By Chris Kavan - 02/10/16 at 12:23 PM CT
Finally, after a few weeks of little to no new updates, we have got ourselves a fine batch of new ratings. Some movies just had to wait until the last minute (looking at you Zoolander 2) before deciding on a rating, while others were more proactive. Aside from the comedic sequel we have an uplifting sports story and body-switching family-friendly film that hearkens back to the Shaggy Dog days of Disney. All in all, a fine update - not too big, not too small - just right, like I wish they all could be.
The biggest film on the list - and the one coming out the soonest (as in this weekend) is Zoolander 2. Once again Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson reprise their roles at the fashionable yet dimwitted dynamic modeling duo Derek and Hansel. Will Ferrell is also back on board as the evil Mugato and Christine Taylor is also back as Matilda Jeffries while Penélope Cruz, Kristen Wiig and Benedict Cumberbatch are on board as well. There are a veritable avalanche of celebrity cameos from Justin Bieber to Kim Kardashian West, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande and Lenny Kravitz. The plot revolves around all these beautiful people being targeted while ending with the signature Zoolander look. So, of course, the somewhat washed-up models find themselves back in the game trying to figure out who is behind these nefarious murders. While the first film is a kind of cult comedy, I never really got into it - thus I will probably give this sequel a pass. Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, a scene of exaggerated violence, and brief strong language.
There is another comedy on the horizon, and this one seems more suited for an 80s Disney live-action film than our movie-going audience. The premise for Nine Lives is simple: a harried, overworked and uptight businessman and family man finds himself inexplicably in the body of the family cat. The only thing saving me from outright dismissing this altogether is that said businessman is played by Kevin Spacey. If anyone can sell this role, it's that man. The cast is rounded out by the likes of Jennifer Garner, Christopher Walken, Robbie Amell, Cheryl Hines, Mark Consuelos and Malina Weissman. The film is rated a family-friendly PG (for thematic elements, language and some rude humor) thus I think it's safe to say who the August release date is targeting. The film might just be wacky enough to be good.
Finally, we have the uplifting sports film Eddie the Eagle. Starring Taron Egerton (who broke into the scene with Kingsmen: The Secret Service), who plays the titular unlikely skiing star who is tenacious and rough-around-the-edges - and the perfect person to win the hearts of fans at the 1988 Olympics. Getting there, though, is a journey unto itself as Eddie faces the biggest challenge from the established system as well as an entire nation that pretty much treats him like a joke. That's a pretty steep incline to overcome, but, of course, through perseverance and some help, he does just that. The underdog sports story has proven time and time again to be an audience favorite - Rocky, Cool Runnings, Miracle, Invincible and many, many more. This should do well based on the genre - and the supporting cast like Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken (again) and Tim McInnerny should bring in a few more people. Rated Rated PG-13 for some suggestive material, partial nudity and smoking.
Those are the main releases, but the full list can be found below:
THE BOY AND THE BEAST
Both the dubbed and subbed version are rated PG-13 violence, the subbed version for additional strong language, as some differences make each version a separate rating entry.
CASUAL ENCOUNTERS
Rated R for strong crude sexual content, nudity and language.
EDDIE THE EAGLE
Rated PG-13 for some suggestive material, partial nudity and smoking.
THE JUNGLE BOOK
Rated PG for some sequences of scary action and peril. (Previous G Rating replaced).
MAGGIE'S PLAN
Rated R for language and some sexuality.
NINE LIVES
Rated PG for thematic elements, language and some rude humor.
ZOOLANDER 2
Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, a scene of exaggerated violence, and brief strong language.
