More than 30 years have passed since Hollywood first seriously attempted a video game adaptation with 1993’s ill-fated Super Mario Bros., yet the concept still feels like it hasn’t reached its full potential. The game-to-screen process is in far better shape than it was three decades ago, and the era of clueless studio executives adapting source material they’re ashamed of appears to be over—though that problem hasn’t vanished entirely. Now, there’s a new opposite issue: rigid, hollow aesthetic recreations that exist solely to profit from massive fanbases, offering little more than glorified Easter eggs. Even today, adaptations that truly engage with the creative spirit of their source material (like Amazon’s Fallout) remain rare.
One franchise, in particular, has endured long enough to experience both extremes: a cheesy, tonally muddled 1990s attempt to please the masses, and a polished, big-budget 2021 “for the fans” adaptation. No cinematic version of Mortal Kombat has yet nailed the perfect formula, but if Karl Urban’s recent comments hold weight, the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 won’t just be the best adaptation of the games—it might be the best video game adaptation ever. And depending on your perspective, he could be right.
At the recent Emerald City Comic-Con, where he was celebrating the upcoming final season of The Boys, Karl Urban took a moment to assure fans that the sequel to 2021’s Mortal Kombat will indeed be “the best video game adaptation to ever hit the big screen.” This is a bold claim, considering the success of critically acclaimed adaptations like Fallout and The Last of Us, and the lukewarm reception to the first film in Simon McQuoid’s reboot trilogy. However, if we define “best adaptation” not by box office success, critical acclaim, or subjective quality, but by how sincerely it replicates the mood and essence of the original game, Mortal Kombat 2 stands a strong chance of taking the crown.
The MK series is one of gaming’s most beloved franchises for several reasons, but the most notable are its massive roster of larger-than-life characters and the absurd, Looney Tunes-level gore that’s been a staple from the start. Hardcore fans know the lore and story of each game well, but to be honest, the convoluted, Saturday morning cartoon structure of the overarching narrative is almost intentionally ridiculous, serving as a vehicle for brutal, bone-crunching action. None of the games in the series can claim the storytelling depth of titles like Shadow of the Colossus or Silent Hill, nor do they need to—their plots, which feel akin to an isekai or a cheesy 80s high-concept action film, perfectly complement the games.
While the first film suffered from a generic audience-insert main character, action sequences that never matched the intensity of the opening set piece, and a lack of focus on the ensemble, Mortal Kombat 2 has a chance to address these critiques. Cole Young has notably been absent from all marketing, trailers are teasing high-intensity fight scenes that embrace the characters’ creativity, and it seems the game’s characters will get more spotlight this time. Even if it doesn’t become a critical darling like recent adaptations, Karl Urban’s enthusiasm might be justified. Mortal Kombat has a dedicated fanbase because it knows its identity and leans into it. If Mortal Kombat 2 centers the action, the eclectic roster, and avoids over-explaining the lore to be taken seriously, it could very well be the “best” video game adaptation—a film that perfectly complements its source material.