Happytime Murders, Slender Man, The Spy Who Dumped Me and More in This Week's MPAA Ratings Bulletin

By Chris Kavan - 07/18/18 at 10:24 AM CT

Hey there, hi there, ho there - it's another MPAA Ratings update and let me tell you, it's another halfway decent one! We got another three films worthy of recognition, from an adult version of The Muppets to a comedic spy mishap to a horror film that probably should have been released like seven years ago. But I'll take what I can get and if three is the magic number, then who am I to complain? The hits keep rolling and board keeps providing!

MPAA Official Logo

While adult versions of puppets is nothing new (Avenue Q and Meet the Feebles being prime examples) there has been nothing quite like the upcoming The Happytime Murders. The film features a hard-bitten, disgraced former LAPD officer-turned private eye, Phil Philips (Bill Barretta) who also happens to be a puppet. In this alternate world humans and puppets live side-by-side, but the puppets are treated like second-class citizens. Philips is on the case when the cast of a popular 80s children's TV show are murdered one by one. Melissa McCarthy stars as a cop on the beat with Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale, Jimmy O. Yang and Brian Henson (who also directs) co-starring. Henson, whose name should sound familiar, is directing for the first time since 1996 and Muppet Treasure Island. Sex, drugs, violence - this film isn't shying away from adult themes, even as it presents them in a ridiculously over-the-top way. Something tells me this may not do great in theaters, but I can see is developing a cult following. Rated R for strong crude and sexual content and language throughout, and some drug material.

Hey, Sony, 2009 called and they want their Internet-spawned horror icon back. That's right, created in 2009, spawning an indie game that scared people witless in 2012 and a web series (and its own film) that is technically still ongoing - Slender Man is finally (maybe) getting a mainstream film. I say maybe because the film has already been pushed back once (from May to August) and it sounds like Sony and the film's producers are in a heated battle concerning the film's distribution. While Sony is pushing for an indie Blumhouse-style smaller release, the producer's want a full-on major release. Rumors swirl they have contacted both Amazon and Netflix for a deal. Others has expressed a bit of anger over the film seemingly capitalizing on a very real crime of teen girls and stabbing. In any case, Joey King (no stranger to horror films) stars as the main character terrorized by the long-limbed, featureless-faced tall guy - played by Javier Botet (also not stranger to horror) with Annalise Basso, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Kevin Chapman and Kallie Tabor co-starring. Probably will stream this out of spite some day. Rated PG-13 for disturbing images, sequences of terror, thematic elements and language including some crude sexual references.

Finally we have a fun outing with Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon in The Spy Who Dumped Me. As the title implies, Audrey (Kunis) and her best friend Morgan (McKinnon) find themselves roped into an international conspiracy when Audrey's ex, Drew (Justin Theroux) shows up unexpectedly - and with a team of international assassins on his tail - and reveals his a spy. Completely out of their element, the duo will have to dodge danger, a too-charming British agent (Sam Heughan) and other assorted assassins in order to survive - and maybe save the world in the process. Gillian Anderson, Ivanna Sakhno, Justine Wachsberger, Hasan Minhaj and Fred Melamed help round out the cast. Thought this is not my theatrical cup of tea, it does look like a lot of fun and McKinnon has proven herself a boon to otherwise hard-to-watch films (Ghostbusters and Rough Night both come to mind) so if she's part of a good film - well, it can only turn out for the better, right? Rated R for violence, language throughout, some crude sexual material and graphic nudity.

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

BIGGER

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language, some suggestive content and brief violence.


BRIAN BANKS

Rated PG-13 for thematic content and related images, and for language.


CLIMAX

Rated R for disturbing content involving a combination of drug use, violent behavior and strong sexuality, and for language and some graphic nudity.


THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS

Rated R for strong crude and sexual content and language throughout, and some drug material.


HERE AND NOW

Rated R for language and some sexuality.


SHINE

Rated R for language.


SLENDER MAN

Rated PG-13 for disturbing images, sequences of terror, thematic elements and language including some crude sexual references.


THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME

Rated R for violence, language throughout, some crude sexual material and graphic nudity.


WARNING SHOT

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


WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE

Rated R for violence including bloody images, language, and brief nudity.


WILDLIFE

Rated PG-13 for thematic material including a sexual situation, brief strong language, and smoking.

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