Mortal Kombat II

A bloody, R-rated action film rarely gives off the same vibes as a straight-to-video Scooby-Doo movie, but Mortal Kombat 2 manages that feat with room to spare. While the 1995 original managed to deliver its campy thrills with narrative momentum and charismatic characters, this new cinematic vision has the storytelling chops of an arcade cabinet. The visuals certainly pop as they slavishly recreate specific scenes and poses from the video games, but that is the only possible reason you could care about what is on offer. Those in the audience who are less than familiar with the deep lore of Mortal Kombat are given no quarter by this film’s need to stuff in as many references as possible. Characters break out their signature video game powers without explanation, and fallen warriors return from the dead with a level of ease that would make a comic book writer blush. There is only the most threadbare attempt to give our two new heroes, Johnny Cage and Kitana, a story worth paying attention to, and that comes at the expense of most of the cast set up from the first film. In fact, almost everything they were talking about in 2021’s Mortal Kombat is rendered completely useless here, and the two important bits get brief flashbacks to remind audiences of what’s going on. When the first movie in your rebooted franchise has the same narrative importance to the overall story as The Phantom Menace, you might be in trouble. Still, if you’re the type of person who finds joy in seeing a live-action recreation of a digital moveset, there's momentary fun to be had in the fight choreography. But for everyone else, this is a hollow spectacle that prioritizes fan service above all else. Mortal Kombat 2 is a flashy but empty sequel that trades in narrative momentum for an endless stream of video game references. While the action hits hard in bursts, the paper-thin characters and unbelievably low stakes produce a film that might be worth a quarter to see, but certainly not the full price of a movie ticket.