughout the film. There are plenty of actors who don’t shine but inhabit their roles quite well like Tadanobu Asano, Damon Herriman, Joe Taslim, Max Huang, Lewis Bloomfield, and CJ Bloomfield. Then you have Hiroyuki Sanada. His presence in the film feels shoe-horned in…but his immense presence and raw charisma make him (yet again) another standout as the ever cool and deadly Scorpion. 

Does Mortal Kombat II deliver a better outing for this redone franchise? This is far from a perfect film. This is also fair from being an objectively strong “film”. But this is one of the most fun times at the movies so far this year. The fighting is worth the price of admission and Cage, Kano, and Scorpion elevate the film every moment they are on screen. This FEELS like a true adaptation of the game, and it makes Mortal Kombat II quite the fun experience at the movies (and stay for the credits…because the “Mortal Kombat Theme” is an undeniable jam every time.