‘Mortal Kombat’ reboot brings the gore
With theaters open for almost two months, I thought this would be a good time to discuss my experience returning to the cineplex.
At this point, the majority of films in theaters are older pictures – ones released on the small screen during the pandemic and Oscar nominees. My review for one of the few new movies to open in theaters can be found below.
I have seen four movies at three different theaters this spring. All three theaters are doing a very good job following and enforcing social distancing guidelines. If tickets need to be purchased inside the theater, everyone in line is properly spaced apart. I never needed concessions, but I noted that those lines are also kept well-spaced.
In some of the restrooms, there is caution tape to close off sinks and stalls. Others, though, just have signs that are easy to miss. But the fact that theaters can only accept a maximum of 25 percent capacity means you are unlikely to encounter a crowded restroom.
Inside the theaters, I never found myself less than a dozen feet away from the nearest stranger. Many theaters already have rows that are spaced much farther apart than the times when you could read the tag on the back of the shirt of the person in front of you. So even when a group of us went to a show, there was no one else in our row and those in front and behind were 10 feet away.
Now fully vaccinated, I have no problem going to the movies. Even those not yet vaccinated will likely feel comfortably secure upon their return.
At the theater (or on HBO Max)
Once a month in 2021, a big film will release in theaters and on HBO Max at the same time. April’s offering was the reboot of “Mortal Kombat.”
Paul W.S. Anderson made two previous MK films. The first, in 1995, was better than a video-game-turned-film had a right to be, while the 1997 sequel was akin to getting a root canal.
This time around, first-time director Simon McQuoid pushes the R rating by bringing in as much of the gore from the original video game series as possible. The effects are mostly well-done; the “fatalities” stay especially true to the source material. The costumes and characterizations are also effective.
I’d say 95 percent of those who watch “Mortal Kombat” are doing so for the above reasons. That means most will be able to ignore the flat script, boring settings, thin story and stiff acting (though Josh Lawson is fantastic as the snarky Aussie mercenary Kano).
However, if you want to see Kung Lao’s spinning hat eviscerate a vampire bat-lady and then hear him say “flawless victory,” Scorpion would say “get over here” to the theater. C+
Jeff Mellinger
Jeff Mellinger is a screen writer and film buff. He holds a BA in Film Studies and an MFA in film production. He lives in Concord.