Mortal Kombat II: When you learn from your mistakes.

Mortal Kombat 2021 was a strange story, one which I still fail to understand, I guess, the executives behind movies still believe that everyone has the attention span and understanding of an unborn fetus and will be unwilling to understand anything that isn't spoon fed or oversimplified to death.

But while all of that still happened and is still cannon to this timeline, this movie takes all of this and turned it into something great.

For one, this movie, introduces Shao Kahn, for those who do not understand why this is a big deal, it is because he was completely absent in the previous movie.

Outworld's forces were completely led by and answered to Shang Tsung.

Even Raiden says it in a way that implies that Outworld is ruled by Shang Tsung.

I mean thank god that didn't happen.

This movie makes it so not happen that it literally begins with the conquest of Edinia.

Okay so quick lore drop, and spoilers for those who plan to play the games now that they are popular again.

I mean they were always Popular, you know what I mean.

But Kitana isn't exactly Shao Kahn's daughter.

She is the Daughter of Sindel who was wife to King Jerrod of Edinia.

That seems to be one of the reasons that she rebels against her "father" and joins earth realms armies both in this movie and in every version of the game's timelines.

And as a way to emphasize it's loyalty to being faithful to the games, this movie begins with Shao Kahn's Conquest of Edinia, something which to my knowledge hasn't been shown on screen ever, in games or in movies.

It is always a bit of back story that is told to the viewer/player.

And I mean in MK1 at least Jerrod appears in the story and in a way in the playable characters as essentially the dead Jerrod's Soul takes over the Body of Ermac who is a group of Souls held together by Quan Chi's Magic.

Now as I said the movie begins with the Conquest of Edinia so obviously it takes this opportunity to introduce Jerrod and show his death at the Hands of Shao Kahn.

And it is after his death that Edinia's Sun is eclipsed by Outworld's Moon, as in this world and as well in the games, the elder gods have set up the tournament of Mortal Kombat in order to set up a fair way in which One realm could conquer the other...

Presumably to prevent unnecessary bloodshed while making Would be Tyrants think that they have a fair shot.

And also giving a fair chance to all rulers of smaller kingdoms to defend against or preemptively attack such Tyrnats.

Ten continuous Tournaments one after the other, with the Champions chosen by the Elder Gods...

Now all things said I think it s pretty clear that the Elder Gods are kind of pieces of shit among themselves as well... as is seen in the story of the games much later.

But all things said, the rules are the rules, and this movie is not yet at the level of fighting the elder gods, which is strange since it does take from a lot of the story lines in the later games...

But we will get to that.

The first thing to say is that this movie does away with Cole Young and instead brings in Johnny Cage as the last champion of Earth-realm.

And it is played by... Billy Butcher... I mean the Executioner... I mean Carl Urban...

And boy did I think this choice was questionable.

But you know what they say about judging a cover by its book...

Yeah that's the right saying right?

Yeah I am going to have the time of my life with this aren't I? Yeah... Yeah I am.

Now even that aside, Johnny Cage is an interesting Choice by himself because it is usually Liu Kang who is the main character...

and with all of that he does get a lot of deserved respect this movie that he didn't in the last one...

And with all of that though... he gets killed by Shao Kahn's hammer, like he just gets stabbed...

And well he does go out saying that he has to bring back Kung Lao and burns away... so I guess there is more to this story?

Now if you don't know, in Mortal Kombat X, Liu, Kitana and Kung Lao are among those who were killed and then resurrected by Quan Chi as revenants.

and Revenant Liu Kang and Kitana become King and Queen of Netherrealm...

No Not that one.

The one that is actually hell.

And like in the last movie Kung Lao had his soul stolen, and this time he returns with a corrupted... soul?

I mean I guess that makes sense...

Quan Chi gave the boi a soul.

But that soul is black oooohhhoohoh spooky.

Fortunately Kano's Soul is untouched.

Not much of an Improvement then.

One thing that is good though is that they actually start bringing into picture some of the artifacts like the Amulet of Shinnok, I mean the way they brought it in could have been better, but hey, we work with the hands we are dealt.

And Speaking of those hands, Cole looses his head.

Good.

And the way they do it also makes us hate Shao Kahn even more, Shao uses Kung-Lao and Shinnok's Amulet to steal some of Raiden's immortality.

And so even a mortal Blow from Cole isn't enough to kill him, instead it turns into a trap as he can't pull his weapon back.

But let's Talk about Kung Lao and Liu Kang, Because of course these two fight.

Like every single person on the planet, I also have figured out that the entire reason Revenants exist is so that a thing like Mortal Kombat can kill people willy nilly and still keep the character's powers and abilities in the next game.

It's like Aquaman said:

In this sense, death carries even more meaning than it would if it were simply the end of a character's story.

Not only does your team loose players, the opposing team gains them.

And connected to all this is the concept of the Netherrealm.

A hell but real, a place where the dead go and come back transformed.

Scorpion is literally that.

And he is still in Netherrealm, changing his section of it to look like his home before his death, enjoying his afterlife to the best of his abilities.

So it is pretty strange that Johnny and Kano get sent to Scorpion By Raiden for him to at as a guide.

What would pull him out?

What other than Bi Han.

Still alive as Noob Sailbot.

Scorpion is truly the best trump card ever.

He just comes in Kills fucking everyone while being completely emo and edgy and then returning to tilling his fields in the afterlife.

But Why is Kano here? I guess once he experienced life in outworld under Shao Kahn and realized: ykw, this ain't it chief.

But more importantly, Karl Urban as Johnny Cage.

Just like always, he is a once famous 80's movie star, who isn't famous anymore, and completely done with life.

Or like in Mortal Kombat 1 where he is still cocky af but failing as a star and so his wife divorces him.

All thing's considered, his life is pretty bleak, and it is only coming into Mortal Kombat that brings it back up again.

Strange then that he is the first battle and get's tossed out immediately, only due to luck does he get spared by Kitana.

Now if you have played Mortal Kombat(2011) or any of the other ones, you know that Kitana and Liu Kang are lovers and she tries to kill him the first time they met.

So it is quite clear as if it weren't clear from the beginning itself, that Kitana is going to be against Shao Kahn, so the reveal that Kitana is Raiden's spy id actually quite an interesting way of going about it.

Because Kitana was at least initially loyal to Shao, it is only when she learnt of Mileena and Shao's plans to replace her that she turns and chooses to side with Raiden.

However that clearly isn't going to happen because in the movie timeline Mileena has already appeared and she looks absolutely nothing like Kitana, like not even close.

And she is dead.

Okay then.

So Johnny goes in the match early and looses.... but this is supposed to be his journey... so what's his journey?

Well.

Shao is Immortal, and hence can't be beaten, Noob is going to make it permanent and hence they must go to outworld and get Shinnok's amulet to heal Raiden and then make Shao killable.

But obviously this shit isn't that easy, and after a very foolish escapade by Jade which led to Kitana being trapped in the battleground, Shao fights Sonya and Liu in front of her as the stupid tournament orbs of the elder gods locks her as the second champion.

Sonya get's knocked out and Liu dies(wtf!) meanwhile Kano defects and takes Johnny to the Netherrealm.

At this point Johnny has gained a new friend who happens to be Barraka because he punched him in the dick, yes that makes sense what do you mean?

And in an important moment, Johnny unlocks his powers and kicks Noob through the amulet breaking it and him.

For those who don't know, Johnny's bloodline has a blessing that makes every member exceptionally powerful and basically the only ones who can defeat elder gods like Shinnok.

In this version I was expecting it to be an arcana explanation, but this movie just forgets that exists.

And as expected, the Final Battle is between Kitana and Shao, as she forsakes Outworld for Earthrealm, making her the final champion.

And this battle....

Chef's Kiss*

It is exactly what one would expect from a Mortal Kombat fight, it is gory, over the top, and Flashy.

And this made me realize, since Barakka is anti Shao and actually a chill dude, yes he is, his kind just like battle, keep up.

And Now Kitana becomes Kahn of Outworld which is a story line from Mortal Kombat 11, I think they are also borrowing things from the modern games, which is strange considering Liu died, and in the modern Timeline, Liu is the Titan who built it in entirety....

So... What gives?

Yes, he has to bring back Kung Lao I KNOW!!!!

But we barely get time to think about that as the OG 1980s Mortal Kombat theme, Techno Syndrome plays, so basically all their sins are forgiven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ58jpw2H0w

Ah yes, Age Restricted of course, even though the video itself has nothing, great job Youtube.

So now while all of that has happened, and while I still believe that a lot of the characters *Cough Raiden... are miscast, so many of them have been course corrected since the last movie, and now that they nailed Shao Kahn, and the Mortal Kombat feel and shown the actual Tournament, I think I can confidently say as I walked out of the theatre having seen the final team up shot.

That this is the Definitive Mortal Kombat movie experience.

And that is not just because it is a good story with good effects, but it is because it balances all the prospective characters and does justice to all their story lines.

Make Raiden older and make his voice boom more.

That's all K bye....