Mortal Kombat II is almost here, and it looks like it will be fixing some of the biggest mistakes that the first film suffered from. 2021’s Mortal Kombat reboot was released during a transitional phase, right when video game movie and TV adaptations were starting to get good. While the 2021 film was definitely an improvement on the franchise’s past cinematic ventures, Mortal Kombat was still divisive for a few key reasons.
Luckily, Mortal Kombat II already seems to be an improvement on its predecessor. Based on the trailers for the film, it looks like the sequel listened to complaints from fans and has taken some drastic measures to address them. So, here are five ways in which Mortal Kombat II looks to be improving on the first film.
Johnny Cage Is Mortal Kombat II’s Main Character
Warner Bros. Pictures
The ending of the first Mortal Kombat saw the characters set off on a quest to round up champions for Earthrealm, with the first warrior on their list being Johnny Cage. Karl Urban will make his debut as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat II, and he seems like he will be the main character of the film. Johnny is one of the most popular characters in the franchise, and based on the trailers, the film will focus on him learning about the world of Mortal Kombat and joining the tournament to defend Earthrealm.
Franchises don’t often completely shift main characters, so it is nice to see that Mortal Kombat II is taking this approach. The first film left a Johnny Cage-shaped hole in the hearts of many fans, and now that he is finally here and prominently in the spotlight, Mortal Kombat II is immediately a lot more exciting.
Cole Young Is Taking A Backseat
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
While there are tons of preexisting Mortal Kombat characters to choose from, the 2021 film made a bizarre decision by introducing an original character as its protagonist. Cole Young was invented for the story of the movie, with him being the main character. This was a massively controversial choice, with many fans citing him as the worst part of the film.
Luckily, Cole Young probably won’t get much focus in the sequel. The Mortal Kombat II trailers have barely featured Cole, and while he does have his own character poster, he has barely been featured in any of the film’s marketing materials. Some fans are speculating that Cole could die early in Mortal Kombat II, while others say that he may just be taking a backseat to Johnny Cage. Either way, it looks like Cole’s role has been drastically reduced, and that’s a good thing.
The Sequel Will Have More Fight Scenes
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
People like Mortal Kombat for the fights, with the entire point of the video games being that it is a fighting series. While there were some good fights in the 2021 film, it also had a lot of downtime. The fights were the highlight of the film, but anything that wasn’t action was a bit boring (mostly due to how dull Cole Young was as a character).
Luckily, Mortal Kombat II is addressing this issue. It has already been confirmed that Mortal Kombat II will have a lot more fights than its predecessors, with these longer fights being “very gory” and “very bloody” according to actor Christopher Tan (via Collider).
Mortal Kombat II Has A More Comedic Tone
Another big change that Mortal Kombat II is attempting to pull off is its tone. The first film was pretty dark and serious. While it did have some comedic beats, especially from characters like Kano, most of the main characters were played pretty straight.
Luckily, the Mortal Kombat II trailers show that this film is going in a more comedic direction. Karl Urban is giving a funny performance in basically every shot he’s in, and since Johnny Cage is an inherently comedic character, this is great news.
There Is An Actual Mortal Kombat Tournament This Time
One of the best changes that Mortal Kombat II is making is that the sequel will actually have a Mortal Kombat tournament. For some odd reason, the first film didn’t have a proper tournament at all. Most of the film is about Cole Young and the rest of the main cast realizing that a tournament will happen in the future. This made it feel more like a prequel to a Mortal Kombat movie rather than a proper adaptation itself.
However, Mortal Kombat II will actually have a tournament this time around. Presumably, Johnny and the rest of Earthrealm’s champions have been rounded up, with the film mostly focusing on their time in the tournament. This probably explains the aforementioned shift in focus, character changes, and increased action presence, making Mortal Kombat II an incredibly exciting experience.
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