Defying Critics: "Mortal Kombat 2" Sets Franchise Record for Audience Rating

"Mortal Kombat 2" debuted with record-breaking audience scores for the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes. As of publication, the film holds a 90% audience approval rating, making it the highest-rated Mortal Kombat adaptation by viewers.

For comparison, the 2021 reboot received 85% from audiences, the original 1995 film — 58%, and the infamous "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" — only 24%. The sequel also surpassed animated projects in the series, including "Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge" from 2020 with 86%.

On Metacritic, the situation is similar: viewers gave the film 8.1 points, which is also the highest result in the franchise.

With critics, the picture was different. After the first reviews, the film's rating on Rotten Tomatoes reached 77%, but in the last two days, it dropped to 65%. On Metacritic, "Mortal Kombat 2" received 47 points from the professional press.

Such a disparity shows how differently critics, ordinary viewers, and fans can evaluate similar films. A similar situation was recently observed with "The Super Mario Bros. Movie": critics gave it a cool reception, while audiences perceived it as a fun attraction, and that was enough to make it a box office success.