The surprise guilty pleasure franchise that is THE EXPENDABLES may have just shot itself in the foot with the Cannes announcement that the third installment will be the lower rated PG13 / 12A certificate. The first two films were both released with an R / 15 rating due to the violent content and harsh language. The drop in rating would suggest that both of these things will be distinctly anemic in the newest film.
The only plausible reason for the creators to risk the rating drop is to make more money something which Stallone backed up at Cannes when he said:
“We want to reach as many people as possible. It’s very close to an R, believe me, its right there. But I think we owe it to the next generation. We thought we’d join that club for a while.”
For me I think they should be focusing less on the next generation and more on the fans that have grown alongside them, kids under 15-years old today aren’t really going to be too interested in watching a load of old men chase each other around on-screen, not when they’ve got all these superheroes to support.
EXPENDABLES 3 sees Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford and Kelsey Grammar join the returning Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham and Jet Li. You can see the film in all its family friendlier glory when it is released on the 14th August.
Source: Collider
