Mortal Kombat II (dir. Simon McQuoid)

by Jack Martin | May 6, 2026

Certificate: 15

Running Time: 116 mins

UK Distributor: Warner Bros

UK Release Date: 8 May 2026

WHO’S IN MORTAL KOMBAT II?

Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroyuki Sanada, Martyn Ford, Desmond Chiam, Ana Thu Nguyen, Max Huang, CJ Bloomfield, Joe Taslim, Sophia Xu

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

Simon McQuoid (director, producer), Jeremy Slater (writer), Toby Emmerich, Todd Garner, E. Bennett Walsh and James Wan (producers), Benjamin Wallfisch (composer), Stephen F. Windon (cinematographer), Stuart Levy (editor)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

A group of unlikely warriors compete in a fierce mythical battle to save their realm from evil…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON MORTAL KOMBAT II?

If there’s a video game equivalent of the WWE (outside of its own brand of games, of course), it’s absolutely Mortal Kombat. Much like the wrestling federation, the franchise has become infamous over the last thirty-odd years for its extreme violence, intricate storylines, a clear indication of who to root both for and against, and its generous helping of pure entertainment. However, the most notable parallel is clearly its expansive roster of characters and personalities who have become iconic that those who may never have played the games will already recognise their names. Whether it’s Johnny Cage or Kitana or Scorpion etc, chances are you’ll know who they are and what their signature moves or catchphrases are as much as you do the likes of The Rock, John Cena, Becky Lynch and so on.

All of these qualities are very much present in Mortal Kombat II, which far more than its 2021 predecessor – a film reboot that, as enjoyably gory as it was, suffered greatly from an exposition-heavy script and an exceptionally uninteresting lead character who wasn’t even from the original games – understands that its appeal comes from the fact that it’s basically a much more mythical WWE showcase. In doing so, it replicates that sense of mindless enjoyment one gets from something that is by nature incredibly silly and nonsensical, but still invests you enough in its passionate action that you can’t help but be thoroughly entertained.

The film picks up roughly where returning director Simon McQuoid’s previous film left off, with Earthrealm (basically, our world) on the verge of losing its tenth and final one-on-one match of Mortal Kombat against the evil Outworld, which would cause the latter to assume control over the former. Earthrealm’s warriors, as led by the thunder god Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), include army veteran Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), her robotic-armed fellow soldier Jax (Mehcad Brooks), the fire-fisted fighter Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), the previous film’s protagonist Cole Young (Lewis Tan, who’s thankfully much more of a background presence this time round) and their newest recruit, washed-up action movie star Johnny Cage (Karl Urban). Meanwhile, representing Outworld – or more specifically, the evil Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) who has assumed authority over his conquered lands – is vengeful former princess Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), her bodyguard and friend Jade (Tati Gabrielle), the resurrected laser-eyed mercenary Kano (Josh Lawson), the sinister sorcerer Shang Tsung (Chin Han), and even the feared Bi-Han (Joe Taslim), formerly known as Sub-Zero.

As in the games, the objective is simple: fight to the death and try not to die while doing so. Which means, in no doubt a delight for fans of the games, some brutal one-on-one combat where people get the unliving hell beaten out of them, while on occasion being sliced into pieces of meat or their heads bashed in by giant hammers. The fight scenes in this movie are outstanding, filled with fast-paced choreography that makes you feel nearly every punch and kick while being shot with a clear and precise vision that makes it easy to follow. Of course, there’s a lot of CGI used in these scenes – which makes sense, given the fact that it’s literally based on computer-generated source material, not to mention how at least half of the stunts and gore would be impossible and maybe even illegal to pull off practically – but while some of the effects are a little ropey they’re utilised well enough to create some illuminating environments, from castle dungeons with acid rivers to interdimensional Shaolin temples.

But again, the main attraction of Mortal Kombat II (aside from its violence) is the cast of characters, and this movie tries as hard as it can to give each main figure their moment in the spotlight, with largely successful results. Unlike the previous movie, which had a clear-cut protagonist and designated supporting players, this one is much more of an ensemble piece, with multiple characters having substantial arcs that are given their fair share of screen time. Many of the actors do a fine job of making their roles leap off the screen, particularly Karl Urban who is a sardonic blast as Johnny Cage and Adeline Rudolph whose Kitana is rich with ferocity and crowd-pleasing spirit, though some are unfortunately not given as much opportunity to shine as others, with some such as Mehcad Brooks’s Jax largely relegated to spouting one-liners every other scene, while Lewis Tan’s Cole is still as bland as he was before (nothing to do with the actor, just the way his character is written).

There’s plenty else about Mortal Kombat II that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, from the unclear world-building to the surprisingly complicated lore behind all these dimensions to how certain characters will switch allegiances at the drop of a hat. But be honest, nobody loads up Mortal Kombat for the plot: they just want to have fun playing these lively characters as they brutally and often gorily lay into their opponents, which is something that this movie gets right a lot more than its predecessor. McQuoid and screenwriter Jeremy Slater are simply a couple of kids in a sandbox playing around with their many action figures, and this is the delightful result that comes from a clear place of passion and admiration for these characters and the wacky worlds they inhabit.

Much like the folks over at WWE, the makers of Mortal Kombat II have made something that’s an enjoyably silly time with plenty of impressive stunts and creative defeats to give viewers plenty of mindless entertainment, and in doing so it may well be the most satisfying Mortal Kombat movie to date.

SO, TO SUM UP…

Mortal Kombat II is a huge improvement on its predecessor that provides plenty of impressive action choreography and creative gore, with a roster of fun characters and a much livelier pace both helping it overcome some of the script’s unavoidable silliness.