Lamar Reviews - "Mortal Kombat II" (Airdate 5/15/2026) 

I originally was not going to review this movie
because I know it is not the type of movie that the
majority our listeners would care anything about.
But I realized I am also a listener, and I know
exactly what the video game Mortal Kombat is. I
didn’t play it, but my kids did. And they constantly
begged me to watch them play it. Thankfully, at
that time I did not have any chopsticks in my
home, because if I did, I would have been tempted
to stab them through both of my eyes! Don’t get
me wrong, I loved watching my children ride bikes,
jump off the diving board, and play sports. Even
now I get a kick out of watching my grandson run
back and forth with no destination gleefully
explaining how fast he is. But to sit and watch
someone, even someone you would gladly lay
down your life for, play a video game is less
enjoyable than being waterboarded.
Sunday movies are a tradition with my son Clay. If
we are in town, my wife Carla and I never miss
going. It is “our thing” we do with him.

He was very excited about Mortal Kombat II, so I
went. It turns out I knew way more about it than I
thought. The time I spent watching him and his
brother fight to the death actually came in handy.
So, I decided that at least a portion of our listeners
either played the game growing up or were forced
to watch their kids play it.
The movie opens with a prologue many years
before where we meet Kitana, played by Adeline
Rudolph, who is forced to watch while her father,
King Jerrod, is killed by Shao Kahn, the villain of
this movie. In the years leading up to the present
time his people have won all of the martial art
tournaments called Mortal Kombat, which allow
him to control all of the other realms. Only
Earthrealm (that’s us) remains. If we lose the
tournament Shao Kahn enslaves us. Not good.
OK, I’m already beginning to nod off, I’m sure you
are. Lot of kicking, grunting, punching, slicing,
grimacing, bleeding and very inventive deaths.
1 hour 56 minutes, Rated-R for bloody violence,
gore, and language.

Make no mistake it has an audience, the first
trailer received 107 million online views in the first
24 hours, the most of any red band trailer, ever.
The bright spot in this movie is Karl Urban as
Johnny Cage, an over the hill 80’s action star that
is recruited to help the good guys. He’s cocky and
arrogant, think Deadpool. His signature move is
the split-legged nut punch, and his superpower is
activated by his Ray-Ban sunglasses. He steals
every scene he is in.
If you ever played this game, I am positive that
you will enjoy this movie. I never played the game,
not even once, and I was never bored, and had a
pretty good time.
Now, honestly, I’m sure one of the main reasons I
enjoyed it as much as I did is because it gave me
2 hours to hang out with my son and share
something that he really loves. And because I
didn’t have those chopsticks, I saw and
remembered enough to be actively engaged.
My Score: As a movie based on a video game,
4 Buds.