Where the original movie left off finds Liu Kang, Sonya Blade,
Rayden, Princess Kitana and Johnny Cage up against emperor Shao Kahn and his extermination squad led by Ermac, Motaro, Sheeva
and Rain. Kahn's plan is to merge Earth with Outworld into one realm by resurrecting Kitana's mother, Queen Sindel. After
the death of Johnny Cage, the warriors flee from Liu Kang's temple where Rayden tells me they are no more rules because Kahn
broke them and the only way they can defeat them is to bring peace into Sindel's spirit and they have seven days to do it.
Rayden then sends Sonya to find his partner Jax, while Kitana and Liu Kang goes looking for Nightwolf so they can help them
defeat Shao Kahn.
Although popular characters from the video games, like Mileena, Baraka,
Cyrax, and Noob Saibot appear in the film, they are never mentioned by name.
James Remar apparently auditioned for Johnny Cage. Christopher Lambert
was apparently interested in reprising Rayden but was committed to Beowulf (1999) at the time.
Ray Park's first film role was as Rayden's fight double in this movie.
Both Deron McBee (Motaro) and Lynn 'Red' Williams (Jax) are former "American
Gladiators" (1989), and they have a fight scene in this film together.
Dana Hee, who plays Mileena, was Kitana's stunt double in the previous
film. In the game's storyline, Mileena is actually a clone of Kitana raised as her sister.
The red ninja, Ermac, is played by the film's stunt co-ordinator, John
Medlen.
Tony Jaa doubled for Robin Shou in quite a few stunt sequences.
Continuity Error: Shao Kahn removes his cape before the final battle,
but it reappears briefly during the fight before disappearing again.
Error: When Jade says "We could never have stopped them alone" to Shao
Kahn, her lips do not match the words she speaks.
Error: When Lui Kang hits Baraka into the fire pit, not only is it the
footage of Rain (who was knocked in there by Shao Kahn earlier in the movie) but you can also see a hand reach up and grab
him.
Continuity Error: When Lui Kang kicks Smoke into the pit, Sub-Zero isn't
seen to the right of Smoke, but as Lui Kang is flying back after kicking Smoke, Sub-Zero appears.
Error: Cables are visible when Subzero and Scorpion are fighting.
Continuity Error: In the fight with Sonya and Mileena, the mud on their
clothes changes positions and is mostly dry by the end of the fight.
Error: In the fight with Sonya and Mileena, when Mileena kicks Sonya onto
the rock, you see Sonya's male stunt double spinning in the air.
Error: When Rayden does his famous flying attack (from the original arcade
game) you can clearly see his long hair pulled back in a pony tail. However, before and after doing the move, his long hair
is down.
Along with probably hours of unused fight scene footage, there have also
been reports of a completely alternate ending to the film, where Shinnok is seen in the Netherealm conversing with the sorcerer
Quan Chi, who is otherwise not seen in the film. All the ending consists of is Shinnok asking if everything is going according
to plan, Quan Chi nods yes, and they both leave. This leaves things open for a third movie.
A picture of the aforementioned conversation between Shinnok and Quan
Chi was printed in the December 1997 issue of Sci Fi Entertainment
The UK video is cut for violence to secure a "15" rating.
The German video retail version is cut for violence to avoid a "Not under
18" rating.
TBS Superstation removed part of the Cyrax fight scene (yellow robot/cyborg):
Sonya throws Cyrax into some gas cannisters which, when she blew the spilled powder at it, ignited and burned the cyborg to
a crisp.