The year was 1992, and I was 9 years old playing Mortal Kombat. Was I too young to be ripping out spines, and tearing out hearts? Probably. That said, the game was definitely a major part of my upbringing. (My wife and I even named our first born child Raeden!)
So, you KNOW I had to see the first Mortal Kombat movie when it debuted in 1995 (I also saw the Street Fighter flick back then, and I have feelings about both movies). Honestly, that MK is still one of the best video game movies of all time. I don’t even know how many times I’ve watched it. Probably over 20. Maybe even 30.
That said, I wasn’t too impressed with the 2021 Mortal Kombat the first time I watched it, so I thought nothing could top the 1995 film. I’ve since rewatched the 2021 film, and I now appreciate it a lot more. But, after hearing news about the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, I’m starting to think that this might be the best MK movie ever. Here’s why.
It Seems Like They've Listened To Issues Fans Had With The First Movie
One thing that a lot of fans took umbrage with in the 2021 film was that there was no tournament. And like, how? Even the first movie focused on a tournament, as the war between Earthrealm and Outworld is a key component to MK lore.
So, in that way, the movie just felt like it was missing something. Yes, not everybody was a fan of the main protagonist, Cole Young, but if there was a tournament involved, I think a lot of people probably would have forgiven the new character. Because honestly, after rewatching the film, I think it did a lot of things right. Enemy Sub-Zero was really cool, and most of the characters (most notably Kano and Kabal) were nicely adapted to the big screen.
Well, it seems like the studio heads have been listening, because Mortal Kombat 2 will indeed follow a tournament structure. Not only that, but there’s even going to be a sort of tally of who’s winning, which heightens the stakes. According to an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, series co-creator (and voice of Scorpion’s “Get over here!”), Ed Boon, had this to say:
They keep score throughout the movie. There's a visual representation of who is winning.... It's not just a tournament for the sake of a tournament. There are huge consequences, so you really are keeping score. And there are a lot of twists in it that keep you on your toes."
How cool is that? I loved the tournament in the first film, especially the otherworldly battles, like Scorpion in the forest. But, the idea of there actually being a sort of score being kept? It almost makes me think of the tower in Mortal Kombat II that you ascend when you beat each character, rising all the way up to Shao Khan as the final boss. Speaking of Shao Khan…
Shao Khan Has Never Looked More Badass
Have you ever watched the absolute train wreck that is Mortal Kombat: Annihilation? It's terrible beyond belief, but dammit, I can't help it. I LOVE how bad that movie is.
That said, I only bring up MK:A since Shao Khan makes an appearance in it…and he’s absolutely ridiculous. Played by Cobra star, Brian Thompson, it's not that he's inherently bad. It's just that the whole movie is bad, and he's unfortunately a casualty of that terribleness.
This is a shame; Shao Khan is one of the coolest antagonists in the entire series, right up there with Quan Chi, and Shinnok. So, for him to be so lame in Annihilation? It was a huge let down.
But, Mortal Kombat 2's Shao Khan? Quite simply, I'm in love. All we really have is the image from Entertainment Weekly, but in every way, he has the look of a BADASS Shao Khan.
Played by the bodybuilder, Martyn Ford, he also has the size of the Ruler of Outworld. In reality, it ultimately comes down to the tone that this movie settles on. But, looking at the picture from EW, I'm already impressed. Can October 24th get here sooner?
Pushing Characters Like Johnny Cage Up Front Is An Interesting Decision
Do you want to know my favorite MK character? It’s, uh, Sektor. But, do you want to know my second favorite? It’s the star-studded Johnny Cage! His absence from the 2021 movie really hurt the film in my opinion.
Thankfully, that’s another thing that’s being rectified in the sequel, as he’s going to be front and center (and also a little different from his video game counterpart). This is a big deal, since Johnny Cage could definitely offer some levity to what could potentially be a much darker movie than its predecessor.
I love this! There’s no indication at this point that Cole Young won’t be the main protagonist again. But, given how much they’ve been showcasing Karl Urban in the promotional material, I have to assume that he’s going to play an important role in this film (I mean, you don’t get Karl Urban to star as Johnny Cage and not give him stuff to do).
This is important, because as much as I’ve come to appreciate the 2021 film, one thing that I think is still a problem with it is the heroes, as none of them – besides Scorpion – are really all that interesting. Liu Kang is boring, Sonya Blade is forgettable, Jax is lame, Kung Lao is too basic, and Raiden lacks spark.
In truth, when Kano is your most interesting character, that’s a problem. So, Karl Urban could really kick this film into overdrive. Believe it!
Given That This Is A Sequel, The Fatalities Are Probably Going To Be Even More Brutal Than The First Reboot's Fatalities
If you’re a longtime fan of the MK video game series, then you know it’s more than just its fatalities. Unlike with other fighting games, MK’s dial-a-combo gameplay offers a complex blend of options that fans of the series have come to know and love.
That said…if you ask just some random person off the street what they know about Mortal Kombat, they’ll probably tell you, “Oh, yeah. That’s the game with the fatalities.” And you know what? They’re not wrong.
Because even though a myriad of other fighting games have implemented finishing moves over the years, this game franchise is still undoubtedly the king of the coup de grâce. Though the 2021 film offered some pretty interesting fatalities with its R-rating, I still think it could have gone even further.
Enter Mortal Kombat II, which has a real opportunity to up the ante. In fact, according to the same Entertainment Weekly article, the director, Simon McQuoid, had this to say when he commented on working with IMAX this time around:
What I realized was go bigger, go bolder, don't hold back, and really feed off the history of Mortal Kombat more…Just let it rip, and that's what we've done.
Did you hear that? “Let it rip…” like in spines! So, I hope they go HUGE when it comes to fatalities this time around. I want it to be gross!
Lastly, There Isn't Much Competition
Finally, if I’m being completely honest, this Mortal Kombat movie doesn’t have much competition when it comes to the previous films.
I know, I know. I talked earlier about how much I loved the first one, and I do!...for a video game movie from the ‘90s. Because that’s just it. Even though I’ve watched the movie several times, it’s kind of like a time capsule, you know? I mean, have you watched that Scorpion fight in the woods recently? The special effects are horrendous!
With video game movies and TV shows starting to get really good as of late (2023 was one of the best years for video game movies ever), I honestly think this upcoming film can be really good. Quite possibly the best.
Because as I said before, the 1995 film is GOATED, but also DATED. Annihilation is an atrocity (that I unabashedly love), and the 2021 Mortal Kombat is good, but definitely flawed. So, the sequel can only go up, right?
What do you think? Are you also pumped for Mortal Kombat 2?
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