Mortal Kombat II , a sequel to the 2021 adaptation of the hit martial arts video game, is new in theaters this weekend and has already found an ally in Rotten Tomatoes critics.

Playing in preview screenings on Thursday before opening in theaters everywhere on Friday, Mortal Kombat II stars Karl Urban ( The Boys ) as Johnny Cage, a washed-up action movie star who is given a chance to become the hero he was meant to be. However, that means he must join in the bloody battle to defeat the evil Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), who threatens the existence of the Earthrealm.

Directed by Simon McQuoid, Mortal Kombat II features the return of Hiroyuki Sanada ( Shōgun ) from the first Mortal Kombat film, and also stars Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano and Joe Taslim.

The review embargo for Mortal Kombat II was lifted at noon ET/9 a.m. on Wednesday and Rotten Tomatoes’ critics have given the film a 75% “fresh” critics’ score based on 51 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus, Audience Summary and Popcornmeter score are still pending.

What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘Mortal Kombat II’?

Liz Shannon Miller of Consquence is among the top critics on RT who gives Mortal Kombat II a “fresh” score. Miller writes in her RT review, “Fingers crossed a third movie will do what this movie did: Improve on what came before, take the piss out of itself whenever possible, and never forget that at the end of the day, the reason people want to watch movies like this in the first place.”

Linda Marric of HeyUGuys also gives the film a “fresh” score, but warns that the film works best for Mortal Kombat fans. Marric writes in her RT review summary, “For those already invested in its world, there is much to enjoy. For newcomers, it may feel like stepping into the middle of an ongoing conversation.”

Also a fan of Mortal Kombat II is William Bibbiani of The Wrap , albeit with some reservations. Bibbiani writes in his “fresh” RT summary, “’ Mortal Kombat II isn’t the best Mortal Kombat movie, but it’s hard to deny that it comes second. At least with the number '2' and all.”

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter also playfully rewards Mortal Kombat II with a “fresh” score, writing in his RT review summary, “The film has its rewards, mostly of the unsophisticated kind, since the fight sequences come fast and furious and the cheesy dialogue has enough groan-worthy one-liners to inspire a thousand drinking games.”

Owen Gleiberman of Variety is among the top critics on RT who gives Mortal Kombat II a “rotten” score. Gleiberman writes in his RT review summary, “ Mortal Kombat II , a sequel to the 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot, is still an old-school video-game trash extravaganza: all sound and fury and flying bodies and jargony world-building, propped up by a sludgy excuse for a story.”

Jacob Oller of AV Club isn’t a fan of Mortal Kombat II , either. Oller writes in his “rotten” RT review summary, “Injecting a dash of schlocky B-movie energy into this lifeless video game sequel is like trying to defibrillate a fighter after a fatality has popped their head like a cherry tomato.”

Alison Wilmore of New York Magazine/Vulture calls out director Simon McQuoid in her “rotten” RT review summary, writing, “ Mortal Kombat II is just McQuoid turning a big dial that says ‘fan service’ while looking back at test audiences for their reaction.”

Barry Hertz also knocks McQuoid in his review for the Globe and Mail . Hertz writes in his RT review summary, “While Urban can do this kind of slack-jawed what-fresh-hell-is-this comedy in his sleep by now thanks to his roles on the similarly disgusting (but far more engaging) series The Boys , the actor is consistently undermined by McQuoid’s uneven tone.”

By contrast, 2021’s Mortal Kombat earned a 55% “rotten” critics score on RT’s Tomatometer based on 299 reviews, while the site’s users gave it an 85% “fresh” Popcornmeter score based on 5,000-plus verified user ratings.

Mortal Kombat II plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.