Mortal Kombat 2

[Daytona]

I hope they find a new director if they decided to do another one.

I just don’t think the guy has the fire for this movie. It seems like most of the improvements were mandates that came from Ed Boon and the fans essentially.

And there were a lot of improvements but the directing style is still a bit too hokey. Yes, Mk does have a strong tongue-in-cheek element but there is a lot of unnecessary cheese here as well. Such as all three good guys using their powers together to defeat the enemy - stuff like that is just so cheesy to me. It feels very Disney or “Spy Kids” to me.

Then just odd shots like when Johnny cage is fighting Baraka and flailing his arms around. I don’t know what to make of shots like that but they aren’t the type of style I want from MK.

I don’t think the casting is bad and I thought the choreography was pretty good but we need a new writer and director imo. I’d love for the Safdie brothers to do it but that’ll never happen unless they somehow grew up obsessed with MK or something. They’d balance the tension, pace, and comedy perfectly if given the chance.

Even in press interviews the current director just seems sort of lost.

[Coola Yagami]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I'm not going to see this in theater, I'll wait till it comes out in HD on the illegal streaming websites. I imagine many other people are doing the same, which is probably why the box office run isn't as great as it could have been.

People like you are part of the problem. I don't condone piracy but it makes more sense for ****** movies you might still want to see out of morbid curiosity but not pay for. But an actual good movie? Show your support man.

[CyberCubed]

I did see the Superman movie in theaters last year. But I just feel that movie theaters are too expensive in general, even if you don't buy any popcorn or snacks. And having to sit down and sit through 20 minutes of previews, and not being able to pause if you have to go to the bathroom, really feels dated to me.

We're not in 1995 anymore. Sure you won't get to see movies on the big screen, but you realize every movie is like that after it comes out and goes to blu-ray or streaming...we're all watching on home anyway whenever we go back to movies.

Also I am, "El Cheapo" and just can't be bothered to pay for anything anymore unless I have to.

[Barkworm]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Also I am, "El Cheapo" and just can't be bothered to pay for anything anymore unless I have to.

Brief aside: What‘s all the money even for then? At my house, we‘re all very mindful with out money but there are a lot of things that we need it for (getting the kids through college or whatever they want to do, new cars, necessary repair measures at the house etc.).

Do you save all the money to be able to live comfortably when you retire?

[CyberCubed]

I save money in case I need it in the future, who knows. For example everyone has some situations where they suddenly are in some sort of financial crisis, at least I am prepared should that day ever come. I have no real aspirations to buy a house, so I'm not saving for that. I don't own a car, since I live in NY, but who knows if I might need one in the future.

According to experts, in the U.S. you'll need $1.2 million to "retire comfortably" by the year 2050+. I want to be prepared for then.

[jignat]

I just saw MK2 at the theater.

Pros:


Some decent characterization for Kitana,Johnny,and Jade. Shao Kahn is menacing as he should be and is in the armor 90 percent of the time.

Much improved fights compared to the 2021 film.

The sets/backgrounds are much improved compared to the generic brown desert landscapes of 2021.


Humor from Johnny/Kano

Baraka wasn't a jobber.

3 characters who I like the least previously have a minimal role in the film lol

Some surprising deaths



Cons

Raiden is still ass.

Lack of Scorpion and Bi Han due to the plot.

Less variety in fatalities compared to 2021.


Overall: I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's equivalent to most 2010s MCU films and Sonic 2/3.

Yes there are plot holes and some characters are just there but ultimately this is what MK Annihilation should been 29 years ago.


8/10

[Daytona]

Yeah I am really not buying this version of Raiden. No presence or charisma.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Daytona

Yeah I am really not buying this version of Raiden. No presence or charisma.

I have to agree. He'a flat. Like a stand in.

[TylerD]

Finally saw this. I actually didn’t mind it. I don’t think it was amazing or anything, but it wasn’t too bad, I actually wish they picked somebody else to be Johnny Cage. The actor was decent, but would have been cool to see someone do their own stunts and stuff like that. Overall good action though. I was pretty impressed. I would give it a six out of 10.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by TylerD

Finally saw this. I actually didn’t mind it. I don’t think it was amazing or anything, but it wasn’t too bad, I actually wish they picked somebody else to be Johnny Cage.

They made it work but really, Johnny Cage should be a Jean Claude Van Damme-type... but AS he was IN the 90s.

The actor was decent, but would have been cool to see someone do their own stunts and stuff like that.

Apparently -- at least -- that was really him doing the splits to crotch-punch Baraka. He really did teach himself how to do them.

[sdp]

Well I guess they aren't going to be making Mortal Kombat III? A shame, they definitely were going the right direction with this one.

I rewatched the first movie again and man the tone between the two movies is definitely different. The first one really sucks mostly because of the chosen one tattoos and Cole, which this one ignores but doesn't retcon which was the best way, it's still technically what's happening but its just not explicitly told, its the best way to handle it.

I was disappointed with the first movie but it wasn't terrible, this second one was going the right direction, even if not perfect. Would've wanted a third movie. Still think the original Mortal Kombat and yes Annihilation are better.

[Coola Yagami]

Wait, where are you hearing that nonsense?

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by sdp

Well I guess they aren't going to be making Mortal Kombat III? A shame, they definitely were going the right direction with this one.

Originally Posted by Coola Yagami

Wait, where are you hearing that nonsense?

Let's put it this way: if we were gauge the failure or success of Mortal Kombat II on its box office performance alone, there would definitely be no sequel. The way it shook out it did not make its budget back domestically but the international monies might have helped it crawl into the "break even" zone. But a "break even" zone is not somewhere you would greenlight a second sequel from.

Which is to say if it made a big splash on VOD and streaming that might push it from the "break even" zone into a better pasture. Its possible, at least.

Originally Posted by sdp

Still think the original Mortal Kombat and yes Annihilation are better.

Wow... that's a hot take if I've ever heard one. I think I've only seen Annihilation twice in my life... once in the theater and then once after rewatching the original MK after watching the remake a few years back. Both times made me angry.

[sdp]

I mean I hope it gets a third movie, I think the R rating hurts it, since it's a pretty PG13 movie otherwise.

but to go on spoilers, II at least can feel like an ending, they kill Shao Kahn, which is weird how the first movie also set up the tournament and shang tsung only for shang tsung not to fight and be sidelined, the tournament also feels like an afterthought with the medallion being the main thing, also weird seeing Quan Chi treated like a random henchman even being handcuffed in the end. Liu Kang dying and transforming into a god which if you've never played the games you wouldn't know what had just happened, which even in the reboot games Liu Kang was still the champion IIRC. Still those are just random thoughts, Jade was the only thing I disliked about the movie I think.

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Wow... that's a hot take if I've ever heard one. I think I've only seen Annihilation twice in my life... once in the theater and then once after rewatching the original MK after watching the remake a few years back. Both times made me angry.

I'm not saying it's not a mess, just saying it's a decent interpretation of what MK had become, it was silly, in the games you had animalities, friendships, goofy fatalities, everyone that died was back for Trilogy many with really goofy storylines. Somehow Annihilation was able to bring that huge cast of characters and had them do something that was somewhat related to the games, yeah, it was a shift from the first movie but so had the games. I can enjoy the goofy parts in a Street Fighter 1994 kinda way, of so bad it's good. I mean they adapted flippin' animalities in the movie, I can't hate it.

The reboot movies might be better made films but I'm not sure if they'd be just as rewatchable as the first two movies were. Which the OG is very rewatchable despite also having some bad choices. And 2 is just fun to see a huge cast of characters in random fights and sus acting.

OG MK > Annihilation > MK II > MK I

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by sdp

I mean I hope it gets a third movie, I think the R rating hurts it, since it's a pretty PG13 movie otherwise.

I dunno, I think we've gone back and forth about this already but I would imagine in an IP about a fighting game whose one distinction from other fighting game IPs is that you get to actually kill your opponent brutally with bloody Fatalities... you kinda need to be able to show them in the movie version or what's the point? Like, what are you even doing then, if not?