Summary
- Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham will return for another thrilling adventure in The Expendables 4 after a nearly 10-year hiatus from the series.
- The new film will return to its roots with an R rating after The Expendables 3’s PG-13 rating failed to impress some viewers.
- The R rating includes “strong/disgusting violence throughout” and “language”, which is nothing new, but also includes “sexual material”, a first for the series.
The age rating for The Expendables 4 is now official, and while it brings the series back to its roots, it also includes one very important change. After the poor reception of The Expendables 3 in 2014, Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham will return for another thrilling adventure after a nearly decade-long hiatus. While the first two films in the series were rated R, the third film was rated PG-13, causing controversy.
Now, ahead of The Expendables 4’s release date, the MPAA has confirmed via FilmRatings.com that the sequel will indeed be rated R. While this rating is given for “strong/disgusting violence throughout” and “language,” it also includes “sexual material.” the first time that is new to the series.
What the R rating of The Expendables 4 means for a movie
The Expendables 3 was given a PG-13 rating primarily to increase the likelihood of box office success by allowing younger viewers to come and see the film. What happened, however, was that the classification alienated fans of the series without actually attracting a new, younger audience. The film received the worst reviews and the lowest box office performance in the entire franchise, with Stallone himself admitting that the PG-13 rating was a mistake.
So the upcoming sequel feels like a return to the show’s basics, with Stallone, Statham, and the rest of The Expendables 4 cast showing off the gory graphic violence that made the previous installments so popular. While the return of R-rated violence is certainly a welcome announcement, the addition of sexual material is an interesting change.
It’s not yet clear how this material will affect the film, but the Expendables 4 trailer shows a detailed look at the sexual dynamic between Statham’s character Lee Christmas and Megan Fox’s new character Gina. It is likely that the couple is responsible for the new replenishment of the film’s rating. While many questions remain about The Expendables 4, the R-rated confirmation is certainly a positive sign.
Source: FilmRatings.com
Key release dates