The film, despite its end-of-the-world stakes, lacks urgency. I found it to be a waste of time.

If [this] sounds suspiciously like the set-up to Galaxy Quest, that’s because it is -- minus the humour and satisfyingly developed characters.

Ultimately, Mortal Kombat II delivers visceral spectacle but limited dramatic weight, racing toward a finale that feels hollow and dissipates quickly once the noise and carnage fade.

The film’s most promising element, deriving comic relief from Karl Urban... gets underutilized, leaving behind a lot of inside-Hollywood references and not much else to enliven the relentless and repetitive action.