Is this really meant to continue from the previous film? Because I genuinely couldn’t tell. There’s no meaningful setup, no explanation of how it connects to the last story, and it simply drops straight into Johnny Cage front and centre. From there it becomes a badly cast, weakly choreographed, poorly executed mess.

Karl Urban as Johnny Cage… really? He has the washed‑up gritty look, sure, but Cage is supposed to be lean, agile and sharp. Urban doesn’t fit that mould. Someone with actual martial arts ability, like Jeffrey Donovan from Burn Notice, would have been a far better pick.

Shao Kahn is another misfire. Physically imposing, yes, but the voice is completely wrong for the character. A European or Scandinavian actor would have nailed the tone better.

Most of the cast look thin on both muscle and skill, and the choreography throughout is flat and uninspired. The story revolves around destroying a crystal to save Earthrealm, but the weaknesses are obvious to anyone who knows the franchise or has even a basic grasp of storytelling. There is no heart in it at all.

The script also throws in nods to other franchises – Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings – and every one of them feels out of place. They should have left all of that out.

On the positive side, the wardrobe department did solid work, the sets look good, though the background depth often looks cheap. The score could have elevated things, but here it feels weak and underpowered.

Overall, this film is a nightmare for anyone who actually cares about writing. Most people could produce a better script. In the end, it is just fatally flawed.

1.5 out of 5.