Video game adaptations continue to bloom whether we think they deserve it or not. However, there are some that deserve not just adaptation treatment but sequel treatment. Just look at the success of Mario and Sonic’s recent films, and you’ll see why many are eager to crank out more potential hits. In the case of the Mortal Kombat franchise, it rebooted its live-action movie franchise during the pandemic and has been slowly cranking away at the sequel ever since. Mortal Kombat 2 has officially gotten its rating, and it promises to be a violent and gore-filled spectacle. You know, just what you would expect from this series.
As noted by Bloody Disgusting, the film is getting an “R” rating for “strong bloody violence and gore, and language.” That shouldn’t be surprising, given that the first film had plenty of brutal deaths, including one person being literally cut in half vertically by a spinning blade hat. Thanks, Kung Lao.
As for why this violence and gore will be amplified in the upcoming sequel, Mortal Kombat 2 will finally deliver on what fans have wanted from the beginning: the actual Mortal Kombat tournament. If you recall, the first film was merely the “setup” for it by establishing certain characters, revealing the “new rules” for the world, and showing the machinations of ones like Shang Tsung.
With the Earthrealm fighters now mostly collected, the tournament can now start, which means there will be lots of fights and lots of death. You know, Fatalities?
We’re a little less than a year away from the film, but we haven’t had any trailers yet. Even still, we do know about key characters who weren’t in the first film that will be in the sequel. For example, we know that Karl Urban is playing Johnny Cage. He’s likely playing an older version of him, which could give a unique perspective to both the character and his fights.
We also know that Shao Khan, Kitana, and more will show up, further highlighting the influence of Outworld in the tournament. In the games, the tournament that Liu Kang and the others first fight in is the most important, for if Outworld wins, they can outright invade Earthrealm. More than likely, the sequel film will embrace that particular storyline to emphasize the tournament’s importance.
The expectations are truly high for this movie. While the first one was successful, especially on streaming, there were key issues and flaws that some didn’t like. Things must be stepped up for the sequel, or the intended third film won’t be made.
