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.