Bad Reviews? Mortal Kombat II Producer Laughs Them Off
Mortal Kombat II storms into opening weekend buoyed by mostly positive reviews, and producer Todd Garner says the harsher pans are baffling — he’s laughing them off, not lashing out. Here’s how he’s responding to the naysayers.
If you thought the Mortal Kombat movie universe was going to quietly accept anything critics had to say, guess again. The sequel, Mortal Kombat II, is heading into its opening weekend with mostly solid reviews, but producer Todd Garner is not shy about calling out some of the more clueless critics out there.
Critics vs. Fans: Who Actually 'Gets' Mortal Kombat?
So, here’s where things stand: Mortal Kombat II has a 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is actually a huge jump from the 2021 first film (that one limped in with a 55%). It’s now sitting comfortably in the 'not embarrassing' tier for video game movies—a pretty exclusive club, if you know the genre.
Despite the sequel getting most critics on board, a few just can’t wrap their heads around the source material. And Garner is not hiding his amusement. He jumped on X (Twitter, for people who haven’t kept up with branding changes), and basically accused some critics of having never touched a Mortal Kombat game in their lives.
'Some of these reviews are cracking me up. It's clear they have never played the game and have no idea what the fans want or ANY of the rules/ canon of Mortal Kombat. One reviewer was mad that a guy "had a laser eye!" Why the f**k do we still allow people that don't have any love for the genre review these movies! Baffling.'
He’s got a point: complaining about laser eyes in a Mortal Kombat movie is like being upset there are spaceships in Star Wars. Of course this is over the top—that’s kind of the brand.
A fan also pointed out that critics’ opinions don’t move the needle the way the fandom does. With the games (and spinoffs) being such a juggernaut, the only thing that matters is whether the fanbase is happy. Garner agreed:
'Absolutely. The gamification of movie reviews has gotten absurd.'
He kept doubling down, replying to another commenter just to hammer the point home:
'I made it for fans!!!!!!'
And if you think the negative reviews are keeping him up at night, nope. To paraphrase his last reply: He’s genuinely laughing at the whole thing.
So, Who Is Actually in This Mortal Kombat Sequel?
If you like the first movie’s cast, most of them are back for round two, doing what they do best (which, let’s be real, is looking cool and kicking people through walls):
- Hiroyuki Sanada is Scorpion
- Lewis Tan as Cole Young
- Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade
- Josh Lawson as Kano
- Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden
- Mehcad Brooks as Jax
- Ludi Lin as Liu Kang
- Chin Han as Shang Tsung
- Joe Taslim as Bi-Han/Sub-Zero
- Max Huang as Kung Lao
- Karl Urban, new to the party for Johnny Cage
- Adeline Rudolph as Kitana
- Tati Gabrielle as Jade
- Martyn Ford as Emperor Shao Kahn
- Damon Herriman as Quan Chi
- Desmond Chiam as King Jerrod
The Bottom Line (and the Release Date)
Mortal Kombat II seems to know exactly what it is and who it’s for. If you’re expecting nuanced prestige drama and subtle world-building, yeah, this probably isn’t going to suddenly convert you. If you want supernatural tournament brawling with a side of absurd fatalities, well, the fanbase is already locked in.
The movie opens in theaters May 8, 2026. If you’re the kind of person who thinks lasers in eyes are a step too far, I don't really know what you expected from Mortal Kombat in the first place.