Mortal Kombat 2 is the most exciting Mortal Kombat movie in years because of something that was set up in the 2021 reboot. The first Mortal Kombat game was released in 1992 and instantly became well-known for its over-the-top, bloody violence. After the success of the first Mortal Kombat game and its sequels, which further developed the lore of the franchise, it made sense for a movie to be made. It didn’t take long for the first live-action Mortal Kombat movie to be made. However, reviews for 1995’s Mortal Kombat and its sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, were not very positive.
After 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation was panned by critics and audiences, it took 24 years for another live-action Mortal Kombat movie to be made. The story of 2021’s Mortal Kombat reboot breathed new life into the franchise and successfully set up the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2. However, even though there have been three live-action Mortal Kombat films, only one of them has featured an actual Mortal Kombat tournament. Thankfully, this is a problem that Mortal Kombat 2 will help remedy.
There Hasn’t Been A Mortal Kombat Movie About Mortal Kombat Since 1995
The Last Two Movies Haven’t Featured A Mortal Kombat Tournament
In Mortal Kombat lore, the tournament was created by the Elder Gods, who rule over the universe. The Mortal Kombat tournament is usually held once every generation and acts as a way for Earthrealm, Outworld, and Netherrealm to fight each other without an actual war taking place. Per the rules of the tournament, if one of these realms wins ten tournaments in a row, then they are allowed to conquer another realm. Clearly, the tournament is an important part of the franchise, but 1995’s Mortal Kombat is the only live-action film that has included one.
|
Live-Action Mortal Kombat Movies |
RT Critics Score |
|---|---|
|
Mortal Kombat (1995) |
47% |
|
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) |
4% |
|
Mortal Kombat (2021) |
55% |
|
Mortal Kombat 2 (2025) |
n/a |
In Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Shao Khan broke the rules that were established by the Elder Gods and invaded Earth. Then, in the 2021 reboot, Shang Tsung also broke the rules and infiltrated Earthrealm to kill the champions before the tournament took place. Therefore, while both these films featured a lot of fighting, none of it was actually regulated by a Mortal Kombat tournament.
Mortal Kombat’s 2021 Reboot Took A Big Risk By Not Including The Tournament
2021’s Mortal Kombat Featured Shang Tsung Attacking Earthrealm Before The Tournament
It wasn’t all that surprising that Mortal Kombat: Annihilation didn’t feature a proper tournament. Perhaps the creative team behind the film thought including another Mortal Kombat tournament wouldn’t have been as interesting to audiences after the characters just fought in one in the 1995 film. Therefore, even though it didn’t necessarily succeed, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation tried to raise the stakes of the series by having Shao Kahn disobey the Elder Gods and invade Earthrealm.
While this decision somewhat made sense for Annihilation, I’m still shocked that the 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot didn’t include a proper tournament. After all, a tournament is the perfect way to introduce all of Mortal Kombat’s best characters and establish the many different rivalries. Featuring a tournament has worked in plenty of Mortal Kombat video games, but the 2021 film instead took a huge risk and decided to introduce most of the series’ main characters before the actual tournament takes place.
Mortal Kombat 2 Has To Include The Mortal Kombat Tournament, Right?
2021’s Mortal Kombat Perfectly Set Up A Tournament
After the ending of 2021’s Mortal Kombat, it wouldn’t make sense if Mortal Kombat 2 didn’t feature a proper tournament. Shang Tsung failed to defeat Earthrealm’s best warriors in the 2021 film, which means that characters like Cole Young, Sonya Blade, Jax Briggs, the teased Johnny Cage, and others will be present at the Mortal Kombat tournament in the sequel. Thankfully, it has been confirmed that Mortal Kombat 2 will include a tournament, which will see the aforementioned characters fight the best warriors from Outworld and Netherrealm.
Shao Kahn, the menacing ruler of Outworld, will likely be ᴅᴇᴀᴅset on making sure Earthrealm does not win the tournament.
Not many story details are currently known about Mortal Kombat 2, but Shao Kahn will presumably be the main villain of the film. After Shang Tsung failed to defeat Earthrealm’s warriors, Shao Kahn, the menacing ruler of Outworld, will likely be ᴅᴇᴀᴅset on making sure Earthrealm does not win the tournament. In addition to Shao Kahn, popular characters like Baraka, Kitana, and Quan Chi will also appear in the sequel. Including a proper tournament means that a lot more fights between iconic characters can take place, which makes Mortal Kombat 2 the most exciting Mortal Kombat movie in 30 years.
