A theatrical underperformer starring Karl Urban has gained fresh momentum after landing on streaming. Fans on HBO Max have quickly pushed the action sequel to the top of the platform’s U.S. movie rankings, giving it a second chance with audiences.
Mortal Kombat 2 proves to be a hit on HBO Max
After a disappointing theatrical run, Mortal Kombat II has found new life on streaming. According to FlixPatrol, the film currently sits at No. 1 on HBO Max’s Top 10 Movies list in the United States, outperforming titles including Mortal Kombat (2021), The Long Walk, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, Tag and Pacific Rim: Uprising.
Directed by Simon McQuoid, the sequel brings Karl Urban into the franchise as fan-favorite fighter Johnny Cage alongside returning stars Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Hiroyuki Sanada, Joe Taslim, Mehcad Brooks and Ludi Lin. The story follows Earthrealm’s champions as they prepare for the long-awaited Mortal Kombat tournament and battle Shao Kahn, whose invasion threatens humanity’s survival across realms.
Its run in theaters painted a very different picture from its streaming comeback. Mortal Kombat II reportedly cost around $80 million to produce and finished with roughly $129 million at the global box office, including close to $79.8 million from North America. Even though ticket sales topped the production budget, they probably weren’t enough to meet the higher revenue studios usually expect after factoring in marketing and other release expenses. As a result, the sequel was largely seen as an underperformer during its time on the big screen.
The response from critics and fans ended up miles apart. Mortal Kombat II currently carries a 6.4/10 score on IMDb, while Rotten Tomatoes shows a 64% critics’ rating compared with a much stronger 87% audience score. Moviegoers especially enjoyed Karl Urban’s scene-stealing performance as Johnny Cage, along with the sequel’s bigger fights, playful tone, and plenty of nods to the video game series. Reviewers were less convinced, praising the improved action but pointing out that the plot still lacked depth.
Now, thanks to strong streaming buzz, the sequel is finding the audience that largely passed it by when it first hit theaters.
