ABKing Weighs In On PG-13 Controversy

I just don’t get it! What I am referring to is the back and fourth ratings debate with the entire EXPENDABLES franchise even starting with the first film. The Expendables series was born in 2010. It came out in the summer and became a huge blockbuster (beating the PG-13 similarly themed THE A-TEAM) and thus a big franchise was created. But let me back up for a minute. You see even with the first film there was talk of a PG-13 cut of the film. Avi wanted to see which tested better. Of course the R rated cut won out and was released. A movie starring Sly, Arnold, Bruce, Jet, Statham, Rourke etc. HAD to be R. It’s as simple as 1,2,3.

Then in 2012 the second EXPENDABLES movie came out. This time there was a nuts storm after Norris dropped the bombshell (so early into production) about the film being PG-13. Norris opened his mouth a little too soon and thus for several months a lynch mob formed against EX2….it forced Avi and Sly to listen to the fans (is that not who these films are catered towards in the end) and change the rating back to R. The film was a smash hit grossing 311.9 million WORLDWIDE. Again, you cannot have a film starring Chuck Norris, JCVD, Arnold, Bruce, Sly, Statham etc. and have it be PG-13. The world doesn’t work that way! Just the sight of seeing Norris in that airport ending killing countless people had audiences cheering in delight (I remember it well having seen the film 6 times at cinemas).

Now, in 2014 EXPENDABLES 3 is upon us and this time the film stars Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, Jason Statham etc…..and guess what….again this PG-13 rating is back like a bad habit. How can a movie starring MAD MAX, JACK RYAN, DESPERADO, RAMBO, TERMINATOR, THE TRANSPORTER, BLADE and THE ONE be rated PG-13???? I don’t get it Sly and Avi. Both EX1 and EX2 were successful already at being R rated. Why change things now. The summer of 2014 is already filled with PG-13 rated movies. EX3 would be one of the very few hard R films. Sure, PG-13 films make more money, but will dropping the rating really bring in the 17 year olds to see EXPENDABLES? You guys are playing with fire here. You might alienate the hard core fans and these new young fans you think will show up might not give a damn in the end. I say change the rating back to R and drop this PG-13 nonsense (once and for all) going into EXPENDABLES 4 (hopefully directed by John McTiernan). There is already a lynch mob forming going into the month of June. Not a good thing (Sly and Avi if you are listening).

www.facebook.com/pages/We-will-boycott-The-Expendables-3-if-its-NOT-rated-R/223661991053313?fref=ts

I repeat….EXPENDABLES 3 should be rated R like the previous successful installments. If not, there might be hell to pay from ticket buyers and fans!

ABKing