The Mosley Review: Mortal Kombat II
Second chances are rare in the movie business. They're even rarer when adapting a well known and beloved property. I'm all for films getting a second chance at redemption or even listening to the fans and improving on what worked and fixing what didn't. Such a rare case has now occurred here and I have to admit, this was a vast improvement over the abysmal first film in this new franchise adaptation. We all know the lore of the Mortal Kombat game is rich with mysticism, violence and characters we all know and love. I was happy to see almost that same love and reverence was captured in this film. The action may be satisfyingly gory, the recreation of famous fighting stages were fantastic, but it all came down to what this film needed over the previous film, a better written, emotional and focused story. I wasn't going into this film looking for a cinematic masterpiece, but what I ended up getting was exactly what I hoped for. This was a bloody good fun popcorn flick that has the right amount of camp and takes itself not too seriously. Now of course the film isn't perfect. There are some performances that save it from the depths of the Netherealm while others keep it treading the most viscous pit of acid.
Adeline Rudolph was fantastic as Kitana. She truly surprised me as she nailed the conviction and emotion of the character. Adeline showcases Kitana's warrior spirit and wasn't afraid to tackle her more steadfast yet good heart. When she begins her journey through the tournament, her physicality was excellent and I loved how accurate her use of her bladed fans translated from the game to screen. She bore the most dramatic weight of the film wonderfully. Tati Gabrielle was good as her best friend, Jade. Tati's take on the character was fun and I enjoyed her loyalty to Kitana, even when she is forced to follow her Emperor's command. There was chemistry there that is simple but good. Ludi Lin and Max Huang return as both Liu Kang and Kung Lao and they were better this time around. The sense of brotherhood between them was unfairly weak in the first film, but in this I felt more connected to them during their fantastic fight sequence. Jessica McNamee and Mehcad Brooks return as Sonya Blade and Jax and I was a little disappointed. The both of them really didn't get enough time to develop their partnership further. And honestly, their fighting skills have not improved. They're the best special forces operatives and they fight like school kids. Mehcad brought out Jax's charm, but Jessica was pretty hollow this time around as Sonya. Lewis Tan returns as Cole Young and I never hated the character, I just hated that he was added when you already have your star characters to pick from. That being said, Lewis Tan does a good job with time we spend on him in this film. His physicality has always been great and it was here too. Tadanobu Asano was great as the ever insightful and strong Lord Raiden. I'm glad that he got to show how much he cares about the champions he loses. Hiroyuki Sanada returns as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion and he rocks the screen once again with ease. He may not have much to do, but what he does is spectacular. CJ Bloomfield was really fun as Baraka. He embodied the Tarkatan warrior spirit and tribalism. Josh Lawson returns as Kano and he is just as hilarious and ever the scene stealer. He was always perfectly cast and he reminds you why. Martyn Ford was fantastic as the looming and dangerous, Shao Kahn. Not only does he nail his brutality, but he also nails his ruthless and cunning nature. He is an almost unstoppable force to be reckoned with and I loved every second he was on screen. Now the other main star of the film truly captured an older version of the beloved character and I was all for it. Karl Urban was perfect as Johnny Cage and I loved how he made him more modern day as an aging action star in a time where martial arts films have all but disappeared from the mainstream. Its a fun redemption story that has been featured in the games and I loved seeing it here. Karl was an excellent choice and I loved his comedic timing.
The score by returning composer Benjamin Wallfisch was way more epic and powerful this time around. He delivers the scale of even the smallest fight in the film and I loved the emotional strings he pulls during the finale. The sound design in this film was outstanding. You could feel every bone crunching punch, every ear splitting spin of Kung Lao's bladed hat and impact of Shao Khan's hammer was earthshattering. The first film truly had some horrific dialogue and awful world building as certain locations were boring to look at. This film truly fixed alot of those problems and made the other realms full of life. There's plenty of cheesy dialogue here too, but the tone of the film allows it to fit. The recreation of the many stages from the first and second Mortal Kombat games were spot on and truly great fan service. My only quams was that the lore itself was either forgotten or even retconned to the point where alot it doesn't make sense. Overall, I had way more fun with this entry as it actually gave me more of what I wanted from the first film. Its not the greatest video game to film adaptation ever made, but it is a step in the right direction. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
