Summary
Thanks to the grand success ofDeadpool, movie studios are becoming less fearful of an R-rated. R-rated movies were always seen as edgy and lacking box office appeal due to the fact that families can’t assemble for something more crude, but in 2024, that’s certainly not the case, and most movies benefit from the unrestricted mayhem of potential in an R-rated movielikeDeadpool & Wolverine.
A PG-13 ratingdoesn’t save a movie in terms of critical reception and box office gross. There have been some movies that have suffered under the effects of a PG-13 rating, and only an alternate timeline in the multiverse can bring about the potential of PG-13 movies that should have been R-rated in production and design.
7Borderlands
A Movie That Lacks The Violence and Humor of Borderlands
Starting the list with the most recent contender for PG-13 movies that should have been R-rated, isBorderlands.Borderlandsis a beloved video game series, and it truly thrives in mayhem and violence, and that’s something that the movie somewhat lacks. It’s not the best video game movie adaptation out there, and there are a few factors why, but an R-rating might have aided the creative process.
IfBorderlandswas rated R, like the games, then there would be free reign for action and comedy to really let loose, and with sci-fi worlds similar toGuardians of the GalaxyandMad Max,Borderlandscould have really blended the two together withviolence and love for the source material.
6Casino Royale
James Bond’s Daniel Craig Reboot Goes Dark, but is it Dark Enough?
James Bond returns with a new face, and as Daniel Craig takes on the iconic role of 007, audiences are immersed in a new crime thriller saga, where espionage and the look of cool reign supreme. James Bond is tasked this time around with stopping Le Chiffre, a banker of the world’s most dangerous criminal organization, from winning a poker game that has the highest stakes on the criminal market.
A movie about spies, espionage, and the world of criminal dealings,Casino Royaleis excellent, but it might have benefited from that illustrious R-rating. James Bond movies should lean more into the violence of the criminal underworld, as the terrorist threats that James Bond wrestles with demand deeper cuts that might involve sensitive topics and cut-throat action.
5Transformers: Age of Extinction
Optimus Prime is at His Lowest, but the Violence Never Reaches Beyond PG-13
The Michael BayTransformerstrilogy was not without its violence, crude jokes, and deviation from the lore, but that doesn’t mean they were not a fun time. Years later, Michael Bay wouldreturn to theTransformersserieswithAge of Extinction, bringing forth the familiar Autobots and revised Decepticons in a battle against humans who want them off this Earth.
With a new film in theTransformersseries,Age of Extinctionwould have benefited from growing up alongside the audience that watched these movies as kids, since Optimus Prime is at his lowest, with the Autobots scattered or killed.Age of Extinctioncould have been a grittyTransformersmovie that didn’t shy away from darker themes like self-worth and violence.
4World War Z
A Movie With Spectacle, but Not So Much Substance
World War Zis a beloved book, but a less so beloved movie of the same name. Starring Brad Pitt,World War Zshould have been exceptional,taking on the world of zombiesin a race against time to save humanity from literally eating each other. Yet, a PG-13 rating meant thatWorld War Zcouldn’t let things get too violent, or zombies get too threatening.
Whilst it would have been nice to seeWorld War Zfeel closer to the source material, it would have been even nicer to feel the unrelenting threat of zombie hordes and the human characters that are desperate to survive and save humanity, and an R-rating could have forced that much like 28 Days Later.
3Venom: Let There Be Carnage
A Lethal Protector and an Alien Serial Killer, Held Back by PG-13 Requirements
There’s a whole world of comic book movies that deserve to be R-rated, but one in particular stands out.Venom: Let There Be Carnagebrings forth the iconic villain of Carnage, a sadistic serial killer bonded to a symbiote with crazed potential for violence and fearful tactics. Also joining the movie was director Andy Serkis, familiar with the work of motion capture, so hopes were high for thisVenomsequel.
Whilst there may be an f-bomb, there’s not enough forVenom: Let There Be Carnageto sink its sharp teeth into the bones of criminals.Venom is the Lethal Protector, and it would be nice to see him being lethal, and doing some protecting, in a way that doesn’t shield itself just to obtain a PG-13 rating, especially when it weakens the great potential of Woody Harrelson as an alien-bonded serial killer.
2Edge of Tomorrow
Tom Cruise Suffers a Time Loop of Death Against Aliens
After an alien race has launched an attack on Earth, a combined military might send soldiers into a fight that will surely be suicide. One soldier in particular, Major William Cage, develops the powers of a time loop, where he experiences his death over and over again until he can find a way to break the loop and send the aliens running off this planet.
Edge of Tomorrowis truly excellent, and the action that takes place is exciting, andseeing Tom Cruise in a more vulnerable and somewhat comedic roleas a cowardly soldier who dies again and again, is a fun and refreshing take. Yet, there’s potential forEdge of Tomorrowto be even greater, as an R-rating would heighten the kills faced by Tom Cruise’s character and the edge of the plot.
1Alita: Battle Angel
Alita: Battle Angelis a severely underrated movie that adapts the manga of the same name in live-action. A cyborg that connects with humanity thanks to Ido, a cyber-doctor,Alita: Battle Angelsees the worst and the best of humanity within Iron City, where she must face her mysterious past in bloody warfare.
Alita: Battle Angeldeserves a sequel, but it might have had more of a chance if the movie did not shy away from its R-rated origins, as although the PG-13 movie is good, the dependence on stylistic and action-packed violence could truly benefit the story of a cyberpunk world such as this.
