THE EMPIRE
I wish I could access my review for the first film.
My own website is currently down. And I didn’t even make a Letterboxd review for it! I no doubt found Mortal Kombat charming. Loved that they set up the backstory for Scorpion and Sub-Zero’s feud. One which I assume many didn’t know. And they had Goro! Which is always awesome. Time went by, yet I found one thought constantly repeating in my head. Why did they make Cole Young an avatar for the audience?
Well Mortal Kombat II throws that out the window, as it immediately leaps into the inter-dimensional tournament known as…Mortal Kombat. Admittedly you could say part I, and by proxy Cole’s story, was setting up this film. I would say phooey to that. A big fat phooey. Most fans of the series would know Liu Kang is typically our lead protagonist. This is reflected in both the 1995 and 1997 movies. But for the 2021 reboot, they threw this aside. Worse still, they discarded Ludi Lin’s awesome casting in favor of babying viewers through it. This could be why the classic anthem is missing its Eurobeat texture from the ’95 classic.
Which is why my mouth was agape at the trailers leading up to II. Is that…a Eurobeat hiding in the anthem? Are we…heading back to the old ways? I’d say we are. New Zealand’s very own Karl Urban is suitably set as the anchor for the film as the latest contestant in the second defense of Earthrealm against Outworld. A realm ruled over by the tyrannical Shao Khan (Martyn Ford). Fan favorites Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) and Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) return, as they along with the Elder Gods select Urban’s Johnny Cage to participate. And it wastes no time getting into what we want.
Fights. And lots of them. From the outset, we jump into the introduction of Edenia. If you don’t know this realm, it sets up series baddie Kitana (Adeline Rudo) and her mother, Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen). Hard-hitting and otherworldly, the sequel says “there’s a lot of weird shit and we’re getting straight into it” with gusto. This in turn allows the Earthrealm fighters to do what they do best: Swear a lot and punch things. Or in Liu Kang’s case, produce straight fire from his hands.
I can’t say if it feels like there’s more production value here. Not because it doesn’t look like quality, but because it builds so well on the foundation set by the first film. The weird doesn’t feel so weird, and the gore is a promise fulfilled by the franchises history. Vocal stims from the game sneak their way in, as well as fan favorite levels making their big screen debut, with one particular stage really getting its time to shine. For me, Mortal Kombat II feels and looks like what a Mortal Kombat movie should be.
I also have to say hats off to either the most incredible script writing or hilarious direction supplied to Josh Lawson’s Kano. Leaning even more into the characters backstory, it really feels like the production team said “You know how you were quite Australian in the last film? Be even MORE Australian in this one”. And it honestly creates a lot of the best moments in the film, for how quippy and authentic his responses feel to the situation.
Mortal Kombat II says “it’s okay to be weird”. Introducing the line of villains who set up the ongoing story, and introducing potential for a Shaolin Monks spin-off (PLEASE!), it unshackles itself from trying to take itself too seriously. And in doing so, it creates moments filled with fun and laughter as it mercilessly gouges, slams and saws characters on-screen in ways we haven’t seen since playing the game. While the first act tries to soar through its exposition, the second and third acts steam ahead to a fun conclusion and a wackier, weirder and more fun direction for the franchise. And I can’t wait to see what they do with that.
FINISH THEM! - 8.7
8.7
Mortal Kombat II greases itself up before it goes streaking through the parking lot, and leaves you thinking "damn...that was weird, but what a great story to tell!". And you just hope that there's someone nearby that you can share that story with.
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