AMC to screen Bollywood sci-fi thriller ‘2.0’

It used to be that all a movie theater had to do was show a movie with big-name stars — preferably some sort of action movie with big-name stars — and the audiences would show up.

Oh, and make sure the popcorn had lots of butter on it.

Those days clearly have changed. Now we have reclining seats, Dolby sound, IMAX screens and other inducements, all in service to a variety of films, including those featuring action-oriented plots and big-name stars. And the concession stands act as virtual fast-food joints.

As to how varied the film selections are, just look at one film that is opening — along with the horror feature that I've already announced — on Friday at AMC River Park Square. It's a Bollywood production titled "2.0" and will be offered in three different languages (Hindi, Telugu and Tamil) with, of course, subtitles in English.

"2.0," which is said to be a sequel of the 2010 release "Enthiran," was directed by the Indian director and producer Shankar. It stars Bollywood players Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar and is said (by the Times of India) to be the costliest Indian film ever made.

The CGI-heavy film is part of AMC's efforts to appeal to an international audience, with programs such as AMC Independent and International Films such as Asian-Pacific and Indian Cinema (of which "2.0" and other recent openings at AMC River Park Square are examples).

Seeing a movie and broadening your horizons. What more could you ask for — except, maybe, for more butter on that popcorn.