Captain America: Civil War, Central Intelligence, Neighbors 2 and More in This Week's MPAA Bulletin

By Chris Kavan - 04/20/16 at 12:26 PM CT

For weeks now I have complaining about the lack of meaty ratings updates. I guess the ratings gods finally heard my prayers, because this week is a cornucopia of delights. We have the next Marvel film, which has been getting a great early buzz, two sequels that both look like they could be as good, if not better, than the originals, a comedic pairing of a little Hart and a big Johnson, George Clooney in the crosshairs of a deadly stock scandal and the biography of everyone's favorite fast-food Founder. It's a lot to take in and a lot to report, so hopefully you'll bear with me as I gush about the wonderful update (finally!).

MPAA Official Logo

Starting off is potentially one of the biggest movies of the year. While Batman v Superman was a pretty big disappointment, Marvel has nothing to worry about with their next film, Captain America: Civil War. Early reports (from actual people and critics, not just studio talking heads) have pegged this as one of the best films in the ever-expanding Marvel franchise, including reports of one of the best superhero fight scenes ever put on screen. With the amount of characters showing up (including new entries Spider-Man played by Tom Holland, Black Panther played by Chadwick Boseman and new villain Crossbones played by returning player Frank Grillo) this is essentially Avengers 2.0. Nearly everyone is back on board for this battle of the superhero ideologies: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp and even William Hurt all reprise their respective roles. Sure, we're missing Hulk and Thor (and some Guardians of the Galaxy) but, for the most part, the core gang is here. This is probably my most anticipated film of the year next to the new Star Wars spinoff and May can't come soon enough. This one walks away with a PG-13 for extended sequences of violence, action and mayhem.

Let's talk sequels for a bit. Instead of dividing these up, I'm just going to throw them together. We have one all-out comedy in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising while a mix of comedy, action and some mystery in Now You See Me 2. Both films are following a rather successful original outing (Neighbors brought in $150.1 million while Now You See Me made $117.8 million) and are featuring a mix of new and returning cast members. For Sorority Rising, our not-quite-adult adults (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) may have got rid of the fraternity next door but now face an even bigger problem with the new sorority. The girls are led by Chloë Grace Moretz and Selena Gomez and to combat them, they will have to call on an old frenemy (Zac Efron) to turn the tables once again. I quite liked the original - it was funny, at times disgusting and sophomoric, but still enjoyable. I see no reason this sequel can't match it. Now You See Me 2 takes our group of magicians (Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Lizzy Caplan taking the place of Isla Fisher) face off against a tech genius (Daniel Radcliffe) to pull off their most ingenious heist/stunt yet. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine also make a return while Jay Chou and Sanaa Lathan also join the cast. Once again, I had a lot of fun with the original. I don't know why so many people had a problem with it. I found it entertaining and smart myself (and a lot of fun). Once again, I see this matching the original. Neighbors 2 receives an R for crude sexual content including brief graphic nudity, language throughout, drug use and teen partying while Now You See Me 2 get a PG-13 for violence and some language.

For something more serious, we can turn to our pal, George Clooney. After hamming it up earlier in the year with Hail, Caesar!, he's going for a more dramatic approach in the high-stakes world of finances with Money Monster. Clooney plays Lee Gates, the affable and popular host of a financial show while Julia Roberts takes on the role of the producer of the same show. When a gunman (Jack O'Connell) shows up and demands answers after losing everything, he puts lives at risks but also may expose a conspiracy that goes to the heart of Wall Street. It co-stars Giancarlo Esposito, Dominic West, Greta Lee, Emily Meade, Chris Bauer and Condola Rashad. The thriller is shot in real-time, which should make it stand out of the crowd, and the cast looks fantastic, the plot sounds interesting and the marketing is out there - it will all depend on how it comes together, but it's looking decent. Rated R for language throughout, some sexuality and brief violence.

On the other hand, what happens when you get Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson together in one film? The answer will be revealed in Central Intelligence. Johnson plays a former overweight high school loser while Hart plays the big man on campus who has settled down to a boring accountant life. The two meet back up with Johnson quite changed - so much so that he is in the business of espionage and, soon enough, Hart gets thrown into this dangerous world. The film plays both the action and comedy card and, much like Ride Along, looks to be quite good at delivering both. Both Hart and Johnson have proven to be box-office draws, so this pairing should be a winner. We'll have to wait until June, but I have a feeling this one will also open well. Rated PG-13 for crude and suggestive humor, some nudity, action violence and brief strong language.

Finally that leaves us with The Founder. Next to Steve Jobs, who obviously revolutionized the world of technology as we know it today, who is the most visionary genius who has shaped our world? No. No. Nope. Not him either - No, I'm talking about Ray Kroc and if that name doesn't sound familiar, you should be ashamed of yourself. Kroc is the man who first put up the Golden Arches - that's right, McDonalds - the fast-food empire so ubiquitous, there are probably four within short driving distance of you right now! Not so far removed from his Oscar-winning performance in Birdman, Michael Keaton takes on the role of fast food founder. Make no mistake, this will be a serious look at the man and his life - and might even turn out better than the somewhat underwhelming Jobs from last year. Co-stars Patrick Wilson, Nick Offerman, Laura Dern, John Carroll Lynch, Linda Cardellini and B.J. Novak. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

There you have it - the first big update in quite awhile and one worth waiting for in my opinion. I can only hope next week brings as much news but until then, check out the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin below:


BOYKA: UNDISPUTED

Rated R for brutal violence and language throughout.


CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of violence, action and mayhem.


CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

Rated PG-13 for crude and suggestive humor, some nudity, action violence and brief strong language.


COMPLETE UNKNOWN

Rated R for some language.


THE FOUNDER

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.


INTO THE FOREST

Rated R for a scene of violence involving rape, language and some sexuality/nudity.


LAST DAYS IN THE DESERT

Rated PG-13 for some disturbing images and brief partial nudity.


MONEY MONSTER

Rated R for language throughout, some sexuality and brief violence.


NEIGHBORS 2: SORORITY RISING

Rated R for crude sexual content including brief graphic nudity, language throughout, drug use and teen partying.


NOW YOU SEE ME 2

Rated PG-13 for violence and some language.


PELE: BIRTH OF A LEGEND

Rated PG for thematic elements, some smoking and language.


UNDER THE GUN

Rated R for some strong language including a crude reference.


WIENER

Rated R for language and some sexual material.

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