By Chris Kavan - 10/21/15 at 12:07 PM CT
Once again there are only a couple films of note that get the ratings treatment this week. Both are targeting comedy audiences - one for the whole family, the other decidedly more adult. One yet another entry in a surprisingly popular series about singing rodents, the other is taking epic parties and putting a holiday twist on the debauchery. Family films always seem to have the edge - and I have no doubt this will be the case once again. Otherwise, neither film is going to be up for any awards but both should at least do decent business at the box office. We'lll see as we approach the Christmas season.
Our family film we have on the horizon is Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip. This is fourth film in the series that started in 2007 and has been chugging along ever since. The formula has stayed the same, get some people who can sing, add helium (or, you know, use technology to pitch things higher), throw in some pop songs and wacky situations and - abracadabra - you have a Chipmunks movie. Both of the first two Chipmunks films managed over $200 million, the third film (Chipwrecked) cracked $130 million, and this will likely do fine business as well, but it does have one major hurdle. It's opening on December 18th. You know what is also opening December 18th? Just a little film known as Star Wars: The Force Awakens - the movie that recently crashed every movie-ticket site when tickets when on pre-sale, the movie that is expected to break pretty much every box office record - the movie you would be insane to go up against - that is the movie The Road Chip faces and why it will probably be the lowest-grossing film in the series. The Road Chip is rated PG for some mild rude humor.
On the other hand we have The Night Before, formerly known as X-Mas. The film follows a group of friends (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anthony Mackie) as they essentially transition from man-children into, you know, men (with families and everything) but before giving up their wild, old ways plan to go out with a bang by attending the biggest party of the Christmas season. The film also features Michael Shannon, Lizzy Caplan, Mindy Kaling, Lorraine Toussaint and even Kanye and Miley Cyrus in what I am sure are cameo roles. It's no suprise this film gets an R rating for drug use and language throughout, some strong sexual content and graphic nudity. What would an epic party be without drugs and boobs I ask you? An ugly sweater party - that's what. This comes out November 20th - a perfect time to capture an audience hungry for something besides heavy Oscar dramas and could provide nice counterprogramming at that time.
The full ratings bulletin is below:
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP
Rated PG for some mild rude humor.
THE BELKO EXPERIMENT
Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, language including sexual references, and some drug use.
FRONING: THE FITTEST MAN IN HISTORY
Rated PG for language and some thematic elements.
FULLY CHARGED
Rated PG for brief mild language and incidental smoking.
JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. TEEN TITANS
Rated PG-13 for fantasy action violence and some suggestive images.
THE LAST DIAMOND
Rated R for some violence and language.
MISCONDUCT
Rated R for language, violence and some sexuality/nudity.
MONKEY UP
Rated PG for some rude humor.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Rated R for drug use and language throughout, some strong sexual content and graphic nudity.
RONALDO
Rated PG-13 for a thematic moment.
