The Big Short, Warcraft and More in This Week's MPAA Ratings Bulletin

By Chris Kavan - 11/24/15 at 09:35 PM CT

The Thanksgiving holiday is upon us! So what is there to be thankful for in this week's MPAA bulletin? How about the next, huge fantasy epic that might, just might, once and for all bring us a successful video game franchise that lights up the big screen. We also have a great ensemble in a true case of David vs. Goliath surrounding the credit and housing bubble that burst in the early 2000s. Not the biggest update, but there is certainly plenty to be excited about on the horizon.

MPAA Official Logo

I'm a big fan of movies and I'm a big fan of video game. While video games have become more and more like movies lately, movies based on video games have rarely done well. Just this year, Hitman: Agent 47 was the latest attempt to lay an egg at the box office. But the future may hold the brightest hope yet that we will finally get not just a solid video game movie - but maybe even an excellent one. That is why I have high hopes for Warcraft. For one, the early trailers for the film look excellent. Now I know good trailers don't always lead to good movies, but I'm intrigued. Plus, Warcraft is directed by Duncan Jones - the man who brought us the excellent Moon and proved he could mix the cerebral story of that film with action when he tackled Source Code. If anyone can take a massive fantasy world and turn it into a personal and even emotional journey (yet keep the scope of the world), I think Jones is an amazing choice. He has a great cast made up of the likes of Dominic Cooper, Ben Foster, Paula Patton, Daniel Wu, Clancy Brown and Toby Kebbell among others. While I never got into the whole World of Warcraft game itself, it has a great fan base - if the film can harness those people, as well as being good enough to hook general audiences, I don't see any reason this couldn't be as popular as The Hobbit. We'll see, but I have a good feeling about this one. Warcraft is rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy violence.

On the other hand we have The Big Short. The complete opposite of high fantasy, Adam McKay pits four unlikely outsiders against the biggest bullies on the block. All work in high finance and all want to go up against the banks who, through their greed and complete ignorance, brought about the credit and housing crash that affected millions. The cast looks phenomenal - Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Marisa Tomei, Melissa Leo, Rafe Spall, Finn Wittrock and even Selena Gomez and, like so many films lately, it's going to roll out in limited release before going wide at the end of December. I can't say for certain this will be up for awards (the competition is heating up as of late) but it is the type of film the Academy seems to like. Based on the cast alone, I am interested, and if they manage to knock the greedy monsters down a peg - more the better. The Big Short is granted an R for pervasive language and some sexuality/nudity. Maybe this will be the anti-Wolf of Wall Street (but still keep the cursing).

That's it for the big guns - the full bulletin is below:

THE BIG SHORT

Rated R for pervasive language and some sexuality/nudity.


THE BOY AND THE WORLD

Rated PG for thematic material and images.


DIABLO

Rated R for violence and brief language.


HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS

Rated R for language.


THE LAND BEFORE TIME: JOURNEY OF THE BRAVE

Rated G


OPEN SEASON: SCARED SILLY

Rated PG for rude humor and some action.


THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR

Rated R for some bloody violence.


TRUST FUND

Rated PG for mild thematic elements and brief smoking.


WARCRAFT

Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy violence.

Comments

Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
  
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
  
Are you sure you want to delete this blog?