“Mortal Kombat II” is directed by Simon McQuoid, who also directed the 2021 “Mortal Kombat” movie. This film stars Karl Urban (The Boys, Dredd), Adeline Rudolph (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Riverdale), Jessica McNamee (Packed to the Rafters, Home and Away), Josh Lawson (Superstore, House of Lies), Ludi Lin (Power Rangers, Aquaman), Mehcad Brooks (Law & Order, Supergirl), Tati Gabrielle (The 100, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Lewis Tan (Deadpool 2, Into the Badlands), Damon Herriman (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Mr Inbetween), Chin Han (Ghost in the Shell, American Born Chinese), Tadanobu Asano (Thor, Shōgun), Joe Taslim (Warrior, The Raid), and Hiroyuki Sanada (Shōgun, Bullet Train). This film is the sequel to 2021’s “Mortal Kombat” and this time around, actor Johnny Cage joins the battle as he and other fighters take on the tyrannical Shao Khan.

I have played some of the “Mortal Kombat” games, and I am a fan of those games. I will sometimes hop on a cabinet in the arcade, or maybe put in a game I have at home. I am a casual player, but I am a player nonetheless. The games are a ton of fun. As for the movies, that’s where things become more complicated.

The 1995 “Mortal Kombat” is far from the greatest movie ever made, but there was a period of time where it was considered the gold standard of video game to film adaptations. Not that that is saying much. The film did have its problems and occasionally felt like a product of its time. Though I did have fun watching it, admittedly.

Then in 1997, the universe was introduced to the disgrace on a bloody stick known as “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.” It is a movie whose subtitle quite literally described what happened to my brain cells while watching it. I have no plans to do a worst movies of all time list, but I think “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” is a contender for the bottom of the barrel.

Then comes 2021, when another “Mortal Kombat” hits the big screen (and HBO Max), and I thought it was quite good. It is not perfect, but I thought even with some creative liberties, it did a decent job at capturing the spirit of the games. Plus, unlike the previous “Mortal Kombat” movies, this one was a lot bloodier and gorier. So, while not a home run, I was down for another “Mortal Kombat” should one be in the pipeline.

Now, “Mortal Kombat II” has made its presence known, and while it is not quite a flawless victory, the film may be my favorite so far based on the “Mortal Kombat” property. That is, of the theatrically released ones. There are others that have not been to theaters that I have yet to see.

“Mortal Kombat II,” like the previous installment, terrifically captures the vibe of the games. The locations are big, colorful, and while they may not always be realistic, they are nevertheless palatable. If you have never played a “Mortal Kombat” game, or heck, missed out on the last “Mortal Kombat” movie, you may not know that this film should require some suspension of disbelief.

The film, like many sequels, aims higher and goes bigger than its predecessor, with more violence, a longer runtime, and new characters. The standout of the newbies on the roster, by a clear mile, is Johnny Cage (Karl Urban).

Johnny Cage brings the camp to “Mortal Kombat II.” In most cases, when I use “camp” and “movie” in the same sentence, my mind will think of the combination as a negative, but “Mortal Kombat II” is an unusual exception where I find it to be a positive. The campiness of “Mortal Kombat II” works like a charm, and that is mostly due to Karl Urban’s commitment to making the character of Johnny Cage come off as the coolest has-been movie star of all time.

In Earthrealm, we see our protagonists watch a vision that reveals their “chosen one” to defeat evil. That being Johnny Cage. The movie perfectly sets the tone for what’s to come by showing Cage in perhaps the most 90s-esque action schlock of a movie imaginable. AI could not create this magic. Of course, that time is over, and like some other actors who are not doing as much film work, Cage is making money through conventions. The moment we see the first encounter between Cage and the heroes of Earthrealm, he tries to show as much respect as possible, thinking that they are cosplayers, hoping they would screw off. I thought the first scenes featuring Cage were clever and did a good job at revealing how much Cage has evolved from his prime.

While “Mortal Kombat II” is far from Shakespeare, some lines in the film are poetic in their own way. My favorite moment in “Mortal Kombat II” features Johnny Cage fighting against Baraka, the leader of the Tarkatans. The fight itself is massively entertaining. That is if you can even call it a fight. There is a repeated moment in the choreography that is honestly begging to find its way into today’s meme culture. I saw this film alongside my dad, and there have been instances following its conclusion where we jokingly repeated said moves.

What follows after is Baraka’s purely cinematic line, “That is the greatest fighting I have ever f***ing seen!” Collectively, that may have been the biggest laugh amongst my opening Thursday audience. Truth be told, I read this line back as I write this paragraph, and I am trying my hardest not to roll on the floor.

“Mortal Kombat II” is not perfect. I had the privilege of seeing this film in IMAX, which for this film, is fantastic, as some scenes feature an expanded aspect ratio. But while this critique may not matter for every screening, I think the IMAX scenes could have been handled better, because the way that some of these scenes were edited felt inconsistent or jumpy. It reminded me of “Transformers: The Last Knight,” where the aspect ratio changes every second. It is nowhere near as bad, but it is still jumpy. The CGI at times is utterly amazing and a complete feast for the eyes. I was gobsmacked with the worlds the VFX artists were able to create. But that does not mean that they do not look CGI-ish. Again, the movie looks real when it chooses to. Sometimes the heightened reality works. At other times, it could be better.

The story of the film is very simple, but what complicates it is how often this movie jumps from place to place and has to handle a variety of characters. It is hard to say that the characterization of this movie is the strongest. It is kind of like the last “Mario” movie, though I admittedly had more fun with this video game adaptation compared to that one.

Even with its imperfections, “Mortal Kombat II” is a total blast. Shao Khan is a menacing threat. Johnny Cage has personality for days. I liked seeing more of the characters from the last movie like Raiden, Kano, and Liu Kang. Not that I dislike the original, but I think this sequel is an improvement. I walked out of this movie thinking that I cannot wait to watch it a second time. This is a fantastic movie to watch with friends. If you can handle some blood and gore, you are in for a treat.

In the end, “Mortal Kombat II” is a komplete explosion of epicness! This is a visual effects-heavy, balls out killer time that is by no means going to win any major awards. But if you are a sucker for a big, dumb action movie that sometimes pays tribute to the video games of the same name, this movie might be up your alley. Karl Urban is excellent as Johnny Cage and oozes charisma from start to finish. The action is super fun. This movie maintains a modern look to it, but it also has this occasional throwback feel that ties everything together. I cannot wait to watch this movie again, and I have no shame in saying that. I am going to give “Mortal Kombat II” a 7/10.

“Mortal Kombat II” is now playing in theaters. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! This Sunday on Flicknerd.com and YouTube, stay tuned for the next episode of Movie Requests! This episode is going to feature a suggestion from Brian O’Halloran, who you may know from the “Clerks” trilogy! I just watched his suggested movie last night. I cannot wait to share what it is and talk about it with you. If you want to watch the review as fast as possible, do yourself and I a favor by subscribing to my YouTube channel!

My next review is going to be for “The Sheep Detectives!” Stay tuned! Also coming soon, I will be sharing my thoughts on “In the Grey,” “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” “I Love Boosters,” and “Backrooms.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Mortal Kombat II?” What did you think about it? Or, what is your favorite “Mortal Kombat” film that has been released thus far? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!