# Mortal Kombat II and What’s Making Us Happy

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/pop-culture-happy-hour-755082/mortal-kombat-ii-and-what-s-making-us-happy
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/pop-culture-happy-hour-755082/mortal-kombat-ii-and-what-s-making-us-happy.md
Podcast: [Pop Culture Happy Hour](https://stenobird.com/podcast/pop-culture-happy-hour-755082)
Published: 2026-05-08T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/08/nx-s1-5814848/in-mortal-kombat-ii-fatality-meets-fan-service
Audio file: https://tracking.swap.fm/track/XvDEoI11TR00olTUO8US/prfx.byspotify.com/e/play.podtrac.com/npr-510282/npr.simplecastaudio.com/f75261d2-0860-4d61-91c1-a78a2b997ff2/episodes/3a19acd4-85f5-4155-94d8-73391cbc6dfa/audio/128/default.mp3?awCollectionId=f75261d2-0860-4d61-91c1-a78a2b997ff2&awEpisodeId=3a19acd4-85f5-4155-94d8-73391cbc6dfa&feed=QGMNw0q1&t=podcast&e=nx-s1-5814848&p=510282&d=1293&size=20690278
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/pop-culture-happy-hour-755082/episodes/mortal-kombat-ii-and-what-s-making-us-happy
Duration seconds: 1293

## Resource

Mortal Kombat II brings back more of the unforgettable characters you might have grown up eviscerating. Based on the ultra-violent video game franchise, it centers the story on warrior princess Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) and washed-up action star Johnny Cage (Karl Urban). And of course, there’s fighting. Lots and lots of fighting. Follow Pop Culture Happy Hour on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/nprpopculture Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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## Transcript

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