Mortal Kombat II Producer Clarifies Criticism of Reviewers Who Don't Know the 'Rules and Canon' of the Video Games

The shaper of Mortal Kombat II has deed retired astatine critics who, successful his words, person either ne'er played the games upon which the movie is based, oregon are unaware of the rules and canon of the franchise.

With a 73% Tomatometer standing connected Rotten Tomatoes, Mortal Kombat II is 1 of the highest-rated video crippled movies of each time, down lone 2024’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and 2021’s Werewolves Within. IGN’s Mortal Kombat II reappraisal returned an 8/10. We said: “The barroom for video crippled movie sequels isn’t precise high, but this 1 not lone clears the bar, it twirls it astir similar a bo staff.”

Still, Todd Garner took to X / Twitter to bemoan immoderate reviews helium intelligibly felt unfairly criticized the game. One reviewer, helium said, was “mad that a feline had a laser eye.” This is simply a wide notation to the seasoned Mortal Kombat quality Kano, who is celebrated for his laser eye.

“Some of these reviews are cracking maine up,” Garner began. “It’s wide they person ne'er played the crippled and person nary thought what the fans privation oregon ANY of the rules / canon of Mortal Kombat. One reviewer was huffy that a feline ‘had a laser eye!’ Why the f**k bash we inactive let radical that don’t person immoderate emotion for the genre reappraisal these movies! Baffling.”

While determination are a fig of comments successful enactment of Garner’s take, not everyone is connected committee with it. Griffin Schiller, movie professional and laminitis and big of FilmSpeak, took to societal media to accidental helium was “kinda implicit this question of anti-criticism sentiment.”

“Your movie has a 77% connected RT and counting,” helium continued. “You won. You tin marque thing for the fans without excluding the sentiment of those who aren't. I don't deliberation playing the games oregon knowing the lore should beryllium a prerequisite for viewing. Films should beryllium reviewed connected however they relation as… films, not arsenic a portion of instrumentality service.”

That sparked a effect from Garner, who clarified his position.

“I’m truly atrocious you consciousness this way,” helium said. “My remark was precise squarely directed astatine a mates of reviewers that did not similar the ‘zombies’ and the information that determination was a ‘guy with a laser eye,’ etc. Those are elements that are baked into the Mortal Kombat IP and truthful we were dormant successful the h2o going in. There is nary mode for that idiosyncratic to reappraisal however it functioned arsenic a film, due to the fact that they did not similar the foundational elements of the IP.

“I conscionable privation erstwhile thing is truthful evidently instrumentality leaning successful its DNA, that critics would instrumentality that into consideration.”

Garner besides faced pushback from immoderate Mortal Kombat fans who highlighted issues the Mortal Kombat assemblage had with the archetypal film, specifically the divisive caller quality Cole Young, and further issues with immoderate characters who look successful this sequel.

“Bro to beryllium fair, you invented Cole Young, Arcana, and couldn't adjacent get the elemental lore of Mileena and Kitana correct,” 1 instrumentality said. “I'd accidental you shouldn't beryllium tossing immoderate stones here.”

To that, Garner replied: “Fair.”

Arcana is simply a powerfulness introduced successful 2021’s Mortal Kombat that awakens wrong an Earthrealm Champion who possesses the dragon mark. In possibly the astir arguable country from Mortal Kombat, Cole Young’s Arcana powerfulness awakens erstwhile Goro threatens to termination his family. He gains aureate armor that helps him decision the much-loved — and overpowered — Mortal Kombat boss. Arcana does not diagnostic successful the video games.

Despite Garner’s contented with immoderate reviews, Mortal Kombat II looks acceptable for large container bureau success, and Mortal Kombat III is already confirmed to beryllium successful development.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].