Mortal Kombat II is exactly the kind of sequel fans of the games have been begging for: louder, bloodier, sillier, and far more confident in its own ridiculousness. Director Simon McQuoid finally leans fully into the franchise’s chaotic energy, delivering a gloriously over-the-top martial arts spectacle that understands nobody bought a ticket for subtlety.

The first film spent too a lot of time setting up lore and introducing audiences to the mythology. This sequel wastes little time getting into the action of brutal tournament fights, outrageous fatalities, and characters yelling iconic one-liners before someone loses a spine. The result is a much faster, higher-octane film that perhaps feels closer to the spirit of the games. The move away from a more detailed storytelling however does lead to some plot hole queries on the timeline of events though.

The biggest addition is Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, who has been cast to perfection. Urban plays Cage as a washed-up action star with just enough swagger and stupidity to make the character hilarious without turning him into a parody. But the real scene stealer, and perhaps the most underutilised resource, is once again Josh Lawson, returning as the foul-mouthed and entirely irreverent Kano. Given the films were both directed by an Australian and shot in Australia (which is evident from the many Australian actors in both leading and supporting roles), it’s only right that one of the best characters is so unapologetically Australian. My greatest hope is that some of his best ones liners aren’t lost on an overseas audience, such as Kano asking Johnny Cage for a ‘wristie’.

The action is where the film truly shines. The choreography is sharper, the fatalities are nastier, and the movie finally embraces the tournament structure that some fans wanted from the start. There’s a gleeful absurdity to the violence: frozen limbs explode, skulls shatter, and bodies are launched through portals with video-game precision. It’s excessive in the best possible way.  

That said, nobody is confusing Mortal Kombat II with high art. The plot is mostly an excuse to move fighters from one arena to another, and the dialogue ranges from knowingly campy to outright terrible. Some characters still feel underdeveloped, and the film occasionally collapses under the weight of its own mythology. There was perhaps a little too much reliance on some of the more boring, American characters (no one cares about Sonya Blade…..give me more Katana), but unlike the previous movie, this sequel seems fully aware of how ridiculous it is, and that self-awareness makes a huge difference.

Ultimately, Mortal Kombat II isn’t trying to reinvent the video game as a film. It’s trying to deliver a savage, crowd-pleasing popcorn movie experience full of insane fights and fan-service chaos, and on that level, it’s a ‘flawless victory’.

MORTAL KOMBAT II is in cinemas now.