Video game adaptations have changed a lot. Anyone who remembers the adaptations from the 90s or even the 00s can speak with absolute horror about the kind of things we faced. Although bad adaptations are still being made today, it is no longer the same kind of failure: now there is an effort to make it as good as possible, taking the source material with the utmost respect. Not making everything up from the video game, as a mere excuse to make a movie.
There has always been an exception to this. Mortal Kombat. Its film adaptations have always been interesting, even when they didn’t quite capture the tone of the video game. This is something that the new trilogy, which premieres its second part this week is no exception to.
A fresh and unexpected reboot
Mortal Kombat premiered on April 8, 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Directed by debutant Simon McQuoid and produced by James Wan, known for directing Saw and the seventh Fast & Furious movie, the film offered us something different from what we are used to in this kind of adaptations: not a direct adaptation of the video game’s story, but an adaptation of its world. Based on the story of its characters, particularly the story between Scorpio, Raiden, and Sub Zero, and presenting the circumstances surrounding Mortal Kombat, the interdimensional tournament where dominance over the universe is decided, the film builds its own story from the foundations of the video game.
Thanks to this, the movie achieved two purposes. For fans of Mortal Kombat familiar with its lore, everything feels familiar and interesting. The characters behave just as we know them from the video games and comics, even if the specific details change. For those who are not fans of Mortal Kombat or those who are, but are not familiar with its lore, it is easy to understand what is happening and why these characters are fighting in a way that the video games have never communicated with as much grace as the movies, largely because they haven’t needed to.
Although there were those who criticized the lack of explicit gore in the video games, this is a faithful and very interesting adaptation of the video games. Both in how it characterizes the characters and in how it knows how to translate their fighting style to the screen, with suggestive choreography that does not overuse CGI. This resulted in excellent reception.
A movie shaken by COVID
The movie was an absolute success, especially in terms of box office and audience. With forecasts of 10-12 at the box office for its opening weekend, it managed to make 19. And after its run in theaters, with a budget of 55 million, it made just over 84 million. Numbers that may not seem impressive until we put them in context. The movie, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was released simultaneously in theaters and streaming. This made it, simultaneously, a box office success and the most successful movie in HBO Max history, shattering records in both mediums at the same time. Demonstrating that, under different circumstances, it could have been an even greater success.
Something that is also appreciated in other areas. The audience rated it very positively and even the critics, although they received it with moderate enthusiasm, recognized it as a good entertainment film that meets its objectives. This shows that they hit the mark with this movie.
A more than likely great summer success
Mortal Kombat II, its sequel, premieres on May 8th. And it has everything to be a hit in theaters. To begin with, it shares the same creative team. All the people who made the original movie great are still here, ready to sign another resounding success. Another reason is that, once the characters are established, they will focus on the Mortal Kombat tournament. That means more fights, more action, and a development that promises to leave us breathless. Moreover, the forecasts are astonishing: experts are talking about between 50 and 65 million in projections for the first weekend, very similar to those made for The Devil Wears Prada 2, one of the highest-grossing movies of the year.
Without a pandemic to hinder it and with a third movie confirmed to complete a trilogy, everything is set for Mortal Kombat II to dominate. Not exactly by surprise, even if it will catch many people off guard. Because, although it may not seem like it, it could very well become one of the phenomena of 2026 in a year where we already have Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie, Project Salvation, and The Devil Wears Prada 2. Everything points to that. That this exclusive list will soon have to include Mortal Kombat II as well.
