By Chris Kavan - 10/10/18 at 03:56 PM CT
It's a pretty short updates this week, but at least there are some decent films in the mix to shake things up. We have a boxing legend and a new potential boxing legend teaming up for what is sure to be an exciting sequel. Then we have Christian Bale turning in yet another spectacular performance (and transformation) in a political figure that is reviled as much as respected. All in all, I'm not going to knock this update, given the short length, two films to talk about is a win in my book.
I will be the first to admit that I wasn't all that interested in a new Rocky film - especially when it seemed that the new series was going to be essentially a spin-off that happened to feature Rocky. But Creed was actually really good - it exceeded my expectations and the casting of Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson was a huge boon, plus Sylvester Stallone was excellent as the very grizzled former boxer. It is no surprise we're getting a Creed II. This time, we're getting two offspring for the price of one, as Jordon - the protege of Rocky and son of Apollo Creed, goes head-to-head against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) son of Ivan Drago (once again played by Dolph Lundgren). Sure, they're mining more Rocky history, but it worked so well in the first film, why not double down this time? If the main actors can deliver as good a performance as the first film, this should be a slam dunk. The stakes are higher and I, for one, want to see where the journey goes next. Rated PG-13 for sports action violence, language, and a scene of sensuality.
When you're going for a biography of someone who is still living, you want to make sure to stay both topical and relevant. Political figures are certainly some of the easiest targets - and who better to target than former Vice President (and political insider) Dick Cheney? No stranger to incredible transformations - Christian Bale has once again gone above and beyond to portray the politician, who turned a usually-mundane position into one of power as he has as much, if not more influence, than then-president George W. Bush. It's also no mistake the film is called Vice, which obviously has several different connotations in this manner. Look, Cheney may be a polarizing individual, but no one can doubt the political clout he had during the Bush administration - and many of his actions are still certainly reverberating to this day. I'm giving director Adam McKay (who already proved he can turn real-world stories into compelling drama with The Big Short) the benefit of the doubt. With Bale on board, this should be a home run and garner some awards season love. It also has Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell, Alison Pill, Steve Carell, Jesse Plemons, Lily Rabe, Eddie Marsan, Shea Whigham and Tyler Perry - so, yeah, about as excellent as one could hope for. Rated R for language and some violent images.
Those are the big two for the week - the rest of the update is small, but don't be shy about checking out the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin below:
THE ASPERN PAPERS
Rated R for some sexuality/nudity
BETWEEN WORLDS
Rated R for strong sexual content, language throughout, drug use and some violence.
CREED II
Rated PG-13 for sports action violence, language, and a scene of sensuality.
MAROONED
Rated G
SPEED KILLS
Rated R for language, some violence and drug material.
VICE
Rated R for language and some violent images.
