Phil Roberts 
Mortal Kombat II delivers the most authentic adaptation of the games to date. This is the new benchmark for game adaptations, so book a ticket for the fight of the century and get ready for the ultimate Flawless Victory!
Whether you’re a fan of the genre or not, movie adaptations of game properties are enjoying a renaissance lately. Sonic the Hedgehog kickstarted an influx of successful game adaptations, including Super Mario Bros. and three Sonic sequels, that have delivered stellar critical and commercial hits. While these light, family-oriented adventures have satisfied kids of all ages, the adult market has been buoyed by adaptations of Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil.
Fast-forward to 2026, and new adaptations of these game-changing franchises are hitting the big screen in quick succession. Paramount’s Street Fighter and Sony’s Resident Evil are emerging from the game-verse later this year. But leading the charge is Warner Bros’ Mortal Kombat II. Hitting theaters this weekend, the long-awaited sequel promises to build on its predecessor’s foundation and deliver a film worthy of its fans. With Simon McQuoid once again in the director’s chair and a slew of new additions to the cast, the film looks like a banger. But can the film deliver the faithful adaptation fans have been waiting for? Or is Mortal Kombat II another shameless cash grab?
REVIEW
Fear not, film fans, because Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat II is the film fans have been waiting for. It’s a phenomenal take on the property! Building on the last film’s promise, the sequel delivers buckets of lore, action, brutality, Easter eggs, and comedy to reward fans with a FLAWLESS VICTORY. Karl Urban effortlessly slips into the shoes of Johnny Cage, leading the film into a bold new chapter of the iconic franchise with a fantastic performance. Although some of the characters lack depth, the film is a wonderfully faithful adaptation of the game, featuring more characters, brutality, blood, guts, and gore than you can shake a stick at. This sequel is truly superb, and if this is a sample of what awaits us, the threequel cannot come quickly enough.
ENTER JOHNNY CAGE
My first experience with Mortal Kombat was as a teenager, when the original PlayStation arrived and changed my gameplay forever. Despite all the larger-than-life characters on the roster, I always had a soft spot for Johnny Cage. With his perfectly styled hair, sunglasses, and over-confident attitude, I saw myself in him. So when he was omitted from the first film, I was naturally devastated. But when Karl Urban was cast as the character for the sequel, my hope was renewed, and rightly so. If anyone can pull off a character with this much swagger, it’s Karl Urban, and boy, does he hit the ground running and elevate the film to another level.
From the opening moments when we first meet his lovable rogue, we are hooked. Urban brings his seasoned brilliance to the character, who is enduring a washed-up existence after his acting career ended. But despite his sudden downturn, Cage is a proud man, oozing with the magnetism that has beguiled generations of fans. Urban’s natural charisma is a perfect match for the character who shines through as the film’s true leader. Despite Cage being a newcomer with no real power to speak of, we are quick to flock to his banner. In truth, Cage is our most relatable character in the film. He’s a human with no powers, physically forced into an arena to fight some of the most terrifying, superpowered fighters the world has ever known. But boy, does he make up for it with his bravado, overconfidence, and all-around magnetism.
THE BATTLE FOR EARTH REALM
Cage’s charisma will be crucial against the chilling villain, Shao Kahn, and his legions of fighters, who are all competing to defeat Earth’s champions and enslave the planet. However, the film centers on Johnny Cage; the true heart of the film is Kitana. Setting the stage for the adventure we are about to enjoy, Simon McQuoid uses the opening moments to reveal Shao Kahn’s brutality with a heartbreaking opening salvo, which finds young Kitana’s home of Edenia enslaved by the conqueror of realms. With her world gripped by his tyranny, Kitana is forced to grow up under Kahn’s rule as he sets his sights on conquering Earth.
If the first film established the preliminary rounds of the tournament, the sequel is the main event, with every battle serving as a route to either save or enslave the Earth. On one side, we have Shao Kahn, his ensalved de facto daughter Kitana, and legions of brutal fighters. On the other hand, we reunite with Raiden and his team of Earth’s saviors in Sonya, Liu Kang, Jax, Cole Young, Kung Lao, and the reluctant Johnny Cage.
FIGHTERS READY!
The rules are simple. To determine the fate of the Earthrealm, the chosen fighters will face off in a duel of Mortal Kombat to the death. The first team to five victories is declared the winner. If Earth wins, life continues as normal. But if Shao Kahn is victorious, the Earth will be enslaved, and darkness will rule over the planet forever. High stakes indeed.
With the fighters chosen, the battle for Earth begins, and Johnny Cage is thrust into the heart of the action with no preparation and no idea why the defenders of the realm have chosen him as a champion. What follows is a quick succession of brutal battles that will have fans cheering with every strike. The battles are littered with Easter eggs and iconography from the games, delivering an authentic experience far greater than anything the first film did. From the iconic moves to the most absurd and eye-watering finishers, the film never shies away from the brutality or the bloodletting, which only heightens its authenticity.
UNLIMITED POWER
Like the previous film, the plot introduces an engaging side plot in which Shao Kahn stacks the deck against his opponents with a brutal new superpower. So, while the rest of the fighters are busy in the tournament, a small group, led by Johnny Cage, launches a daring attempt to eliminate his superpower and level the playing field. And it is here we reunite with Kano, played by the brilliant Josh Lawson from the first film. That’s right, Kano is back for another round, and he has never been better.
In the first film, Kano was a trash-talking Australian with no filter and no empathy for his enemies, let alone his friends. In the sequel, Simon McQuoid rips off the restraints and unleashes Kano in all his glory. From his witty sarcasm to his never-ending lines of brutally honest insults, Kano is a joy to watch. One has to give credit to Jeremy Slater’s sharp screenplay for its endless tirade of third-wall-breaking trash talk. His lines of dialogue for Kano are some of the best ever committed to film and attack so many pop culture properties that one cannot help but marvel at the moxie. From Transformers to Harry Potter, nothing is off the table, and the result is a hilarious, scene-stealing performance from Josh Lawson.
THE CAST
Outside of the scene-stealing Johnny Cage and Kano, the film’s other characters come to the fore with the brilliance and splendor associated with the franchise. Jessica McNamee is once again brilliant as Sonya Blade, and Ludi Lin excels as Liu Kang. Tadanobu Asano shines again as Lord Raiden, though his presence is far less prominent than in the first film. Mehcad Brooks comes of age in his performance as Jax, adding more depth to his character, and Martyn Ford literally dominates the film at every turn as the imposing Shao Kahn.
Among the newcomers, Adeline Rudolph almost steals the film as Kitana. Jeremy Slater’s sharp screenplay gives Kitana the film’s biggest story arc, which calls for a performance of gravitas from Rudolph. Thankfully, the actor takes to the franchise with ease and delivers a memorable performance, packed with energy and poignancy. Lastly, Tati Gabrielle delivers a solid performance as Kitana’s protector, Jade. More than just a token sidekick, Jade gets to flex her muscles and join the fight, and when she does, it hits all the right notes.
Sadly, legacy characters like Scorpion and Sub-Zero aren’t featured as heavily this time around. But this isn’t their story, and their role in the plot feels all the more genuine as a result. When they do appear, they up the ante with their brilliance and brutal fighting styles. But make no mistake, this is Johnny Cage’s film, and I defy anyone not to fall in love with Karl Urban’s handsome rebel.
DIALOGUE & DEPTH
As brilliant as the screenplay is, the film is hindered by a criminal lack of character depth. Although the film clocks in at just under two hours, the pace is as fast and furious as the games. As a result, the plot is reliant on the world-building of its predecessor to do the donkey work. In fact, as soon as the sequel gets underway, there is rarely time to add any genuine exposure, which is to its detriment. Shao Kahn, for example, is a major player in the film, but we never get to explore his backstory or motives outside of the opening moments. Kahn is a truly awe-inspiring foe, and his presence in the film looms over everything. But without adding context to his desire to enslave every realm, we never really feel the validity of it.
Without context, his motives aren’t tangible, and newcomers will find it hard to add depth to the plot beyond the “bad guy enslaves the world” trope. In fairness, the film’s breakneck pace is one of its strengths, but outside of die-hard fans, audiences won’t get much from the plot on its merits. Believe me, this isn’t style over substance, but critics older than me came away bewildered by the over-saturation of blood and brutality, which lacked legitimate depth. I fear this will hinder the film’s box office chances.
A SCORE TO SETTLE
Another of the film’s triumphs is the superb score by Benjamin Wallfisch. The composer established a terrific soundscape for the first film with sweeping, pulse-pounding music that heightened the on-screen action, and I am delighted to see him return to the franchise with such vigor. Wallfisch’s music in the sequel is sensational. Building on his first score as a baseline, he injects new energy into his music, with a wider range than I expected.
From the dark, oppressive opening moments with Shao Kahn to the energetic battles, the music complements the action perfectly. High-tempo and expertly charged, the soundtrack delivers where it counts, and the classic theme reverberates throughout the score at every turn, keeping it authentic to the source material. The best movies are elevated by their soundtracks, and Wallfisch has added another classic score to his filmography here.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
And finally, I cannot end this review without crediting Cinematographer Stephen F. Windon for creating such a vivid sandbox for us to play in. From the opening moments, the film thrusts us into another world, packed with out-of-this-world creatures, landscapes, and buildings. It feels incredibly authentic to the source material, with every backdrop beautifully conceptualized from the games. From Shao Kahn’s castle to Raiden’s sky temple, every landmark looks spectacular, giving the film a sense of realism. It may be repetitive to say it feels like a game coming to life, but here that has never been more accurate.
The design teams behind the film deserve credit for bringing these locations to life with such vibrancy and energy. They enhance the film’s sense of scale and become characters in their own right. Combined with Ben Wallfisch’s sensational score and Simon McQuoid’s brilliant vision, this delivers the perfect Flawless Victory.
VERDICT
Overall, I had a blast with Mortal Kombat II. It’s the ultimate love letter to the games I grew up with. Although the film is far from perfect, with limited character depth and occasionally ropey dialogue, it delivers more than enough to entertain the masses. While casual viewers won’t be as enamored with its brilliance as hardcore fans, the movie has enough action, spectacle, and world-building to keep every audience on the edge of their seats for two hours and change. This is escapism at its best.
With its vivid cinematography, sensational performances from its great ensemble cast, thunderous soundtrack, and brilliant directorial vision, the film delivers the most authentic adaptation of the games to date. This is the new benchmark for game adaptations, so book a ticket for the fight of the century and get ready for the ultimate Flawless Victory!
Mortal Kombat II delivers a FLAWLESS VICTORY in cinemas from Friday.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
