Karl Urban’s Mortal Kombat II Is Officially Better Than the 2021 Film

The new Mortal Kombat II has been declared a success by Rotten Tomatoes, earning a ‘Fresh’ rating of 68%. While it didn’t quite reach ‘Certified Fresh’ status, it’s a significant improvement over the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, which received a ‘Rotten’ score of 55%.

Reviewers are enjoying Mortal Kombat II, noting that it understands what its fans want. Early audiences who saw the film last night overwhelmingly agreed, giving it a 90% positive rating.

Mortal Kombat II Improves on the 2021 Reboot Movie

The reviewer notes that no one, including Johnny himself, truly sees him as a serious fighter, which allows the film to playfully showcase his growth in the Mortal Kombat arena. Despite being boastful and lacking genuine fighting ability beyond his movie star persona, he represents Earthrealm’s best hope. This contrast is what makes Mortal Kombat II so entertaining.

Look, is Mortal Kombat II a cinematic masterpiece? Definitely not. But honestly, it’s a blast! Sometimes you just need a movie to switch your brain off and give you a bit of pure, chaotic fun, and that’s exactly what this delivers.

Karl Urban described working on Mortal Kombat 2 as a “fantastic experience.” He shared that the initial footage shown at New York Comic-Con received an incredible reaction from the audience, suggesting fans will be very pleased with the film. Urban believes this adaptation is the best Mortal Kombat movie made so far, noting that while previous attempts haven’t always succeeded, this one is a real hit. He’s eager for everyone to see it.

What Is Mortal Kombat II About?

In Mortal Kombat II, beloved characters—including the new addition of Johnny Cage—face off in a brutal, all-out fight to stop Shao Kahn from taking over Earthrealm and destroying everything. The film is adapted from .

Simon McQuoid, who directed the first Mortal Kombat film, is back to direct the sequel, Mortal Kombat II. Jeremy Slater wrote the screenplay. Several actors from the first movie are returning, including Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada. Joining the cast this time are newcomers Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, and Tati Gabrielle.

Mortal Kombat II opens in theaters on May 8 — pre-order.

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2026-05-08 18:39