Boy was I excited for this one. I was super disappointed when Mortal Kombat II was pushed back from October last year to May of 2026. But that was then, this is now, and I have seen Mortal Kombat II, and I loved it! This may sound crazy, but Mortal Kombat II is up there as one of the best movie sequels with how much it improves over its predecessor, and that is coming from someone who liked 2021’s Mortal Kombat.
Where to Watch Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II was released on May 8, 2026. You can watch it on HBO Max.
The Movie Review
High-Stakes Plot & Lore
The movie gets going right away. The basics of the plot here are that Shao Khan and Outworld are just one victory away from being able to take over Earth Realm. If you are familiar at all with the lore of Mortal Kombat, you will find this pretty standard stuff and easy to follow. I think for those who are not super into the MK series, the movie does a good enough job of explaining things.
Returning Champions & Karl Urban as Johnny Cage
Lord Raiden needs to put together a collection of champions to fight for Earth Realm. Lui Kang, Jax, Sonya, and Cole return from the first movie, and they recruit aging movie star Johnny Cage as the final member of the crew. Two things, first of all, Karl Urban is every bit as awesome as Johnny Cage as I thought he would be. Also, the way the movie handles Cole Young is very well done.
Cole Young’s Arc & Character Redemption
I never got the Cole Young hate. I was one of the few who did not have a massive problem with Cole Young, and I felt that Lewis Tan did a great job bringing this original character to life in the first movie. Here, Cole gets a pretty good showing with a really good fight against Shao Khan, and then, well, I will not spoil it; you will have to see it for yourself. Honestly, the whole Cole Young controversy with the MK fan base could have been avoided if they had made him a character or even a DLC guest character in Mortal Kombat 1.
Off-the-Charts Fan Service & New Roster
There are tons of characters in this movie! The fan service is off the charts, they even use the iconic 1995 Mortal Kombat theme song at the very end. We have a great mix of returning characters from the previous movie as well as new ones. I really liked the portrayal of Kitana here, and her relationship with Jade was very well done. I thought that the new design of Jade was pretty cool. Some online were saying less than kind things about her, but I thought that she was badass.
Baraka & Kano Standout Moments
Baraka was very cool as well, and his thing with Johnny Cage was a massive highlight of the movie for me. Kano was an absolute riot in this movie. I do not think he has a line of dialogue without dropping an F bomb, and it is hilarious. It is pretty insane the character development and twists that Kano has in these two movies, and I am interested to see where he goes if they make a third.
Fast Pacing & Setup for a Trilogy
Speaking of which, there are many plot points in this movie that are clearly left for a third movie, which I thought was a ton of fun. You know you have enjoyed a movie when, as soon as you come out of it, you are looking to see if a follow-up has been greenlit. The pacing of the movie is pure balls to the wall, and for me, the movie just zoomed by as I was so entertained by it.
Epic Fatalities & Gory Action
Of course, you cannot talk about Mortal Kombat without talking about gore, and my goodness, is this movie gory! There are some truly epic fight scenes, and the gore in them is off the charts! There are some great Mortal Kombat fatalities here, and they were a blast to see on the big screen. I live in the UK and between the gore, violence, and language, I have no idea how the heck this movie managed to be get a 15 rating!
The UK Cinema Merchandise Complaint
Speaking of living in the UK, that brings me to my biggest complaint about Mortal Kombat II. I am one of the suckers who has fallen victim to collecting popcorn buckets and collectible cups at the movie theatre, but Mortal Kombat II in the UK has not gotten a single collectible as far as I have seen! In the USA, there are numerous awesome popcorn buckets and cups, collectible cards, and more, yet here we do not have a single thing!
I have seen a few on eBay, and I am tempted. But for me, part of the fun of these is picking them up at the theatre. Warner Bros could have gotten me to buy a Shao Khan helmet popcorn bucket, a movie slate popcorn bucket, and a cup if they had them available. To be fair, this may not be a WB issue and more of a case of UK cinema chains not wanting them. Either way, it sucks, as I really wanted something from the movie.
Final Verdict & Sequel Hopes
I had a fantastic time watching Mortal Kombat II. I 100 percent plan on seeing this again at some point during its theatrical run. My nostalgia will not allow me to say that I liked this better than the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie, but this was still awesome, and it is pretty close if I am being honest. I just pray that this does well enough to get a third movie. Also, I would love it if we got some kind of confirmation (or should I say Konfirmation?) about a new Mortal Kombat game!
