By Chris Kavan - 02/21/18 at 09:58 AM CT
With Black Panther slaying box office records - the MPAA Board must be enthralled because this week is another rather light update. At least I have a whopping two films to talk about this time - a gritty reboot of a classic tale (we all know how that has turned out recently) and yet another take on a different classic tale just two years after we already got a decent relaunch of the same story. So, nothing too exciting here, but better than the previous two weeks at the least. I'm still hoping for more - and it will come soon enough (I hope).
As I mentioned, it has been a mere two years since Disney gave us a live-action / CGI version of The Jungle Book. That film went on to earn an impressive $364 million in the U.S and over $966 million worldwide. But Warner Bros. is apparently not too concerned about that, because they have invested plenty in their own story, titled simply Mowgli. Andy Serkis, modern master of motion capture, makes his second directorial debut (after the touching drama Breathe) and also stars in the film as Baloo. The rest of the cast is impressive: Benedict Cumberbatch as the evil Shere Khan, Christian Bale as Bagheera, Cate Blanchett as the snake Kaa, Matthew Rhys as John Lockwood, Naomie Harris as Nisha and Freida Pinto as Mowgli's adoptive mother. Newcomer Rohan Chand is tapped to be the titular character. The film, like The Jungle Book, follows Mowgli, a human boy raised by wolves, as he comes face to face with the dangers of the jungle and the even greater danger of human nature. Like The Jungle Book, it will feature live action along with mo-cap animals, but because Serkis is involved, it will probably be a bit more realistic than the more animated Disney story. I don't know if it's going to be that dark, but I expect there will be something to make it stand on its own against Disney's own reboot. It's going to have a tough time matching the success, but we'll find out soon enough. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence including bloody images, and some thematic elements.
Also as I mentioned, there is going to be yet another attempt to relaunch a classic tale with a gritty relaunch. If films like the recent Ben-Hur and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword are any indication, things are looking grim for Robin Hood. Despite a cast that includes Taron Egerton, Ben Mendelsohn, Jamie Foxx, Jamie Dornan, Paul Anderson and Eve Hewson I have a sneaking suspicion that audiences aren't going to be any more receptive to this then they were the previous two films I already mentioned. It's not a knock against what could very well be a very exciting and edgy film - but people are just over this whole "let's make it dark and girtty" for the sake of being dark and gritty. It worked a few times, but has failed many more times over. Heck, the last Robin Hood with Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe was a bust - and I don't think this is going to be any better. Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of violence and action, and some suggestive references.
Those are your two big films, but check out the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin below:
THE CLEANSE
Rated R for language including some sexual references.
FURLOUGH
Rated R for a brief sexual reference.
GETTING GRACE
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some suggestive material.
KULEANA
Rated PG-13 for violence, thematic material, and some partial nudity.
LOVE COSTS EVERYTHING
Rated R for some disturbing violence/images and brief strong language.
MOWGLI
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence including bloody images, and some thematic elements.
PANDAS
Rated G
ROBIN HOOD
Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of violence and action, and some suggestive references.
SUPERCON
Rated R for strong crude sexual content throughout, pervasive language, and drug use.
