Arriving five years after the first entry, “Mortal Kombat II,” directed by Simon McQuoid and written by Jeremy Slater delivers an almost fun so-so next entry. I’ll admit going into this film I wasn’t expecting much, since I found the first one to be one of the worst films of 2021. “Mortal Kombat II” is at the very least better than its predecessor, but the bar wasn’t very high to begin with. Glimmers of pure joy do pop up across the 1 hour and 56 minutes run time and while they’re great, they’re so far and few in between it ultimately left me wanting. I wish I liked it more because there were definitely moments I loved.

Back of the DVD Summary:

“Mortal Kombat II” sees the defenders of Earth Realm lead by thunder god Raiden competing in Mortal Kombat against Shao Khan and Outworld’s warriors. Should Earth Realm’s fighters fail to overcome their opponents, Shao Khan will absorb their world into his increasingly expanding empire. While on the surface the plot is straight forward, beneath the surface lingers conspiracy and betrayal–alliances are not what they seem.

Before I dig into this film’s many, many problems I would like to offer up what I enjoyed. Newcomer Johnny Cage played by Karl Urban steals every single scene he’s in. Cage makes every nonsensical moment he’s in tolerable and in some instances incredibly entertaining. Cage has a recurring gimmick, something akin to a power up that I could not help but cheer for each time. Truly without this character and Urban’s performance “Mortal Kombat II” could’ve been worse than the first.

There’s another character whose presence is a spoiler, so I won’t say who–they’re another absolutely incredible addition. Every line they spoke and jokes they made landed with me. I could’ve watched an entire film of this character and Johnny Cage. Both were unparalleled delights.

Of the several fights and confrontations throughout, only three managed to leave an impression. Again, to avoid spoilers I give details on one of them, however, it comes toward the middle and it’s easily the best one. The other battle: Johnny Cage vs. Katana offered a great taste of what was to come later in the film. All Earth Realm defenders vs. Shao Khan was truly a great bout, with Liu Kang being the MVP with his insane fire dragon powers.

The special effects in the film weren’t great; it often looked like the characters were fighting against a cheap green screen. That said, I appreciated the costumes and set design. In a film mostly filled with bad effects, I did love the practical elements of the world that were present.

Unfortunately, the rest of the characters, story and the writing were awful. Granted, the source material being adapted is not known for its thoughtful writing, yet there barely feels like an attempt to enhance what they’re adapting. The gore and the fights seemed like the main focus, that even if the paper thin writing and confusing plot were bad, the kills and the action would tide the audience over. The problem being, the gore and fights were subpar and quite slow looking.

As far as characters are concerned, I wouldn’t really say there are any. These are spectres of characters who have recognizable names and almost have motivations. I really only liked Johnny Cage because at the very least I could tell you what his arc was. I can’t say the same for anyone else. Everyone else just was there to look cool and punch other people–they barely do that well.

Part of me has to wonder if anymore time or resources should be dedicated to making more of these films. I like video games and I enjoy moments in the films, but I just don’t see the appeal in more of these films. Especially given where this film ends. I hope this world goes back to the video game world.