Mortal Kombat II (2026)
Let me be straight with you: the critics have absolutely savaged this film, and I understand why. On paper, Mortal Kombat II is a bloated, narratively incoherent action film that introduces too many characters, sidelines its most iconic ones, and wastes genuine dramatic potential on clumsy comic relief. All of that is true. And yet, I walked out of the cinema grinning like an idiot, because Simon McQuoid's sequel does something that matters far more to me than critical consensus: it genuinely loves what it's adapting.
This is unapologetic, unadulterated fan service, and I mean that as a compliment. The franchise has always split audiences cleanly into two camps, and nothing about this film is going to change that. If you've never touched the games, never spent an afternoon button-mashing through arcade ladders or trying to memorise fatality inputs, then yes, this is going to look like a chaotic, noisy mess. But if you know the source material, if the lore and the roster and the sheer bloody mythology of Outworld means anything to you, then there's a massive, loving tribute up on that screen, and it's hard not to feel the warmth coming off it.
The story doesn't slavishly follow any single game's plot, which is actually the right call. It nails the overarching themes and brings the roster to life in a way that feels authentically arcade-born. But the character dynamics are a genuinely mixed bag of absolute brilliance and baffling missteps, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise.
Fair play to Josh Lawson and Karl Urban, whose turns as Kano and Johnny Cage are a cracking, welcome addition to the fray. They are regularly funny, deeply engaging, and bring exactly the right amount of swagger to proceedings. Urban in particular seems to understand instinctively that this world rewards big, committed performances, and he delivers one. These two are worth the price of admission on their own. On the other hand, Cole Young, the first film's original character, is still here, still routinely annoying, and still feels like a completely unnecessary addition to an already bloated lineup. I'll admit, I let out a genuine cheer when he was dispatched early in the runtime. No apologies for that.
Even more baffling is the treatment of Baraka. Anyone who knows the games knows that the Tarkatans are a ruthless, warring species. They're terrifying in the source material. Here, Baraka is reduced to a gullible comic-relief idiot, and it's a genuine waste of a character with so much potential. That stings. And then there's the problem of Sub-Zero and Scorpion, two of the most iconic figures in the entire franchise, being bizarrely shunted into the background with only small sections of the runtime dedicated to them. For a film so stuffed with characters, it's a strange set of priorities.
But here's the thing. When the gloves actually come off, McQuoid delivers. The fight choreography is fantastic, punchy and kinetic in all the right ways. It reminded me of the visceral satisfaction I got from Dredd (2012), a film that similarly refused to apologise for its violence and was all the better for it. More importantly, the gore remains absolutely central to the experience here. A perfect, unapologetic flood of claret red, faithful to the franchise's bloody, over-the-top roots. The fatalities are well-executed, and when this film commits to the carnage, it really commits. That matters. It would have been very easy to sand the edges off in pursuit of a wider audience, and I'm glad they didn't.
I actually did enjoy this film, despite its glaring flaws, and I don't feel the need to qualify that to death. It knows exactly what it is and refuses to pretend otherwise. It's loud, violent, and thoroughly entertaining for the fans who showed up for it. Narratively it's a bit of a mess, yes. The roster juggling is clumsy, some character choices are genuinely baffling, and the critical mauling isn't entirely undeserved. But when the moments land, they really land, and there are enough of them here to make this a highly watchable, gloriously bloody romp.
Three and a half stars.
Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 2026 | Watched: 2026-07-23
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel · Sky Go · Now TV Cinema · HBO Max
Rent: Amazon Video
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel · HBO Max
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US
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