Mortal Kombat 2 review: The true sequel to MK '95 has arrived

With memorable characters and brutal fights, Mortal Kombat II succeeds where the 2021 reboot fell short.

I’ve been waiting for a worthy follow-up to the 1995 live-action Mortal Kombat for 31 years. Don’t you dare bring up Mortal Kombat Annihilation. We don’t talk about Annihilation. The 2021 reboot was a good start, but was missing core elements. Like, say, a tournament.

Mortal Kombat 2 uppercutted its way into theaters on May 8, 2026; some theaters. Including my local Cinemark, showed it a day early. I saw it the night of May 7, and left impressed by its accuracy to MK lore, brilliant choreography, and memorable character dynamics.

Welcome to Outworld

Mortal Kombat 2 continues on from the 2021 film while also encompassing lore from several games. The people of Edenia, a thriving kingdom, are subjugated by Shao Kahn after he clinches a crucial final victory in a series of 10 tournaments. Earthrealm is up next, and the stakes are high: If our heroes lose, Shao Kahn will invade our world and do to Earth what he did to Edenia.

The plot is both easy to follow for mainstream audiences and refreshingly familiar to anyone who’s played 1993's Mortal Kombat 2 or 2011’s MK 9. There are literal markers in the sky signifying how many fighters from each side (Earth and Outworld) remain in the tournament, making keeping track of battles simple to manage. More than keeping track of a score, however, is a narrative about perspective, destiny, and taking a stand. You might not think a video game movie can leave you thinking as you exit the theater (an outdated notion, to be fair), but MKII’s themes lingered with me after the credits rolled.

Shao Kahn, played by the hulking Martyn Ford, is a standout performer. In the games, Shao Kahn doesn’t get his hands dirty until you confront him in the final battle. Here, he’s constantly mixing it up with Earth’s best fighters. Unlike the games, he’s as cunning as he is remorseless and brutal. Our heroes have to outsmart him as often as they have to physically beat him into submission.

Character select

In fact, every character stands out in Mortal Kombat 2. Although Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), Princess Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), and Shao Kahn all play critical roles, every character gets time to shine in the story and in battles.

Each of those battles hit hard through a combination of absolutely brutal kombat complete with fatalities aplenty, and by moving the story forward. The stakes feel high in every fight, and some deaths shocked and saddened me. The choreography also deserves a shoutout. This is a martial arts movie first and foremost, and no fight disappoints. You’ll see dream matchups from the game, as well as stages such as Ultimate MK3’s famous blue portal used to great effect.

My only complaint is that the CG can be spotty. Baraka’s teeth, for example, sometimes seem to warp and distort, resulting in an uncanny valley effect. But that’s a minor gripe. For 95 percent of the movie’s runtime, everything looks great and feels impactful, keeping you immersed from start to finish.

Choose your destiny

Mortal Kombat 2 is the movie fans have been waiting for since MK ‘95, but it also stands on its own two feet even if you’re only passingly familiar with Mortal Kombat mythology. Although I do plan to buy it digitally when it becomes available, I’m glad I spent money on tickets to see it in Cinemark’s XD theater. Its story, characters, and fights all pack a punch, and left me excited for the future of the film franchise.

Shacknews staff does not use generative artificial intelligence (AI) in their content. Shacknews strictly prohibits the use of its content for AI training or to generate text, including text in the style or format used for this publication. Shacknews reserves all rights to this work.

Review for
mortal kombat 2
9
Pros

• Brutal kombat
• Outstanding choreography
• Excellent character dynamics
• Easy-to-follow story that draws from MK lore

Cons

• CG is spotty at times