I don't remember much about the original Mortal Kombat film, other than there wasn't, well, a mortal combat. This one does. It also brings in beloved characters such as Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) and Shao Khan (Martyn Ford) as they battle for the Earth realm.
It's for the fans! The plot is weak and the character development nonexistent, but there are plenty of fatalities and Easter eggs to keep the fans happy. The fights are cool as are iconic lines such as Scorpion's "Get over here!". Eventually though the fights start to get tiring. I found it to be a slog.
The film opens as Mortal Kombat is days away from beginning. Having lost nine times previously, the Earth realm must win this one or they will be taken over by the Outworld. Shao Khan will do anything to ensure he gains control. Lord Raiden (Tadanobou Asano) is a god who has been training some of the chosen warriors, but after Kung Lao's death in the first film he needs a replacement.
This is how Johnny Cage finds himself fighting along Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Cole Young (Lewis Tan), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), and Jax Briggs (Mehcad Brooks). There are a total of five fights and whoever has the last fighter standing is the winner.
Kung Lao (Max Huang) is resurrected and made to fight for the Outworld while Kano (Josh Lawson) is resurrected to provide Shao Khan with an amulet that makes him immortal. Bi-Han/Subzero and Scorpion also make an appearance to fight each other again in pure fan service.
I grew up playing Mortal Kombat, but I am not a hardcore fan. Even when I play now, I only do the duels and don't play in story mode. There is a lot of backstory I don't know. Even keeping that in mind, I can appreciate the rivalry between Scorpion and Sub-zero. I can appreciate the fatalities. There could have been more to make casual fans be into the story as well.
There was also a lot left to be desired on a plot and character standpoint. The plot is weak and the characters don't develop. They do in the sense that we're told they do, but those moments feel unearned because they characters shift perspectives without actually doing the work to grow into their new mindset.
I admit it's easy to dismiss my opinion. However, I love the Mortal Kombat film that came out in the 90s. That's the one I grew up watching. It's also an arguably bad film and it's highly sanitized in terms of blood and gore, but it knew what it was and embraced it. It's fun and campy. The plot is surface level, but when all you're expecting is people fighting for their lives then it delivers. The characters grow throughout that silly film. So, it's definitely possible!
I'll probably the inevitable third film whenever it comes out because of Orlando, but I'm not expecting to be anymore entertained as the tournament is officially over. As for me, I'll stick to fun/comfort watching the 90s Mortal Kombat and having a great time doing so.
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