Venom (2018) - Does the PG-13 Rating Matter?

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VIOLENCE/TRIGGER WARNING
SPOILER WARNING

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Recently, the MPAA rating for Venom (2018) was announced. To a lot of people’s shock and annoyance, it turns out that the studio went for a PG-13 rating.

Venom is an incredibly violent character in the Marvel comic book universe. A lot of fans reference that when talking about how pissed off they are at the idea of a PG-13 rating. It’s not easy for a hardcore fan to think about the idea that their favorite character might be curbed. It’s understandable. I mean, look at the difference between mouth-sewn-shut Deadpool and our latest incarnation. Curbing a character can be absolutely disastrous.

The thing that people aren’t acknowledging is that a PG-13 rating doesn’t necessarily mean that the character is going to become a pussycat. It doesn’t even mean that the character is going to be toned down.

I’m not saying Venom will automatically be a hit, I’m saying we need to watch the film in order to tell. A PG-13 rating means nothing.

PG-13 movies have been getting progressively more violent. Almost every year now, a movie comes out with a PG-13 rating that people agree should be an R. And, if you ask me, that goes all the way back to when the rating was first developed on July 1, 1984.

Red Dawn (1984)was the first film to hit theaters with a PG-13 rating, although another film was the first to have the rating awarded to it. Let’s put that into perspective.

As a film, Red Dawn is more divisive than I think it should be. It sports a 46% critic rating and 65% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. For me, it’s one of my favorite films – but I digress.

What is the movie about?

Red Dawn follows a group of teens that escape a military invasion and decide to fight back in order to save their home. There is a HUGE amount of violence in it. The opening scene shows students and high school employees gunned down. There are disturbing scenes of the teens participating in guerilla violence – even killing one of their own when they learn of his betrayal. There are themes of rape – including one scene where a female in the group is injured and so terrified of being captured that she begs for her friends to kill her.

One can argue, however, that the rating wasn’t even in practice for an entire year before Red Dawn was released, so they were likely still fleshing it out. Still, that’s a lot of darkness for a 13-year-old to handle.

There are good films out there with PG-13 ratings (or PG if it was before 1984), that clearly pushed the line on the violence aspect. They pushed the line so much that it’s hard to remember that they weren’t rated R to begin with.

Below are the top 8 movies with PG-13 (or PG) ratings that have enough violence that they should have been in the R-rating category. They’re all are, at the very least, above a 6 out of 10 in IMDb ratings.

8 – Drag Me to Hell (2009) – 6.6

A lot of people would be quick to say that a supernatural thriller/horror like Drag Me to Hell couldn’t possibly do what it needs to with a PG-13 rating, yet here we are.

It’s worth noting that the film itself was campy. Right up Sam Raimi’s (Army of Darkness, Oz the Great and Powerful, A Simple Plan) alley. But that didn’t really tone down the scares. After all, The Evil Dead (1981) was campy, too.

Generally, in a PG-13 movie, you get a lot of the same violence, but none of the bodily fluids. That’s how films like The Hunger Games (2012) got away with the rating. Drag Me to Hell didn’t get that memo.

There’s one scene where a dead body vomits embalming fluid onto the main character’s face and into her mouth. In another scene, a woman bites at the main character and vomits up worms onto her. In yet another scene, there’s an eyeball in a piece of cake that the main character stabs with her fork.

There’s plenty of other horror scenes that could easily be seen as too hardcore for a younger crowd. That includes one scene where a man regurgitates a murdered kitten’s corpse.

Yet, the argument remains that most of the violent scenes in Drag Me to Hell don’t really count because they turn out to be products of the main character’s imagination. I feel differently, but we’ll move on anyway.

7 – World War Z (2013) – 7.0

World War Z is a zombie movie. A full-on, eating people’s faces, zombie film. It doesn’t shy away from showing a lot of the deaths-by-zombie, either. Nearly any zombie flick is going to have more violence than the majority of other horror films. Hell, even Zombieland (2009) was rated R – and that leaned heavily on the comedy aspects.

There are plenty of scenes of zombies eating people, relentlessly attacking cars to get to the people inside, people shooting themselves to prevent the possibility of becoming a zombie, etc. There’s even a moment when the main character needs to amputate a woman’s arm in order to prevent the virus from turning her. The zombies aren’t the only terrifying things in the film, either. In the beginning, the wife of the main character is nearly raped while trying to get provisions from the grocery store for her family.

Although there is a lot of violence, enough that could have definitely landed this film into R-rated territory, most of it is gore-less, which is why it was able to make the PG-13 cut.

6 – The Ring (2002) – 7.1

Everyone knows the basic story of The Ring by now. Cursed video tape. People die within a week of watching it. If you don’t know what the film is about, you’ve likely been under a rock.

For the most part, The Ring is framed as a basic mystery. It’s more about the main character finding out what’s going on than the actual horror – but that doesn’t mean the horror is non-existent.

Some of the violence in The Ring comes in the form of a suicide scene, child abuse, and an animal dying in the water – followed by blood spreading on the surface. 

As it goes, The Ring is terrifying, but one of the milder films on this list. If you ask me, it’s proof that we need an MPAA rating between PG-13 and R. Something for older teens able to handle the kind of shocking horror portrayed in this movie.

5 – Live Free or Die Hard (2007) – 7.2

Live Free or Die Hard is… well… it’s a fucking Die Hard (1988) movie. The MPAA was eating some very special brownies when they decided it should have a PG-13 rating instead of R. All the other films in this serious are rated R, after all.

As the Die Hard franchise goes, Live Free or Die Hard is no less violent than the rest of them, but it got saddled with a PG-13 rating anyway. You can expect pretty much the same kind of shooting and explosions from this film as you can in all the others. 

If you ask me, there’s no difference to point out.

4 – Poltergeist (1982) – 7.4

I can’t speak for the remake of Poltergeist, I haven’t seen it, but I KNOW the original should not have been rated PG. (Remember this was before PG-13 existed, so I won’t be discussing the difference between PG and PG-13).

Not only is the concept of Poltergeist inherently creepy, there are some incredibly gory scenes in the film. I’ll concentrate on one in particular.

Sure, you have a tree attacking a child and a clown attack – but where gore is concerned, one scene takes the cake. It’s the scene where a man literally rips his own face off. 

The effects aren’t as terrifying as they could be today, but it’s still sickening to watch. Most PG-13 films can’t really go down that route if they intend to be graphic – which Poltergeist is. At the very least, one has to admit that it’s not a film that’s easy for a 13-year-old to watch.

3 – Taken (2008) – 7.8

Taken is on the same level as the Die Hard film I mentioned. There isn’t a huge amount of gore, but the violence level is through the roof.

Everyone knows the scene with Liam Neeson giving his speech about having a “specific set of skills” and threatening the lives of anyone who touches his kidnapped daughter. Every promise he makes in that speech is a promise he follows up on. There’s plenty of fighting-based violence, but there’s also a torture scene.

This is another film that likely snuck past the R-rating by hiding the majority of the bodily fluids that would have been produced by it. Still, the subject matter alone should have told the MPAA that young teens shouldn’t be watching it.

Neeson’s daughter in the film is kidnapped by sex traffickers. Taken doesn’t actually show any of the sex violence, but enough of it is alluded to that it should have been considered toward the rating.

2 – Jaws (1975) – 8.0

Again, this was before the PG-13 rating existed, still Jaws was rated PG for some strange reason.

This one I understand less than the majority of the other films listed here. There’s a ton of blood, people being eaten alive… and that’s all with the shark looing about as realistic as it could have for the time. Yes, it looks less realistic by today’s standards… but this was top-of-the-top back in the 70s. There’s a reason it’s a classic.

One of the scenes that sticks out the most is Quint’s death. 

In the aforementioned scene, you see the shark get ahold of the man and shake him back and forth until you can see blood bubbling out of his mouth and you hear a sickening crunch while the shark drags his meal back under the waves. If you’re watching closely, you can see the blood in the waves as the creature disappears.

I imagine that the older MPAA decided to rate it PG because the violence doesn’t really come from other humans. The people in the film are only really violent to the shark after they are put in a position to protect themselves.

Still, I 100% think they were nuts.

1 – The Dark Knight (2008) – 9.0

I’m going to end off with the highest rated PG-13 film that should have been rated R. By pure coincidence, it happens to be a comic book flick.

Most comic book movies are still PG-13 and, back when this movie came out, pretty much all of them were. At least from the two titan comic book companies (DC and Marvel). I feel like The Dark Knight seemed to skate by simply on the reputation Batman has as a character.

There’s the hospital explosion, Rachel’s untimely death, the basic violence that follows Batman everywhere, and – of course – Harvey Dent’s evolution into Two-Face. 

The scene where Dent’s fact gets burned is extremely graphic. You get to watch his face light on fire as he frantically rolls to try and put himself out – just after hearing the explosion that kills Rachel on the phone. The entire thing is incredibly morbid and terrifying to watch.

The Dark Knight proves that comic book movies have a way of putting in all the violence they need for their stories without forcing the MPAA to rate them too strongly. Mostly, it’s the actually sight of blood, sex, or foul language that will force the MPAA’s hand.

What does that mean for Venom? That means he can’t curse so much and needs to keep his penis secured. The violence level, if done correctly, should still be way up there. If they get it wrong, then complain all you want – but give it a chance to prove itself first.

Go Go Godzilla! The Anime Trilogy Continues

By Cat

I had a hankering to watch an anime to share with you all, and so the 2^nd installment of the Netflix Godzilla anime trilogy felt like a natural fit. I’d given the first movie the Foreign Film Friday spot back in February of this year. Godzilla: Planet of Monsters (2017)  set the stage well for the story to continue.

The way this trilogy is shaping up reminds me of the way The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) trilogy was released. These movies fit together as a single story broken up into three segments. Now don’t get me wrong – I’m not necessarily comparing the two movie franchises. That’s like comparing apples to watermelons. Each of the first two Godzilla anime films set the stage for the next chapter in after-credits scenes. I am super excited to see where this story goes from here.

Now, we here at Trust the Dice don’t like giving spoilers. Though, if you’re interested in this movie; you really want to watch the first movie before you start this one. This is mostly due to the reason I just mentioned. This story picks up where the last film left off. In discussing this movie, however, it may reveal some spoilers from the prior one so consider this your warning. All the same, I’ll do my best not to let any cats out of the bag.

I’ve seen where a lot of prominent geek and gamer culture sites have generally panned this film – but they weren’t exactly fans of the first one, either. I have entirely the opposite reaction to these films. I absolutely adore them. Not only is the animation quality exquisite and breathtaking, I’ve also enjoyed the story.

The team sent to deal with Godzilla on Earth encountered some issues – namely the 300 meter tall Godzilla. This film picks up with what happens next to the stranded battle teams. They face mysteries and surprising revelations which were both engrossing and head-scratch worthy. I won’t say that the plot is without flaws. There are some holes in the story which I haven’t wrapped my head around – but I am willing to believe that there were explanations in the first movie that I’ve simply forgotten. It’s really no matter in comparison to the rest.

This installment of the story is partially a think-piece where the question of the price of victory and what it means to be human come into play. When you put that together with the existing emotional baggage carried along from the first film, this movie gets into some dark and heavy stuff if you look past the visuals and the giant lizard’s heat ray.

Mecha-Godzilla does play a role in the film, but not quite in the manner I expected. It was still rather interesting and does lead into the use of an anime staple. The mechs used are very apt in their naming and there’s some rather powerful imagery when you connect those dots.

As with the first movie in this trilogy, there wasn’t any flashy or cutesy intro song or recurring tune within the body of the soundtrack as quite a lot of anime films and series employ. Instead, there’s another excellent song from the band Xai during the credits. It’s an epic way to pass the time until that final teaser scene at the end. I’ve linked the video for you below.

As I said before, I can’t wait to find out what happens next – and you can believe that I’ll share with you what I think when this trilogy comes to a close. The next film’s title is shown as Godzilla: The Planet Eater. I’ve seen some translations as “star eater” as well. Movie #3 has been teased for release in Japan in November 2018. We can likely expect a 3 or 4 month time difference for when it hits Netflix, if it follows this most recent installment’s pattern.

The Kissing Booth (2018)

Number Rolled: 89

Movie Name/Year: The Kissing Booth (2018)

Tagline: She can tell her best friend anything, except this one thing.

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Length: 105 minutes

Rating: TV-14

Production Companies: Komixx Entertainment

Producer: Andrew Cole-Bulgin, Adam Friedlander, Ed Glauser, Vince Marcello, Alan Shearer, Michele Weisler

Director: Vince Marcello

Writer: Vince Marcello, Beth Reekles

Actors: Megan du Plessis, Lincoln Pearson, Caitlyn de Abrue, Jack Fokkens, Stephen Jennings, Chloe Williams, Michael Miccoli, Juliet Blacher, Jesse Rowan-Goldberg, Chase Dallas, Joey King, Joel Courtney, Jacob Elordi, Carson White, D. David Morin, Bianca Bosch, Jessica Sutton, Zandile-Izandi Madliwa, Molly Ringwald, Morne Visser, Byron Langley, Meganne Young

Blurb from Netflix: When teenager Elle’s first kiss leads to a forbidden romance with the hottest boy in high school, she risks her relationship with her best friend.

Selina’s Point of View:

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

I’m having a significant amount of trouble being un-biased in my take on The Kissing Booth.

Anyone who knows me knows that my best friend is a guy. We became friends in high school and have shed blood and tears together. He’s my BFF. Never-the-less, he has a penis and that means that people lose their fucking minds over it. Even people like our parents who know and adore us, still think it’s a little weird.

I attribute that discomfort to pop culture. It’s because every god-damn show, book, and movie anyone watches always shows that men and women can’t be friends. By the end of most stories, the ‘friends’ are together. It drives me up a wall. I hate it. Every time I watch a new film with a male/female best friend pair, I beg the screen for an outcome where they don’t wind up together. I’m almost always disappointed. Trying to think back, there’s only one that immediately comes to mind where the two friends don’t wind up together and neither of them are gay.

Considering how many films I watch a year (I did the math once, it’s impressive), that’s a horrible amount.

In The Kissing Booth, the romantic story isn’t between the main character and her male best friend. Even better than that? They don’t wind up together in the end. I did a little dance in my seat because of it.

Unfortunately, it’s making me see the movie through rose-colored glasses.

If I’m being honest with myself, there were some pretty big issues. There were definitely some plot holes and some unanswered questions. There were also some really annoying tropes utilized.

Even with the issues, I know I’m going to look back at the film favorably. Not just because of the less bullshit take on male/female friendships, either.

The main character was supremely likeable, even though she was shown as being flawed. In fact, all the main characters were easy to relate to. I could have done without the OMG girls, though. They did nothing but hurt the movie. The same story could have been told by replacing them with other characters.

Cat’s Point of View:

I was pleasantly surprised by The Kissing Booth. I thought I had the plot pegged at the beginning, but then it defied my expectations. I’ll admit that I rolled my eyes a bit when I first watched the trailer during my Top 20 list preparation for this past May. It wasn’t even close to making the cut. In retrospect, it probably should have at least been a bit closer.

Netflix was definitely the right platform for releasing this movie based on the novel by fledgling writer, Beth Reekles. (As an aside, I am rather impressed that she first published it at the age of 15.)

While the world that the story’s characters dwell in is glossy with the sheen of Hollywood affluence, the tale didn’t lack relatability. I found myself invested in the story and pulled along on the journey well enough that I was somewhat sad when the credits rolled, and there wasn’t more. I even shed a few tears along the way. (Admittedly, I’m a sap.)

Let’s talk cast! The production team for this movie really did well here when they selected the actors for these roles. Not only did they mesh well aesthetically, but they fit with their on-screen chemistry. Seriously, though – if I didn’t know better, I would think that Jacob Elordi (Max & Iosefa, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Swinging Safari) and Joel Courtney (Mercy, The Messengers, The River Thief) really could be brothers.

I also can’t tell you how appreciative I am that this coming-of-age tale depicts a best-friend pairing of opposite sexes. Seriously. I can’t tell you how excited I was that the romance part of the movie didn’t center on the besties. Instead, we see aspects of their friendship tested  by each finding romantic interests of their own – individually.

Teen rom-coms tend to get a reputation for playing up the cheese factor, aside from their tendency to follow predictable recipes. I’m glad to say that this film avoided that particular pitfall. There is also much to be said for young Elle having a backbone. I really enjoyed Joey King (White House Down, Fargo, Wish Upon) in the role. I’m quite curious, however, if the height difference between characters here was something within the book’s story or a choice made by movie production. Things that make you go hmm…

In all honesty, the film wasn’t free of issues. I was just enjoying it enough that I was less inclined to be bothered by them. Knowing now the age at which the author penned this story, I can chalk a lot of that up to an experience factor. Further, looking at the body of work by the screenwriter and director, Vince Marcello (Teen Beach Movie, Grace Stirs Up Success, Liar Liar Vampire), I can see a bit of a theme running. This seems to be a step in the direction of focusing on a slightly more mature audience for him. Who knows, some issues may have been caused by decisions in editing… but not all of them.

I’m definitely interested in keeping my eyes peeled for future works by both, out of curiosity to see how they grow into their craft respectively. In spite of its flaws, I certainly wouldn’t have any problems giving this movie my recommendation. 

Languages

Speech Available: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Subtitles Available: French, English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 13%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 68%

Metascore - 38/100

Metacritic User Score – 6.1/10

IMDB Score – 6.3/10

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 3.5/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5

P.S. There are some bloopers and cut scenes during the credits.

Movie Trailer: 

Waiting for The Doctor

By Cat

WARNING!! SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE NOT ENTIRELY CAUGHT UP ON THE DOCTOR WHO SERIES.

This year’s San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone; and, with it, the usual emergence of sneak peeks, trailers, and tidbits from our favorite fandoms. Now that information has had time to circulate a bit for those of us not fortunate to grace Hall H with our physical presence, I’m totally geeking out about things to come.

What’s my current focus? I wanted to know when the new season of Doctor Who (2005-) would start up again. Alas, we’re still in the ‘waiting room’ for that – but at least we’ve been given a hint that it will be sometime in the fall. (Apparently they are being a bit cheeky with the pun here.)

Doctor Who returns in the Fall... (also known as Autumn)#DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/8PkI6SJUyI

— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) December 27, 2017

I’ve seen so much back and forth about the choice to cast a female lead for the series for The Doctor’s 13^th incarnation. Personally, I think the concept is ‘brilliant’ (which may very well be the 13^th Doctor’s new catchphrase). My sentiment when the big reveal happened, and Jodie Whittaker (The Kid, Black Sea, Broadchurch) appeared on the screen, was “it’s about bloody time.” I just don’t understand anyone arguing against the change – aside from understanding some people are reluctant to or even actively avoid change. Change is scary. I’m holding out hope that the only nightmares involved are along the lines (that’s right plotlines) of former showrunner, Steven Moffat’s (Coupling, The Adventures of Tintin, Sherlock), creations.

Brand new showrunner, Chris Chibnall (Camelot, Gracepoint, Broadchurch), told Entertainment Weekly “I just felt the time was right...I think if the show hadn’t done it, we would have been behind the world, and Doctor Who has got to be out front leading the world, and being a great example of all the amazing things that are in the world. So, it wasn’t even a question in my mind.”

I can’t agree more. I feel that this is also part and parcel of the same cycle we experience with nearly every reincarnation for The Doctor, though, isn’t it? The new casting is announced and many shake their fists at the sky…and then the season starts and everyone falls in love with the new version. Then that Doctor has to reincarnate and the cycle begins anew with fist shaking bluster and tears. I’m quite sure that it will play out the same this time, as well.

The whole brouhaha over The Doctor reincarnating as a new gender is, frankly, silly. It’s been done before – look at The Master/Missy. That story arc alone proved that this was a potential. It’s simply ironic that it didn’t happen until after The Doctor’s life-long frenemy had already allegedly fallen. That would have really been something – to see both simultaneously with the gender flip. Would it have helped or hurt their chances at reconciliation? Things that make you go hmmm.

It’s a beautiful and glorious positive message for young women out there. I can tell you that my daughter is excited, too. Doctor Who was a special show that I had shared with my mom when I was little – and now it’s something I share with my own daughter. When asked, about two years ago, what sort of hero she could be if she had her own comic book, she answered that she’d like to be The Doctor. (Her father was cooking up a present for her with a comic artist buddy.) Her sonic screwdriver was in the shape of a narwhal. That’s an entirely different story, though…I digress.

This go-round, not only do we have a new Doctor, we have new companions and a new production team. There’s even a new composer for the musical score. That’s not all that’s new. Diversity and celebration of the fresh start seems to be the theme all-around. There’s more diversity amongst the production behind-the-scenes as well as the structure of the new season’s story.  The showrunner explained at a SDCC press conference “We’re doing lots, but our plan across time is to do lots more. It should be the most inclusive show on television. The whole concept of Doctor Who is that anybody can go anywhere and do anything, and we want to reflect that on-screen and off.”

Chibnall explained during the Hall H panel that this season’s 10 episodes will be stand-alone stories and there will be all new villains, characters, guest characters, and monsters. At the time of SDCC, he said that they had 2 weeks left of shooting and had not written in or filmed any old foes as of that date. Anyone looking to see Cybermen or Daleks will just need to have patience to see if they get filtered in to the 13^th Doctor’s 2^nd season.

I’m excited about that, actually. In a time where we rail at Hollywood for recycling ideas, this pillar of science fiction that has become so ingrained in so many of us (and pretty much an entire nation) can’t just keep telling different versions of the same story and keep us tuned in, given this modern world of instant gratification and short attention spans. We love the nostalgia of the old set-pieces, but all crave something fresh and exciting.

Chibnall promised to deliver. “What we want is for people to feel like we’ve got the range and variety of Doctor Who this year. So if you’ve never seen it before, you’re gonna fall in love with it, and if you have seen it, you’re gonna get those things that you love about the show across the 10 episodes.” He encouraged the SDCC panel audience to grab someone who hadn’t seen the series before and introduce them with this season.

We’re reassured that the core of The Doctor remains the same – pacifist, mental over muscle, and helping those in need. My only burning questions are now centered around the tone of the new season, and whether or not it will go to the same sort of dark places that Moffat loved to dwell whilst stomping on all of our feels.

All in all, I have great hope for this upcoming season. I’m feeling rather impatient about it, but there’s not a lot to be done about that save for treasuring every nugget of information dispersed between now and then. However, don’t expect any big reveals about plot or anything even remotely spoilery – this season’s being kept under some pretty strict secrecy. The production team, as Chibnall explained at SDCC, is very committed to keeping everything a surprise so that everyone can enjoy exploring this new season for the first time together when it airs.  

From the 3 new companions to the new Doctor, herself. Everything I've seen so far for the upcoming new iteration of this series is, indeed, brilliant and worth the wait.

The Future of the Jurassic Soft Reboot

By: Selina

In my Top 20 article, I was very clear about where I stood on the Jurassic franchise.

Just in case you missed it, here’s the TL:DR: I fucking love it.

No matter how bad the original sequels got, I still watched them. Over and over again. I mean, I can quote the third one from 2001, which was just a few bad graphics away from being a Syfy original creature feature. Half the reason I got through college was because the original Jurassic trilogy acted as comforting background noise when I was blocked on a paper.

Hell, I still watch them on repeat when I need to get something done and can’t figure out how.

I don’t really get to see movies on opening night anymore, but I did get to see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) this passed weekend. I enjoyed it, but that’s not what this is about. I have some thoughts I’d like to share. (Besides, I was always going to enjoy it, so there’s nothing interesting about that.)

Since Jurassic World (2015) was first announced, people were calling the new movies a ‘soft reboot’. That confused me after I saw the film.

Clearly there were some call backs to the old movies, but it was also very clearly a sequel. There weren’t just some side-eyed references to Jurassic Park (1993), the characters would actually reference the park itself, indicating the events of the original movie definitely happened in that world. I loved that concept… but it didn’t help me clear things up in my mind.

Whenever the subject came up and people would mention that the new films were a soft reboot, I’d ask them to explain. They always said that it was because The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and Jurassic Park III (2001) were being retconned.

That just bothered me more.

Sure, they weren’t good movies, but the ideas weren’t entirely unsound in either of them. They were just executed very poorly. There were better ways to bring those ideas to life.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom brought everything into a new light for me.

Here is where the spoilers will come in. If you do not wish to be spoiled on any of the films, do not read passed this line. There will be minor to major spoilers for each of the films throughout the rest of this article. You have been warned.

Fallen Kingdom concentrated on the same main characters (minus the kids) as Jurassic World, but was otherwise undoubtedly where the soft reboot came in. It took its storyline almost completely from the original second film – only it was executed MUCH better.

I particularly liked that they still gave a nod to The Lost World by including Jeff Goldblum, but that’s beside the point.

As the plot went: the main characters were hired to go to the island to save the dinosaurs from becoming extinct due to a volcanic eruption. They were then betrayed by the company that hired them – without the head of that company’s knowledge. The company transported dinosaurs to the US, and shit went haywire. Oh, and there was also a plucky little kid that saves the day.

The only reason you know I’m talking about Fallen Kingdom and not The Lost World right now is because I mentioned the volcano. Everything else? Pretty much the same, eh?

So, what made this version good and the 1997 version a joke?

That’s a simpler question to answer than you might think.

One of the most thrilling aspects about the Jurassic Park films is the fact that there’s no real escape from the dinosaurs. They are either huge or apex predators or both, and there’s no way off that little island to get to safety. You just have to survive until help arrives… and the herbivores are no help.

In The Lost World, Steven Spielberg and David Koepp deviated from that thrill factor by bringing a single Tyrannosaurus Rex and its one baby to the US.

It’s easy to escape from the dino in that case. Pretty much anyone can board a train or bus out of state and the rich can hop on a last-minute plane. Facing the dinosaur is even easier. The United States government isn’t going to want one of those things running around, so they’re going to send out teams with giant weapons to take it out. The most unbelievable part of The Lost World is that both animals made it back on the boat alive.  

However, Fallen Kingdom did not make the same mistakes.

The dinosaur trade involved in the film was all illegal and off the radar. The creatures were transported to a giant mansion and kept underground in horrifically small containers. They were mistreated and sold to highest bidders. The military never would have gotten involved, because it was clear they didn’t know about it. In The Lost World, it was all public – even televised.

Furthermore, because it all happened in an enclosed space, you get the claustrophobic thrills of the indoor scenes from Jurassic Park with newer aspects that made it seem much fresher.

Everything was a lot more believable, and there was still a need to suspend quite a bit of disbelief anyway. But even the plucky little kid was given more thought. Instead of just happening to be a near-Olympic level gymnast, this little girl was mostly normal. She resembled Lex from the first film more than Kelly from the second. Of course, she was special in her own right, but that’s a different story that I don’t need to go into.

Now that I’ve seen Fallen Kingdom, I get that ‘soft reboot’ claim, and it gives me what I need to predict where this series is going.

My husband seems convinced that the movies are leading to an apocalyptic conclusion, but I disagree.

Although an apocalypse by dinosaur would definitely be interesting, I can’t imagine the studio will want to go that way. It brings the films into a different genre, and that’s a problem for many fans. You see that a lot with any series or film that suddenly switches its genre.

A few months, maybe a year, ago, Trust the Dice reviewed Cosmopolis (2012). On the surface, it looked like a decent drama/romance. The ending, however, flipped things into thriller territory. It was just the last five to ten minutes of the film, but it was enough to make people HATE it.

Similarly, Pitch Perfect 3 (2017) was the same silly bullshit as the first two, but it was widely hated by both critics and audience, likely because of the necessity to suspend disbelief as it took a step into action-movie territory. It wasn’t what people wanted from the third film in the trilogy, and they let the studio know.

So, the idea of the Jurassic series suddenly going apocalyptic… seems far fetched to me. Instead, I believe they’re going to soft reboot the third original movie, the way they rebooted The Lost World. The problem is, they can’t go back to the island.

That’s not entirely true. They COULD go back to the island and pull some bullshit out of their ass about how dinosaurs survived on the highlands… but if they do, they’ll be walking a very fine line and they’ll have a lot of explaining to do. It wouldn’t be worth it. My opinion is that the volcano exploded and they should move on.

That said, a lot of dinosaurs DID escape. Some were sold to some of the worst people in the world and transported to various lands before the climax of the film, while others were released into the wilds of the US. There were also quite a few specimens saved by scientists.

Not only that, but there is one velociraptor left in all the world, according to Fallen Kingdom.

A big part of the story in Jurassic Park III involved a raptor egg stolen by one of the characters. Since they can’t bring the story back to the islands, I believe their option of a soft reboot is to recapture that plot line. Either they will need to locate Blue and protect/destroy her eggs (depending on what direction they go with it) or they will need to find Dr. Wu and steal back whatever eggs he stole in order to return them TO Blue.

As the focus of a full-length film, this could take care of the soft reboot aspect without trying to convince people that returning to an island destroyed by lava is the right idea.

There’s also the possibility of dinosaurs becoming weaponized in the next film, but that’s something that I also find highly unlikely. It would bring the series into the ‘war’ genre, which might alienate fans. Besides, watching Owen face the moral dilemma of having to destroy Blue’s eggs would be a lot more fascinating in the long run, and it leaves the ending in question.

I like when an ending surprises me. A film like that could accomplish it if risks are taken.

So, there it is, my take on the ‘soft reboot’ aspect of the new Jurassic films and my hypothesis on where the next one will go. What do you think? Are we going to be looking at a new story featuring raptor eggs, or should we get ready for something out-of-genre? I’d love to know what you think.

When is a Spoiler no Longer a Spoiler?

With Avengers: Infinity War (2018) out and causing a stir, there’ve been some serious spoilers floating around. People are posting images indicating who died – sometimes with a saying from the film. Collages are being shared of seemingly unrelated pictures and people are claiming they’re spoilers ‘without context.’

Where I’m concerned, spoilers in general just kind of annoy me. It’s why Trust the Dice remains as spoiler-free as possible with big bold lettering when we do have to issue a warning. I love being shocked by a twist in a film. I love being in the moment when that big event happens at the end of a story that sends chills up my spine. So, when I find a spoiler for a film hidden in the middle of some innocuous YouTube video that has nothing to do with the movie in question, I get pissed.

That’s how Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) was spoiled for me, by the way. A friend on Facebook posted a video on kittens or something and the video paused in the middle, on a screen of text, that spoiled the big death scene for me. It was posted about a week after the film came out.

Granted, that douche-nozzle posted the spoiler for the express purposes of spoiling someone, but some of the other examples are a little hazier. Like the images given ‘out of context.’ That person insisted it couldn’t be a spoiler. I disagree. For people who read the source material, it was like screaming the ending of the film from a mountain top.

Just look at the timing of it all. It comes down to the debate: how long does it take for a spoiler to no longer be a spoiler?

Pretty much the majority would agree that there’s nothing you can say that would spoil Die Hard (1988). Too much time has passed since the film came out. Most people would agree that anything said about Avengers: Infinity War right now, however, is a spoiler. But what about Deadpool (2016)? The Shape of Water (2017)? The Revenant (2015)? Is it still bad to talk about the main plot in those films?

My husband and I really wanted to discuss Infinity War when we left the theater, but we didn’t want to be those assholes that blurt out the ending on the line for the bathroom where people are waiting to see the film. So, we spoke in code. Black Panther was referred to as Salem. Captain America was Mary Sue. Thor became Storm. Clearly, if someone was listening very closely to us, they might have gotten the gist of it… but while we were walking and people were only getting snippets, they couldn’t possibly know what we were talking about.

However, I was discussing Deadpool with a friend of mine at Subway, and we were debating what the sequel would be like, only a few weeks ago. No code was used and we didn’t curb our discussion.

After some careful thought, I’ve come to some conclusions about what I believe are spoilers and what aren’t.

While a movie is in theaters, I think just about everything is a spoiler. All those ‘out of context’ pictures, talking about it openly in public… etc. After that, things are a little different.

I’ve seen people talk about a 2-week rule. I can get with that on smaller films. Stuff that minimal people are looking forward to watching. Blockers (2018) for instance. It’s clearly a film with some pull to it, but for the most part people will wind up watching it on a streaming service later on. For something a little bigger, like Deadpool 2 (2018), I think 2-weeks isn’t the right way to go about it.

For bigger films, especially those based on popular source material like Marvel films or movies based on books, I think you have to wait until the movie leaves theaters. If you spoil a film like that, you risk not just ruining a movie that tons of people are waiting to see – but you may also destroy a book for someone. Giving people until the movie leaves theaters allows time for babysitters to be found, books to be read, and other such stuff.

Then you have movies like Infinity War.

Let’s be honest, here. There aren’t any movies like Infinity War. This film was a decade in the making. It took a ridiculous amount of other films and a shit-ton of planning. It is the biggest film in the history of cinema. Almost every single character in it is a main character. There can’t be a single death without bringing at least one of the singular Marvel series to a screeching halt. It’s the first true epic to be made in our time.

Infinity War essentially reinvented the wheel. As a result, I think it goes by different rules. I don’t think waiting until the movie leaves theaters is enough time. I think one needs to wait until it comes out on video to really start posting spoilers.

People have been waiting so long for this film to come out that their lives have changed drastically since they first started. They’ve had babies, they’ve graduated school, they’ve dealt with loss… one has to take into account that not everyone is going to be able to see it on the big screen. I don’t think that should negate their enjoyment, though. By waiting until it comes out on film, you give people a chance to find a way to see it, get the movie when it comes out, or invite a friend over that got it when it came out. People who are really dying to see it, will have found a way to see it on their terms by then.

So, that’s my take on the issue. I’d love to know yours. When do you think a spoiler stops being a spoiler?

But I Digress... Harnessing Hope

By Cat

 

I hope today finds you and those you care about safe and sound – or on the way to that state of being.

My original thoughts for this Digression floated along the lines of presenting a list of storms in movies or weather-related disaster movies. That was, of course, as I was merely watching Hurricane Harvey begin to approach landfall. What has happened since then, with its demented game of ‘sit and spin’ over Texas and Louisiana’s gulf coast and its continued path of destruction through the country, was so far beyond imagining of the typical tropical storm situation.

Now, after worried message exchanges with friends and family in the affected areas; and countless hours of monitoring news coverage and weather reports – I find that I don’t have the stomach to bring you more of the same this week.  There are too many harrowing struggles for survival in reality right now.

People are STILL being evacuated from areas of high water; and, in spite of the fact the rain has stopped, there are areas the water is still rising further before it will recede again due to river cresting and the like. Of course then there are all the other hazards that go part and parcel with flooding on this magnitude – such as fire ant flotillas, snakes, escaped alligators, and the general foulness of grey water.

I have remained heartened by the swift response of community and people helping each other both as a matter of survival and general human decency. Such things have rekindled some hope for the state of humanity – these days that can sometimes be hard to come by.

Selina suggested I might give a list of movies about community, hope, and inspiration – and I thought that was a fantastic idea. With that in mind; I have compiled for you, in random order, a list of 5 movies with an inherently inspirational message, showcasing triumph over adversity, and hope.

bitsofpositivity.com

There will be some SPOILERS ahead so please keep that in mind before reading further.

5) The Postman (1997)

Viewing Options: Netflix DVD, Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, BestBuy CinemaNow, Vudu, Xfinity Subscription (Cinemax)

Director: Kevin Costner

Actors: Kevin Costner, Will Patton, Larenz Tate, Olivia Williams, James Russo, Daniel von Bargen, Tom Petty, Scott Bairstow

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Rated: R

Length: 177 Minutes

More Information Here. 

IMDb Blurb: A nameless drifter dons a postman's uniform and bag of mail as he begins a quest to inspire hope to the survivors living in post-apocalyptic America.

This is an inspirational movie on a few levels which resonate with recent events. Even though this, as with most dystopian tales, takes place in the future; the core theme of people trying to find some sense of community and connection to one another in the wake of calamity is relevant here.

While the title character here may have begun on his path by chance or even selfish reasons;  there is considerable character development throughout the tale so that the story is ultimately about spreading hope rather than a successful con-job. The Postman’s choices ultimately show his heart and true nature as the story unfolds.

4) Volunteers (1985)

Viewing Options: Netflix DVD, Amazon Channels (Cinemax), iTunes, Xfinity Subscription (Cinemax), YouTube Movies (Purchase)

Director: Nicholas Meyer

Actors: Tom Hanks, John Candy, Rita Wilson, Tim Thomerson, Gedde Watanabe, George Plimpton

Genre: Comedy

Rated: R

Length: 106 Minutes

More Information Here. 

IMDb Blurb: Lawrence is a rich kid with a bad accent and a large debt. After his father refuses to help him out, Lawrence escapes his angry debtors by jumping on a Peace Corp flight to Southeast Asia, where is assigned to build a bridge for the local villagers with American-As-Apple-Pie WSU Grad Tom Tuttle and the beautiful and down-to earth Beth Wexler. What they don't realize is that the bridge is coveted by the U.S. Army, a local Communist force, and a powerful drug lord. Together with the help of At Toon, the only English speaking native, they must fight off the three opposing forces and find out what is right for the villagers, as well as themselves.

This movie is one of two on this list that I haven’t actually seen. I’ve read mixed reviews – but, honestly, I felt that regardless of that, it’s worth a spot here. (I also plan to watch this one as soon as I can.)

Keep in mind here that the film is from the mid-1980s and campy movies were king. Things weren’t always politically correct.

All the same, the core of the story is a guy that gets into the Peace Corps for the wrong reasons, and ends up helping a community against armed militants, and other ‘wolves at the door.’ The hope lies in the message that even spoiled and entitled people can find personal growth to help their fellow man.

But seriously, it’s the Hanks-Candy connection that brings hilarity and laughter is the best medicine of all.

3) Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Viewing Options: Netflix DVD, Amazon Instant Video, Amazon Channels (STARZ), iTunes, YouTube Movies (purchase), Xfinity Subscription (STARZ)

Director: Terry George

Actors: Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Joaquin Phoenix, Nick Nolte, Desmond Dube, David O'Hara, Fana Mokoena, Mothusi Magano

Genre:  Biography, Drama, History

Rated: PG-13

Length: 121 Minutes

More Information Here.

IMDb Blurb: Paul Rusesabagina was a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda.

Admittedly, this story is about people coming together in the face of genocide and political upheaval and not picking up after a disaster. It is, however, the story of a man that is faced with an impossible situation and goes above and beyond to help his fellow man.

This movie – for all of its darkness and the horrors wrought on the people depicted in the tale (based on a true story) – reminded me about a beacon of hope and light in the current Harvey situation. There’s a gentleman in Houston, TX that owns a chain of furniture stores. He has opened up his locations as shelters so that people in need can utilize the comfort and safety of his showroom furniture and facilities. My hat’s off to you, Mattress Mack, for being a beautiful soul.

The movie is about a man who turns a 4-Star hotel into a refugee sanctuary.

2) WALL-E (2008)

Viewing Options: Netflix DVD, Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, YouTube Movies (purchase)

Director: Andrew Stanton

Actors: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver, Bob Bergen

Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Family, Science fiction, Animated

Rated: G

Length: 97 Minutes

More Information Here.

IMDb Blurb: In the distant future, a small waste-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.

The little robot in this movie is picking up after we trashed our planet. I’d say that’s cataclysm enough, right? Yet, even after forecast models told the corporate mucky-mucks that Earth wasn’t fixable; the itty bitty trash compactor distant descendant of Johnny Five gives humanity hope when he finds a tiny plant. There’s a fight for the future involved and humans have the choice to get off their lazy hover-chairs and take command of their own destiny or remain at the mercy of their robot overlords.

1) Sing! (2016)

Viewing Options: Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, YouTube Movies (purchase), Vudu

Director: Garth Jennings

Actors: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Jennifer Saunders

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family, Musical

Rated: PG

Length: 108 Minutes

More Information Here.

IMDb Blurb: In a city of humanoid animals, a hustling theater impresario's attempt to save his theater with a singing competition becomes grander than he anticipates even as its finalists' find that their lives will never be the same.

We recently reviewed this one, but it’s a good example of perseverance, resourcefulness, and hope so it bears repeating. Besides, with so many kids catching all the press about the horrors of Harvey, it’s a good idea to have a few go-to family movies around to help the younger generation process.

When everything quite literally is destroyed and all of the plans seem to go bust for the talent competition, they find a way to make things work. The characters harness ‘necessity as the mother of invention’ and get the job done to rebuild and carry on. They put their passion for music, their friendships, and community ahead of the money, and kick ass.

If you would like some information on how you can help those impacted by Hurricane Harvey, some sources of information and resources are listed below.

• The Rolling Stone published a very helpful article.
• The Texas Tribune also had this information to share.
• The following tweets direct from the Red Cross and Salvation Army are also good sources to start with:

Help those affected by #HurricaneHarvey. Visit https://t.co/IwTsENcx2z, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation. pic.twitter.com/r4qSn8byXj

— American Red Cross (@RedCross) August 26, 2017

Give relief to those affected by #HurricaneHarvey
• Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY
• Text "STORM" to 51555
• Donate online at https://t.co/Tr6pwCDM4n pic.twitter.com/KYkx87gOBU

— Salvation Army USA (@SalvationArmyUS) August 25, 2017

If you're still curious about the floating nightmare fuel of 'fire ant armadas,' take a look here.

But I Digress... is a weekly column for trustthedice.com that can't be pinned down to just one thing. It's Cat's celebration of tangents, random references, and general fan geekdom that both intertwines with, revolves around, and diverges from our movie-review core. In homage to the beloved Brit comedians, we want to bring you something completely different!