In news that might have caused you to hear me scream “NOOOOOOOOOOO” (just like Darth Vader because, you know, that’s what he does now) all the way from sunny Los Angeles, this summer’s action-fest, The Expendables 2 has now been confirmed by Rocky himself as aiming for a….. PG-13 rating.
Are you still there? I’ll wait while you pick yourself up from the floor…
Apparently this is all at the request of newly acquired Chuck Norris, who says:
“In ‘Expendables 2′, there was a lot of vulgar dialogue in the screenplay. For this reason, many young people wouldn’t be able to watch this. But I don’t play in movies like this. Due to that, I said I wouldn’t be a part of that if the hardcore language is not erased. Producers accepted my conditions and the movie will be classified in the category of PG-13.”
At first, I thought this was silly. Really? The sequel to the big hit from 2010 which featured action stars from several decades (including the writer-director Stallone, Jason Statham, and Jet Li, among others) was supposed to be bigger and badder than the original by adding more-than-just-cameos from Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger while adding both Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme to the roster. There is no way this was true. Right? Tell me it isn’t so, Sly…
“The PG13 rumor is true, but before (fans) pass judgement, trust me when I say this film is LARGE in every way and delivers on every level. This movie touches on many emotions which we want to share with the broadest audience possible, BUT, fear not, this Barbeque of Grand scale Ass Bashing will not leave anyone hungry.”
I don’t even know what that means, except that I am supremely disappointed. I totally dug the first one, flaws and all, and was really excited to see what Sly had up his sleeve for a sequel. But now, I am concerned that he is not going to be able to recapture even half of the awesomeness that will be missing when it’s rated PG-13 instead of R.
What do you think, folks? Does this matter to you? Did you do your best Vader impression like I did when you read that? Or are you on Norris’ side; is a tamer Expendables the way to go?
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Chuck Norris is right, action movies should strive to be classier. All that off-color language is a little too durn naughty for these ears of mine. Why sometimes, when I hear some of these gosh-darn words the ruffians in these movies use I get all atwitter; why I get the vapors.
It sucks. I hate that everything has to be “tamed” to a PG 13 in order to get made.
Twitter: efcontentment
January 19, 2012 6:10 pm
Like you, I dug the film, flaws and all; it was pretty thin on a story/character level but it delivered on what I wanted to see from it: an awesome cast giving the bad guys some hard R-rated ownage. I wasn’t holding out much hope for a better screenplay the second time out, but I figured that at least we’d get more of the same, only this time with more of the action stars we grew up on.
Now it sounds like they took a step forward/step back approach with it, which is very disappointing. Chuck Norris or no Chuck Norris, this was obviously a studio call in hopes of making even more money — even though it can be argued that an important part of its success was being an R-rated action film in a PG-13 world. And given that Stallone’s comeback films have only worked on a purely visceral level (IMHO), I’m definitely lowering my expectations for this PG-13 sequel — nothing against that rating, but I’m just worried that we’re gonna get a lame movie that doesn’t even have juicy squibs or severed limbs going for it.
It’s interesting that Mr. Norris is more worried about language than, I don’t know, killing and mutilating people.
Nick – agreed.
Was watching Modern Family episode that had some people (Parent’s Television Council to name one – http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/01/18/modern-family-f-word/) up in arms about the “hardcore language” content.
Of course commercials for the nightly news that aired at every commercial break of this hilarious episode were all describing every new body part the police had found up near the Hollywood sign. Severed heads and hands = kids can handle that. Dropping the F bomb = detrimental to society!
Hi. Terry Crews blowing people in half with his modified shotgun in the first film is what took the action up a notch along with the more graphic blood spatter from the gunshot wounds, it really surprised “older” fans. Stallone started using this new method of gunfight scenes in Rambo. Maybe Stallone will find a new way to entertain fans …..I think Chuck Norris still has his PG13 Walker Texas Ranger hat on…..kind of rude to make such a demand when you’re a newcomer on the sequel of a successful film
- Noer