Mortal Kombat II delivers improved storytelling, brutal fight sequences, and plenty of fan-favorite characters while staying closer to the spirit of the classic video game.
Over three decades ago, Midway Games created a fighting video game called Mortal Kombat. The premise behind the game was that five fighters from the Earthrealm had to defeat the Outworld fighters to keep Earth from becoming enslaved. The arcade game became so popular that it eventually spawned newer versions for arcades and home consoles, a comic book series, a card game, an animated television series, and eventually feature films. The first live-action film was released in 1995 with a sequel two years later. The rebooted Mortal Kombat II follows 2021's Mortal Kombat, and the sequel is now coming to home entertainment on 4K and Blu-ray.
Unlike the 2021 reboot, this second film follows the original video game plot more closely and has more of a storyline than its predecessor. Actor Johnny Cage (Karl Urban; The Boys) is chosen by the Gods to be one of five fighters trying to save Earthrealm from Emperor Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford; F9: The Fast Saga). Cage, along with Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee; The Meg), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin; Power Rangers), Jax Briggs (Mehcad Brooks; True Blood), and Cole Young (Lewis Tan; Cobra Kai), fights through a series of Kahn's warriors trying to defeat them all before being killed themselves. However, Kahn has also taken possession of Shinnok's amulet, drains Lord Raiden's (Tadanobu Asano; Thor: Ragnarok) power into it, and becomes immortal, making him nearly impossible to defeat.
Returning from the first film are Brooks, McNamee, Lin, Asano, and Tan, who are joined by Urban. The latter does a great job portraying Cage, a former teenage martial arts champion turned washed-up actor. The whole cast seems to have good chemistry and performs well in the fight scenes, of course, until the stunt doubles take over. Also adding new layers to the story are Adeline Rudolph (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) as Princess Kitana, Josh Lawson (The Little Death) as Kano, and Tati Gabrielle (Uncharted) as Jade. Together, the ensemble brings this video game to life nicely.
Director Simon McQuoid returns from the first movie to give the film its even pacing and flow throughout, and several of his unique shot choices are well placed. Despite the fact that this second installment feels very different from the first Mortal Kombat, McQuoid succeeds in bringing continuity to the sequel.
The Dolby Vision video quality gives the film some great visuals, especially where special effects are used. The only exception is the scenes in the Netherrealm, where the backgrounds look fake and cheesy. Otherwise, the colors have rich saturation throughout the two-hour runtime and details, especially on the various weapons, are sharp and clean.
The Dolby Atmos audio is exceptional, highlighting the ambient sounds and the eclectic soundtrack. The mix is a little off, with fight scenes coming across loud while dialogue is on the softer side, but overall the sound quality is very good.
Even though the combo pack includes only about 30 minutes of extras, it offers some insight into the making of the movie. The extras are Mortal Kombat II: Evolving the Saga, Building the Realms of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II: Choose Your Fighter, Klose Quarters Kombat, and A "Boon" to Gamers Everywhere.
Mortal Kombat II certainly isn't a great film, but it has some interesting fight choreography and a decent plot. I found it more enjoyable than the original from 2021, but I can't see it winning any awards. However, based on this sequel, I could see a third film being profitable and becoming a fan favorite. For now, though, fans will have to be satisfied with this 4K combo pack when it arrives at retailers.
Grade: B-
