Justice League, Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle, Soldado and More in This Week's MPAA Ratings Bulletin

By Chris Kavan - 10/18/17 at 10:56 AM CT

The late fall - winter season is gearing up to be even busier than the summer as far as I'm concerned. Two of the bigger films coming up are lucky enough to earn their ratings. That would be Justice League - which looks a lot better thanks to the outstanding performance of Wonder Woman and the updated Jumanji film that just looks like plain fun. If you're the kind of person who likes looking further into the future, we have the sequel to Sicario, Soldado, also earning a rating even though it's not hitting theaters until summer of 2018 (nothing like planning ahead!). In any case, I'm happy with this update and like to think every one should be this good.

MPAA Official Logo

The DCU hasn't been nearly as successful or entertaining as the more established Marvel films. For some reason, the people behind DC decided dark and brooding was the way to go (I mean, it did work for The Dark Knight), but they went a bit too far, as a dark and brooding Superman is just no fun, and things didn't get much better when Batman and The Suicide Squad joined the fray. However, if there is one thing that has me much more excited for Justice League it is the success of Wonder Woman, which was exceptional, not just a superhero film, but a film in general. Granted, I know Gal Gadot can't carry the Justice League, but if they take a cue from that film's success, they might have a better shot at matching its success as well. The gang's all here - Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne, Ezra Miller's Flash, Jason Momoa's Aquaman and Ray Fisher as Cyborg. They are up against Steppenwolf (the villain, not that band that gave us Magic Carpet Ride), played by Ciarán Hinds, who seems to be one step ahead of our super group, putting the world in danger. Oh, and don't worry, odds are our dead Superman (Henry Cavill) will also show up. The extended cast includes the likes of Amber Heard, J.K. Simmons, Billy Crudup, Kiersey Clemons, Diane Lane, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen, Amy Adams and Jeremy Irons. I've also heard a certain green-hued light-giver might be showing up - setting up the future of the franchise as well. In any case, as long as they can reel it in and hopefully not be too scattered, this should be a lot more fun than their early downer films. Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action.

If you really want to have fun this winter season, while not curl up with Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan in an amazing adventure. That's right, folks, we're returning to the wild world of Jumanji with Welcome to the Jungle. Four high school students in detention find themselves tasked with cleaning out a musty basement only to stumble upon an old-school video game system (because modern kids would just toss a board game in the trash) and are transported to the world of Jumanji. Of course, their avatars are the best part - the meek nerd becomes the well-muscled stud, the wallflower become the kick-ass hottie (in jungle hot pants, no less), the football star becomes the micro-sized explorer and the cute blonde becomes... Jack Black. I'm sure half the fun of the movie (at least judging by the trailers) will be seeing how these personalities adapt to their new roles. Bobby Cannavale, Missi Pyle, Alex Wolff, Tim Matheson, Nick Jonas and Rhys Darby round out the cast. I mean, the movie just looks like a whole lot of fun - much like the original really. I don't know if it will be a mega-smash, but I will certainly look forward to streaming it in the near future. Rated PG-13 for adventure action, suggestive content and some language.

Last, we looks a ways down the road with Soldado. Featuring the return of cast members Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro and Jeffrey Donovan, Soldado picks up where Sicario left off. Isabela Moner is the new kid on the block this time around and while there isn't a lot to go on yet, obviously the film will once again focus on the escalating tension between the U.S. and Mexico as the drug trade continues to heat up. Director Denis Villeneuve has also been replaced by Stefano Sollima, who is no stranger to crime, action and drama, having directed ten episodes of the excellent Gomorrah TV series as well as A.C.A.B. and Suburra. While not as well known, it seems like he is an excellent choice to continue this hard-hitting story and at least one cast member (Brolin) has said Soldado is going to be more brutal, and much bigger, than the previous film. Sicario was excellent in my eyes and I'm willing to give this a shot to see if it can capture, or even surpass, the narrative of the original film. Rated R for strong violence, bloody images, and language.

Those are the big three films this week getting their ratings, but be sure to check out the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin below:

ARMED

Rated R for violence, language throughout including some sexual references, and for graphic nudity.


CONOR MCGREGOR: NOTORIOUS

Rated R for language throughout and some brutal sports violence.


HANGMAN

Rated R for violent content, bloody images, and language.


HONOR UP

Rated R for violence, drug use, pervasive language, and some sexual references.


JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

Rated PG-13 for adventure action, suggestive content and some language.


JUSTICE LEAGUE

Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action.


LIZZIE

Rated R for violence and grisly images, nudity, a scene of sexuality and some language.


MONSTER FAMILY

Rated PG for some rude humor and thematic elements.


SOLDADO

Rated R for strong violence, bloody images, and language.


THE TRIBES OF PALOS VERDES

Rated R for drug use, language throughout and some sexual content.

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