All About Perspective: Mortal Kombat II (2026) Review

Director: Simon McQuoid

Notable Cast: Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Ludi Lin, Jessica McNamee, Lewis Tan, Josh Lawson, Martyn Ford, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Max Huang, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroyuki Sanada, Joe Taslim, CJ Bloomfield, Ana Thu Nguyen 

 

I think it's fair, for a film that essentially starts immediately where the last one left off, that I, also, start my review of Mortal Kombat II by quoting the last line of my review for Mortal Kombat (2021).

“With its open ending and intention for more films in its writing and development, let’s hope that the next installment doesn’t hesitate to just lean into the absurdity. I’d give my heart (and spine) to that.”

 

So, in the spirit of good sportsmanship, here is what (rips out heart) I owe (rips out spine) to you, Simon McQuoid, and his team of truly insane filmmakers that crafted this sequel. You absolutely knew what your homework was, did the due diligence, and made the best Mortal Kombat film yet. Mortal Kombat II manages to be more of EVERYTHING than its predecessor. More plot, more characters, more fights, more catchphrases, more - more - more, and most importantly - it's more FUN. It’s a film that leans further into the absurdity - and lore - of the decades-spanning video game franchise, and it’s all the better for it. For some, maybe it’s too much. For me, it’s the kind of insane blockbuster entertainment that I wanted - and then some. 

 

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Director: Simon McQuoid

Notable Cast: Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Mehcad Brooks, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Matilda Kimber, Laura Brent, Chin Han, Ludi Lin, Max Huang, Sisi Stringer, Mel Jarnson, Nathan Jones

 

Mortal Kombat has a rich history, whether people like to admit it or not. Not only from the ever-expanding series of games that ballooned to include all kinds of crazy shit from fighting tournaments to action-adventure platformers, but to the overall pop cultural impact that was left in the wake of its controversial birth. There have already been two live-action films, a handful of TV shows, and a few animated stories. This is IP with a lot of fans, a lot of skeptics, and a lot of expectations when it comes to a new live-action film being crafted with “the fans'' in mind. 

 

For 2021’s Mortal Kombat, produced by genre auteur turned populist icon James Wan and directed by Simon McQuoid of - let me check my notes - nothing, the key was finding a balance between everyone’s expectations. A relatively daft task, if we are all being honest with ourselves. Partner that with the insane combination of being one of the first major films to drop into theaters as they start to reopen in the wake of a still ongoing pandemic, and this film was already riding a very tight line even before its release.