By Chris Kavan - 06/15/16 at 10:37 AM CT
Following a pretty decent update last week we have... another pretty decent update. Granted, personally I'm not looking forward to many of the movies this week but I'm sure plenty of people will be much more excited than I am. I'm just glad they're keeping things interesting and giving out some big-name ratings, because nothing is worse than having nothing to talk about. So let's all hope the ratings board keeps things interesting.
Two things about Sully: directed by Clint Easterwood; starring Tom Hanks. The biography of pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the man responsible for the "Miracle on the Hudson" that saved the lives of his 155 passengers, has "Oscar hopeful" written all over it. But beyond this daring deed, things would play out much differently and when certain things about his life come to light - the hero may be tarnished forever. Powerful, moving with big names - beside Hanks, you have Laura Linney, Aaron Eckhart, Anna Gunn and Autumn Reeser among others - the movie seems tailor-made to attract Oscar votes. The duo of Eastwood and Hanks should be a slam dunk, but I hope against hope they don't play this too safe. I want the story, warts and all - like a true-life version of "Flight" if you will, without the cheekiness. Here is hoping this totally Oscar-bait film rises above the norm and delivers something worth the attention.
Even though it will probably not make as many waves, I think Nerve looks like a solid attempt to play off fears of the anonymous face of the internet. Granted, the closest most of us come to terror on the internet are mean comments by obvious trolls, but that doesn't mean there isn't much worse out there. Case in point, senior Vee (Emma Roberts) who decides to play an online version of Truth or Dare, unaware that soon the game is being manipulated by the anonymous masses who push her to the limit. The directors, Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman are best known for the third and fourth "Paranormal Activity" films, but are no strangers to the dangers of the internet as they also director the original "Catfish". Many are comparing this to the 2006 Thai film, 13: Game of Death (remade in 2014 as 13 Sins) both of which involve a person doing increasingly dangerous tasks for big money. Nerve will probably stand on its own - but is more of a streaming title than anything else. I have some hope it may be worth it.
On the other hand, I have no problem saying I have absolutely no interest in Bridget Jones's Baby. I may have watched the first one but I never went back for the second and never understood why anyone could get behind Renée Zellweger's character. But, hey, it's good to see Zellweger back after essentially a 10-year sabbatical from Hollywood. She's in good company - Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Emma Thompson and Jim Broadbent highlight the very good cast. It's not the actors I'm worried about, but the entirely sappy story. This is one for women only - and the poor saps they convince to come along. This is the kind of film I avoid like the plague but a hearty "good luck" to all those who attend.
Finally, we have the fifth film in the Ice Age franchise: Ice Age: Collision Course. This series has been tolerable, but I admit I pretty much started ignoring it after the second film. It's not Pixar, it's not even Dreamworks, but people seem to like the series well enough to keep piling on sequels every year or so. Much like Madagascar and likely Kung Fu Panda - I really think it's the combination of decent domestic support and even better foreign markets that keep animated series going strong. It doesn't always work out the way you want (How to Train Your Dragon 2, anyone?) but, for the most part, animated films are a safe bet and I'm sure Collision Course will be a safe film for the summer, for families for world-wide audiences and 20th Century Fox will come out on top and are probably already gearing up another Ice Age film for release in the near future.
That's the big names this week, but be sure the check out the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin below:
AMERICAN HONEY
Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, drug/alcohol abuse-all involving teens.
BLINKY BILL: THE MOVIE
Rated PG for some rude humor.
BRIDGET JONES'S BABY
Rated R for language, sex references and some nudity.
CHRISTINE
Rated R for a scene of disturbing violence and for language including some sexual references.
COME WHAT MAY
Rated R for some war violence/bloody images.
ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE
Rated PG for mild rude humor and some action/peril.
NERVE
Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving dangerous and risky behavior, some sexual content, language, drug content, drinking and nudity-all involving teens.
OUR KIND OF TRAITOR
Rated R for violence, language throughout, some sexuality, nudity and brief drug use.
THE PEOPLE VS. FRITZ BAUER
Rated R for some sexual content.
SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, smoking, a violent image and a drug reference.
SULLY
Rated PG-13 for some peril and brief strong language.
USS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE
Rated R for war-related images and brief language.
ZERO DAYS
PG-13 for some strong language.
