By Chris Kavan - 05/08/19 at 06:32 PM CT
Well, thankfully the MPAA Ratings Board has deigned to gift me two major wide releases this week. While Disney has taken over Fox, and thus the X-Men franchise, there are still a few on the docket - one being Dark Phoenix. The other film looks to capitalize on the success of Bohemian Rhapsody by giving us another musical biopic of a larger-than-life figure, Elton John, in the more fantastical-looking Rocketman. It's a shorter update this time around, but at least the content is worth the effort.
As I said, now that Disney owns just about everything, they have a near-lock on the superhero spectrum. While they haven't laid out any concrete plans for the X-Men for the future, in the meantime there are a few, final films to look forward to. First up is the conclusion of the latest iteration of the franchise - started with First Class, Dark Phoenix. While I was pleased with First Class, and really liked Days of Future Past, Apocalypse was a letdown - and, unfortunately, I'm afraid that Dark Phoenix doesn't look like it's going to right the ship. Sure, Sophie Turner has acting chops (a standout on Game of Thrones for sure) but the story, one of the most beloved among comic fans, is just too big to tackle. It already had a lame attempt in the old X-Men franchise and while this is getting a whole film rather than a truncated sub-plot, I don't think it's enough. The stakes are low at this point - it's the final Fox-related X-men (aside from the troubled New Mutants) and thus won't matter much, story-wise, in the long run. Granted, it looks better than Apocalypse in my opinion, but I don't expect anywhere near MCU numbers here. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action including some gunplay, disturbing images, and brief strong language.
After Bohemian Rhapsody exploded, I'm sure there were several studios looking to put out their own biopics of popular musicians. Granted, the past has shown some biopics just fall flat (Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin come to mind) but Rocketman looks like it's going to be great based on sheer audacity and fantasy. Sure, while is paints a picture of Elton John, from childhood to superstar, it also looks like it eschews reality for something a bit more... interesting. Taron Egerton is an excellent choice for the lead role, the boy has chops - both acting and musical - and he even co-starred with Sir Elton John himself in Kingsmen: The Golden Circle. Jamie Bell is on hand as partner-in-crime Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden stars as John Reid, Bryce Dallas Howard as Sheila Eileen and Tate Donovan as Doug Weston. This over-the-top version of Elton's life and music really does suit the man and his persona, and it looks as amazing as it sounds. We'll see if it has the same success as Bohemian Rhapsody - rated R for language throughout, some drug use and sexual content.
Those are your two major films this week, but be sure to check out the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin below:
10 MINUTES GONE
Rated R for language throughout and for violence.
ANGEL OF MINE
Rated R for language, some sexuality and brief nudity.
BURN
Rated R for language throughout, violence including a sexual assault, and some sexual references.
DARK PHOENIX
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action including some gunplay, disturbing images, and brief strong language.
HAMPSTEAD
Rated PG-13 for some suggestive material and language
MY SPY
Rated PG-13 for action/violence and language.
ROCKETMAN
Rated R for language throughout, some drug use and sexual content.
