Entertainment

Now Playing: Mortal Kombat II

Flawless Victory? Perhaps.

Photos c/o Warner Bros. Pictures

Published

May 6, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

I was hyped and pleasantly surprised walking out of the cinema.

Mortal Kombat II is proof that something great can emerge even from a shoddy foundation.

Where Mortal Kombat I felt like a high budget Hollywood B movie. The sequel levels everything up. It felt a lot more confident from the start—like it knew exactly what it wanted to be.

It didn’t take long to feel the difference either. Somewhere within the first hour, it was already clear this was operating on a completely different level.

Night and day from MK1

It’s funny because I didn’t even see Mortal Kombat I until a day before Mortal Kombat II’s screening.

There was a moment when the main characters were journeying through the desert. I paused, watched something else, then came back just to power through. That wasn’t the case with MK II.

MK1 had a really strong start showcasing the history between Scorpion and Sub-Zero, but it quickly went downhill. The main character was easily its weakest part. MK II fixes that by finally telling the story from the lens of actual characters that exist in Mortal Kombat lore.

If anything, the biggest difference is tone. MK1 felt like it took itself a little too seriously. MK II is self-aware of how absurd everything is. It’s campy without being too cheeky.

And more importantly—it actually feels like a proper action blockbuster. Not stitched together. Not dragging. Just locked in from start to finish.

Cage & Kitana

Johnny Cage and Kitana brought their own brand of charisma, humor, and energy. They were the perfect anchors for the kind of story MK II wanted to tell.

Cage, especially, changes the tone of every scene he’s in. He feels like what Cole Young should have been—a self-aware, not too serious lens for the audience to grasp the world of Mortal Kombat.

Where Cage is the funny, grounded audience stand-in, Kitana is the heart and soul of the film.

It’s her story that kicks things off. While MK1 arguably had the stronger intro, MK II delivers a more consistent vibe and energy throughout. Kitana’s emotional journey becomes the core, and her growth alongside Cage’s is what ties everything together.

The returning cast, meanwhile, feels like proper foundations. Like veterans welcoming new, highly billed members and giving them space to shine.

And then there’s Kano. Absolutely loved Kano here. He was already an asshole in the first one—and somehow even more so in the sequel. But this time, his motivations and decisions actually make even more sense. His banter with Cage was also hilarious.

It’s a fighting game movie. Relax.

A lot of the charm comes from how the movie embraces its absurdity.

Johnny Cage, in particular, calls out everything that sounds ridiculous about the Mortal Kombat tournament. He practically calls it unbelievably stupid without actually saying it—but does it in a way that’s inviting and incredibly funny.

It feels self-aware that it’s a campy fighting game movie—and it fully commits to that. That balance is what lets it be corny, campy, absurd, and bizarre… but in an endearing way.

There’s also some heart here. Like I said, Cage brings the humor, but Kitana brings the emotional weight. She grounds the film without clashing with its tone. Her journey gives the story something to hold onto beyond just fights.

And yes, even if it’s tighter than the first film, there will still be moments where you go, “huh?” That’s fine.

This is a fighting game movie. These stories are rarely known for being deep. What matters is that MK II makes the most of what it has—and finds a solid balance of humor, heart, and chaos.

Finish him.

The fights are just better. Plain and simple.

They’re edited better. Yes, there are still quick cuts—very Hollywood—but the sequences feel more sustained. Each hit also felt weightier than the first film. You actually feel the impact.

And when the fatalities come, they hit harder. They’re at the right level of gore—not too much, not too little. Each one gets a reaction. They’re cool without being self-indulgent.

What also helps is how distinct each fight feels. They lean into each character’s style, so nothing feels repetitive. It genuinely feels like the fighting game come to life.

The pacing is spot on too. People wanted a tournament—and that’s exactly what we got. Fights come one after the other in the best way possible, and each one tells its own story without taking away from the main plot.

It really does feel like a proper tournament arc. And a damn good one at that.

Flawless Victory? Not quite.

There are still moments that will make casual viewers go, “huh?” Some lines of dialogue. Some head-scratching beats. But given the film’s tone, they land anyway.

The story is tighter, but still shallow. It’s a fighting game movie—don’t expect it to say anything profound. Its job is to tie everything together and build around the fights, and that’s exactly what it does.

There are still small messy moments here and there. But you’ll likely walk away on a high. Maybe even wanting to watch it again. Because everything it does right—it does really well.

If this were a fighting game match, MK1 felt like barely scraping by but still getting the win in Round 1. Then, Mortal Kombat II is the second round which feels more like a definitive victory.

And yeah—Kitana? She’ll make you glad you have eyes. Will make you want to shout “Get over here” every time she’s on screen.

Related Topics:Johnny Cage Kitana MK II MK2 Mortal Kombat Mortal Kombat II

Entertainment

Street Fighter special look: Blanka vs. Ryu

Jason Momoa, Andrew Koji’s characters face off

Published

August 2, 2026

GadgetMatch

Paramount Pictures has released a new special look for Street Fighter featuring Jason Momoa and Andrew Koji.

The short, minute-long clip shows the actors’ respective characters, Blanka and Ryu, in battle.

It opens with a chained prisoner struck by extreme electrical charges, transforming into the green-skinned, electricity-infused Blanka.

He unleashes a fierce roar. Meanwhile, Ryu drops into a fighting stance, but tells Blanka he does not want to fight him.

Forced to defend himself, Ryu then fires a signature Hadouken fireball towards Blanka, as the teaser cuts to the Street Fighter title card.

Street Fighter debuts in cinemas starting October 14. It is directed by Kitao Sakurai and stars an ensemble cast that includes Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoai as Akuma, and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as Balrog, among others.

The film is set in 1993 when estranged Street Fighters Ryu and Ken Masters are thrown into combat when Chun-Li recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament.

Entertainment

Now Playing: Spider-Man: Brand New Day

It’s a must watch for Spidey fans who want to see Peter Parker enter his sad boy era.

Published

July 29, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy is one of my favorite franchises in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Compared to other series with admittedly disjointed plots, all of Spidey’s storylines have a clear thread leading from one to the next. Since the fourth entries after trilogies are historically lackluster, I had a lot of trepidation heading into Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Thankfully, all those worries were unfounded. Brand New Day follows the same throughline as its predecessors, once again reinforcing Spider-Man as the strongest franchise that Marvel offers fans today.

A brand new day indeed

Coming from No Way Home, Brand New Day still has Peter Parker live a new life as a literal nobody where no one remembers who he is. So begins his existence as just Spider-Man with no friends or family.

When a new and unseen threat ravages through New York City, Spidey starts to wish that he still had friends to help him out, which leads him on an inevitable collision course with Ned and MJ. Ironically, it also leads him to other characters in the city, including the Hulk and the Punisher.

A cacophony of villains

When I first saw the trailer, I was worried about the astounding number of villains from the get-go. After all, one of the biggest problems in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3, the most maligned entry in Spider-Man movie history, was the villains. Though far from the movie’s biggest problem, having too many bad guys without a solid plot led to its terrible reception. You can see why Brand New Day’s trailer raises some flags.

If you were thinking the same thing, Brand New Day does indeed have a cohesive plot. Everything flows neatly into one another. Each emotional beat of Peter feeling for his solitude mixes well with the action. In here, fight scenes feel like they have a purpose.

And there is a big bad here. It’s not just a collection of guys that Spidey has to go through. That big bad, who shall not be named at this time, doesn’t feel like just a placeholder for Peter’s internal struggles. They have a character of their own and their own struggles to solve. I wouldn’t say they’re at the level of Loki just yet, but they definitely have a better go at it than most of the MCU’s other villains.

Marvel’s New York City finally debuts

Despite being a prime location since 2012’s Avengers, New York City never really felt like the quintessential city for superheroes in the comics. In the movies, the city was just another city to be ravaged when a new villain comes along.

For the first time, Brand New Day makes the city feel like a lived-in world with a bunch of superheroes living in the neighborhood. And they do pop up.

Does Peter have a scientific problem that only a very specific hero can solve? It’s a good thing Bruce Banner is just around the corner. Does he need some muscle? Well, the Punisher is skulking around somewhere. Plus, there’s even a succinct reason why other superheroes can’t help out.

In this way, Brand New Day presents itself more like a comic book series than a one-off movie. It’s like following the story alone from issue to issue. It’s not the most perfect adaptation of the landmark city, but it goes a long way from just another ravaging of New York.

Peter’s sadness

Everything here hinges on Peter’s loneliness. Despite meeting a trove of characters across the cinematic universe, Peter yearns for time with his loved ones. But they’re gone.

Unlike the past three films where he always had someone to go home to, he has no one here. Tony Stark is dead. Aunt May is gone. Happy has gone to parts unknown. Ned and MJ have no memory of him. Brand New Day has a way of making you feel for his aches, whether the way he still keeps track of MJ or some physiological changes as a result of his predicament.

It also helps that the movie’s big bad has similar motivations. Both serve as perfect mirrors against each other, elevating both their stories effectively. And that’s all I’ll say about that.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a few steps behind from being a perfect Marvel movie, but it’s still an extremely strong part of the Spider-Man mythos. The trilogy, now quadrilogy, remains Marvel’s most consistent franchises to date. It’s an absolute must-watch.

Entertainment

UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony hits Makati in October

Determination arrives in October.

Published

July 28, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

For so small of a game, UNDERTALE quickly made it into the gaming world’s hall of fame. Despite being only a decade old, the small title has had a major influence for modern-day gamers because of its unique gameplay, its lo-fi art, and, of course, its catchy soundtrack. If you’re a fan of UNDERTALE’s soundtrack, a unique concert experience is headed your way.

On October 17, Film Concerts PH, in partnership with SOHO Live, is hosting UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.

The concert will be performed by the Filharmonika Orchestra and conducted by Thanapol Setabrahmana. Personally curated by creator Toby Fox and developed by Lambert Jackson with Materia Music, the concert experience showcases the game’s most recognizable tunes laid over gameplay footage playing simultaneously. Plus, for the world tour, the experience will have expanded scoring.

In the game, you play as a small child stuck in the mysterious Underground filled with interesting characters and monsters. Unlike traditional RPGs, UNDERTALE asks players to choose between building relationships and chasing after wins. It’s a unique experience that’s defined by whether you chose to make friends or fought your way to the top. It teaches players to value different ways to solve problems, all while showering them with its one-of-a-kind humor.

Pre-sales for the concert, exclusively for members of the Film Concerts PH community, start on August 4. Public sales, however, will start on August 11 via Ticketmelon.