Mortal Kombat II: A Review

MORTAL KOMBAT II

I have found that when judging a film's success or failure, one has to consider the target audience. I am not the target audience for any Mortal Kombat film adaptation. I was surprised at how much I disliked the 2021 Mortal Kombat film, not having seen any prior Mortal Kombat film. I was equally surprised at how much I accepted Mortal Kombat II. I cannot say I enjoyed Mortal Kombat II. In some ways it is bad. I say "accepted" because Mortal Kombat II does not bother pretending to be anything other than fan service. I cannot fault a film for hitting its expectations. 

I do not think that I can give a solid plot synopsis as I barely understand the overall mythology. Here is what I understand. Shao Khan (Martyn Ford) has conquered many worlds. His newest conquest of Edenia has been bloody. Princess Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) is now his unwilling heir. She has trained for battle, with her bodyguard/friend Jade (Tati Gabrielle) by her side.

Shao Khan now plots to conquer a new universe, which includes our Earth. These conquests are done by one-on-one combats to the death or Mortal Kombat. Powerful sorcerer Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) and one of his warriors, Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) have found another Earth champion to participate. It is Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), action film star who has seen better days. The star of such epics as Uncaged Fury now ekes out a living at conventions. Mostly forgotten, Johnny Cage is dismissive of what he initially thinks are way-out cosplayers. 

Nevertheless, Cage is taken to fight for his world. He and others working alongside Lord Raiden face off in a series of battles against Shao Khan, who has become immortal. There is, however, an enemy hidden in plain sight against both Shao Khan and Lord Raiden. Not all will live for the ultimate battle. Johnny Cage must find his inner strength to be the champion he is meant to be. Who will triumph in this Mortal Kombat?

I confess to having no interest in seeing Mortal Kombat II and probably would have skipped it altogether. It was at the persistent insistence of a coworker who enjoys this video game that got me, very reluctantly, to go. Please do not think poorly of me if I got elements of Mortal Kombat II wrong. I did my best to follow along with all the goings-on. After a while though, I gave up. I instead focused on the pretty colors and the grandiose nature of Mortal Kombat II. I have no memory of the previous Mortal Kombat film; therefore, I genuinely cannot say who is back or even how Mortal Kombat II relates to Mortal Kombat 2021. I also have very little to no idea who the various people are. As such, all these names flying about would be a bit lost to me.

Having said all that, I figure that Mortal Kombat fans would enjoy Mortal Kombat II. They will understand and appreciate the various figures flying and fighting around. If a film is built for fans, then Mortal Kombat II should satisfy the majority of them.

In a curious way, I admire Mortal Kombat II's efforts to make more drama and put some stakes into this epic series of battles. Jeremy Slater's screenplay pushed hard to give the various characters dare I say greater depth. Cole Young (Lewis Tan), if memory serves correct, mentioned how he had a wife and child whom he might never see again. Then again, that might have been Jax Briggs (Mehcad Brooks). Whoever it was, such an element was mentioned I figure to make a potential end more tragic.

It did not hit me because I do not recall seeing any of their families. Merely mentioning them does not automatically give Mortal Kombat II any great stakes on any character's fate. This applies to Karl Urban's Johnny Cage. Urban is probably the biggest name here. I heard someone in my circle complain that Urban wasn't pretty enough to be Johnny Cage.

I think Slater and director Simon McQuoid were going for another angle with our favorite Mortal Kombat figure. This Johnny Cage was not a cocky, brash youth. He was still cocky and brash. However, he was also grizzled, a bit despondent. We see this after the Uncaged Fury trailer that we are treated to. The camera pulls away to show us an older Johnny Cage, ignored at a comic con's autograph alley. He can only look with a mix of weariness and frustration on how some influencer has people flocking to them while he sits amongst his past glories. 

Urban did well as Cage. He is weary, a bit clueless and doing the best he can while seeing himself as a bit of a failure. Urban makes him both excessively confident and aware of his shortcomings. I would not say that Urban gives a great performance. He gave what I would say is the correct performance. 

Out of everyone else, I think Adeline Rudolph also did well as Kitana, our warrior princess. I think that, if I thought more on it, Mortal Kombat II is more Kitana than Johnny focused. The film starts with her, and she is most of the epic final battle. I do not think that this is a terrible thing. I am not brimming with enthusiasm about it either.

As I think on Mortal Kombat II, I think that it works for what it is. This is something that Mortal Kombat fans would enjoy. I am not a Mortal Kombat fan as I rarely if ever played the game. It is not as bloody as I thought it would be. It is a bit longer than I think that it should be. Overall, it is fine if this is what people enjoy. I did not particularly enjoy it, but I figure that it works for its target audience. 

It does at least end with Techno Syndrome aka the Mortal Kombat theme. That is something that I have always enjoyed, so there's that. 

DECISION: C+