ost ’90s fighting video games provided either scant details or overly extravagant reasons as to why their array of elite combatants chose to step into the arena with one another. 1992’s “Mortal Kombat” favored the latter, but its tale of otherworldly deities, villains, and realms made for cinematic adaptations that could never quiet escape the cheesiness inherent in magic-infused soldiers duking it out with mutant monsters in hyper-violent duels to the death. “Mortal Kombat II” is the sincerest iteration yet in the franchise, pushing more human characters (thematically and physically) to the forefront of the plot while still packing in plenty of outlandish supporting acts and never skimping on the weaponry, locations, superpowers, and blood spray that fans of the source material crave.

After losing their tenth Mortal Kombat tournament, peaceful Edenia falls to Outworld’s relentless conqueror Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), leaving Queen Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen) an undead slave and Princess Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) patiently awaiting her chance at vengeance. Years pass and the brutal warlord sets his sights on Earthrealm, steadily climbing to nine victories in blood-soaked battle. With the tournament that will decide Earth’s fate drawing near, Elder God Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) gathers his greatest warriors, including Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), and Cole Young (Lewis Tan), as well as one wild card – the washed-up former karate champion and movie star Johnny Cage (Karl Urban).

The filmmakers have spared no attention to detail in visuals. Almost every character’s costume is stunning and their accompanying apparatus are video game-accurate. Shao Kahn’s gargantuan hammer, Kitana’s fan blades, and Kung Lao’s razor-rimmed Chakram Hat are the standouts, but even the more heavily computer-generated imagery like Liu Kang’s fiery fists, Jax’s mechanical arms, and Noob Saibot’s shadowy doppelgänger are expertly crafted. Strangely, only Quan Chi appears to be where the budget stopped, oddly recalling a paltry mix of Pennywise and Megamind (Kano even goes so far as to point this out and incessantly ridicules the sorcerer’s features). Baraka’s toothy countenance occasionally appears rubbery, but overall imposes menace. Numerous fight sequences feel ripped straight from the game, especially considering the backdrops and accuracy of each character’s famously over-the-top “special moves.” For plain ferocity, a clash between Liu Kang and Revenant Kung Lao wins out, while a prolonged skirmish with Johnny Cage and Baraka offers both havoc and humor.

When it comes to bringing fan favorites to life, again almost everyone turns in a sincere portrayal. Karl Urban breathes a little seriousness and a lot of laughs into his over-the-hill action star while Josh Lawson’s Kano supplements any drier moments with increasingly absurd jabs. Adeline Rudolph looks and acts the part, only succumbing to an awkward one-liner once or twice, while Raiden, Scorpion, and Bi-Han remain as stolid as ever. Martyn Ford’s Shao Kahn surprisingly outshines the overcrowded gathering of stoic titans. Lewis Tan, though not a bad actor, has been pushed into the background, likely due to Cole Young (an original creation for the movies and not a time-tested staple) not connecting with lifelong fans. At least Ludi Lin’s and Damon Herriman’s neutered necromancers keep him company.

Despite oftentimes being just an excuse to use real people to replicate outrageous video game fights amongst beloved fictional staples of the genre, “Mortal Kombat II” excels in its visuals and borrows generously from the source material’s plots, a risky storytelling endeavor depending on the viewer’s familiarity and passion for the game series. Though not a high bar, director Simon McQuoid’s second foray into the Mortal Kombat universe is the franchise’s most earnest and most entertaining, balancing wit and severity with bloodthirsty violence and the pressures of stuffing as many roster notables as possible into the proceedings. The film still suffers from ill-timed (though mandatory) catch phrases, cringeworthy posing, stale flashbacks, and the general goofiness of a plot involving gods, monsters, sorcerers, zombies, immortality-granting amulets, and Earth’s final shot at salvation. But for every eye-rolling motivational quip, there are two competently crafted fight sequences that pay amusing homage to one of the most iconic fighting games of all time.

– Joel Massie