Stephen Thompson

Is the zombie with a magic hat a playable character?

All right.

How about you, Ronald?

Right.

I don't think there has been a clearer example in recent memory of a film where I can really kind of determine from talking to a person whether they should go see this movie.

Right.

Like, there is a very clear subset of the moviegoing audience that should go see this movie.

And there is a very clear subset of the moviegoing audience that should not bother.

And for me, like, I came in, I did not really play Mortal Kombat.

The original game came out when I was 20.

I had just kind of gotten out of my Smash TV phase and not really into another video gaming phase.

I just kind of stepped away from video games for a long time.

I really kind of was only dimly aware of Mortal Kombat from a few catchphrases, from a few characters who I mostly knew from characteristics more than backstory or name.

So it's like the Flame Fist guy.

Ah, old Flame Fist.

Yeah, right.

I was talking to my partner about this last night, having no idea that she had ever played these games.

And she was like, well, tell me about the movie.

And I was like, well, you know, there's like this washed up action star.

Oh, Johnny Cage.