From New Line Cinema comes the latest high-stakes instalment in the blockbuster video game franchise in all its brutal glory, Mortal Kombat II (MKII) from returning Australian director Simon McQuiod. This time, the fan favourite champions are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders. Resident film buffs Stefan Bradley and Tom Parry went to check it out.
Tom Parry: My history with the Mortal Kombat franchise (the games and the films) only began a few years ago with the 2021 blockbuster, which itself was a reboot. Up until that point, I’d never seen the previous films nor played any of the games, but still found myself enjoying the picture. What about you, Stefan?
Stefan Bradley: Same as you. I played the fighting games Tekken, Soulcalibur and the Super Smash Bros. series as a kid, but never really played much Mortal Kombat or watched those two films released in the 90s. This is a major franchise with iconic characters like Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Katana, and Sonya Blade that I do recognise, as well as those infamous fatalities. I watched the 2021 film the night before watching this new one, so this back-to-back viewing is my first real Mortal Kombat experience.
TP: Another thing MKII has going in its favour is a bigger budget, allowing them to bring in stars like Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, for instance, and also better practical and special effects, and a much more appealing production design – compare that to the previous movie where it had a very limited budget and seemed like everything was shot in a backlot in Adelaide. Here, everything looks just a little more realistic. I enjoyed its predecessor more, but that’s probably because we were still in the midst of a pandemic and a recent bad run of video game adaptations, so its release felt like a novelty. This second movie more or less offers the same sort of action and for that reason, didn’t feel as fresh or as innovative this time around.
SB: The first movie, as a reboot, had to introduce non-players to this universe, and I quite liked it, but it barely scratched the surface of this world. But I think director Simon McQuoid’s second effort here is more confident in almost every aspect, including its increased emphasis on the source material and a sillier tone. We have here the actual Mortal Kombat fighting tournament. There are more game references, but it’s not over-the-top like the Super Mario Galaxy Movie. It’s under two hours and well-paced. This was filmed in Australia once again with plenty of Aussie cast members, including Josh Lawson as Kano who was really funny. While I thought a few of the characters were bland, the majority of the cast were terrific. The action scenes and kills hit harder, are more creative, and just look better. I think this film is superior to the last in almost every way.
TP: I would say to counteract that, Johnny Cage’s introduction feels quite rushed, and could have fleshed out further. Compare that to Kitana, who’s also a new character and introduced in the opening sequences – they do a very good job of establishing her backstory and motivations. There was only one fight sequence that impressed me and that was the one between Liu Kang and Kung Lao. The others didn’t really generate that same sense of euphoria. It’s interesting that the 2021 Kombat film is rated R18+, whereas this one is MA15+, which baffled me because the fight sequences don’t appear to be any less violent or gory. But it doesn’t feel gratuitous at all – they know what graphic injuries to show on-screen and when to turn the camera away, essentially.
SB: Agreed, it’s not like a Saw movie where the violence becomes far too much. They save it for the big bloody kills so they don’t become stale. Did you like the fatalities?
TP: I’m not here for the kills, Stefan, I’m just here for the thrills.
SB: I loved them. I think overall this is a very good movie that will deliver not just for fans but for casual observers as well thanks to its relatively simple but compelling story. It has also made me more interested in trying out the games.
TP: I’m quite happy sticking with the films. I would recommend this only if you enjoyed the previous movie or like the games.
Mortal Kombat II is now showing at Sale Cinema and is rated MA15+ for strong bloody violence, coarse language and fantasy themes. Image: New Line Cinema
