Buffalo Movies: Johnny Cage returns — finally

By Matthew Turner
(Image above: Courtesy of Warner Bros. – © Warner Bros.)

Another weekend, another video game movie adaptation at the multiplex. Does Mortal Kombat II bring the dumb fun of the series back, or is it just dumb?

Coming off of the middling success that was 2021’s Mortal Kombat, a pandemic release that split fans of the popular video game franchise, Mortal Kombat II sees the same eclectic cast of interdimensional fighters.

This time, however, they’re joined by a few new friends, most important of which being the co-lead Johnny Cage. Cage, a fan-favorite of the franchise, was frustratingly excluded from the predecessor in order to make room for Cole Young, an original character that no one cared for.

Even if the rest of the film was complete tosh, it would be an improvement for shifting to a more dynamic protagonist. Luckily, viewers are treated to more than complete tosh; rather we get a movie that captures the vibe of a ’90s action cable classic. Just complete fun, good action, shocking gory detail, all delivered with a wink and a side of cheesy dialogue.

Rather than being seeped in self-seriousness like the first movie, Mortal Kombat II  jacks up the fun and the action. After all, isn’t that all that we want? It’s not high art or even really good, but unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s last decade, Mortal Kombat II knows how to be fun.

The film speaks to the nostalgia that fans have for the “good old days” of Mortal Kombat by showcasing Johnny Cage, played exquisitely by the ingeniously miscast Karl Urban, down in the dumps and yearning for his glory days.

Speaking to this further is a monologue delivered by Cage at his lowest, saying how no one today wants Johnny Cage or a has-been headlining action movies. They want visual effects, superheroes and viral entertainment. Mortal Kombat II then proceeds to take a few pages out of the Galaxy Quest playbook as Johnny Cage is summoned into Mortal Kombat.

For those uninitiated in the bonkers gaming franchise, the actual Mortal Kombat is an epic battle between random fighters enlisted from different realms and backgrounds in order to reign supreme.

So how would Johnny Cage, a washed-up former action star, succeed in this environment? By repeating what made him famous of course! Extreme cockiness, absurd martial arts moves and a split that would make Jean-Claude Van Damme seethe with envy.

None of this is to say that it is smart or original in any way, but the film acknowledges the absurdity. It never makes the film seem insulting or mocking to the iconic franchise.

I cannot say that this movie is an easy recommendation to most, but if you miss when action movies were just dumb, loud and unrealistically gory, then you need to buy your 4D ticket and a Bud Light immediately. It’s a dumb movie that wears its racing, thumping heart proudly on its sleeve, while acting as a salve for the milquetoast Hollywood action flicks of today.

Matthew Turner is a scholar of all things film and a teacher of English.