Mortal Kombat II is exactly what it needed to be: true to the games, plus big, bloody, a bit gory, not to mention a little dumb, and still loads of fun.
We haven’t seen nearly enough big screen action movies like this in the last decade, and it’s a blast seeing something that demands to be seen in a movie theatre, that still knows how to pack a punch.
From Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, to Adeline Rudolph as the kick-ass Kitana, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, and Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, the film has the perfect cast that sells an action-packed story.
Josh Lawson as Kano was the biggest surprise, as a character that ends up being a lot more fun than I expected, but the entire cast works together like a charm. There are a lot of scenes, and characters, that could have been cheesy, but this cast sells every moment, and delivers what I can only call the best of Mortal Kombat. It feels like the natural evolution of the game on-screen.
For all the dumb action, the film is resourceful, and even smart in the whole execution, bringing together these disparate characters, with villains, reversals, a little comedy, and absolutely jaw-dropping special effects throughout.
Go see the film in theatres this weekend so we can get the sequel that it deserves.
Mortal Kombat II is out in theatres May 8, 2026.
