‘Mortal’ Not Mere

I was annoyed to find in your article on “Tomb Raider” (“She’s Game for the Adventure of Her Career,” Jan. 21) that David Gritten lumped the 1995 hit movie “Mortal Kombat” in with the pack of other video game adaptations with the dismissive phrase “ . . . it’s hard to find moviegoers prepared to express affection for them.”

Modestly budgeted at $26 million, “MK” was the No. 1 movie in America for three straight weeks during the summer of ‘95, finished in the top 15 domestic grossers for the year, eventually accumulated $150 million and went on to be a video rental and sales champ for many weeks. For New Line Cinema, “MK” was the little engine that could . . . and did!

Clearly, then, there were fans more than willing to express their “affection” for the film, including the reviewer of your paper, Kevin Thomas! Since I also wrote a serious “art film” that same year--star-studded, critically acclaimed and nominated for several awards--I was amused and a little bemused to find myself surrounded by UCLA film students at one soiree, eager to discuss “MK,” a film they had seen several times!

Simon West is a brilliant director, and casting Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft is inspired. I have no doubt “Tomb Raider” will supplant the reigning champion of the genre, “Mortal Kombat,” by a large margin! Why Gritten has to denigrate “MK’s” modest role in the history of the genre in order to proclaim this, however, eludes me.

KEVIN DRONEY

Screenwriter, “Mortal Kombat”

Westlake Village