Are you being finished? (CREDIT: Warner Bros./Screenshot)
Starring: Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroyuki Sanada, Martyn Ford, Desmond Chiam, Ana Thu Nguyen, Max Huang, CJ Bloomfield, Joe Taslim
Director: Simon McQuoid
Running Time: 116 Minutes
Rating: R for Gory/Spiky Violence, Deranged Cockiness, and an Ever-Present Middle Finger
Release Date: May 8, 2026 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Some are in it for the power, some are in it for the love of the battle. And the rest are wondering what the heck they’re even doing there in the first place! In the competition known as Mortal Kombat, that adjective means what it means. That’s bad news for anyone standing in the way of the emperor known as Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), who’s in possession of an amulet that has made him effectively omnipotent. He currently has his sights set on conquering Earth (or “Earthrealm” in the parlance of the MK community), so those with a stake in protecting the planet seek the legendary martial artist Johnny Cage (Karl Urban). Johnny considers himself little more than a washed-up movie star, but a certain crew of interdimensional fighters believe he’s not giving himself enough credit, as they recruit him into this deadly tournament. However, if Earthrealm is to be fully preserved, he’s probably not the only combatant who needs to accept his destiny right quick.
What Made an Impression?: Get Out of Your Cage and Into My Realm: I’m not terribly familiar with the actors of Mortal Kombat II, save for a few exceptions (including one of the stars of a current NBC sitcom, bizarrely enough). It seems like most of them were cast for their physicality and martial artistry, rather than their thespian bona fides. So while this is decidedly an ensemble piece, it helps a great deal that someone as charismatic as Karl Urban is at the center of it all. It’s also a stroke of rationality that his rendition of Johnny Cage is a mix of low and high status. He tries to charm his way out of all the deadly situations he suddenly finds himself plopped into, which works sometimes, but also gets him into even more trouble. Either way, there’s more charm than there would be otherwise, which is a net-positive for those of us watching.
How to Tell Your Blades Apart From Your Kitana: There are plenty of scenes in MKII without a single whiff of Johnny, which is nice if you’re looking for a message about the importance of collective action. But it’s not so nice if you want characters whose motivations go beyond the standard cookie-cutters of “You killed my parents” and “This is what the gods said must happen.” At least the costume and makeup designs are interesting and lovingly rendered.
Following Directions: The Mortal Kombat games are famous for their graphic brutality (as emphasized by the directives to “finish” a defeated challenger), and this latest adaptation does not blink when bringing all the blood and guts to big screen life. I wouldn’t recommend reveling in this sort of over-the-top mayhem every day, but I feel compelled to admit that there is a bit of Looney Tunes-style finesse to all the beheadings, vivisections, and pulverizings. Overall, I wouldn’t quite declare MKII the champion it aspires to be, but it’s having enough fun to justify the effort.
Mortal Kombat II is Recommended If You Like: Cheesy 90s Action Flicks, Jagged teeth, Funny hats
Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Amulets
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