By Chris Kavan - 05/03/17 at 10:44 AM CT
I was worried I might have to deal with snow in May... in Nebraska, but luckily the weather has taken a turn for the better and it's all sunshine from here on out (and the rogue tornado). The MPAA has been busy as well, but while the update is a little lean this week, we still have two big films to talk about. First up is Tom Cruise in The Mummy reboot, with a twist in that the beautiful Sofia Boutella is going to be playing the evil mummy. This film is supposed to help jump start Universal's monster cinematic universe (after the rather tepid response to such films as Dracula Untold and I, Frankenstein) so we'll see if the star power can help jump-start a new franchise. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the true-life story of the Granite Mountain Hot Shots Crew, who tragically lost 19 members while battling a wildfire in Prescott, Arizona in June of 2013. Hope you're along for the ride, because here we go.
As stated, Universal has a grand plan to unite their massive classic monsters in to one, giant cinematic universe ala Marvel's Avengers. Plans has initially started with Dracula Untold, but the failure to ignite much interest means the film has been shunned from the new projects. The Mummy is going to be the new starting point for this planned monster mash, and Universal is going all out. For one, Tom Cruise (no stranger to action thanks to Mission: Impossible and sci-fi gems like The Edge of Tomorrow) is leading the charge as a member of the army who comes across the tomb of an ancient Egyptian princess, Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella). Too bad for the world that Ahmanet is a woman scorned - she was supposed to rule, but when her father finally welcomed a son she was tossed aside, only for her rage to manifest in the death of her father - and her burial. But a grudge that powerful cannot be buried forever, and modern times is not prepared for her power and wrath. I mean, the previews make this look pretty interesting. I'm not sure if I would call this a "horror" movie so much - it does remind me a bit of The Mummy from back in 1999 - more action and CGI than scares. Still, we will have to see if this movie can get off the ground running and can get Universal's monster franchise off to a good start. Oh, and Russell Crowe is playing the part of Dr. Henry Jekyll - so they're setting up something. Also co-stars Annabelle Wallis, Jake Johnson and Courtney B. Vance. Rated PG-13 for violence, action and scary images, and for some suggestive content and partial nudity.
True stories are often hard to get right. For every Sully, there is a Deepwater Horizon. Even something as powerful as the recent Boston Marathon attack got lost in the shuffle. Still, I have hope for Granite Mountain. Thought director Joseph Kosinski has only previously directed sci-fi films (Oblivion and Tron: Legacy) both those films had some stunning scenes. Granite Mountain follows the Granite Mountain Hot Shots Crew, who are a team of firefighters sent to battle wildfires. In 2013 they found themselves in Prescott, Arizona where they battled the Yarnell Hill Fire. Only one member of the group survived this wildfire after the fire overtook most of the firefighters, resulting in the sixth-deadliest firefighter disaster in U.S. history when 19 members of the crew lost their lives. It will be interesting to see how the event is portrayed, but the casting looks solid with Josh Brolin, Taylor Kitsch, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Connelly, Andie MacDowell, Ben Hardy and James Badge Dale on board. Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some sexual references, language and drug material.
Those are the big movies for this week, but, please, check out the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin below:
BIRTH OF THE DRAGON
Rated PG-13 for martial arts violence, language and thematic elements.
CHIMERA
Rated R for violence, bloody images, and nudity.
FROM THE ASHES
Rated PG for thematic elements and some language.
A GHOST STORY
Rated R for brief language and a disturbing image.
THE GRACEFIELD INCIDENT
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action/terror, accident images, language and some suggestive material.
GRANITE MOUNTAIN
Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some sexual references, language and drug material.
LOGAN LUCKY
Rated PG-13 for language and some crude comments.
THE MUMMY
Rated PG-13 for violence, action and scary images, and for some suggestive content and partial nudity.
THREE GENERATIONS
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, some sexual references and language.
VINCENT N ROXXY
Rated R for brutal bloody violence, language throughout, some strong sexual content, nudity, and brief drug use.
WAKEFIELD
Rated R for some sexual material and language.
