THE MULE | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"THE MULE"
(2018) (Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper) (R)

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: A broke octogenarian takes a job as a drug mule for a Mexican cartel and must contend with the consequences of that.

PLOT:

Earl Stone (CLINT EASTWOOD) is an eighty-something florist who's long been estranged from his ex-wife, Mary (DIANNE WIEST), and adult daughter, Iris (ALISON EASTWOOD), although he still keeps in touch with his young adult granddaughter, Ginny (TAISSA FARMIGA). When his shop closes due to online competition, Earl finds himself in need of money. Learning of that and the fact that he spent most of his career driving around the country without a single citation, a stranger gives him a number to call for such a line of work.

Despite not knowing what he's transporting and obviously dealing with armed criminal types, Earl takes the job, thinking it will be a one-time thing. But with his cut of the action being big and facing foreclosure on his house, Earl decides to keep up with such blind driving of what he eventually learns are shipments of cocaine.

He gets so good at it that he draws the attention of drug cartel kingpin Laton (ANDY GARCIA) who wants the amount of drugs he's transporting increased. But with that comes a handler, Julio (IGNACIO SERRICCHIO), who will accompany him on his trips and is less than happy with the glorified babysitting gig.

At the same time, the Chicago office of the DEA is in need of making a big bust, and thus the special agent in charge (LAURENCE FISHBURNE) assigns newly relocated agent Colin Bates (BRADLEY COOPER) to work with DEA Agent Treviño (MICHAEL PENA) to try to crack the cartel's shipment program.

To do so, they convince cartel guy Luis Rocha (EUGENE CORDERO) to become their informant, and he reluctantly begins feeding them info that gets them closer to cracking the case. All of which means they and Earl the unlikely drug mule will eventually end up on a collision course.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: They might if they're fans of anyone in the cast.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For language throughout and brief sexuality/nudity.

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