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.
