Mortal Kombat II Trailer Shows Where Other Video Game Movies Go Wrong

The Mortal Kombat II trailer is out now, and fans online were quick to point to the fact that the upcoming movie seems to be leaning fully into the absurdity of the Mortal Kombat franchise.

Why the Mortal Kombat 2 trailer has fans hyped for the movie

The trailer, which leans heavily on Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage, features Cage being recruited for the legendary fighting tournament. Fans online were also quick to praise the trailer for the film’s seeming adherence to the chaotic and absurd nature that the Mortal Kombat franchise is often known for.

Instead of trying to ground the movie in hyper realism, the movie seems to be leaning fully into just how crazy the video games the movie is based on can get. Bits of the trailer include Scorpion’s iconic “get over here!’ yell, jokes about how silly the tournament is, and more. This adherence to the source material of the games not only makes for an entertaining film but also shows how to properly adapt certain games into movies.

Video game movies continue to stray too far from the source material

Far too often, video game adaptations usually try to find a middle ground between being a movie that adapts a game faithfully, while still tying it to some realistic aspects. However, this can often backfire, as those interested in seeing the movie are turned off by the changes made, and more casual audiences who aren’t fans of the game don’t watch with the same excitement.

The recent horror movie Until Dawn is a prime example of this. Rather than adapting the game, the decision was made to instead take the name of the game and create a more unique, original film based around a new story. While the movie did not fail specifically due to that, it was one of several key complaints people had about the project. Instead, companies looking to make movies based on video games should look toward the recent trend of hit movie adaptations for their inspiration.

Video game movies can shake the stereotype by leaning into the IP

Hit video game adaptations have been hard to come by until as recently as a decade ago. However, in the last few years, several have made their way out. These include projects like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which did receive criticism for its voice cast early on, but was also filled with references to its source material and never tried to be anything other than a Mario Bros. movie.

Even a movie like 2025’s A Minecraft Movie shows what studios can achieve when leaning more into the IP of something. Although A Minecraft Movie did feature wholly original ideas, the overall look, feel, and tone of the movie all lined up perfectly with the actual Minecraft video game franchise.

2021’s Mortal Kombat received praise from fans for the same reason. Although the movie wasn’t critically praised, fan support behind it was massive, specifically due to the “fan service” aspect of it all. Whether or not Mortal Kombat II goes full “fan service” will remain to be seen, but it’s clear Warner Bros. is learning from its past success instead of trying to branch out into uncharted waters.