The best video game movies have ben released over the last few years, including Simon McQuoid's pair of Mortal Kombat films. The sequel recently arrived on streaming for those with a HBO max subscription, and now fans like me can re-watch the R-rated adventure over and over again. Bodybuilder and actor Martyn Ford plays the villainous Shao Khan, and spoke to CinemaBlend about the "horrible" process of transforming into the beloved video game character.

Mortal Kombat II hit theaters in May, and now folks can stream the movie over on HBO Max. I had the chance to speak with the movie's cast ahead of its release, where i asked Ford about what it was like becoming Shao Khan. He got honest about the transformation, joking it was:

While Martyn Ford made playing Shao Khan look easy, the reality of becoming the Outworld antagonist was something very different. Namely because of the extensive prosthetics that were applied to his body and face for every single day of shooting. And the latter was used even though the character wore his signature helmet throughout almost all of Mortal Kombat II's 116-minute runtime. Talk about dedication.

While Ford was honest about the difficulty of becoming Shao on the set of Mortal Kombat II, it wasn't all bad. Later in our same conversation he spoke about why playing the video game character was still ultimately "rewarding." He told me:

Despite the hours of makeup and costumes needed before filming Mortal Kombat II, it sounds like Ford is still over the moon about his experience and the video game movie as a whole. And even though Shao Khan was killed by Kitana in the movie's final fight sequence, we'll have to wait and see if the actor ends up reprising his role if a third movie ends up being green lit by Warner Bros.

You can check out my conersation with Martyn Ford about his MK II role below:

While Mortal Kombat II's writer has plans for four more movies, it's currently unclear if Warner Bros. is planning to move forward with the burgeoning franchise. The movie made $129.5 million at the box office, which is significantly more than the first. If it performs well on HBO Max hopefully the studio will decide to green light a threequel. After all, there are tons of stories and characters to mine from.

Mortal Kombat II is streaming now on HBO Max as part of the 2026 movie release list. And it's going to be different watching Ford's performance knowing just how difficult it really was to become Shao Khan.

The best video game movies have arrived in theaters over the past few years, chief among them being Simon McQuoid's pair of Mortal Kombat movies. Following the success of the 2021 first film (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription), the squel was released a few months ago. That movie's ending definitely set up another potential sequel, and the filmmaker recently spoke to whether or not we should expect a threequel to arrive down the line.

Mortal Kombat II hit theaters in May, and has performed pretty well both critically and financially. Fans of the video game franchise have been hoping for a third movie to be green lit, but so far there's been no news from Warner Bros.. Director Simon McQuoid recently was asked by JoBlo about MK III, and he responded by saying:

There you have it. McQuoid didn't shut down the idea of a third Mortal Kombat movie, but it's also too early to confirm that another video game movie is coming down the line. The sequel's writer Jeremy Slater admitted he's got ideas for four more MK movies, but only time will tell if the burgeoning franchise will continue growing. I'm personally going to keep my fingers crossed.

Mortal Kombat II's 4k UHD release is coming at the end of the month, so fans will be able to re-watch every frame of the sequel, including McQuoid's favorite fights. And while the sequel felt ripped right out of the games, the studio will have to decide if it wants to move forward to green light another blockbuster.

As previously mentioned, Mortal Kombat II planted a bunch of narrative seeds that can come to bloom in a potential threequel. A number of beloved characters died throughout its 116-minute runtime, including Liu Kang, Jax, and Cole Young. In the final moments our surviving heroes vowed to bring revive them, which seemed like a clear set-up for a threequel.

In addition to that storyline, there are still tons of beloved video game characters that fans would like to see adapted for the big screen. Plus, folks are ready to see Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage's love story play out in another installment since it didn't happen in MK II. There's definitely fan interest, but whether or not Warner Bros. wants to shell out the budget for a third blockbuster remains to be seen.

Mortal Kombat II is available for digital rental or purchase now as part of the 2026 movie release list. Fans of physical media will be able to purchase it on 4K UHD on July 28th.

While movies based off popular video game franchises used to have a bad reputation, many of the best video game movies have arrived over the last few years. Chief among them is Simon Mcquoid's Mortal Kombat (streaming with a HBO Max subscription) and its sequel. I had the chance to speak with the director ahead of the latter movie's release on 4K UHD, and he revealed his three favorite fight sequences. But I'm also surprised on the ones he left out.

Mortal Kombat II hit theaters back in May, and brought more beloved characters to the burgeoning franchise. It's available on digital now, but MK II's 4K UHD release is coming later this month. When asked about his favorite fights of the movie, McQuoid named a few starting with:

He's not wrong. While Sonya Blade's romantic relationship with Johnny Cage wasn't part of Mortal Kombat's sequel, her early fight with Sindel showed just how much she'd been training since the first movie. The battle was bloody and hardcore, and resulted with Kitana's mother dying. And just like that, the stakes for the movie were raised.

Another fight that Simon McQuoid shouted out was Liu Kang's battle with a Revenant Kung Lao. That battle resulted in a gnarly fatality, but was also emotional thanks to the characters' familial relationship. As the director put it:

He's not wrong. Each of the battles in Mortal Kombat II serves a purpose, and isn't there just for the fun of it. Either characters or the overall story progress as a result of each one, and Kung Lao and Liu Kang's was arguably the most emotional of the entire sequel.

So what is the third fight that Simon McQuoid called out as his favorite? It was actually Johnny Cage vs Baraka, which ended up being the most comedic of the action scenes. The director explained his penchant for that sequence, saying:

Baraka's fight with Johnny Cage wasn't only the funniest fight of MK II, but it also felt especially practical. That's exactly what McQuoid was shooting for, and why he loves the scene so much. That and the two fighters' surprisingly funny chemistry.

Simon McQuoid named some great choices, but I'm surprised about the fights that he didn't mention. Namely Kitana's epic final battle with Shao Khan, and the Netherrealm fight between Noob Saibot, Scorpion, and Johnny. These were the finales of the movie, so I'm surprised that they weren't at the top of the director's list. I also think that the opening battle where King Jerrod was murdered was very brutal and memorable.

Mortal Kombat II is available on digital now, and will arrive on 4K UHD on July 28th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Fingers crossed we get a third movie, especially after the sequel's cliffhanger ending.

While movies based off of video games have historically suffered, the past few years have changed the genre's reputation. Some of the best video games movies have hit theaters recently, and Simon McQuoid's pair of Mortal Kombat movies are definitely in that category. Following the 2021 original (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription) the sequel Mortal Kombat II hit theaters in May. I recently spoke with the director about its forthcoming release on 4K UHD, where he revealed a few easter eggs cans can seek out upon the re-watch

Mortal Kombat II is available now on digital and will be available 4K UHD on July 28th. The fandom can now re-watch all those epic fight scenes, and have the ability to pause and rewind every fight, fatality, and surprising pop culture reference. I had the privilege of speaking with Simon McQuoid about the sequel's home release, where I asked him about any east eggs eagle-eyed fans should look out for now that we can stop the sequel. He told me:

Edenia is introuced in the opening sequence of Mortal Kombat II, and is the home of Kitana and one of the realms thats involved in the titular tournament. Fans of the game will recognize it as an important setting, and also the home of other characters like Sindel, Jarrod, Jade, Rain, Kitana and Mileena (depending on which timeline you're in). As McQuoid pointed out, that setting its given its own visual language, including ongoing costume motifs conceptualized and implemented by designer Cappi Ireland.

An Edenian flower is included in a number of pieces throughout Mortal Kombat II, something I didn't notice on my first re-watch of the R-rated action flick. The filmmaker went on to share more examples of the way it's used in the movie, telling me:

God is in the details, and there was clearly a ton of specific work done on Mortal Kombat II. Simon McQuoid's movie felt straight out of the video games, and luckily writer Jeremy Slater already has four more sequels planned. We'll just have to wait and see if Warner Bros. green lights a threequel. I'll personally be keeping my fingers crossed.

Mortal Kombat II reviews priased Karl Urban's Johnny Cage, and luckily there are some easter eggs for that scene stealer as well. Specifically during Johnny's hilarious fake movie Uncaged Fury. As Simon McQuoid told me:

Suddenly I'm feeling the need to pause dissect every frame of the epic sequel. Luckily for me, fans can do exactly that by watching McQuoid's sophomore directorial venture from the comfort of their own home.

Mortal Kombat II is available digitally now, and will arrive on July 28th as part of the 2026 movie release list.

Simon McQuoiud's pair of Mortal Kombat movies are some of the best video game movies ever, with fans thrilled at seeing the R-rated fatalities on the big screen in all their glory. Mortal Kombat II is in theaters now, and features more beloved fighters like Noob Saibot. Actor Joe Taslim played that fighter, with his character Bi-Han previously being Sub-Zero in the first film. And he told me why Noob wasn't actually named during the epic sequel.

The first Mortal Kombat's ending definitely teased Bi-Han's transformation, as gamers know that the characters takes on a new identity (and new powers) after dying as Sub-Zero. Fans wondered if Noob Saibot would be part of the sequel, and were thrilled when he popped up. But his new name was never actually uttered in the theatrical cut. I had a chance to speak with Taslim ahead of the movie's release, where I asked him about this creative decision. He told me:

Fair point. I thought that perhaps the name Noob Saibot was simply too silly to make someone say throughout the course of Mortal Kombat II, especially since Taslim doesn't appear until the movie's epic third act. But it sounds like it was a decision to help audiences realize that it was still Bi-Han, albeit with a very different look and set of powers. Besides, gamers already know the character's new name without it being a line of dialogue.

I originally didn't think much about Noob Saibot not being referred to by his name during Mortal Kombat II... until I stuck around through the credits. During them each fighter is given a title card, complete with an announcer saying their name. But rather than Noob Saibot, Taslim's character was simply referred to as Bi-Han. In our same conversation, the 44 year-old actor and martial artist spoke more about this call, telling me:

While some gamers like me might have been surprised by this twist, in every other way they brought an accurate representation of Noob Saibot to the screen. Bi-Han usually becomes him in the source material, and seeing his shadow powers brought to life was epic. And I personally can't wait to see where he goes next if we get a threequel. Writer Jeremy Slater revealed he's got plans for up to for more MK sequels.

You can see my chat with Joe Taslim for you below:

Moratal Kombat II is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. Simon McQuoid's sequel has already surpassed its predecessor at the box office, so hopefully Warner Bros. decides to move forward with a third movie. Fingers (and weapons) crossed.

Well, well, well, the King of Pop is back on top of the Box Office after four weeks in theaters, putting its newer competition to shame with $26.1 million as it inches closer to becoming the world’s biggest biopic of all time. The Devil Wears Prada 2, meanwhile, continued its confident prance past another global milestone, while Mortal Kombat II watched the life drain from its health bar. One more thing — what on earth happened to Billie Eilish?

There were no big new releases from the 2026 movie schedule this weekend ahead of Memorial Day, but Obsession from Blumhouse and Focus Features certainly made its mark as one of the weekend’s best.

Let’s take a look at the Top 10 chart, then break down some highlights below.

Weekend Box Office: May 15-17, 2026

* denotes new release

Michael Jackson Biopic Continues Its Climb To History

What a “Smooth Criminal” that Michael is, sliding right past the films that battled so fiercely for the top two spots last week to steal back No. 1. Through four weekends, the Jaafar Jackson-led flick has earned $282.8 million domestically, per The Numbers, and when combined with the $421.1 million from international markets, that’s $703.9 million.

Bohemian Rhapsody better get ready, because we may soon have a new champion, my friend. The Freddie Mercury film holds the current top spot for world’s biggest music biopic, thanks to its $911 million worldwide haul, but that doesn’t seem out of reach for Michael.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 And Obsession Have Strong Showings

Michael wasn’t the only film to cross a global milestone this weekend. Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway’s quotable sequel may have dropped to second place for the first time in its theatrical run but, after three weekends, The Devil Wears Prada 2 crossed the half-billion dollar mark, with worldwide box office earnings of $546.2 million.

Last week, I wrote that new releases weren’t likely to place in the Top 3, and Obsession put me in my place with a debut of $16.1 million domestic and $7 million international for a worldwide total of $23.1 million. I will definitely be on the lookout for any cursed objects coming my way from those I may have scorned.

Part of the reason for the strong start is due to Mortal Kombat II taking a dive, but that’s not to undermine Obsession’s accomplishment — the horror flick more than doubled the $7 million projections for opening weekend. Critics had high praise for Obsession and, in fact, let’s take a look at how they and the audience scored this week’s new releases:

Obsession’s impressive opening is a good sign that word-of-mouth advertising will keep it in the Top 10 for a bit, although Billie Eilish’s new concert movie is proof that that’s not always the case.

Billie Eilish’s 3D Concert Flick Falls Hard (And Not Soft) Out Of Top 10 In Second Weekend

Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) enjoyed an opening weekend of $7.5 million in the U.S. and Canada to finish at No. 5 at the Box Office last week. However, after 10 days, the party is most certainly over, as the James Cameron-directed concert movie earned just $800,000 over the past three days — a fall of 89% all the way to 14th place.

Now, I understand that concert films are frontloaded, with the most passionate fans buying tickets on opening weekend. However, with James Cameron attached as director and his use of 3D to film the movie, I’d expect Hit Me Hard and Soft to have piqued the interest of more casual fans as well. I’d also expect — as we saw with Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Movie — for die-hard fans to make repeat trips to see the icon on the big screen.

That doesn’t seem to be the case when looking at the theatrical releases of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé’s concert movies in the first two weeks:

So yes, even Taylor Swift saw a big dip in her numbers over the second weekend, but neither hers nor Beyoncé’s with Renaissance was as drastic as Billie Eilish’s. There’s also the fact that 3D filming ain’t cheap, and these numbers don’t make me optimistic that she can make back the estimated $50 million she’d need to break even on a reported budget of $20 million plus marketing and promotion.

Who’s Ready For The Mandalorian And Grogu?

Next weekend is what a lot of Star Wars fans have been waiting for, due to the premiere of The Mandalorian and Grogu. Despite some troubling early projections for Pedro Pascal’s latest project — and divided first reactions from critics — Box Office Theory is now expecting it to bring in anywhere from $81 million to $96 million from next Friday to Sunday. Here are the average projections for all of the May 22 new releases:

• The Mandalorian and Grogu: $90 million
• Passenger: $6 million
• I Love Boosters: $4 million

A Few Other Notes To Wrap The Weekend

• Mortal Kombat II dropped from second place to fourth on its sophomore weekend, attracting 65% fewer movie lovers.
• The Sheep Detectives, meanwhile, lost only 38% of its weekend-over-weekend audience, proving that people love sheep puns.
• As for the varied opinions of CinemaBlend's writers about the book-to-screen adaptation, I thought the novel Three Bags Full was funnier and more charming. Corey Chichizola says it’s a must-watch for anyone dealing with grief, and Mack Rawden thought it was baaaaaad (but thinks you should see it anyway).

Regardless of which big-screen item you decide to see this week, let’s meet back here next week to talk about Star Wars and more.

Spoilers ahead for Mortal Kombat II. If you haven't seen it look away!

Some of the best video game movies have arrived over the past few years, including Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription). The sequel Mortal Kombat II is in theaters now, and a ton of beloved characters were killed off throughout its 116-minute runtime. And writer Jeremy Slater recently explained why Lewis Tan's Cole Young was murdered so early into the movie.

The first Mortal Kombat movie was very much about Cole, an original character who didn't come from the video games. But despite being the protagonist of that title, he got very limited screen time before being killed by Shao Khan in the sequel. In an interview with Variety, Slater explained how his early death came about, revealing:

It looks like Slater himself was the person who pitched Cole dying in Mortal Kombat II, depite being the first movie's main character. But the sequel pivoted its focus to Karl Urban's Johnny Cage and Adeline Rudolph's Kitana, and Lewis Tan's character was the first hero to be killed off during the titular tournament.

Mortal Kombat II's reviews praised the movie's action, and how closely it felt to the video games. Later in the same interview, Jeremy Slater went on to explain why he felt passionate about Cole being killed off in the new action movie, saying:

He's not wrong. The inclusion of Lewis Tan's character in the first movie was confusing to the hardcore fans, giving just how many Mortal Kombat characters there were to chose from when adapting the games for the big screen. And it sounds like Slater and company heard those concerns, and killed off Cole so that there was more screen time to devote to established fighters.

Of course, there were some moviegoers who enjoyed Cole, and were bummed he got killed off so unceremoniously in the sequel. But Jeremy Slater offered some comments that might help folks feel better, saying:

Honestly, I do feel better now. While Cole might be gone, that doesn't mean that Lewis Tan will be through with the Mortal Kombat franchise. We saw as Joe Taslim Bi-Han went from Sub-Zero to Noob Saibot in the first sequel, so perhaps Tan will get to portray another character in a possible threequel. Some fans are already throwing out options online, including Kenshi. The actor is great, so I'd love to see him back in a future sequel.

Mortal Kombat II is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. It's currently unclear if Warner Bros. is moving forward with more movies, but Jeremy Slater has ideas for four more titles.

Simon McQuoid's 2021 Mortal Kombat is one of the best video game movies ever, and the story was greatly expanded when its sequel hit theaters last weekend. Just like the first film (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription), plenty of iconic fighters were adapted for live-action. Mortal Kombat II's writer Jeremy Slater revealed he's got plans for up to four more movies, and honestly take my money at this point.

While Mortal Kombat II didn't bring Johnny and Sonya's love story to life, we got to see more beloved fighters like Baraka, Noob Saboit, and Shao Khan. During an interview with Variety, Slater revealed that he knows which characters he wants to bring into the fold... with his plans spanning multiple sequels. In his words:

Do you hear that sound? it's generations of Mortal Kombat fans collectively cheering. The beloved gaming franchise has been around for decades, so we've seen tons of fighters join the titular tournament. Hopefully the budding franchise gets some more sequels, allowing Jeremy Slater's plans to come to fruition. Although now I have to wonder which fighters he's invested in bringing to the big screen. Tell us more, please!

When the 2021 movie came out, longtime fans of the franchise has thoughts about which fighters got to duke it out. Mortal Kombat's ending teased Johnny Cage was coming, with Karl Urban getting the role and becoming one of the sequel's main protagonists. Later in the same interview, Slater went on to speak about his plans for future sequels, offering:

Honestly, I'm thrilled. Not only does the Mortal Kombat II writer know which characters he wants to work with in future installments of the burgeoning franchise, but he's apparently taking fan comments into consideration. Let's just hope that Warner Bros. green lights a third movie... even if the first sequel failed to beat The Devil Wears Prada 2 in theaters.

Mortal Kombat II is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. Fingers crossed we hear about the franchise's future sooner rather than later.

Not too long ago, I rewatched the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, and I felt a need to apologize.

You see, I initially thought that the 2021 movie sucked, and I realized upon a rewatch that while it didn't reach the heights of the original, it still had a lot going for it, and I was looking forward to the sequel. Well, now that said sequel is actually out, I had high hopes that it would finally dethrone the 1995 film as the best Mortal Kombat movie ever, but alas, I don’t think it did (that said, I do think it’s way better than Mortal Kombat Annihilation).

In fact, I now think that Mortal Kombat II is the SECOND best Mortal Kombat movie, and for a number of reasons. Here are just a few.

The 1995 Mortal Kombat Movie Had A Clearer Focus On The Tournament Idea

One reason why I initially thought the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie failed was because it never actually got to the tournament. Yes, the tournament was brought up, but the whole movie felt like it was leading to something…and it never got there. Inversely, in the 1995 film, the whole movie was framed around the tournament, which felt very much like the Midway MK games at that time.

Well, we do get a tournament this time around in Mortal Kombat II…however, you might forget it's even happening since it kind of gets lost in the story. In fact, when I went to see the movie with my friend, he was kind of distracted since he had to go to the bathroom, but after a while he asked me, “Wait, what happened to the tournament?” And, while I could answer his question since I was closely following the story, I don't blame him for wondering since the tournament kind of gets pushed to the side by the second act with everything else that's going on.

That's not even remotely a problem in the first movie, though, which I still consider one of the best video game movies of all time. Having everything revolve around the tournament in the first film makes the plot feel more cohesive, and easier to follow than Mortal Kombat II most of the time.

I Like That Kitana Was The Main Character This Time Around, But I Think Liu Kang's Story In The Original Was Stronger

Kind of piggybacking off what I just said in my last point, Mortal Kombat II doesn't always have a clear direction, and that couldn't be more evident than when it comes to its protagonists. Because while you may have been led to believe that Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage is the main character this time around, it’s actually Adeline Rudolph’s Kitana who’s the main protagonist.

It’s her story after all that we follow from the beginning when Shao Khan comes to her home and challenges her father to kombat. And, it’s the result of said kombat that leads Kitana on her quest throughout the film, and I like that about the story…to an extent. You see, my problem is that it’s her story…until it isn’t. Because even though she has the A story, Johnny Cage’s B story sometimes shoves her story out of the way to the extent that I occasionally forgot Kitana’s even in the movie. In this way, the plot doesn’t have a clear protagonist who we’re supposed to root for, which is a major issue for me.

Again, the 1995 movie doesn’t have this issue since the story is clearly centered around Liu Kang. Yes, Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade are also in the film, but they’re mostly there for support to Liu Kang’s story, which is to avenge his brother who was killed at the hands of Shang Tsung.

And, I think that singular protagonist was necessary for Mortal Kombat II, because a lot of the story just feels like it’s all over the place, and that’s a problem that the 1995 film didn’t have.

I Know You're Going To Hate Me For This, But I Also Like 1995's Johnny Cage Better

Okay, now look. You have to understand something. I love Johnny Cage as a character. While he’s never been my main in any game in the series, I usually have a pocket Johnny Cage on hand whenever the match-up calls for it. So, you have no idea how upset I am by Karl Urban’s portrayal as the Hollywood legend. And, it’s not that it’s bad! In fact, I think it’s really good. This Johnny Cage is a washed up celebrity who finds redemption when he becomes engaged with the tournament. That’s a good arc!

However, he just doesn’t feel like any version of Johnny Cage that I’m familiar with, while Linden Ashby from the original movie did. It’s just that Johnny Cage is meant to be cocky. He’s meant to be full of himself. He’s also meant to be heroic even though you would least expect it from him, and we get all of those attributes in the first Mortal Kombat movie, and only one of those aspects (the unexpected hero part) in Mortal Kombat II.

Which I’m not pleased with. Granted, if this was more Cage’s movie than Kitana’s, then maybe I would vibe with that more. Perhaps I wouldn’t even mind the I’m-too-old-for-this trope that they’re obviously going for here. But since Cage isn't the central character, he just doesn’t grow on me like Ashby did in the original, even though he was also a side character.

That said, he’s not the only character who let me down in this movie…

I Think Raiden Had A Much Stronger Role In The Original Movie As Well

Do you know what movie rules? Highlander. Do you want to know another movie that rules? The 1995 Mortal Kombat. What do both of those movies have in common? Christopher freaking Lambert. And there can honestly be a case to be made that he’s the best part of the first movie. He’s just so funny and cool, but he’s also a great guide into this world of hellspawns and four-armed monsters.

And, I was really looking forward to Shogun’s Tadanobu Asano going all out as Lord Raiden in this second movie. In the first film, he felt like a background character, which just shouldn’t have been. But, I was hoping that he would AT LEAST feel like a major player in this movie. That said, without spoiling anything, he doesn’t. In fact, he’s both in, but also feels like he’s not in this movie (You’ll know what I mean once you see it if you haven’t already).

This was extremely disappointing for me. Because while Johnny Cage has never been my main in any of the games, Raiden has been mine in a few of the titles. In fact, my daughter is named after Lord Raiden (Though, we spell it Raeden).

So, the fact that he’s so blah in this movie is another reason why this movie is weaker than the original for me. Oh, well.

Overall, I Enjoyed This Mortal Kombat Quite A Bit, But I Still Prefer The Original

I know it may seem like I didn’t like Mortal Kombat II, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! In a lot of ways, this movie is the closest to the games than any other movie, as some of the stages (like the floor of the pit, or the Dead Pool!) were in this film.

The characters also LOOK the part, even doing game accurate moves from the game, like Sonya Blade’s pink rings, Kitana’s fans, and Shao Khan’s shoulder charge.

But, story-wise, the 1995 film is still at the top of the mountain. Nice try, though. Maybe next time.

Spoilers ahead for Mortal Kombat II.

While movies based off of video games have had a checkered past historically, some of the best video games arrived over the past few years. Simon McQuoid's 2021 Mortal Kombat (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription) is definitely on that list. The sequel is in theaters now, and brought back dead characters such as Kung Lao. And Liu Kang actor Ludi Lin spoke to me about his fight scene with the revived fighter, including that absolutely gnarly fatality.

The Mortal Kombat movies' R rating allowed for video game accurate violence, including some nauseating fatalities. Arguably the most iconic one in the first film was Kung Lao using his signature hat to cut Nitara in half, and it came back with more emotional stakes in Mortal Kombat II when Liu Kang fought a Revenant version of Kung Lao. As you can see in the video above, I asked Lin about bringing that moment to life, where he told me:

Mortal Kombat's fatalities are iconic, and McQuoid has brought some really grisly ones to life in his pair of movies. And when Max Huang's Kung Lao returned in the sequel as an undead Revenant, it opened the door for another character to be killed by his razor-rimmed hat. Although the second time around was especially emotional, with Liu Kang forced to fight his brother in the tournament.

The stakes were high when Liu Kang and Kung Lao reunited in Mortal Kombat II, as it was Earthrealm's last time to save itself from Outworld. Liu Kang was forced to kill his brother figure with his own weapon, while vowing to bring him back to the light. Later in our same conversation Ludi Lin spoke about the process of crafting this plot twist, telling me:

He's not wrong. It was heartbreaking seeing Liu Kang have to kill Kung Lao... even if it wasn't the real version of him. By the movie's ending, Lin's character also sacrificed himself, vowing to bring back those that Earthrealm had lost. Hopefully a third movie is green lit and we get to see this story play out on the big screen.

Mortal Kombat II is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. It didn't beat The Devil Wears Prada 2 at the box office, but hopefully it makes enough that we get a third film.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet entered the tournament and watched Mortal Kombat II, so be warned!

2026 has already been a pretty solid year for video game adaptations, with several promising options still set to release in 2026. Will any hold a candle to the massive flames brought forth by Ludi Lin’s Liu Kang? Only time will tell, but I can almost guarantee that none of them will feature an equal number of pop culture nods to DC heroes, Harry Potter characters and more. For all that this high-stakes sequel is about fantastical and brutal fights between characters from multiple realms, it’s surprisingly referential to real-world projects.

Mortal Kombat II is currently crushing it at the box office, even if it didn’t heart-rip its way to #1. (The Devil Wears Prada’s Miranda Priestly is the ultimate Final Boss.) Which presumably means lots of other fans like myself are also celebrating the bizarro comic and fantasy jokes, quotes and visual references. Wait, no, there weren’t any actual Bizarro references, but…

Those DC Comics Nods Were Great

When Mortal Kombat fans first meet Karl Uban’s live-action Johnny Cage, he’s sitting alone behind a merch-filled table at a comic convention where nobody seems to give a crap about the B-movie actor. (Which is ridiculous, because that kind of actor would absolutely be mobbed at such an event.) But it’s not even Johnny himself that had me cheering the hardest. Rather, the references to DC Comics fare had me hyped.

First up, we have the booth directly to the right of Johnny Cage, which is promoting the Birds of Prey character Evelyn Crawford. Then we have multiple displays for The Question, the mask-wearing investigator that inspired Rorschach and absolutely deserves his own placement in James Gunn’s upcoming DCU lineup. (Particularly the Jeff Lemire miniseries.) In other shots, you can see a booth dedicated to Black Orchid, Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean’s superhero fantasy miniseries, as well as one for the almighty Swamp Thing.

Do these references break this universe, given the existence of 2008 video game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe? Probably not, since none of the above were playable characters.

Johnny Cage's Lord Of The Rings Comment Is Fourth Wall-Breaking Fun

At the point in Mortal Kombat II when Johnny Cage is tasked with destroying the amulet keeping Shao Kahn immortal, Kano goofily tells him to check the back of the ring for guidance. Which sparks Cage to bring up a memorable Lord of the Rings quote. As he put it:

An amusing line in context of the scene, all things considered, but also amazing given the fact that Karl Urban himself co-starred in the second two films of Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy as the Riders of Rohan's leader Éomer. I would love to see Johnny watching those sequels to see his face when Éomer shows up.

Kano Is Apparently A Harry Potter Fan

Josh Lawson's Kano was killed off in the first movie, but was brought back to life for the sequel because he's so hilarious. Every line out of his mouth is a banger in this movie, so a Standing O for everyone involved with that decision. In any case, some of Kano's best lines come at the expense of Damon Herriman's Quan Chi.

The best jab against the goth-leaning Quan Chi is almost definitely when he compares the villain to "Voldemort's nutsack." Funny how death didn't affect Kano's ability to make super-quick quips about Warner Bros. villains.

Nods To A Kurt Russell Classic And A Netflix Original

There are two other one-liner references that I was also quite fond of. Johnny Cage gets to show off more of his fandom power when he asks Tadanobu Asano's Lord Raiden if he's cosplaying as someone from Big Trouble in Little China. Presumably one of the Storms, given the similar hat sizes.

Earlier, when Johnny Cage is being told the rules of the fighting tournament, he verbally backs away from it, saying it sounds like a real-life Squid Game scenario. Just in case anyone thought that ALL of the references made here would be from Warner Bros. projects.

Find Mortal Kombat II in theaters now, and rewatch the first movie via HBO Max subscription.

Two new action movies on the 2026 movies schedule, Mortal Kombat II and Street Fighter, are practically built for playground arguments. Everyone has their fighter, their favorite fatality, combo or character they absolutely swear by. So, with new movies from both franchises either already here or on the way, it was probably only a matter of time before that rivalry found its way into the press cycle via stars playfully taking jabs at one another. But Karl Urban, who plays Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat II, has a different take on the rivalry.

Urban addressed the supposed rivalry between the two upcoming video game movies after the Street Fighter reboot star Andrew Schulz previously joked that the Mortal Kombat II cast “only [cares] about money.” Schultz's comment then kicked off some playful back-and-forth between actors from both films. Urban, for his part, took a more grounded approach to the matter when he spoke to Collider:

That is the kind of answer you expect from someone who has been around enough major franchises to know how easily fan wars can turn into an exhausting little garbage fire. Urban has done The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Marvel, Dredd, The Boys and now Mortal Kombat. The man has spent enough time inside nerd culture’s blast radius to know when not to feed the machine.

Honestly, his take is refreshing and, in my estimation, the right one. These movies are not actually fighting each other in an arcade cabinet. If anything, a successful Mortal Kombat II probably helps Street Fighter, and a successful Street Fighter probably helps the next wave of video game adaptations. Audiences showing up for one theatrical fighting-game movie means studios have a reason to keep taking the genre seriously.

Karl Urban made that point even more clearly when he said he wished the other film well. He continued:

That Urban is a class act. It's easy to turn movie coverage into team sports, especially when the properties already have decades of competitive baggage baked in. But making one of these things work is hard enough without pretending everyone across the street is the enemy. He also said he is not interested in getting dragged into someone else’s storyline. He added:

That feels especially true for Johnny Cage, a character who practically lives on ego, performance and showbiz bravado. The New Zealand-born star could easily play into the rivalry and make it part of the promotional bit. Instead, he is leaving the trash talk to the comment sections and focusing on the movie.

Mortal Kombat II is now playing in theaters, so be sure to check your local listings for showtimes. As for Street Fighter, it punches its way into cinemas on October 16.

While the genre struggled history, some of the best video game movies have hit theaters over the past few years. One of these is definitely Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat, which was released in 2021 (and is currently streaming with a HBO Max subscription). The sequel Mortal Kombat II is in theaters now, complete with Karl Urban's scene-stealing Johnny Cage. And I just had to ask the cast why Johnny and Jessica McNamee's Sonya Blade didn't end up starting a romantic relationship in the movie, despite their history in the games.

Critics have been praising Mortal Kombat II, and now fans can judge for themselves since the R-rated sequel is in theaters. I've been a fan of the games for years, and was surprised that the new movie didn't establish Johnny and Sonya's love story. As you can see in the video above, I spoke to the cast ahead of the movie's release, where Karl Urban spoke about that narrative developing in possible sequels. In his words:

I'm sure fans would feel the same. Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade are arguably Mortal Kombat's biggest couple, with the pair even having a daughter Cassie Cage in the more recent video games. But McQuoid showed restraint with this in Mortal Kombat II, while also bringing back dead characters and including iconic stages, moves, and characters from the games.

The ending of Mortal Kombat teased Johnny Cage's arrival, and Karl Urban took center stage in the sequel, alongside Adeline Rudolph's Kitana. But Sonya and Johnny had plenty of scenes together, developing a mutual respect in the process. Jessica McNamee told me that them not instantly falling in love was actually at the suggestion of MK creator Ed Boon (who has a cameo in the new movie). As she put it:

I respect that, honestly. And the fact that they weren't rushed into a romantic relationship will likely make it feel more earned and organic if it happens in a future sequel. Besides, Johnny had enough going being thrown into the conflict of the movie and helping to save Earthrealm alongside the other fighters. Love probably wasn't at the top of either character's mind.

McNamee joked about wanting to kiss Karl Urban, but she went on to share excitement for bringing Sonya and Johnny's relationship to life in a possible sequel. As she shared with me:

Fans like me would definitely love to see this R-rated franchise going, especially after seeing how much Mortal Kombat II was accurate to the source material. A threequel hasn't officially been ordered just yet, so it might depend on how Simon McQuoid's sequel performs at the box office. Fingers crossed it does well and we get to see more gnarly fatalities on the big screen.

Mortal Kombat II is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. The first film is streaming over on HBO Max, although it's missing the scene-stealing work of Karl Urban's character.

Video game adaptations have a reputation for being hit-or-miss; however, some big wins over the recent years (The Minecraft Movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Five Nights at Freddy’s, etc.) have made gamers feel somewhat safe wading back into those waters. Mortal Kombat II is hitting the 2026 movie calendar on May 8, and while the critics have plenty of opinions about Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage and the R-rated fight sequences, it’s another scene-stealer that is dominating the reviews.

Josh Lawson is back for the sequel as Kano — despite the events of 2021’s Mortal Kombat — and the reviews are hailing the St. Denis Medical star as one of the upcoming action flick’s biggest highlights. Our own Nick Venable caught an early screening and had this to say about Mortal Kombat II:

Max Scoville of IGN rates it a “Great” 8 out of 10, writing that it’s a big win to have Josh Lawson back after he stole the show in the first movie. Between Kano and Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage, the pop culture wisecracks flow in this adaptation of “colorful weirdos beating the s#!t out of each other.” Scoville writes:

Amon Warmann of Empire gives the movie 3 out of 5 stars for creatively gory fighting and shallow-but-amusing characters. The story is paper-thin, the critic says, but it’s still “a lot of dumb fun.” Warmann’s review reads:

2026 is a big year for video game movies, but in the opinion of Aidan Kelley of Collider, Mortal Kombat II pales in comparison to the 1995 cult classic. However, the critic still rates this sequel 7 out of 10, saying it’s a “bloody good time,” thanks in part to CJ Bloomfield’s Baraka and Josh Lawson’s Kano, the latter of whom should be considered the definitive version of the character, due to how entertaining he is every time he’s on the screen. Kelley’s review of Mortal Kombat II reads:

W. Andrew Powell of The Gate also gives it high marks with an 8.5 out of 10, as the critic lists the reasons Mortal Kombat II works: It stays true to the game, features a bit of gore, boasts jaw-dropping special effects, and is “a little dumb” but still “loads of fun.” In Powell’s words:

Not all of the reviews are so kind. Kristy Puchko of Mashable stands by the opinion that not a single good live-action movie has come out of the Mortal Kombat IP, calling this offering an “ugly, nonsensical mess.” Yet even she gives Kano his flowers as the only character who refuses to take any of it seriously. In Puchko’s words:

That moment may have been brief for that critic, but overall the Mortal Kombat II reviews have been more positive than not, earning 70% so far on Rotten Tomatoes. If you’re excited to see Johnny Cage join the fighting fun or to see the humor Josh Lawson brings to the sequel, you don’t have to wait long. Mortal Kombat II hits theaters Friday, May 8.

In case you want a refresher or need to catch up on its 2021 predecessor, Mortal Kombat can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription.

Many of the best video game movies have been released over the last few yeas, including Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription). Its sequel is nearly here, and folks might be surprised that a few characters who were killed off are still returning. Namely, Josh Lawson's Kano and Max Huang's Kung Lao. And writer Jeremy Slater explained exactly why that narrative choice was made.

The first Mortal Kombat's ending teased that Johnny Cage would be joining the fun, and Karl Urban is taking center stage as that beloved character in the sequel. He'll be joined by new and returning characters... including a few that perished in the last film. During an interview with ComicBook, Slater explained why Kano and Kung Lao were revived, saying:

Honestly, he's not wrong. Josh Lawson was the biggest scene-stealer in the first movie as Kano, a character who sometimes pivots between good and bad. While he was killed by Sonya Blade during an epic battle, luckily Slater decided to bring the fan favorite character back to life. The same can also be said for Kung Lao, who had the gnarliest fatality in the 2021 flick. So there's good reason to bring back both characters.

Death isn't necessarily permanent in the Mortal Kombat video games, so it's not like Slater and company were breaking the franchise by bringing back certain characters. And given Kano and Kung Lao's impact, he thought it was worth seeing both Lawson and Huang back for Mortal Kombat II. Having seen the movie early, I have to agree with his assessment; it wouldn't have been the same sequel without them.

Without giving any spoilers away, Mortal Kombat II also contains a ton of major character deaths during its 116-minute runtime. And if a threequel is ordered by Warner Bros., it should be interesting to see which of these fighters stay dead and which are revived. With a necromancer like Quan-Chi part of the proceedings, it feels like just about anything could happen.

Mortal Kombat II will hit theaters on May 8th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Fingers crossed we get more movies, allowing even more fighters to hit the big screen, both new and old.

Many of the best video game movies have come in recent years, including Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat. That movie (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription) finally gave the beloved franchise an R-rated movie adaptation, complete with gnarly fatalities. Its sequel will introduce Karl Urban's Johnny Cage, and the actor spoke to CinemaBlend about bringing his character's campy fake movie to life for the impending blockbuster.

What we know about Mortal Kombat II has been limited, but McQuoid is back behind the camera and bringing in more beloved fighters from the games. Case in point: Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, and as you can see in the video above, I had the chance to speak with him ahead of the film's release. I asked about filming a faux movie that used to introduce Johnny, and he told me:

Honestly, I see it. In the clip from Uncaged Fury, we go from the R-rated Mortal Kombat world to a hilariously campy fake movie starring Urban's character. He took inspiration from Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, where we got to see his character Rick Dalton in some movies within the movie. The tone got to briefly change, and Urban absolutely chewed the scenery throughout this sequence in Mortal Kombat II.

But Leo wasn't the only person that the Star Trek actor took inspiration from for Uncaged Fury. In fact, he stole a move from Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones. As he told me:

Ridiculously hilarious, maybe. While the majority of Mortal Kombat is full of thrilling action and gory fatalities, Johnny Cage's fake movie provided some camp and comedy to the proceedings. You can see a clip from that sequence below:

Johnny Cage is a comedic presence throughout the Mortal Kombat video games, and this faux movie scene is a great nod to this history. And even outside of Uncaged Fury, Urban brought plenty of zingers to life in the sequel film. Luckily, the wait is nearly over for both casual and hardcore MK fans.

Mortal Kombat II will hit theaters on May 8th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Karl Urban crushed it bringing Johnny Cage to life, including his signature nutcracker punch from the games.

Many of the best video games have bene released over the last few years, including Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription). That movie's sequel is nearly here, which will debut Karl Urban as Johnny Cage. The actor recently got real about bringing that beloved character to life... including his signature nut punch from the games. Let's break it all down.

Mortal Kombat II's trailers teased the epic action that's on its way, and fans of the long-running video game franchise are hyped to see various beloved moves brought to live-action. In a conversation with ComicBook, Karl Urban spoke about how challenging the movie's action was, saying:

Urban has done a ton of action throughout his career, including his roles in genre projects like Star Trek, Thor: Ragnarok, and The Boys (the latter of which is streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription). Still, it sounds like Mortal Kombat II was on another level, which makes sense for those of us who saw the original movie back in 2021. But it was all worth it, as Urban has been teasing how "dynamite" the forthcoming sequel will be.

Fans of the games are looking forward to seeing Johnny Cage's signature powers brought to life on the big screen, and he's confirmed that the signature nut punch has made its way into the movie. He revealed he went into the splits to pull off the movie, saying:

Honestly, that's epic. Not only is Johnny Cage's signature punch in the movie, but Urban actually pulled it all off himself. So when folks see the nut punch happen in the theater, they can be rest assured that 53 year-old actor was indeed the one making it happen. What a badass.

All will be revealed when Mortal Kombat II hits theaters on May 8th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully more sequels are ordered, allowing even more of Johnny Cage on the big screen.

Get over here… because Mortal Kombat II is about to hit the 2026 movie schedule! A sequel to 2021’s Mortal Kombat, this upcoming video game adaption is set to continue the journey of Earthrealm’s champions and their fight against the forces of Outworld. Simon McQuoid is back in the director’s chair, and he’s aiming to give franchise devotees an experience as close to the games as possible (which is what the MKII trailer suggests). And, now, McQuoid is making me hopeful that one of the games’ most famous fatalities will finally appear.

Fatalities – the finishing moves that are activated at the end of a given match in the games – happen in a myriad of ways. They can come by way of specialized attacks belonging to certain characters, or they can happen when a player uses the environment to destroy an opponent. The latter of those two is known as a “stage fatality,” and there was one involving a certain pit that I was really hoping to see in the first movie. Simon McQuoid mentioned that stage while chatting with SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend, saying:

Those who’ve played that original 16-bit Mortal Kombat game or any of the later titles surely know that the stage fatality in The Pit is one of this video game franchise’s signature attributes. Said fatality happens when a character gets uppercutted off a bridge and then falls on a bed of spikes. It’s a truly gruesome way to go, but it’s a demise that would be absolutely great to see in the glory of IMAX. While McQuoid doesn’t confirm whether or not fans will definitely see that in MKII, his take on wanting to make that stage grandiose are making me optimistic that a character will indeed fall (figuratively and literally) victim to that fatality.

What’s worth mentioning is that The Pit is referenced in the rebooted franchise’s first movie amid the fight between Jax and Reiko. The pair fight on a stone bridge that overlooks a bed of spikes, though neither actually falls onto them. Instead, Jax crushes Reiko’s skull with his metal arms. While the location is a solid nod to the game, it would’ve been better if someone actually fell onto the spikes and was impaled. Still, McQuoid’s aim to dive into the more “outrageous” elements of the franchise for this sequel make me think we’ll see the fatality:

On that note, Lewis Tan (who reprised his role as Earthrealm champion Cole Young) previously teased that the fatalities in MKII would be even more intense this time around. And that’s just one of the reasons fans should be psyched for the film, which also features the debut of Johnny Cage (played by Karl Urban). I’m more than prepared to see what this “dynamite” sequel has to offer, and I hope that includes someone being finished off by falling into a bed of spikes.

Fans will be able to see all the action and gore when Mortal Kombat II opens in theaters nationwide on May 8. In the meantime, grab an HBO Max subscription and stream the 2021 film.

While movies based on video games have historically struggled, some of the best video game movies arrived in recent years. Chief among them is Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat, which arrived in 2021 (and is streaming with a HBO Max subscription). It's long-awaited sequel is nearly here, and I can't get enough of newcomer Karl Urban's enthusiasm about his forthcoming debut as Johnny Cage.

Mortal Kombat II was delayed a number of times, but the wait is nearly over for its May release. The trailers for Mortal Kombat's sequel are putting Urban front and center, seemingly as the protagonist of the forthcoming R-rated flick. In a conversation with Pedestrian.TV at The Boys' Season 5 premiere, the 53 year-old actor gushed about what's to come, saying:

Honestly, his enthusiasm is infectious. Karl Urban has done a ton of action throughout the years, so the fact that he's praising the upcoming sequel as the best of his career is saying a lot. While Mortal Kombat II has had some early screenings, the Star Trek alum is ready for fans to finally get the chance to see the action sequel... and the many gory fatalities that are sure to happen throughout its 116-minute runtime.

The action of the first Mortal Kombat definitely didn't disappoint fans, who were thrilled to see the gory video game brought into live-action in such an accurate way. The '90s MK movies have their place in film history, but their PG-13 rating stopped them from being as bloody and violent as the source material.

Karl Urban's excitement echoes how many fans feel about Mortal Kombat II. The first movie felt more like a prequel in many ways, with the fighters never actually having the titular tournament. So the hype is very real. You can see the actor's comments below:

Luckily for both Urban and the fans, the wait is nearly over. After a ton of delays and years of patience, Mortal Kombat II is finally hitting theaters in early May. There's just a few weeks left, so hopefully we get some more thrilling footage sooner rather than later.

All will be revealed when Mortal Kombat II is released on May 8th as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll jut have to see how many characters survive for a future sequel, including Urban's Johnny Cage.

Video game movies have had a bad rap historically, but the subgenre has been doing well recently. In addition to The Super Mario Bros. Movie breaking box office records, cinephiles are also looking forward to the sequel to 2021's Mortal Kombat (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription). The sequel will be here this May, and actor Lewis Tan recently hyped up the grisly fatalities, and what the goal was for Simon McQuoid's second installment in the burgeoning franchise.

What we know about Mortal Kombat II is limited, but fans are hyped that we'll finally get to the titular fighting tournament. More beloved characters are joining the fray, including Karl Urban's Johnny Cage, but we'll also see the return of Earthrealm's heroes like Lewis Tan's Cole Young. In an interview with ComicBook, Tan spoke about the bloody fatalities coming in the sequel, offering:

Sign me TF up. Mortal Kombat's fatalities were pretty gnarly in the first movie, especially when one character got literally sawed in half before our eyes. But if Lewis Tan's comments are to be believed, there will be more fatalities in Mortal Kombat II. What's more, he thinks that the entire movie's action is stepped up from the previous installment. Although now I'm worried about whether or not my favorite characters will end up surviving the second film.

Mortal Kombat II's trailer made it seem like Johnny Cage was the protagonist of the film, rather than Cole Young. Some fans are worried Tan's character will be killed off early, and the actor's comments aren't exactly quelling those fears. We'll just have to see whether or not he gets the same screen time as the first film.

After the '90s Mortal Kombat movies failed to bring the video games bloody fatalities to life, fans were hyped when Simon McQuoid's movie was Rated R. This allowed the violence to be brutal and gory, especially when fighters were killed of. The forthcoming sequel will follow that trend, and it sounds like things will be even more violent the second time around. And I can't wait to see what Lewis Tan and company will bring to the table.

Unfortunately, Mortal Kombat II's delay means we'll have to wait longer than expected for the highly anticipated sequel. Fans will have to exercise some patience, but comments about the fight scenes and fatalities will likely help to buoy excitement.

All will be revealed when Mortal Kombat II hits theaters on May 8th as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll just have to wait and see which iconic fatalities end up in the movie, and how many fighters end up killed off a result.

As someone who grew up when the Mortal Kombat games were the biggest (and most controversial) things on the planet, I’ve always had a soft spot for the franchise. With the hotly anticipated Mortal Kombat II coming to theaters before the halfway point of the 2026 movie schedule, I decided to go back and play through the early games with the Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection, and it got me thinking…

There is so much from those early games, specifically Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat III, that I really want to see in the upcoming video game movie and the eventual third installment. From iconic characters being introduced (and done right this time) to storylines from those old games coming to the big screen to those signature fatalities, there’s a lot I’m hoping for…

First Off, I Need To See An Actual Mortal Kombat Tournament

Though I enjoyed the first Mortal Kombat movie (the 2021 version) more than most critics, there was still a lot that it lacked. One of the biggest omissions was the actual Mortal Kombat tournament from the games. It was mentioned multiple times, and it looked like we were going to see the champions of Earthrealm battle their Outworld counterparts in an actual bracket instead of the unofficial fights that took place throughout, but it never came to be.

With Mortal Kombat II pulling from the 1993 arcade game on which it is based, I’m hopeful the next movie in the franchise doesn’t deviate from the path as much as its predecessor. I’m not saying I’m going to be pissed if classic tournament locations like the Portal, the Tower, or Kahn’s Arena are omitted, but I’ll be even more stoked if they are used.

Shao Kahn Has To Look Like The Badass From The Games

There are people out there who’ll defend Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, but I’m not one of them. Though it was cool to see so many characters on screen at once (this was 20-plus years before Avengers: Endgame), a lot of the biggest badasses were made to look like jacked-up morons. Of course, I’m talking about the way they did Shao Kahn dirty by making him look like a chump after he killed Johnny Cage in the opening scene.

Anyone who’s played any Mortal Kombat game with Shao Kahn as the final boss knows, the emperor of Outworld is legitimately one of the most formidable villains out there. If Mortal Kombat II and its sequel are going to work, Kahn’s going to need to be a Thanos-level threat and not some guy who can’t figure out if he’s going to be funny or menacing. I’ll take the powerful laughing taunt, but make sure he’s cracking some skulls.

The Third Movie Is Going To Be Shao Kahn Invading Earthrealm, Right?

Mortal Kombat III doesn’t get as much love as its predecessors, but the 1995 fighting game did take the franchise in a cool direction (even more so when the Ultimate edition came out with all the omitted fighters). One of my favorite parts of this game for decades has been the way in which it showed what happened to Earthrealm after a vengeful and pissed off Shao Kahn came up with a way to start an invasion.

While I’m not saying I want the undated Mortal Kombat threquel to come up with an equally convoluted way of having Kahn and his army invade Earth, I think a decimated planet being saved by what’s left of Earth’s fighters could be a lot of fun. I mean, we could introduce some badass characters from the game in the process. And can you imagine how cool levels like Rooftop, Bank, and Subway would look? I need this like right now!

We Need More Fatalities!

I’m not saying I was unimpressed with the fatalities on display in 2021’s Mortal Kombat movie, but they left much to be desired. That said, I need even more over-the-top and utterly brutal character deaths in the next two movies (just no “Brutalities” or “Babalities” from Mortal Kombat III, please). These were what got many of us to drop quarter after quarter after quarter in arcade cabinets back in the day, and pulling these off made you the king of the playground, or at least someone everyone called a liar.

I’m not saying I need to watch Cole Young or Johnny Cage go on some kind of spiritual journey to learn how to pull off an Animality like Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation or anything like that, but something paying homage to one of the franchise’s most iconic features would go a long way.

I Will Be Shocked If We Don’t See Reptile At Some Point

We’ve had Scorpion and Sub-Zero, and it appears that we’ll soon see Noob Saibot in all his glory, but what about the other iconic ninja from the Mortal Kombat games? You know, Reptile? After first being introduced as an unlockable opponent in the franchise starter back in 1992 (you had to jump through some serious hoops to get the honor) and becoming a playable fighter in Mortal Kombat II, Reptile has been up there with his slightly more popular counterparts.

So, after not seeing him in the first movie, I will be shocked if Reptile doesn’t have some kind of appearance in either of the upcoming sequels. I mean, from his ability to turn invincible to the way he spits venom at his opponents to his hard-hitting attacks, having him show up would be so awesome.

More Than Anything, I Want More Callbacks To The Franchise’s Early Days

Don’t get me wrong, the newer Mortal Kombat games are great and have taken the franchise in a whole new direction. However, I can’t sit here and act like I prefer the classic games to anything that’s going on now. The graphics and game mechanics are more refined these days, but you understand the power of nostalgia.

Playing the Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection pretty much nonstop for the past week or so has me on a trip down memory lane, and I would love for the two upcoming movies to pull from that. You can call it fan service, but that’s why we watch these movies in the first place.

Will Mortal Kombat II include all of this, any of this, or none of this? I’m not really sure, but I plan on finding out as soon as the movie opens on the big screen next May. Until then, I’ll just keep getting pissed off at the cheating AI in the Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection.

While movies based off of video games historically struggles, some of the best video games movies have arrived in recent years. Chief among them is Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat (streaming with a HBO Max subscription), which finally gave the gory franchise an R-rated film adaptation. A sequel is on the way, and star Lewis Tan recently teased way more fatalities and deaths of major characters. Suddenly I'm feeling nervous.

What we know about Mortal Kombat II is limited, but longtime fans are hyped that the upcoming video game movie will finally be focused on the titular tournament. The trailer for Mortal Kombat II introduced Johnny Cage and more fan favorite characters. But maybe we shouldn't get too attached; Tan spoke to ComicBook about the deaths that are coming in the sequel, teasing:

Uh oh. While these comments are likely going to please longtime fans who want to see more blood and death in Mortal Kombat II, I'm just wondering which characters are going to end up biting the bullet. Because if Tan's comments are to be believed, there are some controversial choices that will really piss people off. Is it May yet?

While Mortal Kombat II was recently delayed until 2026, comments like these are sure to help buoy fan excitement about the forthcoming blockbuster. Director W.S. Anderson's 90s movie was PG-13 and lacked the intense gore of the games, but Simon McQuoid's burgeoning franchise isn't shy about brutally killing off fighters. And it certainly seems like no one is safe in the sequel.

The 2021 movie delivered some serious blood and guts, and killed off a number of fan favorite characters including Reptile, Kano, Mileena, Nitara, and Sub-Zero. The latter will transform into Noob Saibot in Mortal Kombat II, so Lewis Tan's comments about death not being the end in the franchise makes sense. So there's hope for fans who find their favorite character brutally murdered throughout either of the two movies. Personally I'm hoping for Mileena to somehow return, especially since Kitana will be featured in the sequel.

Unfortunately for moviegoers, Mortal Kombat II has faced some delays on its way to theaters. While it was originally going to be released in October, it ended up getting pushed back to May. Luckily the marketing has started to pick up, with the first footage breaking the internet and comments like Lewis Tan's inspiring theories about what might be coming.

All will be revealed when Mortal Kombat II hits theaters on May 8th as part of the 2026 movie release list. While Lewis Tan was mostly missing from the movie's trailer, I'm curious to see how he factors into the sequel's story, especially since he's playing an original character.

At one point, this months Halloween-friendly horror offerings were meant to be balanced by another blood-soaked release, the highly anticipated upcoming video game adaptation Mortal Kombat II. Its premiere was pushed eight months in favor of a more promising box office window, which was a disappointment at the time, but has allowed even more fans to join in on the anticipation. Franchise co-creator Ed Boon’s latest round of hype-filled praise certainly doesn’t hurt anything, either.

In fact, Boon’s comments are now bouncing around inside my head and helping to stoke my already stockpiled excitement for the upcoming 2026 movie. Speaking with ScreenRant, the game programmer was asked how the sequel raises its predecessor’s bar for action sequences, and nothing about his answer sounded even minutely hesitant or unsure. Boon is all-in on Mortal Kombat II being a superior sequel, saying:

It's not like 2021's Mortal Kombat was a slouch when it came to on-screen fights, even if a lot of the surrounding story was hit or miss. So to hear that there will be at least twice the number of fights is wild, and implies these actors went through the wringer to bring those sequences to life. Because as Boon put it, even though this franchise is championed for bringing a realistic-looking and bloody veneer to fighting games, many of the moves they're known for are patently impossible in real life.

It would have been easy for someone directing a live-action adaptation to tone down the supernatural elements in order to make it easier and cheaper to film, but that wouldn't be a true MK movie at all. Boon continued, speaking to that point:

Even though it might seem on paper like adapting a narrative-lite fighting game would present fewer issues than telling an extremely dense story, that just puts even more pressure on the cast and choreographers to make all the fighting as visually intriguing as possible. And sure, Boon is somewhat biased going into this having been part of the franchise for so many years, but that could just as easily have turned him against the project if it didn't align with his wishes. But he's seen the finished film and loved it.

As seen in the heavily watched first trailer, Karl Urban's Johnny Cage is entering the story with ample bravado and badassery, and he'll be forced to go face to face with other warriors of the Earthrealm in an effort to thwart the rise in power of the dangerous threat Shao Khan. There's not much plotline to latch onto that isn't "fighting," which speaks well for how much action we can expect to see. Hopefully the first round of this tournament isn't themed around board games.

Screenwriter Jeremy Slater couldn't help himself and went further with boasting about how great Mortal Kombat II is, saying:

I don't need Scorpion to drag me to the theater via spear through the torso, as I'll already be going voluntarily when Mortal Kombat II debuts in theaters on May 8, 2026.

Diehard Mortal Kombat franchise fans have something to cheer about heading into spooky season, and it’s not a new fatality. While the long-awaited sequel to 2021’s reboot was delayed, moving from its original 2025 movie schedule release to the 2026 movie calendar, there’s already some news about a possible third installment... even before fans have seen the sequel hit theaters.

Per ComicBook's reporting, the franchise’s screenwriter Jeremy Slater confirmed that he’s already been tapped to pen the next Mortal Kombat film. The move signals major confidence from the studios in what they’ve seen so far from director Simon McQuoid’s follow-up. It suggests that the studio believes the franchise has a massive audience ready to return for more brutal, R-rated tournament action. Speaking during the NYCC panel, the writer shared:

That’s about as clear a green light as it gets. While it’s not unusual for studios to consider additional sequels for major IPs, actually hiring a writer before the current movie even releases is a serious show of faith. It indicates that Warner Bros. not only believes in the film’s quality but may also be investing even more heavily in its visual effects, marketing, and worldwide rollout. The first Mortal Kombat movie was a mixed bag critically, released in 2021, earned $84.4 million globally on a $55 million budget — impressive numbers considering it debuted day-and-date for everyone with an HBO Max subscription during the height of the pandemic. With Mortal Kombat II set for an exclusive theatrical run, the studio clearly expects bigger returns and an even wider reach beyond its loyal gaming fanbase.

Fans praised the first movie’s unapologetic gore, deep-cut character roster, and fight choreography that leaned more into game authenticity than the 1995 adaptation could. It was also clearly setting up a bigger universe, including a teased appearance from fan-favorite Johnny Cage, who’s being portrayed by The Boys star Karl Urban, and it's clear from first looks that he’s the star of the upcoming sequel.

Slater's confirmation of his return to the franchise gains some continuity and creative focus, which is often crucial for building long-term cinematic worlds. His resume, which includes Moon Knight and The Umbrella Academy, suggests the next chapter could deepen the mythology while still leaning into the chaotic energy that makes Mortal Kombat so distinct from other new video game adaptations.

With an expanded cast and Mortal Kombat 3 already on the horizon, the next round of battles promises to be bloodier, bolder, and even more ambitious. For fans, it’s a rare double victory: a sequel primed for summer blockbuster status and confirmation that the saga is far from over.

Mortal Kombat II hits theaters on May 15, 2026 — but don’t expect it to be the final fight. While no release date has been set yet, Mortal Kombat III is already waiting in the wings, ready to strike.

Fans of end fight fatalities just got hit with some bad news when they learned that the release of the highly anticipated Mortal Kombat II will be delayed into May.

That said, is it actually bad news? As a big fan of the franchise myself, I've actually been mulling over this decision to move the movie into the summer, and I actually think there are some huge positives…as well as some heavy negatives.

So, what's good (and bad) about moving Mortal Kombat II from October of this year to May of next year? Well…

Why It's Bad: Mortal Kombat II Will Now Be Coming Out Closer In Release To The Street Fighter Movie

The Street Fighter reboot is scheduled to come out on October 16th, 2026, and I am so freaking pumped for it! As a big fan of both Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, I’ve had my fair share of debates on which is the better fighting franchise.

However, one benefit that Mortal Kombat II had in coming out this year rather than next was that it was far enough away from the Street Fighter reboot that people didn’t need to have such frivolous arguments. Because you know people are going to be comparing the two movies now that they’re only going to be released six months apart.

Don’t even get me started on whether Mortal Kombat II is bad. It probably won’t be, given the early enthusiasm for test screenings, but just think. If this film isn’t as good as people hope that it is, then that’s going to be a big win for the Street Fighter reboot, as Capcom enthusiasts are going to have even more fuel for the (yoga) fire of why Street Fighter will always be superior to Mortal Kombat…even when it comes to movies.

I mean, I really had to come around on that 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, and if this next film is also kind of middling, then, as much as I don’t want to do it since it’s childish and petty, I’ll likely also be comparing Mortal Kombat II to the Street Fighter reboot. You can take the boy out of the schoolyard, but you can’t always take the schoolyard out of the boy, even when they’re grown-ass adults.

Why It's (Possibly) Good: If The Street Fighter Movie Is Bad, Then MK Will Look Even Better If It's Good

Okay, so let’s flip it. Say Mortal Kombat II is good. I’m talking one of the best video game movies ever made, good. Got that? Okay, now let’s say that the upcoming Street Fighter reboot is bad. I’m not talking the 1994 Street Fighter movie, bad, which some people actually like. I’m talking Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li bad. What then?

Well, I think having Mortal Kombat II so close to the release of Street Fighter could possibly be a good thing then, because it will only make MK look even better if the Street Fighter movie is terrible. Because that’s the thing, right? It almost feels like one of them is destined to be good, and one of them is destined to be bad.

Maybe leave that feeling to video game movies, having such poor track records in the past. Or, the fact that both Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter really haven't had much luck in theaters when it comes to live-action adaptations. Although the first Mortal Kombat movie is beloved, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is heavily mocked (though I find it entertaining), and the 2021 film received mixed reviews.

Street Fighter’s had even less luck, with most people thinking that there’s never been a good SF film. So, if MK II is awesome, and SF is abysmal, then that could be a win for MK, especially with it so close to release for comparison’s sake.

Why It's Bad: Fans Were Pumped For This Movie

Sometimes, making people wait turns out to be a good thing. Like, take the recent game Hollow Knight: Silksong, for example. Fans have been waiting for a Hollow Knight sequel ever since 2019, and now that it’s arrived, excitement is at a fever pitch.

But Silksong is an exception, rather than the rule, and usually, making people wait is a negative, rather than a positive. Now, sources say that Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, and Atomic Monster saw the excitement for the movie following the trailer and thought that it was a better idea to release the film as a summer movie rather than a Fall one, but I fear that might backfire.

Because yeah, people will likely still see MK in May, but all of that excitement might not be as massive a few months down the line. Sure, they could release another trailer closer to the release to drum up excitement again, but will it be as high as it was the last time we saw this trailer and were excited by the possibilities?

Maybe, I don’t know. I wonder if it would have just been better to stick to the original date. I guess only time will tell.

Why It's Good: It Has More Distance From The Relatively Unpopular Game, Mortal Kombat 1

Okay, so this is something that you might not know if you’re only interested in movies rather than video games, but the most recent MK game, Mortal Kombat 1, was not as well-received as it could have been. In fact, even though Street Fighter 6 will continue to get new DLC characters, Mortal Kombat 1 won’t, as NetherRealm will be moving on to other projects.

Which kind of sucks. I mean, yeah, I dropped off of MK 1 a while ago, but I still wish that it had a thriving community, which it apparently doesn’t. And, having a new movie so close to the stink of the last game might not have been a good thing.

Because while most MK fans would have likely still seen the movie in October, there are a still lot of casual players who picked up MK1 who might have been so turned off by their purchase of that game that they wouldn’t even want to see a movie, even if it has nothing to do with the wacky (yes, wacky) storyline presented in Mortal Kombat 1.

I mean, I’m just speculating here, but I really do think that MK as a franchise is kind of hurting right now, and maybe distancing the movie from the last game could be beneficial to the film. Food for thought.

Why It's Bad: May 2026 Already Looks To Have Some Heavy-Hitters

Lastly, do you know what’s coming out in October of this year? The Smashing Machine, Tron: Ares, and Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, amongst a few others. Honestly, I think Mortal Kombat II would have fit in nicely if it had stayed with its October 24th release date. It might have even been the biggest movie of next month.

Now, do you know what’s slated to come out in May 2026? The Devil Wears Prada 2 and The Mandalorian and Grogu. Now, while you might say, totally different audiences, I’m not disagreeing with you. However, with many people choosing to stay home and stream these days rather than rush out to see movies in theaters (See: KPop Demon Hunters), people are often more choosy about what they spend money on in theaters.

Mortal Kombat II might now have competition with one of those two films – especially The Mandalorian and Grogu. And, it wouldn’t have had that issue in October.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

When it comes to upcoming video game movies, there are few that I’m looking forward to seeing more than Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat II. Set for release near the end of the 2025 movie schedule, the latest adaptation of one of my favorite games looks like it’ll have everything I want in a Mortal Kombat movie, especially my boy, Johnny Cage. Seriously, Karl Urban’s wise-cracking ass-kicker steals the show in the first trailer, and I think that’ll be the case for the movie when it comes out later this year.

However, this has me thinking… what does Johnny Cage being front and center in Mortal Kombat II mean for one character in particular: Lewis Tan’s Cole Young? You know, he was the new kombatant introduced in 2021’s movie, and seemingly the focal point of the franchise? So, I can’t help but wonder what’s going to happen with this divisive character moving forward.

Based On The First Trailer, It Seems Like Johnny Cage Is The Star Of The Show

After being teased during the Mortal Kombat ending a few years ago, it was all but guaranteed that everyone’s favorite Hollywood ass-kicker would be showing up in the long-awaited sequel in a big way, and the Mortal Kombat II trailer doubles down on that. He’s the first character we see, he’s the one on the receiving end of all that exposition (this seems like a lot for a sequel, by the way), and he has a lot of the trailer’s best moments.

That being said, it looks like Cage won’t just be the most charismatic and badass kombatant in Mortal Kombat II; it also appears as if he’s the audience's eyes and ears, at least when first learning about the titular tournament. I have a confession to make: I’m not mad; not one bit.

Cole Young Doesn't Even Have A Line Of Dialogue In The First Mortal Kombat II Trailer

I’ve gone back and watched the two-and-a-half-minute trailer a few times now, and I can only spot Cole Young two times (he’s in the background of one shot and showing off his mystical armor in the second). What’s even crazier is the fact that he has zero lines of dialogue. Pretty much every other character coming back from the first movie speaks, so it’s strange that the guy propped up to be Earth’s protector is on the sidelines.

Maybe there’ll be another Cole-centric trailer in the future, or maybe he just won't be a big deal in the sequel. We shall see.

I Can't Help But Wonder If This Means Cole Will Die Or Just Have A Smaller Part This Time Around

You know, I have a feeling we’re either going to see less of Cole than we did in the predecessor, either because he is killed off early on, or he just doesn’t have much to do in the fight between Earth and Outworld. I don’t think it’ll be a situation like the so-bad-it’s-good Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, where Johnny Cage (Chris Conrad) was killed off in the first five minutes, but I’d be surprised to see him play a major role.

With so many great characters either coming back or being introduced (like Shao Khan, who I’m beyond excited to see), it’s going to be hard for the already somewhat unlikable character to get time to shine.

Regardless of what happens to Cole Young in Mortal Kombat II, I’ll be there to see the movie opening weekend with my shades on and ready to celebrate the one and only, Johnny fucking Cage.

Making our way into the 2025 movie schedule’s fall offerings, there’s going to be a lot of blood on the floor in certain parts. I’m not trying to be morbid, but the very existence of the long-awaited sequel, Mortal Kombat II, kind of dictates that as an eventuality. At the same time, thanks to the new trailer for the picture, I can say that I think Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage is a flawless victory…while at the same time being super hyped for his meeting with two Kombatants returning to the fray.

Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage Is Totally Going To Crush Mortal Kombat II

I’m starting to love co-creator Ed Boon’s reaction to Mortal Kombat II even more now, thanks to what we’ve just seen. Sure enough, he was on hand during Warner Bros.’ livestream event to unveil the trailer for this October roundhouse kick of excitement. If you didn’t already believe in Urban’s Mortal Kombat II casting, his cool-as-ice Johnny Cage was well worth the long game that’s been played since his reveal.

The mock poster for Uncaged Fury was only the beginning, apparently, as a promotional mailer that Warner Bros. sent out to journalists (myself included) contained a DVD made to look like it was a copy of that very film. What it actually contained was a faux trailer, which you can see for yourself below:

Clearly, the studio is going all in on our boy in the $500 sunglasses. However, there’s just enough crumbs here to intrigue me into wanting to know more about how he’ll be playing with two other Kombat Kids in this Outerworld sandbox.

Sonya Blade And Kano Are Gonna Get Along With Johnny Cage Just Fine

Deep cut Mortal Kombat fans were probably just as excited as I was that we got to see Karl Urban interacting with Jessica McNamee's Sonya Blade. That alone is pretty exciting, and only gets even more spectacular when you see that Josh Lawson's Kano is also mixing it up with Johnny Cage, too.

Oh, this could get messy my friends - and I'm not just making another reference to the blood and guts here. Between the lore of the MK games, as well as the 1995 film adaptation, Sonia and Johnny kinda became a power couple in the lore of the franchise. They even have a daughter named Cassie, a featured fighter in Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11.

I theorize that Sonya and Johnny’s believer/newcomer relationship could see the beginning of something along those lines. Which is only going to be complicated by the fact that Ms. Blade and Kano didn’t exactly end 2021’s Mortal Kombat on good terms. Then again, if you go back and watch that film with your HBO Max subscription, you’d also see that they were never really that chummy to begin with.

An uneasy alliance could form between these three, and any other Earthrealm fighters looking to defeat Shang Tsung and his crew. However, if Kano dies again (and he probably will), I think it’ll be Johnny Cage who does him in. And probably with a crack about how he’d never be able to find sunglasses with a laser-friendly prescription.

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m ready for Mortal Kombat II to open the portals, as well as numerous cans of whoop ass, starting October 24th.

The Mortal Kombat video game franchise has been one of the most popular in the medium for more than three decades. There have been a dozen games in the series, not counting numerous updates and spinoffs. It’s no wonder the series has also been adapted for the screen more than most, and Warner Bros.' upcoming video game adaptation Mortal Kombat 2 is among the more anticipated action movies of the year.

Mortal Kombat Co-Creator Approves Of Mortal Kombat 2

The live-action Mortal Kombat 2 will mark the fourth time that the inter-dimensional fighting tournament has been given the movie treatment. The follow-up to 2021's Mortal Kombat is adding popular characters to the cast, and expectations from fans are certainly high. While it will be a while before the movie’s official reviews arrive, some fans have seen MK2, and the film just got a solid endorsement in the form of Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon's X post:

Boon said he saw the “final version,” which indicates that the movie has gone through various cuts, was completed, and is now just waiting for its release coming up in October. It also implies that Boon may have also been shown earlier versions of the film over the course of his development. It’s not surprising if he wanted to be kept apprised of the new movie's status over the course of its production.

The rebooted Mortal Kombat movie came out on WB’s pandemic release schedule, which gave the movie a simultaneous release in theaters and on HBO Max. Despite that, it did reasonably well in theaters and clearly got a lot of eyeballs streaming. That was enough to greenlight the sequel.

If there was one thing missing from the Mortal Kombat movie, it was the actual fighting tournament that makes up every game in the series., All signs point to the sequel remedying this problem. The new movie will also include Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, the most popular character from the game series that wasn’t included in the first film.

All this is enough to get people excited to actually see the film, and while it isn't hitting the 2025 release schedule until October, there is some good news in that regard.

Mortal Kombat 2 Trailer Will Arrive In July

Fans looking forward to the first look at Mortal Kombat 2 shouldn’t need to wait too much longer. Producer Todd Garner seemed to imply that the first MK2 trailer will be dropping sometime in July with a social media post stating:

While the month just started, and that means we could be waiting a while, there’s reason to believe it may not be too long. While the trailer will almost certainly drop online, most movie trailers are still attached to major movie releases, and Warner Bros. has a big one this month with Superman's release date in just over a week.

We could see the trailer attached to Superman, as there will certainly be some potential audience crossover between a comic book superhero movie and a video game movie. Alternatively, WB’s next movie after Superman is the horror film Weapons, opening in early August. So we could see an online trailer release in late July ahead of the promo screening for Zach Creggers' frightfest.

Back in my day, we used to watch R-rated movies all the time. In fact, when I was only 8 years old, my dad took me to see Terminator 2: Judgment Day in the theater, and it still, to this day, has my favorite introduction to any movie ever.

Well, being the idiot that I am, I showed my son and daughter, who are 8 and 9, respectively, this intro, and I stupidly said, “You know, Grandpa took me to see this when I was only 8, and it’s rated R,” to which my children obviously asked, “Can we watch rated-R movies then?”

I walked right into that one, didn't I? I told them no, of course, since I felt bad for even taking my then-six-year-old son to a PG-13 movie like Godzilla Minus One. But my children asked me why I could watch a rated-R movie at their age, and they couldn’t, which really got me thinking: Should I let them watch R-rated movies? Well…

I Guess It All Depends On The Movie, Right?

Terminator 2 is rated R, sure, but I don't know if I would consider it a heavy R. What I mean is the rating is mostly because of the violence, as well as the profanity, as the movie has around 52 f-bombs in it.

Yes, that's a lot, and the first time I saw the movie, I was shocked! I distinctly remember turning to my dad, who gave me an apologetic expression, and I exclaimed, “They can say that?”

How naive I was, as the word was uttered several more instances after that first time. But, here's the thing: after that initial f-bomb, it didn't have the same impact for me anymore. In fact, I kind of didn't even notice it after awhile. So when it comes to my own children, would it really be so bad if they heard a few f-bombs in a movie? I mean, kids at their school say the f-word all the time, and I only know this since I've heard other kids saying it when I've picked my own children up.

So, really, if I let my kids watch an R-rated flick, it all depends on the movie. For instance, my son has asked if he can watch Deadpool, and I said absolutely not. Besides the profanity, there's also a lot of sexual innuendo in that movie, and the violence is a bit too extreme.

My daughter asked if she could watch The Evil Dead, since it's in one of my favorite horror franchises, which, in my enthusiasm, I've told her about several times. But besides the gore, that movie also has that scene (and you know what scene I’m talking about). So even though I saw an R-rated film when I was only 8, I'm not sure if my own kids are “ready” yet. But that brings me to my next question.

What Age Is Appropriate?

I’ve settled on 13. Is that the best age to let kids watch rated-R movies? Honestly, I have no idea, but I figure that if I tell my kids a certain age that’s not too far away, then they’ll be more amenable to accepting that rather than me just saying, “Wait until you’re 17.”

Because, honestly, I trust my children, and I don’t think watching a rated-R movie is going to warp them or turn them into deviants. For example, I’ve been a diehard Mortal Kombat fan ever since the first game debuted back in 1992. In fact, everybody I knew back then was a big fan of Mortal Kombat, and we turned out just fine.

Also, I swear I watched every Friday the 13th movie, unedited, by the time I was 13. My mom worked nights, so I used to wait up until my older sister fell asleep, and then sneak downstairs to watch them (in fact, I watched a lot of movies my sister told me not to watch).

In that way, 13 feels like a good age to me. That's because I’m the kind of father who has been answering any questions my children have from as early as they could talk; my rationale being that if they’re old enough to wonder, then they’re old enough to know the truth. So, when they asked me where babies came from, I took them to the library and showed them an age-appropriate book. I didn’t say, “The stork,” or anything that I would have to walk back later.

I respect their intelligence, and when my daughter started watching The Simpsons, I was a little apprehensive at first since there are sexual jokes. But at the same time, I know these jokes are coming since I’ve seen every episode multiple times, and I’m prepared to explain any bawdy humor that comes up whenever my daughter asks, “What do they mean?” Which brings me to my next point.

Whatever They End Up Seeing, I'll Of Course Watch The Movie First

When my dad took me to see Terminator 2, we went into it blind. He told me that he had asked a coworker of his if it was “appropriate” for his 8-year-old son, and his coworker said that it was. But what’s appropriate for one parent may not be appropriate for another.

For example, I don’t curse in front of my children, but I know there are plenty of parents who do. So for them, Deadpool’s dialogue may not be an issue. For me, it is, at least when it comes to my kids. As another example, a lot of the kids in my son’s class have already watched Squid Game (my son’s friend asked him if he wanted to play “Russian Roulette,” to which my son, thankfully, didn’t know what he was talking about).

So whatever R-rated movie I let my children eventually watch when they turn 13, I’ll of course have to watch it first. In other words, unlike my dad, I won’t just take another person’s word for what is appropriate for my kids.

I feel this is my job as a parent anyway. I’m not throwing any shade, but my kids don’t even have cell phones. I know, how is that even possible, right? When even kindergarten kids have smartphones these days, I feel like the odd parent out since I won’t let my children have them. But even with parental settings on, there are just too many outside factors that I can’t control that I don’t feel comfortable with.

This brings me to my last point…

Lastly, I Know My Kids Will Likely Find A Way To Watch Something That They Want To See Anyway, So I Want To Be There When They Do

Being a parent is knowing that your children aren’t going to do what you want them to do, probably 99% of the time. For example, my mom didn’t want me watching Friday the 13th, or the Halloween movies (which I’ve also watched all the way through), but I watched them anyway. It’s mostly because my mother and I never had that conversation of what I should or shouldn’t watch. It was just implied.

However, it doesn’t matter the generation. If a kid wants to see something badly enough, they’ll find a way to see it, and my kids are no exception. Like, my son had to be the one who narc'd on his sister when he told me that she watched an episode of Hazbin Hotel on my account. I have since pulled Prime Video from my television and now only watch it on my phone.

That said, for my son to even narc on his sister in the first place just tells me that 1, she must have done something that pissed him off, so he wanted to get her in trouble; and 2, even he realized that she shouldn’t have been watching a show like that.

So, when it comes to an R-rated movie, I want to be there when they watch one all the way through. Firstly, I want it to be something that they want to watch so it shows that I trust their maturity level. And secondly, I want it to be there to explain things, if need be. For example, when I used to sneak downstairs and watch Jason kill horny teenagers, a part of me thought sex was bad and that the camp counselors DESERVED to die since they shouldn’t have been having sex in the first place.

But I don’t want my kids to grow up thinking sex is “bad,” or that violence is “good,” which I grew up believing since I watched these films alone at such a young age. I want them to know the risks of sex and the consequences of violence, and I feel I can do that if we watch these films together.

But what do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

From the big screen to the small screen, movies and series based on video games are not only popular, but they can be quite successful. The Sonic the Hedgehog movies have all been massive hits in theaters, but another game franchise is about to drop its own sequel. According to the writer of the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, the film could generate Avengers: Endgame-levels of hype.

The rebooted Mortal Kombat movie debuted during the pandemic and, thus, it wasn’t able to build a massive box office total. However, between its box office success and its simultaneous release for everybody with a Max subscription, it was clear to WB that the movie should get a sequel. That follow-up adds Karl Urban to the cast as the popular character Johnny Cage and will receive a full theatrical release on the 2025 movie schedule. Ahead of the film's release, writer Jeremy Slater tells Comicbook.com that fans are reacting in theaters like they’re watching Marvel's 2019 culmination film. He explained…

Mortal Kombat 2 likely isn't going to be at the level of Avengers: Endgame for a lot of people. However, certain MK fans who love the game franchise and are excited to see certain characters on the big screen, it’s not hard to imagine those fans going absolutely wild when a favorite character appears or somebody pulls off a move they’re famous for in the games.

Slater counts himself among those fans, saying he pumped a lot of quarters into Mortal Kombat arcade machine as a kid. Even he is wowed by the experience of being part of the new film. He relayed a story about being on the set and being blown away by what he saw. Slater said…

Jeremy Slater's description should be enough to keep fans pumped ahead of the first trailer's release. Specific plot details are scarce, but all signs point to plenty of action and gore as another brutal tournament lies ahead. Mortal Kombat 2 is set to hit theaters on October 24 as part of the 2025 movie schedule.

There are so many upcoming video games movies set to be released in the next few years, and one I’ve been looking forward to the most is Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat 2. The sequel to 2021’s Mortal Kombat and the latest in a long line of movies based on the iconic and controversial fighting series has a lot of promise, especially now that Warner Bros. has shared first-look images of some of the new combatants (or kombatants, if we’re using the games’ spelling conventions).

When I first saw those pics of Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage, Kitana, and some other longtime favorites of mine, I started to think that maybe, just maybe one of the franchise’s most memorable and devastating fighters would finally get some on-screen redemption. Yeah, I’m talking about Shao Kahn, the powerhouse Outworld emperor who’s been stealing quarters and breaking controllers for 30-plus years now.

Those Mortal Kombat 2 Photos Look Great, Especially The One Of Shao Kahn

Okay, all the images shared by Entertainment Weekly in March 2025 made me extremely excited and optimistic for Mortal Kombat 2. I mean, Johnny Cage and Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) both look great and look to be awesome adaptations of some of the franchise’s most beloved characters. But the shot that’s really getting meall fired up and yelling “Krispy!” is that menacing picture of Martyn Ford’s character, Shao Kahn, with that terrifying recreation of his signature mask (red eyes and all).

Though the single image of Kahn doesn’t show him next to any other characters, making it hard to garage his size, I’m fully on board for this more frightening and less over-the-top depiction of this all-time great final boss. The whole “less is more” approach to the reveal has me on the edge of my seat waiting for Kahn to arrive and start whooping all kinds of ass in this upcoming 2025 movie.

I've Been Obsessed With The Outworld Emperor Since MKII Came Out In 1993

I’ll never forget the first time I saw a Mortal Kombat II cabinet on display and stealing quarters from unsuspecting victims at Aladdin’s Castle in South Park Mall back home. Way too young to play the game myself, I watched my brother and other older kids try to work their way up the towers to take on Shao Kahn in his badass arena (more on that later). A year or so later, my cousin snuck over a copy of the fighting game on Sega Genesis and we played it all night after my parents went to sleep. After that, I was hooked.

Even though I had trouble beating him without changing the difficulty, and had trouble getting down all the button commands to pull off all those fatalities when I bought a copy of Mortal Kombat Trilogy in elementary school, I couldn’t get enough of the Outworld Emperor and his killer look. This guy made Shang Tsung look like a chump and he was so much cooler than pretty much any other classic fighter from the game.

But I Really Hope This New Depiction Makes Up For The Goofy And Toothless Portrayal In Mortal Kombat Annihilation

Though there are some who will defend Mortal Kombat Annihilation, you won’t find me in that camp. A big fan of the first Mortal Kombat movie back in 1995, this sequel two years later looked and felt more like a cheap made-for-TV movie than a proper continuation of the franchise. One of my biggest problems with this big mess was the way Shao Kahn was portrayed. Nothing against Brian Thompson, the actor who took on the role of the ruthless emperor, but the character was presented as goofy and toothless compared to the version from the games.

I mean, it’d be one thing if he wasn’t presented as a force of pure evil in the final moments of the original movie, but the final shot of the first adaptation saw him as a massive being in the clouds ready to strike down the mortals on Earth. While Kahn taking out Johnny Cage in the first five minutes was wild, everything after that was not good, especially whenever he took off his mask. Like, why?

Shao Kahn Is One Of The Meanest, Baddest, And Strongest Video Game Villains Of All Time, And He Needs To Be Treated As Such

I know he’s not the only reason Mortal Kombat II is considered one of the best fighting games of all time, but Shao Kahn did add a lot to the 1993 arcade classic and all the various ports over the years. He’s one of the meanest, baddest, and strongest video game villains of all time, and liked I mentioned earlier, has one of the coolest costumes in the history of the genre. That said, I hope he’s presented as such when the sequel opens in theaters later this year. I mean, he needs to be presented as the ultimate big bad and not some random bad guy like he was in Annihilation.

I’m not saying he needs to break Johnny Cage’s neck in the first scene again (could you imagine that, though?), but this guy needs to show up, whoop some tail, throw down some ultimatums, and start swinging that massive hammer of his.

I Doubt It'll Happen, But I Would Love To See Kahn's Arena Get The Movie Treatment

Back in the day, MKII introduced gamers to legendary levels, or Kombat Zones, like The Dead Pool, Living Forest, The Tower, Wasteland, and my personal favorite: Kahn’s Arena. With its purple sky, orange clouds, a massive crowd of spectators, and Kahn on his throne flanked by Sonya Blade and Kano in chains, this was quite a sight when you first took on Kintaro, the penultimate fighter before fighting the big man himself. The best part was the fact that Kahn would get off his throne for the final fight before beating the game.

I doubt the level will show up in the movie, but I would love for this beloved stage to get the film treatment. The tournament doesn’t have to take place there, but a small Easter egg to the games would go a long way.

All in all, I can’t wait to see what Simon McQuoid has in store for us with Mortal Kombat 2, but we better get a better take on Shao Kahn.

A well-made video game movie can make it very easy to forget about how many more slapdash and poorly conceived live-action versions there are. For many, 2021’s Mortal Kombat was an enjoyably brainless trip to the theater, and its sequel is among the most anticipated upcoming video game adaptations, thanks in part to Karl Urban’s debut as Johnny Cage.

But as excitement builds for Mortal Kombat 2 soon after its first official images hit the Internet, another high-profile fighting game movie received some bad news, as the in-the-works Street Fighter remake’s future is now in question. This is why we can’t have nice-ish things.

The Street Fighter Remake Just Lost Its Release Date To Another Movie

Despite Sony’s initial eagerness to pencil in a super-early release date for Street Fighter — it was already going for a post-2025 theatrical release with a date set at March 20, 2026 — the studio’s execs have apparently second-guessed that decision. Now, the Legendary-distributed project is without a date entirely, and it’s unclear what the back-up plan will be for it.

This unfortunate update is coming out of left field in a way, considering it was just in mid-February when The Eric Andre Show and Bad Trip director Kitao Sakurai was announced as the game adaptation’s new director. Also one of the Eps behind the upcoming second season of Netflix’s Beef and Daniel Dae Kim’s upcoming streaming series Butterfly.

Previously, the Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou were attached to direct and produce Street Fighter as a follow-up to their smash hit horror Talk to Me, but they later backed out. (Their actually follow-up will be the pet-resurrecting horror Bring Her Back.)

At this point, it’s unknown why Sony balked on sticking with the original release date. No cast members have been revealed for the new adaptation to date, so it’s possibly there are scheduling issues for stars that we just don’t know about yet.

Also worth noting: Sony also flipped the release date script on Tommy Wirkola's upcoming shark thriller Shiver, which was originally set for August 1, 2025. That film will now hit theaters nearly a year later, only July 3, 2026.

Mortal Kombat 2 Is Definitely Still On The Way

With Karl Urban looking as fly as ever as Johnny Cage — sorry, not sorry, The Boys' Billy Butcher — Mortal Kombat 2 is thankfully still set to blast its way into theaters this year as the second directorial effort from filmmaker Simon McQuoid, with screenwriter Jeremy Slater (The Umbrella Academy) stepping in to pen the sequel.

Beyond Urban, the new movie co-stars Mehcad Brooks, Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Adeline Rudolph, Tati Gabrielle, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Ludi Lin, Joe Taslim, Hiroiyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, and Damon Herriman among others.

Mortal Kombat II is set to hit theaters on Friday, October 24, 2025.

The year was 1992, and I was 9 years old playing Mortal Kombat. Was I too young to be ripping out spines, and tearing out hearts? Probably. That said, the game was definitely a major part of my upbringing. (My wife and I even named our first born child Raeden!)

So, you KNOW I had to see the first Mortal Kombat movie when it debuted in 1995 (I also saw the Street Fighter flick back then, and I have feelings about both movies). Honestly, that MK is still one of the best video game movies of all time. I don’t even know how many times I’ve watched it. Probably over 20. Maybe even 30.

That said, I wasn’t too impressed with the 2021 Mortal Kombat the first time I watched it, so I thought nothing could top the 1995 film. I’ve since rewatched the 2021 film, and I now appreciate it a lot more. But, after hearing news about the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, I’m starting to think that this might be the best MK movie ever. Here’s why.

It Seems Like They've Listened To Issues Fans Had With The First Movie

One thing that a lot of fans took umbrage with in the 2021 film was that there was no tournament. And like, how? Even the first movie focused on a tournament, as the war between Earthrealm and Outworld is a key component to MK lore.

So, in that way, the movie just felt like it was missing something. Yes, not everybody was a fan of the main protagonist, Cole Young, but if there was a tournament involved, I think a lot of people probably would have forgiven the new character. Because honestly, after rewatching the film, I think it did a lot of things right. Enemy Sub-Zero was really cool, and most of the characters (most notably Kano and Kabal) were nicely adapted to the big screen.

Well, it seems like the studio heads have been listening, because Mortal Kombat 2 will indeed follow a tournament structure. Not only that, but there’s even going to be a sort of tally of who’s winning, which heightens the stakes. According to an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, series co-creator (and voice of Scorpion’s “Get over here!”), Ed Boon, had this to say:

How cool is that? I loved the tournament in the first film, especially the otherworldly battles, like Scorpion in the forest. But, the idea of there actually being a sort of score being kept? It almost makes me think of the tower in Mortal Kombat II that you ascend when you beat each character, rising all the way up to Shao Khan as the final boss. Speaking of Shao Khan…

Shao Khan Has Never Looked More Badass

Have you ever watched the absolute train wreck that is Mortal Kombat: Annihilation? It's terrible beyond belief, but dammit, I can't help it. I LOVE how bad that movie is.

That said, I only bring up MK:A since Shao Khan makes an appearance in it…and he’s absolutely ridiculous. Played by Cobra star, Brian Thompson, it's not that he's inherently bad. It's just that the whole movie is bad, and he's unfortunately a casualty of that terribleness.

This is a shame; Shao Khan is one of the coolest antagonists in the entire series, right up there with Quan Chi, and Shinnok. So, for him to be so lame in Annihilation? It was a huge let down.

But, Mortal Kombat 2's Shao Khan? Quite simply, I'm in love. All we really have is the image from Entertainment Weekly, but in every way, he has the look of a BADASS Shao Khan.

Played by the bodybuilder, Martyn Ford, he also has the size of the Ruler of Outworld. In reality, it ultimately comes down to the tone that this movie settles on. But, looking at the picture from EW, I'm already impressed. Can October 24th get here sooner?

Pushing Characters Like Johnny Cage Up Front Is An Interesting Decision

Do you want to know my favorite MK character? It’s, uh, Sektor. But, do you want to know my second favorite? It’s the star-studded Johnny Cage! His absence from the 2021 movie really hurt the film in my opinion.

Thankfully, that’s another thing that’s being rectified in the sequel, as he’s going to be front and center (and also a little different from his video game counterpart). This is a big deal, since Johnny Cage could definitely offer some levity to what could potentially be a much darker movie than its predecessor.

I love this! There’s no indication at this point that Cole Young won’t be the main protagonist again. But, given how much they’ve been showcasing Karl Urban in the promotional material, I have to assume that he’s going to play an important role in this film (I mean, you don’t get Karl Urban to star as Johnny Cage and not give him stuff to do).

This is important, because as much as I’ve come to appreciate the 2021 film, one thing that I think is still a problem with it is the heroes, as none of them – besides Scorpion – are really all that interesting. Liu Kang is boring, Sonya Blade is forgettable, Jax is lame, Kung Lao is too basic, and Raiden lacks spark.

In truth, when Kano is your most interesting character, that’s a problem. So, Karl Urban could really kick this film into overdrive. Believe it!

Given That This Is A Sequel, The Fatalities Are Probably Going To Be Even More Brutal Than The First Reboot's Fatalities

If you’re a longtime fan of the MK video game series, then you know it’s more than just its fatalities. Unlike with other fighting games, MK’s dial-a-combo gameplay offers a complex blend of options that fans of the series have come to know and love.

That said…if you ask just some random person off the street what they know about Mortal Kombat, they’ll probably tell you, “Oh, yeah. That’s the game with the fatalities.” And you know what? They’re not wrong.

Because even though a myriad of other fighting games have implemented finishing moves over the years, this game franchise is still undoubtedly the king of the coup de grâce. Though the 2021 film offered some pretty interesting fatalities with its R-rating, I still think it could have gone even further.

Enter Mortal Kombat II, which has a real opportunity to up the ante. In fact, according to the same Entertainment Weekly article, the director, Simon McQuoid, had this to say when he commented on working with IMAX this time around:

Did you hear that? “Let it rip…” like in spines! So, I hope they go HUGE when it comes to fatalities this time around. I want it to be gross!

Lastly, There Isn't Much Competition

Finally, if I’m being completely honest, this Mortal Kombat movie doesn’t have much competition when it comes to the previous films.

I know, I know. I talked earlier about how much I loved the first one, and I do!...for a video game movie from the ‘90s. Because that’s just it. Even though I’ve watched the movie several times, it’s kind of like a time capsule, you know? I mean, have you watched that Scorpion fight in the woods recently? The special effects are horrendous!

With video game movies and TV shows starting to get really good as of late (2023 was one of the best years for video game movies ever), I honestly think this upcoming film can be really good. Quite possibly the best.

Because as I said before, the 1995 film is GOATED, but also DATED. Annihilation is an atrocity (that I unabashedly love), and the 2021 Mortal Kombat is good, but definitely flawed. So, the sequel can only go up, right?

What do you think? Are you also pumped for Mortal Kombat 2?

For every movie that did not need a remake and for all of the TV shows with unneeded reboots, there are a few that have managed to surpass their predecessors... or, at least, justify their existence. In most cases, the secret to their success is to reimagine a beloved pop culture property into something, not just bigger, but darker, just like these flicks and TV series did.

Batman Begins (2005)

The last time we saw The Dark Knight on the big screen was in the very lighthearted and campy Batman & Robin, which killed the live-action Batman movie franchise at the time. Christopher Nolan revived Bruce Wayne’s alter ego on the big screen, and in pop culture in general, in his proper form with an acclaimed and earnestly told origin story called Batman Begins – the first installment of his phenomenal Dark Knight Trilogy.

The Addams Family (1991)

Charles' Addams original comic, The Addams Family, inspired a hit live-action sitcom and a couple of animated series that certainly maintained the same "kooky" tone. However, director Barry Sonnenfeld’s film adaptation and its 1993 sequel, Addams Family Values, would up the ante on its "creepy" appeal, especially with Christina Ricci’s now definitive performance as a morbidly deadpan Wednesday.

Riverdale (2017-2023)

Any adaptation of the Archie comic books, whether animated or produced in live-action, was intended to be a comedy, with the closest thing to a drama being Archie's Weird Mysteries in the late 1990s. That all changed when The CW began airing Riverdale, which depicted the misadventures of Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica as an earnest coming-of-age soap opera.

It And It Chapter Two (2017-2019)

We recognize that the 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's It left an entire generation in fear of clowns. However, from the opening scene of Andy Muschietti’s feature-length version of It (the first of two creepy clown movies), in which Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise bites off little Georgie's arm before pulling him into the sewer, it was clear this was a more unforgiving version of the shape-shifting, fear-feeding demon than Tim Curry's portrayal.

Casino Royale (2006)

Every cinematic iteration of author Ian Fleming's MI6 agent, from Sean Connery's portrayal to Pierce Brosnan's, was a suave gentleman who typically put brains over brawn. That was until Casino Royale introduced a 007, played by Daniel Craig, who is both brainy and brawny and not above taking out his enemies with brutal hand-to-hand combat. Since then, the James Bond movies have never been grittier.

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina (2018-2020)

For years, the best-known adaptation of the enchanted Archie Comics character, Sabrina Spellman, was the hit ABC sitcom, Sabrina the Teenage Witch. That was until Netflix released the Kiernan Shipka-led Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which is more comparative to Buffy the Vampire Slayer in tone.

The Fly (1986)

Director Kurt Neumann's 1958 adaptation of George Langelaan's short story, The Fly, was a creepy little creature feature, including horror movie icon Vincent Price in a memorable supporting role. However, David Cronenberg’s version, starring Jeff Goldblum as a scientist transforming into a half-man, half-insect and Geena Davis as his new lover, is the quintessential cinematic body horror nightmare and a devastating romantic tragedy.

Man Of Steel (2013)

In the film that kicked off the now-defunct DC Extended Universe, director Zack Snyder introduced a less optimistic take on Clark Kent's alter ego, who resorts to murder to defend Metropolis in a controversial moment from Man of Steel. Even Henry Cavill's Superman costume boasts a darker color scheme than any live-action iteration to come before.

Bel-Air (2022)

Hip-hop artist Will Smith proved he had the chops to be a charismatic actor in the early 1990s when he led the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast as a young Philadelphia man sent to live with his wealthy California relatives after getting in a fight. Years later, the Oscar winner returned to produce Bel-Air – a Peacock-exclusive series that reimagines the hit sitcom as a grounded coming-of-age drama.

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

One of the most essential examples of a TV reboot done right is developer Ronald D. Moore's reimagining of Glen A. Larson's classic '70s sci-fi series, Battlestar Galactica. The Emmy-winning, SyFy original version of the story of a crew searching for a long-lost planet Earth in a wartorn future went on to become one of the genre's most celebrated TV shows.

Teen Wolf (2011-2017)

The 1985 comedy, Teen Wolf, in which Michael J. Fox's character inherits his family's lycanthropic curse, is really a metaphor for self-discovery. MTV's hit series adaptation starring Tyler Posey, in addition to making the protagonist a wolf bite victim who uses his abilities to fight evil, throws humor and symbolism almost completely out the window.

Dredd (2012)

The first film featuring Judge Dredd, who was introduced in the U.K. anthology comic, 2000 AD, saw Sylvester Stallone take on the title role and make the fatal flaw of removing his signature helmet. Even taking that controversial detail out of the equation, many believe the Alex Garland-penned Dredd, starring Karl Urban, was a step up for its dead-serious approach to the source material’s vision of a dystopian world ordered by officers who serve as judge, jury, and executioner.

Goosebumps (2023-2024)

Following the '90s anthology horror TV show based on R.L. Stine's creepy but kid-friendly book series, Goosebumps, there were two film adaptations that seemed to go in a more kid-friendly and less creepy direction. However, Rob Letterman and Nicholas Stoller's seasonal anthology series released on Hulu and Disney+ aimed to up the ante on its thrills by making it a teen drama.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

The first alien invasion movie based on Jack Finney’s largely influential novel about humans replaced with emotionless extraterrestrial replicas, released in 1956, ended on a more hopeful note. However, director Philip Kaufman's remake, starring Donald Sutherland, maintains a bleak and hopeless tone throughout, which is why it is still considered the best Invasion of the Body Snatchers movie out of the many Hollywood has released.

Maleficent (2014)

Some of the most amusing live-action Disney animated movie remakes have opted to reexamine the source material from another perspective. For instance, the Academy Award-nominated Maleficent reimagines the story of Sleeping Beauty from the point of view of the eponymous antagonist, played by Angelina Jolie.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)

The original Planet of the Apes movies are fun sci-fi classics set in a future in which primates have become Earth's dominant species. Director Rupert Wyatt's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Matt Reeves' two sequels (Dawn and War), and Wes Ball's Kingdom explore the devastating origins of that dystopian society, due to an ill-fated attempt to cure Alzheimer’s and a global virus causing human evolutionary regression.

Evil Dead (2013)

Sam Raimi’s 1981 classic, The Evil Dead, was already a nearly unparalleled experience in grueling terror but the second and third installments, Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, were fun horror-comedy movies boasting a far lighter tone. With his 2013 installment, director Fede Álvarez went back to basics and amplified what made the original possession thriller iconic with some unbelievably brutal sequences and a more earnest plot set-up involving an addict attempting a woodland cabin detox.

Cruella (2021)

There are few villainous characters in Disney history more despicable than Cruella de Vil from 1961's One Hundred and One Dalmatians. However, director Craig Gillespie's live-action Cruella successfully makes the title character (played by Academy Award winner Emma Stone) sympathetic by employing a depressing origin story that sees her forced to turned crime as a child after witnessing her mother's murder.

Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey (2023)

Just a year after author A.A. Milne and illustrator E.H. Shepard's Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain, the beloved children’s book character was reimagined as a killer who goes on a vengeful rampage after grown-up Christopher Robin abandons the Hundred Acre Wood. Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey and its 2024 sequel are not regarded as some of the best slasher movies of their time but they certainly got people talking.

Mockingbird Lane (2012)

Many assumed that Rob Zombie'sThe Munsters movie would be a darker reinterpretation of the "monstrous" family until it was revealed to be a thoroughly faithful adaptation. However, there was an attempt at a somewhat more earnest and macabre take on the 1960s sitcom in the form of developer Bryan Fuller's Mockingbird Lane – a failed pilot that aired as a Halloween special on NBC.

Titans (2018-2023)

The Teen Titans series, following the DC Universe's most powerful underage heroes, was already dark enough to satisfy young audiences craving a cartoon with an edge, but it was later rebooted as the absurdly comedic Teen Titans GO! Thus, many fans were thankful for the live-action Titans, which proved to be the most mature adaptation of the original comic yet.

The Banana Splits Movie (2019)

There was a made-for-TV feature-length spin-off from the Saturday morning children's program, The Banana Splits, in which Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper, and Snorky must take on an evil witch. However, Danishka Esterhazy's The Banana Splits Movie is a bloody slasher that makes the rock band of happy animal mascots the villains.

Mulan (2020)

The beloved 1998 film Mulan is – despite following many of the same traditions of a Disney animated feature, such as supernatural twists and musical interludes – still regarded as an important tale of female empowerment. Disney's live-action version, starring Yifei Liu as the title hero, is a more earnest war drama devoid of humor, show tunes, magic, and, most notably, Eddie Murphy's Mushu.

Mortal Kombat (2021)

The Mortal Kombat films from the 1990s could have been considered some of the most faithful video game movies of all time if it were not for the limitations of the PG-13 rating. Thus, director Simon McQuoid's R-rated adaptation is revered as the first to more accurately capture the violence of the one-on-one fighting game series.

Halloween (2007)

No one would have believed that co-writer and director John Carpenter’s 1978 horror movie classic, Halloween, could be remade into anything darker. Yet, Rob Zombie made it happen with a divisive reboot that gives masked murderer Michael Myers (played by Tyler Mane) an origin story involving child abuse, a higher body count, and a far more sadistic MO.

Beauty And The Beast (2017)

Disney's live-action adaptation of the classic fairytale, Beauty and the Beast, is noted for being a relatively faithful rendition of its beloved animated iteration from 1991. However, Bill Condon's film, which stars Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, does darken the material, mostly by giving its characters more tragic backstories.

Power Rangers (2017)

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is, technically, an Americanized reboot of Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger and would edit battle scenes from the original Japanese show into its episodes. Director Dean Israelite's Power Rangers movie attempted to appeal to modern audiences seeking grimmer storytelling by raising the stakes and giving the young warriors more grounded backstories.

The Phantom Of The Opera (1989)

Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street movies was not the only iconic horror movie villain whom Robert Englund portrayed. He also took on the esteemed mantle of the title role from Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel, The Phantom of the Opera, in a much more violent and viscerally gory interpretation.

Hellboy (2019)

Director Rob Marshall’s adaptation of Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse comic book, Hellboy, was a critical and commercial failure that also deeply pales in comparison to Guillermo del Toro’s movies. However, it does boast a charming performance by David Harbour as the titular kindhearted demon and earns its R rating with some gloriously blood-soaked action sequences.

Fantastic Four (2015)

The first attempt to bring the Fantastic Four to the big screen (or, the first one to get released, that is) from Tim Story was high in camp and struggled to impress critics as a result. For his reboot, director Josh Trank attempted to reimagine the origins of Marvel’s first superhero family as a body horror flick and still failed to make a decent impression on critics and audiences alike.

The Mean One (2022)

Audrey Geisel banned live-action Dr. Seuss movies because, to her, 2003's The Cat and the Hat was no fun, but just imagine how the good doctor's widow would have reacted to The Mean One. Terrifier star David Howard Thornton, an actor who knows how to thrill, stars in this cheesy slasher as a Grinch naughty enough to kill.

Snow White And The Huntsman (2012)

Instead of seven dwarfs, Kristen Stewart’s version of a famous fairytale hero teams up with a capable hunter (Chris Hemsworth) to take down an evil queen (Charlize Theron) in the action-packed Snow White and the Huntsman.

For almost as long as video games have been popular, Hollywood has been adapting them for movies and television shows. Often it's fighting games like Mortal Kombat, but even more G-rated games like Candy Crush have been adapted in one way or another. The adaptations aren't always great, but the games they chose usually are. Here is our list of great games that have been adapted into movies and TV shows.

Mortal Kombat

When the first Mortal Combat video game was first released in 1992 it was immediately one of the most controversial games on the market. It was also massively popular. It's still very popular, as new games have continued to be released over the years and there have been multiple adaptions, including for the first time as a movie in 1995.

Tomb Raider

The first Tomb Raider video game came out in 2001 and there have been multiple installments of the game about a female archeologist and action hero, Lara Croft. The game was first adapted into a movie starring Angelia Jolie in 2001's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and its sequel. It was adapted again in a reboot starring Alicia Vikander, in 2018.

Sonic The Hedgehog

The first Sonic The Hedgehog game became a pillar of the SEGA gaming system in 1991. It took a long time, but it was eventually adapted into a hit movie in 2020 with the same name. In the '90s, it was briefly turned into an animated show as well.

The Last Of Us

The Last Of Us was an unlikely hit video game before it was turned into a very well-received hit TV show on HBO. The show, starring Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, has found fans far from its core gamer base and is one of the best shows in HBO in recent history.

Warcraft

The Warcraft series of video games has been one of the more enduring franchises in the whole industry. It makes sense that eventually it would get adapted into a movie. It finally was for the first time in 2016. Unfortunately, the movie didn't live up to the popularity of the game and was a critical and box office flop.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The Super Mario Bros. Movie released in 2023 defied all the cynics when it became a massive hit. Critics of the movie doubted the animated movie could be a hit, but in a tribute to the enduring popularity of a game series that started in the early 1980s, the movie went on to make over $1.3 billion at the box office.

Five Nights at Freddy's

Indie video games don't often turn into huge media franchises, but that is just what Five Nights at Freddy's has done. The original game, released in 2004 found a hardcore cult following that has grown with each subsequent release. The first movie was released in 2023 and made more than ten times its budget at the box office.

Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?

In the mid-80s, computer games were still in their infancy, and one of the most popular games was Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? It was so popular that it was turned into a kids game show in 1991 with the late, great Lynn Thigpen presenting it. It was rebooted by Netflix, but that proved to be a great example of a show that didn't need to be rebooted.

Twisted Metal

Between 1996 and 2012 the Twisted Metal franchise released eight games and became one of the most popular driving games of all time. More than a decade after its last release, it was turned into a TV show on Peacock where its enduring popularity made it a hit.

Assassin's Creed

The Assassin's Creed games have been wildly popular since the first game was released in 2007. Multiple version of the game, spread out over different eras of history, have remained popular in spite of the one attempt to adapt to a movie, starring Michael Fassbender, in 2016, disappointed critics and fans of the game alike.

Double Dragon

Double Dragon was one of the very first one-on-one fighting games when it was first released in 1987. It was also one of the first to be adapted into a movie when a film starring Robert Patrick, Scott Wolf, and Alyssa Milano was released in 1994. The movie was pretty bad, and that was reflected in its dismal box office performance.

Resident Evil

Resident Evil is a rare example of a video series and a movie series that have both been wildly successful. Multiple entries of both have proven to be popular over the last couple of decades. Zombies never really go out of style.

Fallout

The Fallout video game series launched in 1997 and multiple entires in both the main series and in spinoffs have been released in the years since. After a few attempts to get a movie made, the game was finally adapted for a TV show in 2024, and it became an instant hit on Amazon's stream service.

Rampage

Of all the movies on this list, Rampage has to be the one that was the most surprising to get a movie adaptation of it. Sure, the game was popular when it was released in 1987, but it never seemed like the kind of game that would get turned into a movie. That is until it was made into a disaster film starring Dwayne Johnson in 2018.

Pokémon

It's hard to pick just one adaption for Pokémon. The franchise is ubiquitous in every possible way. Whether it's video games, playing cards, comic books, TV shows, and movies, Pokémon is everywhere.

Pac-Man

In the 1980s Pac-Man was more than just a video game. It was a cultural phenomenon. It was really the first time a video crossed over fully into pop culture, so it makes sense that it would be one of the first games to get adapted into a TV show, in the form of a Saturday morning cartoon in 1982.

Doom

Dwayne Johnson has starred in a few video game adaptations, including 2005's Doom. The movie was based on one of the first, and most popular first-person shooter games of the same name that was also incredibly controversial as such. The movie was less controversial, and significantly less popular than the game as well.

Candy Crush

One of the early smash hit games for smartphones was Candy Crush when it came out in 2012. It was adapted into a game show presented by Mario Lopez in 2017, but it was not popular, to say the least, and was canceled after just nine episodes.

Maniac Mansion

Perhaps the weirdest entry on this list is Maniac Mansion. The 1987 PC-based game was pretty popular for its day, but no one would have thought it could be turned into a TV. Those doubters were proved wrong when it did become a TV show on Canadian television in 1990. The show did not have much in common with the game, however.

Halo

When the XBox was first released, a ton of effort was put into the first game included with the console, Halo. It has remained a staple of the console and many different versions of the game have been released over the years. After many starts and stops in other media, with multiple attempts to make various movies and TV shows, finally in 2022 the hit franchise was launched as a TV series on Paramount+, where it ran for two seasons.

Alone In The Dark

In 1992 Atari created the first Alone In The Dark game and it has since gone on to become one of the most enduring franchises since. In the ultimate proof that a game's popularity doesn't automatically translate to box office success, the 2005 Alone In The Dark movie, starring Christian Slater, was a huge bomb.

DOA: Dead Or Alive

Sometimes it seems that most video game adaptions bomb when they are adapted into movies. That's because of movies like DOA: Dead Or Alive. Based on the hit fighting franchise of the same name DOA: Dead Or Alive absolutely tanked at the box office, making less than $8 million against a $30 million budget.

Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time starring Jake Gyllenhaal was a huge gamble by Disney when they put up a monster budget to adapt the movie from the hit video game franchise, Prince of Persia. The movie made money, which must have relieved some at the House of Mouse, but it was a pretty modest success, and ultimately a planned sequel was canceled.

Tekken

Fighting game franchise Tekken launched on the heels of the massive success of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. For many, it's always felt like a bit of a copycat to those other two monster franchises, but it has a solid core of fans. Enough, in fact, to get a movie financed in 2009, but it completely bombed at the box office.

Knuckles

Paramount+ show Knuckles is a rare example of a spinoff of a video game adaptation. The show is based on the titular character, known as Knuckles the Echidna in full, who appears in the Sonic The Hedgehog movies and is also a playable character in video games. He first appeared in the third installment of the video game, in 1994.

Need for Speed

A popular genre of video game that seems like more adaptations could come from is racing games. There aren't many, though Need for Speed is a notable exception. The games are all great, and the movie is a pretty great car racing movie.

Wing Commander

For some of us, it's hard to believe that the Wing Commander video game franchise is more than three decades old at this point, but the first one was released in 1990. The movie adaption, released in 1999, was significantly less memorable, having bombed big time at the box office.

House Of The Dead

German director Uwe Boll made a name for himself in the mid-'00s when he adapted a slew of video games into films. Unfortunately, almost all of them bombed, including his first attempt, House of the Dead in 2013. It was adapted from the video game of the same name.

Gangs Of London

The 2006 game Gangs of London seemed like an unlikely choice for adaptation, but it defied expectations when it became a surprising hit TV show for Sky Atlantic and AMC in 2020. Popular with fans and critics alike, the show has proven to be more popular than the game it is based on.

BloodRayne

BloodRayne, starring Kristanna Loken, Michael Madsen, and Michelle Rodriguez was the third attempt by director Uwe Boll to adapt a video game. It was also the third time that an attempt bombed at the box office. The movie is based on a pretty popular game released in 2002.

Uncharted

With almost a dozen released over the years, Uncharted has remained a very popular video game series. As such, it makes sense that someone would try to adapt into a hit movie. The 2022 movie starring Tom Holland turned into one of the most popular video game adaptations of all time, bringing in more than $400 million at the box office.

Street Fighter

Before Tekken, and before Mortal Kombat, there was Street Fighter. For its many fans, it was and remains still the greatest fighting game of all time. With dozens of releases over the years on virtually every game console since the '80s, it's one of the giants in video game history. It was first adapted into a live-action film in 1994 starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and over the years it's been adapted into multiple animated movies and TV shows.

Well, color me surprised!

After writing a whole article about why I'd rather watch the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie over the then-new Mortal Kombat flick, I thought I'd stay with that belief for pretty much the rest of my life. And guess what…I probably will!

However, after rewatching the 2021 movie in preparation for the new one, I actually now believe that I was way too harsh on the film back then. I don't know if I'd now call it one of the best video game movies of all time, but I definitely think that people who weren't too fond of it the first time around should give it another watch like I did. Here's why.

I Actually Now Like How They Handled Scorpion And Sub-Zero's Roles In The Film

Anybody who has kept up with the MK mythos over the years knows that series mainstays Scorpion and Sub-Zero have had a... well, let’s just call it an interesting relationship.

In the early years of the franchise, neither was really considered a “good guy,” but Scorpion was usually portrayed as being the worst of the two, with Sub-Zero even getting his own solo game in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero.

In this title, we learned about him being Bi-Han, who wasn’t always a bad guy, but later would become one (or perhaps it is Noob Saibot who is the bad guy). This is in contrast to his brother, Kuai Liang, who is often seen as a heroic Sub-Zero.

Scorpion, on the other hand, was the hellspawn in the early titles, and would later have his story fleshed out to the point where you could actually say that he wasn’t even a bad guy at all. It really all just depended on the timeline (For instance, in Mortal Kombat 1, Kaui Liang is Scorpion).

All of this is to say that the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie goes an interesting route by using an evil Bi-Han version of Sub-Zero. The film starts off with Shogun’s Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion, getting attacked by Bi-Han, which solidifies that Scorpion is not only a heroic figure in this movie, but also a vengeful victim.

I really like this creative approach. I kind of hated it upon my first watch since I’m more of an evil Scorpion kind of guy, However, upon giving the movie another look, I actually prefer that Scorpion has been made into an honorable character, and that they went with an evil Sub-Zero approach (rather than just using Noob Saibot). It works.

I've Come To Accept Cole Young As A Suitable Vehicle To Guide This Story  

When I learned that Lewis Tan was returning as Cole Young for Mortal Kombat 2, I thought, "Oh, God. Why?" That has nothing to do with Lewis Tan as an actor, since I thought he did a good enough job as the character. I just didn’t think that Cole Young was necessary, especially since we’re getting Johnny Cage in the sequel.

However, upon my second viewing of the film, I’ve now come to accept Cole Young as a suitable protagonist. Cole, who has Scorpion as an ancestor, is a good entry-level character into this world.

In previous Mortal Kombat films (And yes, even in the abysmal-but fun!-Mortal Kombat Annihilation), Liu Kang was the central protagonist. However, he isn’t the main character in the 2021 film, which bugged me upon my first viewing.

But now I actually like that they got somebody who isn’t in any of the games. It separates this film from the other Mortal Kombat movies. Not only that, but it also makes the film feel more like a fish out of water story, which was an interesting choice. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, Lewis Tan does a good job with what he’s given. In the end, he was never the problem. It was me.

Kabal Is Freaking Hilarious, And Now I Want A Buddy Movie With Just Him And Kano 

One character who was almost unanimously praised when the film initially released was Kano, who had all of the best lines. Even back then, I thought Kano (Josh Lawson) was a highpoint in a film that I once thought had missed the mark.

However, my new favorite character in the film is Kabal, physically played by Daniel Nelson, but voiced by Damon Herriman. Sure, the fight scenes with him are pretty cool, but what I really love about Kabal is all of his dialogue, especially with Kano, as he sounds like a New Jersian cursing at me on the turnpike. In other words, he sounds totally authentic, and I love every second he’s on the screen.

In fact, I’d love to see a prequel with just him and Kano talking crap about each other and having a running tally of kills, just like Legolas and Gimli in The Lord of the Rings movies. Honestly, I think that’d be a blast.

The Fatalities Are Actually Much Better Than I Remember Them Being  

If Mortal Kombat is known for anything, it’s violence, most notably for its fatalities. The first two live-action Mortal Kombat films were rated PG-13, so they could only go so far when it came to the gore.

Sure, I think they did a serviceable enough job in the first Mortal Kombat movie, but Mortal Kombat Annihilation is such a trainwreck of a film that they couldn’t even get a simple fight scene right, let alone a sanitized fatality. In contrast, the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie does a really good job with the finishing moves.

For one of them, you get Liu Kang’s famous dragon fatality, except rather than turning into a dragon himself, he makes one out of flames to chomp down on Kabal. Then you have Kung Lao’s grisly hat fatality where he slices Nitara in half.

So sure, there aren’t a lot of fatalities in this movie, but the ones that are here are pretty good. In fact, they’re actually much better than I remember them being.

Yeah, Goro Could Be A Bit More Intimidating, But I'm Glad They Got Him In There

There have been many bosses over the years in Mortal Kombat, but when it comes to the most intimidating of them all, I have to go with the mini-boss Goro.

Yes, one might argue that Shao Khan, Onaga or Shinnok are more intimidating, but I honestly think that everybody’s favorite four-armed, Shokan warrior has always been the scariest villain in the franchise.

The original Mortal Kombat movie did a marvelous job of adding in that extra layer of fear for the character, but I originally thought they dropped the ball with Goro in the 2021 movie. That said, upon rewatching the flick, I’m actually glad that they found a way to slip him into the film.

Now granted, he feels more like fan service than as a meaningful character, but sometimes all you really want is a little fan service in your movies. I can’t hate on that.

Ultimately, I'd Rate The 2021 Mortal Kombat Movie As Being A Great Video Game Adaptation That’s Worthy Of The Property 

In the end, I feel like the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie is much better than I remember it being. I still find that it has pacing issues, but I don’t dislike the characters anymore.

I also dig the actual narrative that we received. Cole Young is not a blight against the film like I once thought, but rather an asset given the story that’s being told here. I also really like Scorpion and Sub-Zero’s roles now. They add spice to the MK continuity, which is ostensibly changing all the time.

Is it the perfect Mortal Kombat film? No, but we pretty much already got that back in 1995. That said, is it a worthy movie adaptation to the popular franchise? Abso-freaking-lutely! I didn’t think so before, but I do now.

But, what do you think? For more news on all things Mortal Kombat 2–related, be sure to swing by here often.

Few moviegoing experiences come close to watching a massive action flick on the big screen with a bucket full of popcorn, an overpriced soda, and whatever else you grab from the snack bar. However, over the past few years, we’ve seen a major shift in the way we watch movies, including new action films, in that so many of them go straight to streaming with no theatrical rollout (or a day-and-date release) to speak of. 

It isn’t all bad, as platforms like Netflix, Max, and Prime Video have given us some of the best action movies in recent memory. Here are some great action movies that went straight to streaming and became big hits on the small screen.

Road House (2024)

Though it was expected to land in theaters first, Doug Liman’s Road House remake went straight to streaming for its March 2024 release. Though it would have been great to watch Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor go at it on the big screen, being able to check it out from the comfort of your home on Prime Video wasn’t all that bad. In fact, it was great!

The Ice Road (2021)

Netflix holds it down with the straight-to-streaming action movies thanks to surprisingly fun watches like The Ice Road. Released in 2021, this ‘90s throwback starring Liam Neeson and Amber Midthunder follows a group of truckers on a daring rescue mission to save trapped miners before time runs out.  

The Tomorrow War (2021)

The 2021 Amazon original movie, The Tomorrow War, blends sci-fi, action, and comedy to create a wild cinematic experience with massive battles, time travel, and a lot of heart. In the film, Chris Pratt plays a biology professor and former Green Beret who is transported from 2022 to 2051 to save the world from alien invaders.

Extraction (2020)

One of the best action movies of 2020, Sam Hargrove’s Extraction follows former Australian Army SASR operator Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) as he is sent on a dangerous mission to rescue a drug lord’s son. This Netflix original, which Joe Russo penned, excelled in every possible way and gave us some wild sequences we’re still thinking about four years later.

The Gray Man (2022)

Netflix gave subscribers one of the best action films of 2022 with the release of The Gray Man, a massive spectacle starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans as two trained killers on opposite sides of a worldwide manhunt. Sure, there are some things that don’t work about the Russo brothers’ uber-expensive movie, but those crafty action sequences and that over-the-top performance by the Captain American actor were just so much fun.

The Night Comes For Us (2018)

We’ll probably never get The Raid 3, but Netflix gave us the next best thing in 2018 with the release of The Night Comes for Us. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto, this Indonesian action thriller saw outstanding performances by Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais in a story about a daring mission to rescue a kidnapped girl and one former criminal’s last shot at redemption. Those fight scenes are something else all these years later.

The Suicide Squad (2021)

One of the 2021 Warner Bros. movies released in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad quickly became one of the best comic book movies in recent memory. With multi-faceted characters, bloody action, and a dynamic that feels like Guardians of the Galaxy with an R-rating, there’s just so much to love here.

The Old Guard (2020)

Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Old Guard, a 2020 Netflix adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name, was one of the most refreshing action films to come out during the early months of the pandemic. A story about a group of immortal soldiers fighting their way through time, clever set pieces, and a tremendous cast led by Charlize Theron and KiKi Layne made this one to remember.

My Spy (2020)

Released by Amazon after theaters around the world closed their doors because of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, My Spy saw Dave Bautista play a CIA agent who teams up with a young girl (played by Chloe Coleman) after she catches him spying on her family. Action, blackmail, hilarious conversations, and chemistry shared by its stars all work in My Spy’s favor.

Army Of The Dead (2021)

Zack Snyder went back to the world of horror with his 2021 Netflix original film, Army of the Dead. In the movie, which feels like Ocean’s Eleven with zombies, a group of mercenaries break into the quarantined Las Vegas strip to retrieve a boatload of cash while also trying to survive the legions of undead walking its streets and casinos.

The Harder They Fall (2021)

Jeymes Samuel’s star-studded Western action flick, The Harder They Fall, debuted on Netflix in October 2021 and immediately found an audience with the streamer’s subscriber base. Inspired by real figures of the American West, this story centers around an outlaw as he puts together his old crew to get revenge against a recently released convict and settle an old score.

Prey (2022)

One of the best additions to the Predator franchise, the Hulu original film, Prey, follows a Comanche warrior (played by Amber Midthunder) as she takes on a futuristic alien threat that is determined to wipe out her tribe. Using skills and weapons pioneered by her ancestors, this young yet fierce protector goes to war with the better-equipped predator.

Extraction 2 (2023)

Chris Hemsworth, Sam Hargrave, and Joe Russo returned for more action in Extraction 2 when the highly-anticipated sequel landed on Netflix in 2023. Set not long after the events of the first film, Tyler Rake (Hemsworth) is sent back into the field on what could be his most dangerous, and most personal, mission yet.

Without Remorse (2021)

Based on the Tom Clancy novel of the same name, Stefano Sollima’s 2021 Amazon original, Without Remorse sees Michael B. Jordan take on the role of US Navy Seal John Kelly, aka John Clark, one of the late writer’s most famous characters (second only to Jack Ryan). Following the brutal murder of his pregnant wife, the highly-trained soldier goes on a one-man revenge mission to right the wrongs of the world.

Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

With intense and inventive fight scenes and commanding performances by Karen Gillan, Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett, Lena Headey, and Chloe Coleman, the 2021 Netflix film, Gunpowder Milkshake is a ton of fun. After being tasked with protecting a young child, a lethal assassin turns to her mom and an elite squad of killers to see them through the dark night.

Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)

Those Who Wish Me Dead, a 2021 Warner Bros. movie that landed on HBO Max and in theaters on the same day, follows a troubled smokejumper (played by Angelina Jolie) as she tries to protect a young murder witness being hunted down by two psychotic killers deep in the Montana wilderness. This is a perfect action throwback for a Sunday afternoon.

Dune (2021)

Though it leans more towards science fiction than straight-up action, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is definitely going to do the trick. Released in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously in October 2021, the first part of Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epic novel is one of the most enchanting and awesome movies to come out in years.

Triple Frontier (2019)

With a cast that includes Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Pedro Pascal, Charlie Hunnam, and Garrett Hedlund, a story about a group of former soldiers pulling off a heist deep in South America, and some outrageous action, there’s a lot going for Triple Frontier. This 2019 Netflix action flick from J.C. Chandor has a certain petal-to-the-metal intensity that’s just so much fun to watch.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child Of Fire (2023)

The first part of Zack Snyder’s Netflix sci-fi saga, Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child Of Fire, is very much a space opera in the vein of Star Wars, but this isn’t to say it’s not an action movie, because it is. With a story that feels like something out of an Akira Kurosawa samurai film, and a lovable cast, and Snyder’s unique visual style, there’s a lot to enjoy.

Greyhound (2020)

If you like World War II movies and have an Apple+ subscription, then the Tom Hanks-led 2020 military thriller, Greyhound is going to be something you’ll want to check out. Though much shorter than other films set during the Second World War, this movie spends practically every second of its runtime showcasing awesome battle sequences at sea. Seriously, give it a watch.

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

After a lot of brouhaha, HBO Max became the home of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, aka, the definitive version of the DCEU crossover event, in March 2021. Clocking in at a little over four hours, this director’s cut expanded upon 2017’s Justice League and filled in all the gaps (and then some), giving fans all kinds of never-before-seen footage.

Kate (2021)

With less than 24 hours to live after taking a fatal poison, an experienced assassin (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) decides to use her final day among the living by going after those who harmed her. Cedric Nicolas-Troyan’s Kate landed on Netflix in September 2021 and gave audiences a riveting time with its action sequences, stunning visuals, and all kinds of twists and turns.

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Released by Warner Bros. in 2021, Mortal Kombat landed on HBO Max and in theaters on the same day, which gave millions of people instant access to one of the most violent video game movies ever made. Fan-favorite characters like Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Liu Kang all had great portrayals while also giving us some bloody (and “toasty”) fatalities, which were so cool to watch.

Shotgun Wedding (2023)

It seems like the romantic action-comedy is making a comeback thanks to movies like Shotgun Wedding. Released by Amazon in 2023, the movie follows a soon-to-be-married couple (played by Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel) as their destination wedding turns into a hostage situation. With no one left to save their families from a group of crazed gunmen, the bride and groom go on the attack.

Role Play (2024)

The 2024 Amazon original, Role Play, which sort of has the same premise as True Lies, only the roles have been flipped, follows a secret assassin (played by Kaley Cuoco) as she tries to patch things over with her husband (played by David Oyelowo). However, when a romantic getaway and an intense mission happen at the same place at the same time, things go from bad to worse.

The Killer (2023)

David Fincher’s 2023 Netflix original, The Killer, spends more of its time sitting around and plotting with Michael Fassbender’s assassin than anything else, but there is some wonderful action sprinkled in throughout this book-to-screen adaptation. There’s one scene in particular about halfway through the movie that is more intense than just about every other action film released that year.

Damsel (2024)

If you’re looking for a more fantastical and adventurous action film, then Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s 2024 Netflix movie, Damsel, is going to be a good streaming option for you. The movie follows a young woman named Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown) as she discovers that the only reason she’s marrying a prince is to pay back an ancient debt. With freedom on her mind, the fearless heroine attempts to make a daring escape.

Black Widow (2021)

After a series of delays, Black Widow was finally released in July 2021, at which time it debuted in theaters and on Disney+ (through the Premier Access program). Set between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War on the MCU timeline, the Scarlet Johannsson-led comic book movie focused more on action than superheroes, though there were plenty of acts of heroism to go around.

6 Underground (2019)

In 2019, Michael Bay teamed up with Netflix to release 6 Underground, an action thriller about a group of vigilantes that carry out a plot to depose a tyrannical dictator after faking their deaths. You’ll feel right at home if you’re a fan of Bay’s previous work, even more so if you’re a big Ryan Reynolds fan.

Infinite (2021)

Antoine Fuqua’s 2021 Paramount+ original film, Infinite, centers on Evan McCauley (Mark Wahlberg), a man who finds himself on an unforgettable journey after he begins to experience memories that are not his own. Teaming up with a group of mysterious warriors, Evan sets out to make sense of the madness and find out who’s behind it all.

Enola Holmes (2021)

Millie Bobby Brown’s 2021 Netflix action-adventure film, Enola Holmes, offers a new approach to the world of Sherlock Holmes (played by Henry Cavill in this case). The Stranger Things star’s portrayal of the younger sister of the world’s greatest detective is nothing short of magical, as are the multiple action set pieces peppered throughout the movie.

Red Notice (2021)

In 2021, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot teamed up for the thrilling Netflix original action flick, Red Notice. In a movie where you don’t know who or what to believe, three unlikely characters team up with and betray each other while attempting to get to the bottom of a centuries-old mystery and locate a priceless treasure.

Though a lot of these movies would have been great to experience on the biggest screen possible, it has been nice being able to watch them over and over again from the comfort of our own homes.

Since Walt Disney graced the silver screen with its first animated feature film Snow White, the studio's name has been synonymous with princesses. From the 1930s to the 2020s, Disney has released a distinguished collection of 13 films that contribute to the Disney Princess legacy and rank among the best in Disney animation movies. This royal roster of films, which we have ranked, includes Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, and Raya, who each add their flavor of charm and adventure to the rich tapestry of Disney's kingdom.

Known for their determination and strong will, these princesses captivate audiences worldwide. Yet, a thought-provoking question raised by social media has led to lively discussions: what if these cherished characters competed in a Mortal Kombat-style tournament? This fascinating proposition has ignited passionate debates and people have some strong feelings.

This brutal but fun thought experiment has sparked an intense debate on X (formerly Twitter), with fans passionately arguing which princess would come out on top in this unlikely battle royale. The question, originally posed by user @alexjaymo with an accompanying image of the princesses ready for combat, read:

The X community swiftly reacted with thoughtful analysis and playful forecasts. @SongbirdN7 promptly highlighted Mulan's remarkable military accomplishments.

Disney fan @CinnaWinnaa pointed out how one princess may have a mutant ability-level advantage. The wrote:

X user @CeeReddTine broke down the fighting prowess of each Princess even further. They commented:

While much of the discussion focused on superpowered characters like Elsa or characters like Mulan who had battle experience, some Disney enthusiasts wanted their beloved princesses to be included in the conversation. Fan @big_dicked_dan chimed in, urging fans not to overlook his favorite Disney star:

Echoing the sentiment for underdog champions, @hafizha_anisa threw their support behind Rapunzel and her unconventional weapon of choice. The wrote:

Like a cold bucket of water, @ivan_3690 provided a thorough ranking, which should settle any further arguments. They suggested:

There isn't a definitive answer, but by my count, Elsa and Mulan are the favorite characters to win. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and favorite princess. 

Don't get me wrong—I'm not exactly pitching Disney Princesses throwing down with Mortal Kombat legends like Scorpion or Liu Kang as one of the five things I’d like to see in the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2. But imagine the spectacle? It's not the strangest thing the franchise has seen. After all, we've seen Megan Fox join the MK universe. So, in the world of Mortal Kombat, it's safe to say "never say never."

Still, something tells me Bob Iger and those in charge over at Camp Mickey might not be too keen on letting our beloved princesses enter the Mortal Kombat arena. So, for now, fans longing for a dose of princess power will have to make do with rewatching their favorite flicks. Thankfully, they’re all just a click away if you have a Disney+ subscription. 

There is currently no release date for Mortal Kombat 2, though speculation has it that it will more than likely land on the 2024 movie release schedule. If there are any updates, we will let you know. 

The Mortal Kombat reboot movie didn’t have a massively successful box office due to a global pandemic, but it was super successful on Max-- as the movie was given a sequel in fairly short order following the release of the original. Now fans are one step closer to the new entry in the franchise, as principal photography has officially wrapped.

MK2 producer Todd Garner took to Twitter to announce to fans that the film has wrapped production. He is very high on the film, clearly believing the team has made something people will love. The Mortal Kombat 2 release date hasn’t yet been revealed, so fans have no idea when the movie will actually arrive, but it will now enter what will apparently be a significant post-production phase. Garner said…

Garner certainly appears to know his audience. The demand for a trailer from a highly anticipated new movie can get insane at times, with fans demanding to know when they’ll get a first look at the movie they’re excited about. Mortal Kombat 2 is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming video game movies. With filming just wrapped, the vast majority of the movie likely hasn’t touched post-production, and with a movie that is expected to be full of visual effects, as Garner says, it’s going to take some time for a trailer to be ready.

Of course, the trailer will possibly be in even more demand for Mortal Kombat 2 for the simple reason that we may not even know what the movie is about until that trailer is released. The plot is a total mystery. Though it’s certainly possible that the story will surround the Mortal Kombat tournament. The games are all about a tournament fight to the death with the fate of the universe hanging in the balance. However, the first film technically didn’t include any such tournament. 

The one major new addition in Mortal Kombat 2 that we are aware of is including a fan-favorite character, Johnny Cage. Cage was the most prominent character from the Mortal Kombat games who did not appear in the film. While several stars expressed interest in the role, Karl Urban joined the Mortal Kombat 2 cast as the Hollywood action star turned Kombatant. 

It seems unlikely Mortal Kombat 2 will become part of the 2024 movie release schedule, as post-production of movies like this can take a year or more. Still, a late 2024 release is possible, so we'll just have to wait and see.

While video game movies have historically failed to impress audiences, the subgenre has been experiencing a bit of a renaissance lately. Titles like Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog released and became some of the best video game movies, and the new Mortal Kombat movie also impressed those with a Max subscription. A sequel is currently filming, and a fan favorite villain from the games might have recently been revealed.

What we know about Mortal Kombat 2 is fairly limited, but the generations of fans are eager to see what fighters get in on the fun for the sequel. After some strike-related issues, Mortal Kombat's sequel is back filming. Producer Todd Garner tweeted out an image from the set, which has led some fans to thinking that the magical villain Quan-Chi might factor into the next chapter. Check it out below: 

Well, I'm intrigued. While this isn't an official confirmation for Quan-Chi, the character's super white complexion has fans thinking that the evil wizard might joining the bloody fun of Mortal Kombat 2. We'll just have to wait for more information from the studio. 

Mortal Kombat 2 is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming video game movies, and little teases like this should only help to buoy fan excitement for that project. There are ton of characters from the games for the filmmakers to pull from, and Quan-Chi does seem like an excellent choice, as he's one of the franchise's most iconic villains. 

After a few small appearances, Quan-Chi became a main character in the video game franchise in 2002's Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, making one half of the titular team-up. He worked with his fellow magic evildoer Shang Tsung, and managed to kill the hero Liu Kang prior to that game's events. It's a truly iconic chapter of the game series, and Quan-Chi has been a playable character in most of the games that followed. That includes being a DLC character in the most recent game Mortal Kombat 1 alongside Invincible's Omni-Man. 

There are a number of things that Mortal Kombat fans want to see in the live-action sequel, and seeing he Deadly Alliance come together would definitely be thrilling. The original movie functioned as more of a prequel, as the tournament didn't actually happen throughout its runtime. That's expected to be what goes down in the follow-up, including new fighters like Karl Urban's Johnny Cage. As such, Quan-Chi doesn't seem totally out of the question. We'll just have to see if this fan theory comes to fruition. 

Mortal Kombat 2 doesn't have a release date, but it's expected to get a full theatrical release. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Video game movies have had a storied history in theaters, many of which were infamous flops. But the past few years have brought a few successful titles including Sonic the Hedgehog, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Warner Bros.' R-Rated Mortal Kombat flick. A sequel is on the way for the latter project, and a new set photo from Mortal Kombat 2 seemingly teases a rematch for two beloved fighters: Scorpion and Sub-Zero. 

What we know about the sequel is limited, but fans were thrilled to see the Mortal Kombat 2 cast resume filming after production was paused due to the strikes. Producer Todd Garner recently posted on Twitter from the movie's set, and even the most casual fan will recognize Scorpion's signature spear weapon pictured. Check it out below: 

Alexa, cue the Mortal Kombat theme song. Scorpion is back, presumably with actor Hiroyuki Sanada reprising his role in the process. Exactly how he factors into the forthcoming story remains a mystery, but I have to assume that he'll one again be facing off against Joe Taslim's Sub-Zero. That is, unless the latter actor transforms into another character in the sequel.

For my money, the 2021 Mortal Kombat is one of the best video game movies, as it's a fairly accurate depiction of the ultra-violent video game series. While the pair of '90s movies were fun as a kid, the violence was toned down. But the newest Mortal Kombat movie included some gross fatalities that pleased the generations of fans out there. 

Scorpion and Sub-Zero have had a long rivalry in the games, and serve as the primary mascots of the MK series as a whole. The 2021 movie was no exception, but Mortal Kombat's ending saw Scorpion come out on top, killing Sub-Zero in the process. Fans of the games will know that Bi-Han typically becomes Noob Saibot after his death in the games, so perhaps that'll happen in the sequel. Only time will tell.

Mortal Kombat 2 is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming video game movies coming down the line, especially after how well received its predecessor was. The 2021 movie came at the height of the pandemic, and its successful release on HBO Max (now just Max) came at a time when folks weren't going to movie theaters. And as such, it should be interesting to see how Mortal Kombat 2 performs at the box office.

With filming now resuming, we should be getting more peaks from the set and hopefully an idea about what Mortal Kombat 2 is going to bringing to the table. The first movie never actually made it to the titular tournament, focusing in many ways like a prequel. And the filmmakers have an opportunity to bring some fan favorite characters that haven't been seen yet, including Karl Urban's Johnny Cage.

Mortal Kombat 2 doesn't currently have a release date. Be sure to check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

In a recent update on Mortal Kombat 2, producer Todd Garner clarified the movie's filming schedule. Contrary to earlier reports, he has definitively stated that production is set to recommence sooner than initially indicated, because with the strike's conclusion, productions previously on hold, including Mortal Kombat 2, are now gearing up to resume filming.

Recently, a post on Discussing Film's X account claimed that the live-action Minecraft movie and Mortal Kombat 2 were set to begin filming in early 2024. However, Garner promptly intervened to dispel these rumors, clarifying the film's production timeline. In a direct response on X (formerly Twitter), the producer emphatically stated:

This latest information solidifies that the video game adaptation is set to kick off production soon now that the strike is over. It emphasizes the project's significance, clearly signaling that it is being treated as a prominent and highly prioritized upcoming release.

Filming on the fighter sequel commenced in June 2023, but it encountered a temporary setback due to the actors' strike. However, with the recent tentative agreement between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP studios, indications suggest that the movie's production is poised to recommence. Garner's remarks hint at a restart in late 2023, paving the way for an imminent official announcement regarding the project's revamp.

While specifics about Mortal Kombat 2 are still somewhat elusive, fans hungry for updates on the movie now have reason to celebrate. The highly anticipated sequel to the 2021 adaptation of the intense fighting game series is set to undergo a significant transformation, with the addition of Karl Urban to the cast in the role of Johnny Cage. According to its screenwriter, the fan-favorite character was left out of the first movie because it already featured Josh Lawson’s Kano. This introduction of the iconic fighter promises to distinguish the upcoming movie from its predecessor, where the central character was the original creation, Cole Young, portrayed by Lewis Tan. The latest installment is poised to deliver a faithful adaptation, focusing on more familiar game characters and setting the stage for an engaging cinematic experience.

In recent years, movies based on video games have begun to find traction. And while not a box-office smash, when the first MK was released, the viewing numbers for Mortal Kombat on HBO Max were big enough to garner a sequel.

It's worth noting that Moon Knight head writer Jeremy Slater took the reins for the sequel, stepping into the shoes previously occupied by Greg Russo and David Callaham. Simon McQuoid, who directed the reboot, is also set to return for the second installment.

While awaiting the sequel's release, take a trip back to 2021's Mortal Kombat with a Max (formerly HBO Max) subscription. Additionally, ensure you're well-informed about the latest 2023 movie releases and indulge in a review of the most mind-blowing kills from the previous Mortal Kombat installment.

Honestly, if a fighting game has been adapted into a feature film, I'll not only watch it but probably end up unabashedly loving it as well. Don't judge me! I've already pitted Street Fighter against the original Mortal Kombat. Hell, I've even recommended multiple MK movies, since I also talked up the laughably bad MK: Annihilation.    

Look, Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat are great and all, but I'd love to see some of my other favorite fighting game franchises get film adaptations. These are all worthy IPs and could certainly entertain the masses. Let's talk about these five particular series.

Killer Instinct  

Developed by Rare, the same company behind bangers like Donkey Kong Country, Perfect Dark and Goldeneye, Killer Instinct was always one of the coolest (and loudest) fighting games in the arcade. Structured around combos, it wasn't entirely uncommon to see somebody bust out a 100-hit combo ("Ultra! Ultra! Ultra!...), at the end of a second round.  

The game also had a plethora of amazing characters. You had Sabrewulf, who looked like he stepped right out of one of the Underworld movies (which we've ranked), a ninja, a boxer, a freaking alien, a dude literally on fire, a robot, an assassin lady, an indigenous chief, a skeleton man and a dinosaur -- because why the hell not?

There was also an arguably not-as-good sequel released in 1996 that took the series back in time, and then it lay dormant for YEARS until 2013. That's when it came roaring back on the Xbox One. There were familiar favorites in the title but also insane new characters over multiple seasons, including a rage ghost named Hisako, who could stand alongside even the scariest creatures horror cinema can offer. 

There have been Killer Instinct comics and, funny enough, an unrelated movie bearing the same name came out in 1992. Said film is about a lawyer who's having an affair with a District Attorney's niece. But of course, that's a far cry from what we're discussing here.

I’d love to see this game get a movie -- one starring Tony Jaa as Jago. Story-wise, the series is all over the place, but a lot of it centers around the malfeasance of a mega corporation called Ultratech. (Sure, whatever.) Can we just see some massive combos performed by live actors on the big screen, already? That’s all I want.

Soulcalibur   

Formerly Soul Edge, and then Soul Blade, the Soul series (not to be confused with the Soulsborne genre) really hit its stride with Soulcalibur, which hit arcades in 1998 and had an amazing port on the Sega Dreamcast. 

The series has since had a number of sequels and spin-offs, but the last game to come out was the polarizing Soulcalibur VI back in 2018. So we fans of “the brave new stage of history” have kind of been left out to dry. Meanwhile, Bandai Namco’s other fighting game franchise (a some little known series called Tekken, which has been adapted at Netflix) has a brand new game dropping in the near future. What the hell, Bandai Namco?

Yet I guess sales for Soulcalibur VI weren't great, which sucks since this is an awesome franchise. The series can best be described as historical fantasy, as it's set in the past and sees people from different locations around the world fighting over a sentient blade called Soulcalibur (hence the title). The characters are collectively a really bizarre lot, with there being everything from a typical samurai (Mitsurugi) to a blind leather daddy with claws (Voldo). There's even Link from the Legend of Zelda series (which I also want to get a film).  

And here’s what really sucks. At one point, there was actually supposed to be a Soulcalibur movie. There was once even a teaser for it, though it’s now a site for Lomi Lomi massages of all things. But as you can see, we never got said movie and may never get it. Hell, this franchise hasn't even received an anime. No fun!    

Virtua Fighter  

Unlike Soulcalibur, which looks like it might be dead, Virtua Fighter is still kicking… sort of. I’ll explain. The popular Sega fighting franchise was revolutionary upon its release back in 1993, as no other fighting game looked like it at the time. More importantly, no other fighting game played like it at the time (or even today). 

Unlike its contemporary Tekken, which came out in 1994, VF focused more on realistic combat. (Well, except for when characters jumped, as it looked like they were on another planet with low gravity.) 

There are multiple titles and spin-offs in this franchise, but the last game in the series, Virtua Fighter 5, came out all the way back in 2006. It only received updates ahead of the release of best version of the game, Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown in 2010, which has received subsequent updates itself on the newer consoles (Though, no rollback netcode).

Honestly, one of the reasons why I would love this series get a movie is because I have no idea what the story actually is. Yes, there was an anime starring series mainstay, Akira, but even it seemed content with focusing more on the awesome combat than the actual story from what I’ve seen of it. 

I’d actually like these characters, like Kage-Maru, and Wolf, and Jeffry, who are all in the anime, to be fleshed out (and presented in live-action!), since they’re my favorites. But really, maybe we should be focusing more of our energies on getting a VF6 first. I still want it, Sega!   

Guilty Gear  

HEAVEN OR HELL! Guilty Gear is one of the most unique fighting games out there, so it would be really cool to get a live-action film version of it. The main protagonist is a bounty hunter named Sol Badguy, who is a huge fan of the band Queen (And yes, I mean the band who gave us “Bohemian Rhapsody.”) He’s not much of a hero, but he’s in a world that doesn’t really call for them. He dwells in a post-apocalyptic landscape where magic has basically supplanted technology. The characters are some of the weirdest you will ever find in any series (Bedman, anyone?), which just makes it all the cooler.   

There have been many Guilty Gear titles and spin-offs, with the most recent game, 2021’s Strive, really bringing attention to the series, especially at competitions like EVO. Like all Arc System Works offerings, this game really provides eye-popping visuals and really rocking music. So it would be awesome to see all of that brought to the big screen with real-life actors. My only question is, who’s playing Bridget? 

There have been novelizations of the series, and the story modes of some of these games are like an anime. But there still hasn’t been a movie based on it. (Though, there is an anime series based on BlazBlue, which is often considered a spiritual successor to GG.)

Bloody Roar  

And lastly, to be filed under the “never gonna happen” category is a live-action movie for one of my favorite, ostensibly forgotten fighters, Bloody Roar. Created by Hudson Soft, the story can get a little convoluted, but the premise is simple. People can turn into animals. (Do you remember Animorphs?) Well, BR pretty much what would happen if that series was turned into fighting game -- but with copious amounts of blood.

Here’s the thing. I would really love a live-action version of Bloody Roar because, unlike some of the other games on this list that might be dead, I’m pretty sure this IP is DEAD dead. We haven’t gotten a new title in the series since the fourth installment hit in 2003.

But if a new movie was made, maybe that could reinvigorate the franchise. There have been manga written about the story, which can get a little kooky, but that’s about it. A live-action movie would be nice, don’t you think? 

And that’s the list. Look, if Dead or Alive can get a live-action movie, then I don’t see why these games can’t get them, too. Let's cross our fingers and toes that at least some of these ideas come to fruition.   

When it comes to her recent career activities, Megan Fox has been a bit of a renaissance woman. Ms. Fox has a poetry book on the way, as well as her action-packed return to theaters with Expend4bles hitting later this month. But before either of those hit, she’ll be making her debut in the Mortal Kombat universe, and Fox has now shared why she’s so amped to be playing the role of Nitara in the new video game Mortal Kombat 1.

A sort of loose reboot of the WB Games continuity, Megan Fox has now been revealed as providing her voice and likeness to a character that we saw debut in 2002’s Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Described by the actor as “a type of vampire creature,” the Jennifer’s Body icon feels that this anti-heroic role resonates with her for that very reason. 

But when it came to being part of this iconic gaming universe, Fox cited these components of her new role as her favorite challenges: 

It looks like Megan’s support of Diablo IV’s marketing was just a warmup for her entry into the world of current era gaming. Though further along in her interview, she does admit to being stoked by the fact that she’s now part of such a series as the Mortal Kombat saga. 

Footage has been revealed of Megan Fox’s interpretation of Nitara from Mortal Kombat 1, which marks yet another variant of the character in the franchise’s modern era. Fans of the 2021 Warner Bros. movie will be quick to note that the character was also featured in the cinematic realm of this famed interdimensional fighting tournament. 

That version of the role was played by actor Mel Jarnson, which only further highlights the multiversal approach the Mortal Kombat world is currently embracing. In terms of how the next game will handle Nitara, you can get a glimpse at what to expect through the official clip shared below:

Watching the Megan Fox variant of Nitara in action, I have to say I’m even more excited about where this new timeline could lead. Perhaps Mortal Kombat 1 is a possible first step in eventually pitting Megan’s version of the character against Mel Jarnson’s cinematic interpretation. If Kano and Sub-Zero can come back from the dead for Mortal Kombat 2, anything truly is possible if the writers want it to happen.

Players can test their might with Megan Fox’s Nitara in Mortal Kombat 1, which is set to be unleashed on September 19th. In the world of cinema, Fox can be seen with the cast of Expend4bles as it takes the stage of the 2023 movie release schedule starting September 22nd.

MORTAL KOMBAT! The year is 2023, and we’re not really sure when Mortal Kombat 2 is coming out. We just know that it is coming, and that Karl Urban will be in it as Johnny Cage.

Honestly, even though the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie did well at the box office, I wasn’t the biggest fan of it. I even wrote about how I’d much rather watch the 1995 Mortal Kombat over the then-new version. That said, as an old-school fan, I have five hopes for this sequel, which I want to voice right now.      

Can We Get An Actual Tournament This Time Around, Please? 

One thing I wasn’t too fond about with the reboot was that the quest kind of seemed a little aimless to me. Having played all of the games, I know that the story can sometimes go into strange new territories. But, when it came to the middling Mortal Kombat reboot, the story seemed to be even more unfocused.    

It might have been because we got a brand new character in Cole Young who was being hunted by Sub-Zero. The big reveal that Cole shared ancestry with Scorpion just…well, it didn’t make much sense, and it seemed a little silly. 

Granted, the property, overall, has always been kind of silly, but the one thing that usually ties all of the silliness together is the tournament aspect. Now, there kind of was a tournament aspect in 2021’s movie, but it happened BEFORE the events of the film. I want the tournament to take place during the movie. Just think of the 1995 flick as an example. 

Sure, in the earliest titles in the series, the storyline was a lot more simplified, and didn’t really have all of the wars with elder gods going on. But that 1995 movie actually featured the tournament. That’s what I want in this sequel. Just make it a tournament. Because, really, who doesn’t like a good tournament movie?  

A Little Less Of The New Character, And More Focus On The Mainstays  

Okay, no offense to Lewis Tan, who played newcomer Cole Young, but, can we perhaps get a little less of him and more of the series mainstays? I’m happy that we’re getting Johnny Cage this time around, but I’d actually prefer even more familiar characters in addition to him.

We’ve already learned that another sequel character is making an appearance, but honestly, I want almost the entire movie to be focused on the characters I already know and love, and a little less on Cole, who took up a lot of story time in the last movie. 

I don’t want this to turn into a who’s who mess like Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (which is bad, but I’ll still defend it), where almost every MK character under the sun made an appearance. I’d like more of a balance. Keep Cole, but maybe add meaningful subplots concerning characters like Johnny Cage, or Sonya Blade. Is that too much to ask?          

Meaningful Fatalities  

It wouldn’t be MK without fatalities, right? We got some gruesome ones in the 2021 remake (Kung Lao’s was a variation from the game). Here’s the problem I have with them, though. They didn’t feel meaningful. When Nitara gets cut up by Kung Lao, we, as the audience, don’t care. She was a throwaway character. Her death felt meaningless.

I’ll give you an example of the opposite. Remember how people were outraged by Glenn’s death in The Walking Dead? Granted, the death was in the comics, and a lot of people knew some version of it was coming, but I can’t even tell you the amount of people I’ve heard say that they stopped watching after that moment. His death was meaningful because people LOVED Glenn. When he died, it was too much for some fans to handle, and they gave up on the show completely.  

In the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie, we get a little bit of this as well. In the first few minutes of the movie, Liu Kang has a dream where his brother is murdered by Shang Tsung, and it’s very effective. Sure, we don’t see his spine getting ripped out or anything like that, but the character’s death matters to us since it matters to our protagonist. 

I think MK2 movie could really get us invested in one of the characters (Say, Johnny Cage, perhaps?) only to have him ripped apart by a really gruesome fatality. If the audience likes his character (unlike the one who died within seconds in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation), then that could be a real gut punch.        

A Slew Of Characters From The 3D Era  

We don’t quite know the entire cast of this sequel, but we do know that it will have King Jerrod (played by Desmond Chiam) in it. We also know that Quan Chi (Damon Herriman) will be in the movie. When it comes to the rest (so far), it looks like we’ll only be getting early roster MK characters, like Sindel, Noob Saibot, Jade, and Shao Khan, just to name a few in this movie.

Fine. I don’t mind the early MK characters. That said, could we please also get some from the 3D era? I’m talking Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Deception, and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. 

What was weird about the last movie was that it featured Nitara, who made her first appearance in Deadly Alliance. But, like, why? It didn’t make much sense, because the rest of the roster was mainly characters from MK 1-3 (remember, it had Kabal in it). I mean, I’m not complaining that Nitara was in it. In fact, I want even more 3D-era characters in this movie that we don’t know about. I already mentioned King Jerrod, but he’s a cameo character who’s really more mentioned for story purposes. 

So, what I want is fighters from the 3D era, like Frost, or Bo’Rai Cho, or Ashrah. A lot of the new 3D era characters are kind of wack (Darrius, anyone?), but I feel like all anybody really cares about when it comes to the movies is the early era, while the 3D era gets largely forgotten. Why? 

A Little More Humor And Personality This Time Around  

Lastly, and I don't think anybody will disagree with me, but Kano (Josh Lawson, who improvised some one-liners) was the best character in the last movie. Do you want to know why he was so good? It's pretty obvious. The reason was because he actually had a personality!  

I mean, it's not like the other characters DIDN'T have personalities, but they were so subdued that it didn’t feel like they did. The first movie definitely seemed like it was more concerned with establishing the new MK universe, and separating itself from the earlier movies, and I often think that was to its detriment. 

As I mentioned earlier, yes Annihilation is a train wreck, but the one reason why I've seen it multiple times is because the characters are all so goofy. Nightwolf shouts about animalities in the night, and Sindel's actress has the worst line reading ever.    

Sure, a lot of my enjoyment of that movie comes from just how bad it is. But, the characters are also all engaging in their badness, which makes me always come back for more. Same with the first movie. Honestly, when I re-watched 2021's Mortal Kombat, it genuinely put me to sleep. When you strip away all of the special effects and you actually focus on the characters, it really is kind of bland, save for Kano and Kabal, and really, that shouldn't be. So, more personality, and less world-building in this sequel, please. Make it happen!

If you’re also an old-school MK fan, what would you like to see in the sequel? For all things Mortal Kombat 2-related, make sure to swing by here often!  

Get ready to kick some serious virtual butt, because the hype train for the sequel to 2021's Mortal Kombat reboot is reaching epic levels. With the fighter flick reportedly gearing up to start filming in Australia, we've got an arsenal of exciting news that will make any fan jump with joy. So far, we've gotten a taste of fan favorite Johnny Cage being embodied by the always great Karl Urban and know of the additions of OG Kombat baddies Jade, Shao Kahn, and Sindel. Now, fans of the hit video game franchise-turned-film series are buzzing with excitement over the major reveal of another "Klassic" character that we're set to see in the follow-up, thanks to a tease dropped on social media by one of the producers of the upcoming movie. 

Producer Todd Garner set Twitter ablaze with a tantalizing photo that has MK fanbase frantic with excitement. The image showcases a casting chair from the set of the video game adaptation, and it's no ordinary name that graces it. Brace yourselves, gamers and action movie lovers alike, because it's none other than the iconic "Baraka"! This fan-favorite character is known for his menacing presence and brutal fighting style. Feast your eyes on the embedded post below to join in on the excitement:

MK enthusiasts will instantly recognize Baraka as the fierce, frightening and utterly unpredictable Outworld warrior who first appeared in the second installment of the beloved arcade game. The character serves Emperor Shao Kahn, who was confirmed for the fighting flick and is set to be played by cast newcomer Martyn Ford. Baraka belongs to a nomadic mutant race known as the Tarkata, who inhabit the barren wastelands of Outworld. With his sharpened blades protruding from his forearms and a sinister grin permanently etched on his face, Baraka quickly became an iconic figure in the MK universe. He's mostly beloved for his savage nature and unforgettable fatalities. 

If the social media response is to be believed, people are beyond excited about this bit of news. One user by the name @ZacsNotDead responded with his love for the Tarkatan fighter, writing:

For user @BrownQuincy, adding Baraka to the roster of characters was all they needed to get pumped about the sequel. According to their response, they share in @ZacsNotDead's excitement to go:

The fan account Mortal Kombat Addict is a bit more focused on the attire the fighter might be wearing. For this user, the two "Klassic" looks, which you can see below, are all they're interested in:

While a recent cast photo also shared by Garner had everyone focused on Karl Urban’s Cage haircut, one Twitter user thinks they spotted the actor set to play the bladed combatant. Honestly, @FutureBoyWho2 makes a pretty good argument, which you can check out below:

Plot details for Mortal Kombat 2 remain under wraps, leaving us in the dark about how Baraka fits into the story (theoretically as one of the antagonists opposing Earthrealm's defenders). However, with Todd Garner teasing that the production has already begun or starting soon, we can likely expect answers about the villain's role to surface soon. While the sequel's release date is yet to be announced, stay tuned for updates on the project's progress. In the meantime, check out the schedule of 2023 new movie releases for a glimpse into this year's cinematic landscape. You can also relive the most insane kills from the previous MK while you wait.

The last Mortal Kombat movie, which rebooted the franchise, wasn’t a massive blockbuster by traditional standards. However, as one of the first movies to be released by Warner Bros. under its pandemic-era plan to launch movies in theaters and on HBO Max, that’s not really a surprise. The movie was considered successful enough for the studio to greenlight a sequel. Fans are quite excited, especially with a cast photo that confirms that Karl Urban is on board to play Johnny Cage, and he looks great.

Last month, it was reported that Karl Urban was in talks to take on the role of Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2. While nothing had come out in the weeks since indicating those talks had fallen apart, this photo, posted by producer Todd Garner, essentially acted as an official confirmation that Urban is officially on board. He posted a picture of the cast at a restaurant for dinner. Fans are, for the most part, loving the idea of Urban as Cage, but they also can’t get over how he looks. Check it out. 

The hair seems to be the thing that's catching a lot of MK2 fans. Not only has Urban ditched his beard, which he’s had on screen for the last few years in the cast of The Boys, but his hair has highlights. It's perfect for Johnny Cage but a bit unusual for Karl Urban. But generally speaking, fans are on board and are excited to see where this goes. Comments on the post include… 

• Karl Urban rocking the highlights for Johnny Cage... yeah, I could see that
• Holy shit it’s weird to see Karl Urban without a full beard lol. But I know he’s gonna kill it as JC!
• Karl Urban as Johnny Cage is perfect.
• Johnny Cage is my main! I hope and want Karl to get this right. Im sure it’ll be good. I am very interested in how Karl Urban will portray Johnny! I was one of the people praying for The Miz but I’m stoked for this movie and can’t wait!

Johnny Cage is a Hollywood actor who gets involved in the mystical fight to the death that is the Mortal Kombat tournament. He’s the most popular character from the games who did not appear in the previous film, and the Mortal Kombat ending made it clear the plan was for the character to arrive in the sequel. After that, many wondered just who would get the call to portray the famed character.

Several actors from Josh Harnett to WWE’s The Miz pitched themselves as Cage. While a few of the comments here make it clear Urban would not have been their choice. Most seem to either be very excited, or at the very least willing to wait and see how Urban does in the role. 

I don't know about you, but I'm excited to see how the actor puts his spin on Johnny Cage and continues to sport that A+ hair. As of right now, a release date for Mortal Kombat 2 has yet to be announced, but let's hope it manages to make its way to the 2024 movie schedule.

Ahead of the next Mortal Kombat movie reportedly getting ready to start filming in Australia next month, one of the video game franchise’s longtime heroines has reportedly been cast. Jade, who has been a mainstay in the series since her first appearance in Mortal Kombat II, will follow suit in the upcoming movie, and Tati Gabrielle is apparently in “final negotiations” to play her. 

Gabrielle is notably a series regular in Netflix series You, along with starring alongside Tom Holland in last year’s Uncharted movie. Per The Hollywood Reporter, she’s now up for another video game movie with the Mortal Kombat 2 role of Jade. The news comes two weeks after Karl Urban was said to be cast as Johnny Cage in the action flick. 

The 27-year-old American actress first found a recurring role on CW’s The 100 in 2017 before becoming among the main cast of Netflix teen horror series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina as Prudence Blackwood for four seasons. She also voiced the role of Willow Park in Disney animated series The Owl House and was part of Netflix’s heist series Kaleidoscope, which can be watched in multiple orders. 

Jade was previously featured in live-action through the 1997 Mortal Kombat sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, where Siberian supermodel Irina Pantaeva played her. The character iconically wears a green bodysuit/armor and can be a very powerful playable fighter for players of Mortal Kombat games. She is notably the lifelong friend of Princess Kitana, who we also expect to be cast. Both Jade and Kitana are high on our list for Mortal Kombat fighters who need to be featured in the R-rated sequel. 

The second Mortal Kombat movie is set to be once again directed by Simon McQuoid after the 2021 movie became a hit. The prior movie came out at a time when Warner Bros was releasing movies in theaters and for those with HBO Max subscriptions on the same day. Despite that business model in place and the COVID-19 conditions at the time stunting theatrical success, it had a relatively big box office debut weekend. While critics were mixed on the flick, fans were here for it overall.  

Mortal Kombat 2 will be filmed from a screenplay by Jeremy Slater, who wrote scripts for The Umbrella Academy and Marvel’s Moon Knight series. The movie will also once again be backed by James Wan as a producer. It’ll be exciting to see how Jade gets adapted, along with what other new characters join the Mortal Kombat cast in the coming weeks. 

Movies and television series based on video games have famously been difficult to adapt and had mixed results, but recently there’s been some bigger wins for video game adaptations between HBO’s incredible The Last of Us series and The Super Mario Bros. Movie becoming 2023’s biggest hit yet. How will the Mortal Kombat sequel do? Stay tuned to fine out!

While a horror icon through and through, Ash Williams is the kind of everyman character that one might think would be easy to squeeze into just about any franchise. Perhaps that's why Mortal Kombat fans have long campaigned to see the "groovy" hero appear in the franchise, with the latest rumors tied to hopes that he'll be playable in the upcoming Mortal Kombat 12. Well, Bruce Campbell just shared his thoughts on the possibility of Ash crossing over into that game's universe, and wasn't cryptic in the slightest about how he felt about it. 

You won't see Ash Williams in Evil Dead Rise, even if you may hear him if you listen hard enough, and fans apparently won't see him holding his own in Mortal Kombat 12, either. Bruce Campbell dashed the hopes of any fighting-game enthusiasts with chainsaw dreams, and flat-out rejected the idea of Ash appearing in non-Evil Dead video games (or any other franchises, it sounds like) during an interview with AV Club. In his words:

Bruce Campbell is receptive to the idea of bringing iconic characters from other horror franchises into the world of Evil Dead, but he's not into the business venture of loaning Ash out to other games. Campbell didn't expound on that thought specifically, but one would imagine that he's intent on keeping the universe's creative tangents fall under the guidance of Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, and a possible lack of trust in giving another company the rights to do what they want with Ash. Campbell probably doesn't care as much about taking a shit on Jason or Freddy in the Dead-verse so long as Ash is the one doing the squatting.

Bruce Campbell's stance of being protective of Ash is perhaps surprising, especially given the willingness of brands to cross-promote in gaming. Fortnite is a game that practically runs on promotions and has skins for multiple characters from franchises like Deadpool to Will Smith's Mike Lowery from Bad Boys. But Campbell is more old school than any of that, and doesn't have a need to see Ash taking on every other hero in pop culture. 

What fans of Mortal Kombat want is not so uncommon, but obviously, Campbell is free to have his opinion. That's not to say his opinion will never change, but it'd probably take another version of Campbell to convince him. 

This may be the most disappointing news for Evil Dead fans since Bruce Campbell officially retired as Ash Williams on the live-action front. The character's run concluded after Starz opted not to continue the much-beloved Ash vs. Evil Dead. As such, one of the only ways people are able to see the character anymore is by checking out the Evil Dead movies on streaming and/or putting one's gaming skills to use in last year's Evil Dead video game, which features the as-of-now final Ash performance from the Burn Notice vet. 

If Ash Williams isn't allowed in other video games, and Bruce Campbell is done playing the character in live-action, it may be time for fans to accept the character is just officially retired. Then again, Campbell did specifically mention the idea of doing more video games, and people always change their minds in Hollywood. Hell, we're living in a world where Hugh Jackman is returning to play Wolverine after a near-perfect exit for the character, so I'd like to believe anything can happen. 

Evil Dead Rise is in theaters now, and while it lacks Ash, it's loaded with Evil Dead easter eggs fans of him will appreciate. Check out the movie, and see how it stacks up against the other movies in the franchise. 

You know, I talk a lot about video game movies on this website, and "bad" video game movies at that. 

Last year, I defended the original Super Mario Bros. movie, and this year, I'm going to defend 1997's Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, which I KNOW is often considered not only one of the worst video game movies of all time, but also one of the worst movies of all time, period.    

But, I still think it’s worth defending all the same, and I'm going to try to prove it to you today. Hopefully, it’ll be a flawless victory.  

This Movie Had Guts To Have Shao Khan Kill Off Johnny Cage In The First Few Minutes  

Now, let's just get things straight off the bat. I unironically LOVE the first Mortal Kombat movie from 1995. In fact, when 2021's Mortal Kombat came out, I wrote a whole article about how I would still rather watch the original movie over the newer one. In 2023, I still love watching the first movie. 

It just has it all. The special effects (for the time) were amazing, the story was relatively close to the games, and all of the characters were awesome. When compared to the Jean-Claude Van Damme Street Fighter movie, it completely blew it out of the water (though, I now appreciate Street Fighter for all of its goofiness). 

Surprisingly, even though I've always mained Scorpion in the games, my favorite character in the first movie was Johnny Cage, played by Linden Ashby. He was just so cool, and arguably had the best scene, when he punched Goro in the nuts.   

I was actually really looking forward to seeing him in the sequel. So, imagine my surprise when 1. They replaced Linden Ashby with some other dude named Chris Conrad, and 2. Shao Khan freaking killed off the character in the first few minutes of the movie!  

A lot of fans of the 2021 Mortal Kombat really want to see Johnny Cage in the sequel, and many people thought it was gutsy to not put him in the first movie. But, nothing was gutsier than killing Johnny off so early in Annihilation. That took balls…which he likely would have punched if he was in the movie any longer.    

It Also Had The Guts To Make Raiden And Shao Khan Siblings 

Okay, so, one thing that totally blew my mind when I first saw Annihilation was the plot twist that Lord Raiden and Shao Khan…ARE BROTHERS! Dun dun duuuun! Mind you, this is the equivalent of fan fiction, as the games (unless we’re counting Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe) don’t reference this in any way whatsoever. That’s not to say that Raiden doesn’t have a brother in the games, because he does. It’s Fujin, the God of Wind. But, Shao Khan is not his brother in any of the canonical games, nor is Shinnok their father.   

Still, I think this plot point is kind of interesting. For one thing, it makes Raiden’s allowance of Johnny Cage’s aforementioned death feel all the more potent, since Raiden essentially gave his “brother” a pass, giving him the edge. Secondly, it retroactively changes the first movie if Raiden knew that disposing of Shang Tsung would ultimately bring his brother to seek out the newly empty throne 

So, yeah, a lot of MK fans are against this silly subplot, but I think it’s pretty interesting, from a narrative standpoint, at least. 

So Many Characters!  

Recently, I wrote about why I loved the new Super Mario Bros. movie, despite what the critics say, and one of the reasons why I loved it so much is because they fit in so many references to the games. I mean, the movie had so many characters and songs from the series, that it was sometimes hard to keep up.  

Well, whereas a lot of '90s video game movies were trying to stray from the source material, Annihilation had the bold distinction of basically trying to fit in as many characters from the Mortal Kombat series as possible, sometimes (What do I mean sometimes? Always!) to its detriment. 

I mean, there is literally a scene where the ultra obscure character, Rain (you know it’s him, because he’s wearing purple) is killed off within seconds for no real reason whatsoever, other than to fit in as many characters as possible. 

That said, maybe they shouldn’t have done this, as even characters from the first movie like Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage, and Raiden, had different actors portraying them. But, if you’re the kind of person who likes to say, “Ooh, there’s Cyrax! And there’s Nightwolf!” Then Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is the movie for you.   

They Even Fit Animalities Into The Plot 

Back in the Mortal Kombat II days, it was always rumored in the school yard that not only were there fatalities, friendships, and babalities in the game, but also animalities. Friends would say that they were at an arcade down the shore and saw some teenager pulling off animalities with all of the characters, and not just the cool dragon fatality from Mortal Kombat II.  

Well, being morons who didn’t readily have the internet back then, we of course believed each other since we couldn’t verify this was true or not. But, no, just like the fabled Lara Croft nude code, it wasn’t true, and it wasn’t until Mortal Kombat 3 that we would actually get animality finishers.    

Honestly, they were kind of lame, but for something that was relatively so new to the franchise (MK3 came out in ‘95), I think it was kind of cool that Annihilation actually fit animalities into the plot, even making it a part of the outrageous climactic battle.  

I actually have a funny story about this. My friends and I saw Mortal Kombat: Annihilation for one of my birthday parties, and my friends thought the movie was so bad that they left early, and I watched the final battle all by myself. On my birthday. When the movie ended, and I found them all playing real Mortal Kombat in the arcade next door, they asked me what happened at the end, and I told them that they wouldn’t believe it if they saw it, as even I sometimes still struggle to explain this scene. If not for YouTube, I would likely think it was all just a fever dream. Which brings me to my last point.  

In The End, The Movie Is Comic Gold 

I don’t think anybody would be surprised that I didn’t include Mortal Kombat: Annihilation on my list of the best video game movies, because as I said up top, I KNOW it's bad. So, I’m not defending it because I think it’s good. I know it’s atrocious. 

But, just like how I love Batman & Robin, I also really love this movie, because it’s just SO bad. In fact, you know how I said earlier how I’d rather watch the original over the 2021 version? Well, I’d also gladly watch Annihilation over 2021’s Mortal Kombat, because at least I have fun watching the older film. 

I mean, the acting is just SO bad in this movie, and I sometimes like randomly spouting lines from the film when the situation calls for it. Like, not too long ago, I was complaining about something to my friend, and he joked, "Well, at least you’re still alive," to which I countered, “Too bad you…will die.” 

The special effects (If you want to call them that) also look like they belong in a PlayStation 1 cutscene. I kind of find them charming, though, being as bad as they are. Plus, I find it hilarious that there really isn’t one redeemable quality to the entire movie, which really drives it into camp territory, right up there with The Room, and Troll 2. Honestly, I’ve watched Mortal Kombat: Annihilation more than movies that I genuinely love, so if that’s not worth defending, then I don’t know what is. 

But, what do you think? Do you also love Mortal Kombat: Annihilation for being so bad, it’s good? For more news on all things MK, make sure to swing by here often.