5 reasons you might like Mortal Kombat II (2026)

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I am Jason Kleeberg, this is Force Five and here are 5 reasons you might like Mortal Kombat II.

Reason number 5, I know this sounds stupid, but hear me out - if you liked the Mortal Kombat video games, particularly Mortal Kombat II, you’re probably going to really like this. Sounds obvious, but a lot of Mortal Kombat gamers disliked the last Mortal Kombat film because they said it didn’t feel like a Mortal Kombat film and honestly I agree, if you’d have taken away the costumes you could have really called that film anything you wanted to. Hell, even the main character wasn’t in the video games and frankly wasn’t that interesting. I’m happy to say that this very much feels like a Mortal Kombat film. We’ve got a tournament, or at least a concept of a tournament, fights are staged well, certain game arenas make appearances, including my favorite which was the acid bath stage, and the roster is expanded a bit to bring in some MKII staples, so if you liked Mortal Kombat II, it’s a safe bet you’re going to love this film. As a kid who played the first Mortal Kombat up through number 9 or 10, there were many Leo pointing at the screen in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood moments for me as I watched this.

Reason number 4, the costumes and character design are fantastic. They’re very loyal to the games - all of the characters look like those that I grew up with and the expanded roster looks amazing. Particularly Baraka, whose face appears to be physical prosthetics perhaps enhanced with CG but because it’s done practically I think it looks incredible. Katana also looks great, and Quan Chi looks great which was cool for me as I have fond memories in my first apartment taking on all challengers, friend foe or roommate, in Mortal Kombat Armageddon playing as him. Shao Khan looks fantastic as well and you really buy him as an unstoppable monster.

Reason number 3, whenever Karl Urban is in anything, it basically guarantees me buying a ticket so if you’re a fan, you need to check this out. He plays Johnny Cage, a washed up 90’s action star who’s clinging to his past success. When we first see him, he’s sitting alone at a convention watching film fans pass him by for newer, hotter stars. His journey is focused on finding what’s important and how he can contribute to the cause. Karl Urban definitely understands the film he’s in - he never takes it too seriously, adding to the camp factor that has always been a staple in Mortal Kombat. He’s got some great moments, especially his scenes with Baraka.

Reason number 2, the fights are awesome, but there’s a Lui Kang fight against a character that I won’t name even though I saw the trailer after watching the movie and they spoiled it and many other surprise character appearances which is yet another reason why you shouldn’t watch trailers but that’s another story. Anyway, at about the halfway point there’s a fight between Lui Kang and someone familiar to him and Mortal Kombat players that is absolutely fantastic - the visuals are amazing as we see both of their powers in full effect and it ends in an incredibly brutal way. It’s set in the Netherrealm stage which looks so vibrant and colorful in the background and it was the point in the movie where I knew that Simon McQuoid and Jeremy Slater really understood Mortal Kombat.

Reason number 1, this movie has stakes. Many times in the game when someone loses, they are finished in extremely over the top, gory ways. It would be tough to watch a Mortal Kombat film without fatalities befalling our heroes and I’m both happy and sad to say that no one feels safe in this one. There are characters who you met in the first film that will not make it out of this movie and they are killed in pretty entertaining and sometimes shocking ways.

If any of the reasons I mentioned resonate with you, and especially if you’re a fan of Mortal Kombat, I’d highly suggest you check this out, particularly with a crowd. But don’t bring your young kids to this, like one asshole did in my screening. Parenting soap box aside, if you saw MK 2, what did you think of it? And what’s your favorite video game to movie adaptation? Let me know in the comments down below or email me at forcefivepodcast@gmail.com.