20 Movie Sequels That Start Immediately After The First

Paul W.S. Anderson's 1995 Mortal Kombat movie concludes with Liu Kang (Robin Shou) and the other assembled heroes celebrating their victory on Earthrealm, only to be interrupted by the Emperor of Outworld, who promises to take the heroes' souls.

It's a kick-ass setup for a sequel, no question, and indeed, Mortal Kombat Annihilation picks up right from this moment, with Emperor Shao Kahn (Brian Thompson) opening a portal to Earthrealm and immediately killing Johnny Cage (Chris Conrad).

While this seems to provide seamless continuity between the two movies, this is entirely upended by the fact that many prominent cast members opted not to return for the sequel.

And so, while Robin Shou and Talisa Soto reprise their roles as Liu Kang and Kitana respectively, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, and Raiden are all played by different actors.

It's hilariously jarring if you watch the two films in close proximity, even back-to-back, though ultimately the personnel changes are only the beginning of this woeful sequel's problems.