By Chris Kavan - 09/18/18 at 08:18 PM CT
The update may be a bit shorter this week, but a there is a nice bit of content to talk about. We have a sequel to an enjoyable bit of preteen hijinks featuring a teen-lit legend - even if it seems like it will be a pale shadow of the first film. Otherwise, we have one of the greatest comic-book villains getting his own dark film - though maybe not as dark as some fans were hoping for. That's two for the books - a bit light, for sure, but better than nothing (which has happened before).
With Marvel and Disney just slaughtering the superhero genre, it's nice to see that there is room for a bit more - and no, I'm not talking about DC. I'm talking about Sony, who is about to release Venom, who, in my opinion, is one of the best villains in the comic book world. Thus far, I have been disappointed in how this iconic role has been portrayed, but I have a feeling with Tom Hardy in the lead, Ruben Fleischer behind the camera and a much darker bent than most superhero films, this looks like it will finally do the bad guy justice. Now, the one big thing worrying fans is that this has been slapped with a PG-13 rating, when many were expecting a hard R. Most point to the fact that if Sony wants to eventually join Venom to the MCU, they will have to play nice. Still, even if Fleischer has hinted at an unrated Director's Cut, it's still a bit disheartening to know they may have scaled things back to appease Disney. In any case, I hope this turns out better than The Predator - it deserves it and tracking looks pretty good at this point. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for language.
When I first heard that Goosebumps was being turned into a film, I was a bit skeptical but a great cast (Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Jack Black, Amy Ryan and Jillian Bell among others) helped elevate this to an above-average adventure when a curious boy unwittingly unleashes reclusive author R.L. Stein's various monsters to terrorize a small town. Plus, it had some decent drama to go along with all the craziness. It was inevitable that a sequel would come along and, sure enough, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is coming this October. However, while the film is a direct sequel, none of the original characters are coming back (including Black, who has scheduling conflicts). But it does have Jeremy Ray Taylor (of It fame) along with Wendi McLendon-Covey, Madison Iseman, Caleel Harris, Ken Jeong and Chris Parnell. I mean, it still looks like fun, but it doesn't seem to have as much... depth as the original, I guess. They're running with the same idea, but seems to be a bit dumbed down, I would say. That is, this is one for the younger kids, even though it looks somewhat scary. A good family Halloween treat. Rated PG for scary creature action and images, some thematic elements, rude humor and language.
Those are your two big entries for the week, but be sure to check out the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin below:
AT ETERNITY'S GATE
Rated PG-13 for some thematic content.
BERNIE THE DOLPHIN
Rated G
BUMMER
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.
GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN
Rated PG for scary creature action and images, some thematic elements, rude humor and language.
THE GUILTY
Rated R for language.
KINKY
Rated R for strong sexual content, and some language.
MIRAI
Rated PG for thematic elements including some scary images.
PROSPECT
Rated R for some violence/bloody images.
VENOM
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for language.
