How Mortal Kombat 2 Units Up A Third Film In The Franchise

This text incorporates spoilers for “Mortal Kombat II.”

To the uninitiated who’ve solely a passing familiarity with the unique video video games, “Mortal Kombat” looks like it might be a reasonably predictable film franchise. Most would count on it to be, to borrow a title, one battle after one other, with numerous characters pitted towards one another in match after match. 

In fact, it was the dearth of any match fights by any means that plagued the 2021 “Mortal Kombat” movie for thus many followers, an egregious oversight that this week’s “Mortal Kombat II” rectifies in an enormous manner. Your entire construction of the sequel is constructed round a match for the liberty of Earthrealm over the power-hungry Outworld, which has already devoured up all the opposite realms of the universe. For many who had been offended that “Mortal Kombat” (2021) did not contain the fitting sort of gory brawls to the demise, its sequel is a mea culpa.

Nonetheless, “Mortal Kombat II” (which yours actually reviewed for /Movie) would not fully abandon or retcon its predecessor’s martial arts epic meets darkish fantasy tackle the property. Somewhat than ignore the whole lot that is come earlier than so as to get to the match, it as an alternative matches the match into an already busy story about an ages-old battle between realms, godlike warriors, and common people imbued with particular talents. This give attention to the characters extends to the film’s cliffhanger ending, which units up a 3rd film that sounds positively mythological. 

Like Orpheus, the heroes of Earthrealm resolve to enterprise to the Netherrealm to try to save their fallen comrades within the closing moments of “Mortal Kombat II.” It is a daring thought that does not sound like it can embody a brand new match of any kind, which as soon as once more brings up the query: is there extra to “Mortal Kombat” than Mortal Kombat?

As followers of the unique video video games know, “Mortal Kombat” incorporates a shocking quantity of lore that spans the breadth of the 15-odd video games within the franchise. As such, it might’ve been straightforward for the ending of “Mortal Kombat II” to tease some new Large Dangerous that the remaining gang of champions might need to deal with within the subsequent spherical. Basically, director Simon McQuoid and author Jeremy Slater may’ve given the movie a Marvel-style cliffhanger, promising some Thanos-esque menace on the horizon.

As a substitute, the film’s closing moments are extra about righting the wrongs of what is simply transpired within the match. The movie impressively doesn’t pull its punches, permitting the heroic Cole Younger (Lewis Tan), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), and Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) to return to grisly ends throughout their fateful fights. It helps lend emotional weight to the stakes of the match and makes positive that victory would not really feel assured for the protagonists.

After the match is received and the evil Shao Khan (Martyn Ford) is defeated, the plan for the remaining Earthrealm champions to try to rescue their associates from the Netherrealm appears like the fitting payoff for this film in some ways. It confirms the movie’s earnest affection for its characters, treating them as important parts and never interchangeable opponents. It additionally continues the theme of preventing for a righteous trigger, which is integral to the arcs of Johnny Cage (Karl City) and Kitana (Adeline Rudolph). When even Kano (Josh Lawson), the odious turncoat of 2021’s “Mortal Kombat,” is keen to rescue the misplaced champions of Earthrealm, the center of “Mortal Kombat II” is instantly obvious.

Whereas the ending of “Mortal Kombat II” is an totally applicable and satisfying one, it does elevate quite a lot of questions as to what a “Mortal Kombat 3” will even appear like. Will it take a web page from “Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi,” which means that simply the primary act will contain a rescue? We all know from the unique video video games’ lore that the Netherrealm is dwelling to the Oni demons and that the sorcerer Quan Chi (Damon Herriman) was once one. Perhaps he’ll instigate a brand new match? Or will there be no match, per se, and the complete movie will likely be much like the Johnny/Kano subplot from “Mortal Kombat II?”

It is that final chance that may probably fear those that have such distaste for “Mortal Kombat” (2021) essentially the most. Though, you gotta admit, in every other context, the promise of a movie about super-powered warriors preventing by way of Hell would sound superior. Nonetheless, it is too early to make strong predictions at this level. In spite of everything, whereas “Mortal Kombat II” is just the second film within the franchise to have the identical artistic crew as its predecessor, and even the video games themselves have taken tangential detours all through the years. (“Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero,” anybody?) 

Hopefully, “Mortal Kombat II” being as respectful and enjoyable as it’s will encourage followers to grant Simon McQuoid and Co. the good thing about the doubt in terms of the subsequent film. And whereas this property may all the time be rebooted a 3rd time (which is able to partly rely on how “Mortal Kombat II” does on the field workplace), I do know that I might personally like to see this group … end them.

“Mortal Kombat II” is in theaters now.