Mortal Kombat II Movie Review

“Mortal Kombat II” is the movie sequel to a reboot of a franchise started in the 1990’s. It is based on a wildly popular video game, where fighting to the death is the only option. Bloody violence, profanity, and over-the-top gore are waiting for audience members. Still there is quite a bit of humor in here also, you might say some kreepy komedy…

 

The mystical world of Kombat is set up with a bunch of one-on-one battles that are fought. There is the evil dark empire of the Outworld, led by a cruel Shao Kahn (played by Martyn Ford).

 

This mountain of a man wears a full-face helmet, to hide a deformed face. He has a dark magic sorcerer named Shang Tsung (played by Chin Han). They have a way to bring dead fighters back to fight some more.

 

Kahn had taken over the Outworld years ago. He raised the princess named Kitana (played by Adeline Rudolph) as if she were his own daughter. Kitana has a personal assistant to watch over her, named Jade (played by Tati Gabrielle). Jade has taught Kitana in the ways of the Kombat fighting skills. Kitana’s own father was killed by Kahn, and she will never forget that pain.

 

There is also the Earthrealm, and it has a large number of excellent fighters. This group is guided by a mystical god of lightning and thunder, named Lord Raiden (played by Tadanobu Asano). He is able to assemble a large team of fighters who can take part in the Kombat Tournament.

 

There is an ex-Special Forces expert named Sonya Blade (played by Jessica McNamee). She is able to help the team get started. The Earthrealm team has Jax (played by Mehcad Brooks), a Black MMA fighter with robot arms. They have Cole Young (played by Lewis Tan), who fights with vigor and takes power from incoming blows.

 

There is Liu Kang (played by Ludi Lin), who brings fire from his fists. Sonya Blade brings her years of Undercover Operations skills into the fighting. They find that Lord Raiden knows there are others that are needed.

 

From his Sky Fortress, Lord Raiden and Sonya go to Earth. They find the one they are looking for, and he is a former action movie star. Johnny Cage (played by Karl Urban) is retired from the acting business. He doesn’t know anything about the Kombat Tournament. He doesn’t know why these strange people are here to ask him to fight. He says that is something in his past. But he goes with them.

 

The evil leader of Outworld, Shao Kahn has five fighters. Also, so does Lord Raiden. There will be five fights in the Kombat Tournament. Normal outcome for each fight is that one side wins, and the other player is annihilated.

 

Some sweet martial arts action and gory beheadings will be in store. Kahn now has gotten his sorcerer folks to bring back a dead fighter named Kano (played by Josh Lawson). Now, the bad guys might have the upper hand.

 

Another reanimated fighter is Quan Chi (played by Damon Herriman). He uses a sick little hat that also has a saw-blade on the edge. He fights against Liu Kang, in an epic showdown. Kitana fights against Johnny Cage. Unlike most of the other fighters, Johnny does not have any special skills or weapons. That is, except his ‘unequaled handsomeness’.  Kitana has some hand fans, but these are special with the sharp blades on the edges.

 

Sonya Blade fights the undead mother of Kitana, also reanimated by the sorcerer folks. Cole Young fights against Shao Kahn. But Cole does not know that the evil leader has a trick — Kahn has an amulet that gives him immortality and healing power. Perhaps he borrowed that from Deadpool?

 

Once Lord Raiden and the other find out Khan’s secret, they know they must break into the Outworld fortress and destroy the amulet. There is a new quest, but this takes away from the one-on-one fighting.

 

But just for a little while, because the gang need to fight just to get into the tunnel that leads to the Fortress. Johnny Cage might not have any ‘special’ fighting skills, but his smooth charisma can take him a long way. Even in a gritty, one-on-one fight with a guy that has teeth like a shark.

 

Again and again there are major fights between the main characters, also some of the side characters. Many of them get ‘Finished!’ Usually, that is done in an extremely gory and bloody manner. If the good guys (the ones that are left, at least) can destroy the amulet, then Kahn will be Mortal once again. Someone will be able to take his down. There is one more side quest they must do…

 

Johnny Cage must go with Kano into the Nether-realm. Yes, that is the same Kano who was first aligned with the evil Kahn. But now he wants to see the Earthrealm side succeed.

 

Down into the Nether-realm, but they will need a guide down there. They find Hanzo ‘Scorpion’ Hasashi (played by Hiroyuki Sanada). He is a major fighter from the past who was killed. But now he can find the missing amulet.

 

Before you can say ‘Get Over Here!’ there is a fully engaged battle. Actually there are two of them going on. One is in the Outrealm where Shao Kahn is fighting Kitana. She has switched sides, just like Kano did earlier.

 

The other fight is going on in the Nether-realm. If it is successful, the guys there can destroy the amulet. Kitana will have a chance of actually ending Kahn. Like, just “Finish Him!”…

 

——————————————————————————————————-

 

“Mortal Kombat II” might have started out as a violent over-the-top arcade video game, but the gory glory of the game grew with each kill. Now, there is a new way to experience the madness and the mayhem – right in your theater seat.

 

This movie goes about gearing up for Kombat, after the prior reboot movie. With new emphasis on old-school game characters, such as Johnny Cage and Kitana, the fan base will swoop right in to watch the blood-letting and the brutality.

 

This is violent, but also really funny in some parts. All the banter between Johnny Cage and Kano is a major riot. There are more F-bombs dropped that I was surprised anyone could survive. The focus is in the fights, and they are nasty, gory, gross – and just about the most stylized kills you might ever see.

 

Karl Urban (Johnny Cage) is a perfect choice for that character. Also, Josh Lawson (Kano) is a stand-out, tossing profanity like hand grenades. Hiroyuki Sanada (playing Hanzo) is a much respected actor doing great work here.

 

All in all, this is a hard-R experience that might make you recall the video game. Either way, the talented kast and krew have kombined to make a klassic kampy kreation.

 

“Mortal Kombat II” summed up: ‘This movie has come here to chew bubble gum and kick some Mortal into a bloody pulp in Kombat… and it’s all out of bubble gum’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Mortal Kombat II” summed up: ‘This movie has come here to chew bubble gum and kick some Mortal into a bloody pulp in Kombat… and it’s all out of bubble gum’