'Mortal Kombat II' review: The bar is in hell for video game movies, huh?

May 6, 2026 - 19:48

The bar for video game movies has been lying on the floor for so long that it has actually sunk through the crust of the earth. And yet, someone keeps digging. The latest proof? The upcoming "Mortal Kombat II," directed by the same person who brought us the 2021 reboot. That first film was a masterclass in how to take a beloved, bloody franchise and drain it of all personality, replacing gore with gray CGI and character with exposition. The fact that a sequel is not only happening but being handed back to the same filmmaker suggests that Hollywood has learned absolutely nothing.

Let's be honest: the 2021 "Mortal Kombat" was a slog. It had a fight scene or two that almost worked, but it spent most of its runtime explaining a boring new character's backstory while sidelining the actual fan favorites. Scorpion and Sub-Zero got a brief, decent moment, but the rest of the roster was treated like an afterthought. The movie forgot the entire point of "Mortal Kombat": it is supposed to be a cheesy, violent tournament, not a dour superhero origin story.

Now, with "Mortal Kombat II" on the horizon, the director is promising more of the same. More lore. More setup. More of that flat, digital look that makes every punch feel weightless. The problem isn't that video game movies can't be good. It is that the people making them keep treating the source material like a problem to be solved instead of a blueprint to be followed. They add unnecessary plot, remove the humor, and sand down the edges until the only thing left is a generic action movie with a familiar name slapped on the poster.

The real tragedy is that audiences keep showing up. We keep hoping that this time, someone will just make a movie that understands why we liked the game in the first place. Instead, we get another gray, joyless slog that mistakes seriousness for quality. "Mortal Kombat II" will probably make a lot of money, and the director will get to make a third one. And the bar will sink even lower.