00:03Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're pitting Mortal Kombat Annihilation against another
00:08sequel, Mortal Kombat 2. Hey, you never know, the final score may surprise you.
00:21Round 1. Building upon the previous film. Annihilation picks up immediately after Mortal
00:26Kombat 95. Yet, it feels like a soft reboot since Raiden, Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage are
00:32all recast. It's not a huge deal for Cage, who's unceremoniously killed off. While Robin
00:48Shu is back as Liu Kang, along with Talisa Soto as Kitana, we otherwise don't have a
00:52connection to this cast of characters. As such, there's little investment as they engage
01:08in fight after fight against the backdrop of an incomprehensible plot. Despite being more
01:13expensive than the previous film, Annihilation showcases effects so laughable that it makes
01:17the first film CGI look like Jurassic Park.
01:26While 2021's Mortal Kombat was a solid start to a new continuity, it also left room for
01:31the sequel to improve upon some elements. Cole Young was a pretty underwhelming protagonist.
01:39The sequel takes note of fan feedback, downgrading Cole to a supporting role while shining the
01:44spotlight on Karl Urban's Johnny Cage and Adeline Rudolph's Kitana. With several other
01:55characters added to the roster, the sequel might not be as focused as its 2021 predecessor.
02:00If you're mainly here for fan service and fatalities though, director Simon McCoy continues to push
02:05boundaries with the hard R-rated carnage that audiences paid for.
02:13Whether or not you think Mortal Kombat 2 is better than the 2021 film, there's no question
02:18that Annihilation took one of the biggest steps backwards in cinematic history and it's not
02:22like the 95 film was even a masterpiece. It was compared to Annihilation however. Mortal
02:27Kombat 2 advances to the next level. Mortal Kombat Annihilation 0 Mortal Kombat 2 1
02:33Round 2 Doing Right By The Games
02:36Loosely drawing from Mortal Kombat 3, Annihilation aspired to win over gamers, with producer Lawrence
02:42Kasanoff promising there would be more characters, fights, and special effects.
02:51You would never win.
02:53While that's all technically true, Annihilation largely failed as an adaptation of the games.
02:58Yes, there were more characters like Jade, Nightwolf, and Shao Kahn, but they lacked any personality.
03:10Although some at least resembled their game counterparts, others just looked silly.
03:14Sure, there was more fighting, but Annihilation was even more lacking in gore than the 95 version.
03:19There might have been more special effects, but when the graphics in a Sega Genesis look more convincing,
03:23they're not very special.
03:31Say what you will about the plot, but there's no denying that Mortal Kombat 2 is a movie for gamers.
03:41Not only does the roster include several fan favorites, but they all came with game-accurate
03:45costumes and personalities that feel true to who they are.
03:49The sequel also places more emphasis on the tournament angle, whereas the 2021 film only
03:54introduced it in the final act.
03:58Even if the CGI doesn't always look realistic, the filmmakers capture the aesthetic of various
04:02stages that resemble the games. There's no shortage of easter eggs and in-jokes,
04:06including a cameo from Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boone.
04:15We'd say that Annihilation had the production values of a fan film,
04:19but that would suggest a fan would have made this.
04:21Mortal Kombat 2, meanwhile, is the movie that gamers have been waiting for.
04:25That's 2 for Mortal Kombat 2.
04:27Mortal Kombat Annihilation 0 Mortal Kombat 2 2
04:31Round 3 The Fight Scenes
04:33Is it weird to say that Mortal Kombat Annihilation has too much fighting?
04:38Mortal Kombat 2 2
04:43Okay, we expect action in any Mortal Kombat movie, but this one never takes a breather.
04:48It only occasionally stops to deliver exposition amid a series of fight scenes
04:52that often come out of nowhere.
04:54I have no use for excuses!
04:55We'd be more forgiving if the fights themselves were cool.
04:58Alas, they're sloppily edited, full of pointless backflips,
05:02and lack the blood that made the game so distinct.
05:04It doesn't help that characters like Johnny go out on whimper notes.
05:07Even when Raiden faces off against Shao Kahn,
05:10what should be an epic battle ends in embarrassment for our hero.
05:13My brother died a long time ago.
05:16It's hard anyway.
05:27Raiden!
05:28There are moments in Mortal Kombat 2 where it feels like we're watching the game come to life,
05:32especially during the fight sequences.
05:41Every major character is given a moment to shine, whether they're the ones delivering the finishing
05:45move or the ones enduring a fatality.
05:47Even the characters who do meet brutal ends put up a respectable fight
05:51before getting their arms torn off or heads bashed in.
05:54Remember, if you fail, the earth fails with you.
05:58Once again, the filmmakers fully commit to the hard R rating.
06:02It may be excessive, but the film does take time to earn our emotional investment
06:05in most of the characters squaring off.
06:08Sub-Zero, I am reborn.
06:11Although both films are heavy on the fighting, it's clear which one has more inventive choreography,
06:16a stronger visual eye, and engaging characters at the center.
06:19Mortal Kombat 2
06:21Mortal Kombat Annihilation 0 Mortal Kombat 2 3
06:25Round 4 Story and Character Arcs
06:27Could it be that Mortal Kombat Annihilation actually has a deep story about Blood Family
06:32versus Chosen Family?
06:33Together, we are the only hope.
06:36Hear us out.
06:37In the first film, Raiden united a group of fighters from different backgrounds, forming a familial bond.
06:42In the sequel, that family is torn apart by Raiden's brother.
06:45Kitana also clashes with her biological mother, Sindel, who's under Shao Kahn's control.
06:50I have never loved you.
06:52You were such a pathetic child as you.
06:55What reason was there to love?
06:57I knew it could not be true.
06:59Our heroes look to Raiden for guidance, but for the first time, he seems lost.
07:03Raiden ultimately finds that it'll be up to Liu Kang, Sonya, and other Earthrealm warriors to usher in
07:08a new tomorrow.
07:09So, the bones of the story aren't bad.
07:11The problem is that the writing is horrendous, and the characters range from one note to having zero notes.
07:17And remember, be there for one another.
07:23You're a family now.
07:26Mortal Kombat 2 has a similar setup, with Shao Kahn asserting himself as the big bad.
07:30I hope your ancestors are watching.
07:32Even if he's not the most complex villain, they finally got his intimidating look down.
07:36Kitana has a compelling arc as she risks her life to save Outworld, coming into her own as a fighter
07:41and leader.
07:42Johnny Cage emerges as an unlikely defender of Earthrealm, finding that his true strength lies in his confidence.
07:48You wanna know my power?
07:49I am Johnny Cage.
07:51Characters like Jade and Kane are torn between the heroes and villains, ultimately evolving.
07:56Scorpion and Sub-Zero continue their rivalry, although we still would've liked to see more of them.
08:00Some of the other characters, namely Sonya, Jax, and Raiden, aren't given the deepest arcs,
08:05but we still care whether or not they'll live to fight another day.
08:09Johnny Cage, you have been chosen for Mortal Kombat.
08:13Neither film is a Shakespearean work of storytelling, although when stacked up against Annihilation,
08:18Mortal Kombat 2 might as well be.
08:19Another round goes to MK2, but can it pull off a clean sweep?
08:24Mortal Kombat Annihilation 0, Mortal Kombat 2, 4.
08:28Round 5. Humor.
08:30Mortal Kombat Annihilation is one of the most hilarious cinematic experiences we've ever had.
08:35Not that it was intentional.
08:36And it is glorious!
08:38To many, the film is just plain bad.
08:40If you're in the right mindset, though, Annihilation is so bad that it's a special kind of comedic gold.
08:45It's one thing to have terrible writing, but the actors go a step beyond,
08:49delivering their lines in the most unnatural ways possible.
08:52The, ahem, dramatic pause Sindel takes upon reuniting with Katana
08:56is perhaps the most infamous example.
09:06Throw in CGI that was abysmal even by 1997 standards, continuity errors that showed how
09:11little the filmmakers cared, not to mention those giant hamster balls,
09:15and the result is a gloriously goofy mess destined to launch a million memes.
09:18You said Raiden was no longer to be feared.
09:21I am to be feared!
09:23Mortal Kombat 2 actually does have intentionally funny moments,
09:26most of which, once again, come from Josh Lawson's Kano.
09:29Now would be a good time to use those powers, mate!
09:31Few actors better balance badass moments with cheeky humor than Karl Urban.
09:34His moments with CJ Bloomfield's Baraka are especially fun,
09:38with the latter becoming a Johnny Cage fanboy.
09:40Overall, the comedy here is very MCU-coded, which can admittedly be hit and miss.
09:47Johnny would definitely die.
09:49They keep reusing a variation of the same joke where someone says,
09:52hey, you look like, insert pop culture reference here, be it Voldemort, Pennywise, or Gandalf.
09:58Funny to think that Urban was also in Lord of the Rings, but the gag gets old after a while.
10:03Still, at least there's an attempt at legitimate humor.
10:07I'm not some champion. I don't have transformer arms.
10:11While Mortal Kombat 2 technically might be more successful at bringing levity to the action,
10:15we'd be lying if we said we didn't laugh from beginning to end while watching Annihilation.
10:19Yeah, the filmmakers weren't trying to make a comedy, but neither was Tommy Wiseau when he made
10:24The Room. So, in a bizarre twist, Annihilation wins this round, even if it was by accident.
10:30We're as shocked as you are that Annihilation managed to win even one round.
10:33Regardless, this was hardly a close call.
10:36Mortal Kombat 2 pulls off a near flawless victory.
10:40Mortal Kombat Annihilation won.
10:41Mortal Kombat 2 4.
10:43Do you agree that Mortal Kombat 2 easily takes this,
10:46or do you think Annihilation is tragically misunderstood?
10:49Let us know in the comments.
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