Terminator 4 Will Be PG-13

By Josh Tyler: 2008-05-05 15:54:06

If there’s one thing we know about Terminator movies, it’s that they’re always a gritty, rated-R. Even the third one, which could have easily been watered down to appeal to young teen audiences in Hollywood’s current climate of pandering. But it wasn’t. Because it’s Terminator. Or at least it was until McG and the folks at Halcyon got hold of it.

Variety reports that Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, better known as Terminator 4, will be aiming for a PG-13 rating. Producers at Halcyon Co. say they think it’s time to broaden the fourth film’s audience base.

It looks like part of their motivation for this is so they can sell Terminator Happy Meal toys. No that is not a joke. Halcyon’s CEO says: “Our merchandising program will be the largest to date for 'The Terminator.” Remember those collectible glasses McDonalds sold to promote Batman Forever? I’m imaging something like that. Now you too can drink out of a Terminator’s head.

In their statement released to Variety, Halcyon attempts to excuse it by claiming that ratings have changed over the years until a PG-13 now has the same intensity as an R-rating. Last night I was re-watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in preparation for Indy 4. It was rated PG. Today there’s no way that movie would be anything but PG-13. Indy spends half the movie literally covered in blood. So yeah, ratings have changed, but they’ve gone the other direction with the creation of PG-13 and Hollywood's mad rush to make everything fit that rating. I guess that means in 80s terminology Terminator 4 will actually be PG. Somebody shoot me. Oh wait, you can’t. That might be make this post rated-R. Think of the children!

The same thing was done last year to the Die Hard franchise, and that ended up being a big success. The only real casualty was Bruce Willis’s trademark, rated-R catchphrase. You have to wonder if that had anything to do with this, as an example of what happens when you water things down and fans don’t seem to care. Or maybe it's the success of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles which inspired this, since the show has managed to work well in spite of television's traditionally overbearing censors. Somehow, I doubt anyone will care what this new movie is rated. Except me and you that is. I’m going to miss rated-R Terminator.

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zezo
May 6, 2008 at 23:45

thx

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Raden
May 5, 2008 at 17:37

Well, Temple of Doom sorta sparked the push for the creation of a PG-13 movie rating. They discuss it on the bonus materials for Indy Trilogy on DVD. However, I do agree Terminator just won't be the same, if the focus still remains on the cat and mouse chases that is. If they are moving toward a more grand overview of the war, PG-13 maybe able to pull it off.

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Terminator 4 Will Be PG-13

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