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Why McG now defends Terminator Salvation's PG-13 rating
McG, the director of Terminator Salvation, defended the film's PG-13 rating again to a group of reporters, arguing that the film remains as intense as if it had received an R rating. The upcoming prequel/sequel film is the first in the series not to have the harder rating.
"It just became clear that the things that would take it to an R or an NC-17 would be: There goes the arm, and now the blood is squirting on my face," McG said in a group interview last Friday in Beverly Hills, Calif. "That wasn't in service of the character or the story. The elements that would have taken it to R just ended up feeling gratuitous in the editing room. There's a topless scene with Moon Bloodgood. I was trying to echo that scene in Witness where Kelly McGillis turns and says, 'I'm not ashamed' to Harrison Ford. But it just felt like, 'Oh, there's the genre stunt of the good-looking girl taking her top off.' And it felt counterproductive in the spirit of what we were looking to achieve on a storytelling level, so way to go."
Moon Bloodgood defended her deleted scene, in which her character cleans off a wound and Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) stares at her body. "It's not gross or in your face," Bloodgood said in a separate interview. "It's just a moment where you're feeling naked, and this is my sexuality, and here I am, and I'm a strong woman and can you handle it?"
Perhaps the "gratuitous" scene will appear as a DVD extra. "I suspect it will be on the DVD," McG said. "I don't know, ask Moon. She was very passionate in sort of a third-wave feminist take on the whole thing. It was a fun conversation to have."
Bloodgood clarified that she was not exactly gung-ho to take off her shirt. "I didn't fight for it, but I didn't fight against it," she said. "I just said if it's right for the scene."
Worthington had another scene removed for violence issues. In the scene, Marcus stabs an enemy in the shoulder. "I don't make a movie for ratings," Worthington said in a separate interview. "I just make a movie to try to tell the best story I can tell. Obviously they've got their reasons why they took it out. It doesn't really disappoint me. It's part of the process."
McG added that he wanted the film to be accessible to new, younger Terminator fans, as well as to older fans who grew up with the originals. "Truthfully, I'm pleased, because I know when I was 14, 15 years old, I wouldn't want a guy busting my chops, keeping me from seeing the movie that I ultimately wanted to see," McG said. "Ultimately, we were able to make exactly the film we wanted to make without any compromise whatsoever, and it happened to garner the rating it got. Look at The Dark Knight. That's a compromise-free picture. Rating has just really never been a concern to us, and it is what it is."
Terminator Salvation opens May 21.
By Anthony at 7:05 AM ON 05/12/09
I don't much care that its pg rated but was there no way to keep in the topless shot of Moon?
By DarkHawke at 7:13 AM ON 05/12/09
Sure, Dark Knight was *probably* compromise-free, but then again, was Batman ever known for being heedlessly ultra-violent? That's what sold T1 and T2, so isn't taking out scenes from such a franchise to get a more "accessible" rating necessarily a compromise for the sake of the bottom line?
By gorehound696 at 7:50 AM ON 05/12/09
McG has destroyed an adult franchise that I love and I am not 14 years old sucker I am 53 and I work so I am the one who buys the tickets in this house.
I will almost definately not see this film until it is on DVD and is an R Rated film.To bad he had to go and dumb it all down for children.And children have no business watching this kind of a story.It was always meant to be violent and action filled.
Why dont you just call it Terminator LE Salvation
By malachi at 7:55 AM ON 05/12/09
@Darkhawke
Yes cause dropping a building on Robin was oh so filled with flowers and lollipops. Oh yeah go read The Dark Knight Returns damn near nudity in that. Batman is about Violence. That is how he does his job by braking in people's skulls.
Also T2 name one scene that was ultra violent in that movie. If it was made today it would get a hard pg13. Times change so do standards.
By REDante at 8:55 AM ON 05/12/09
I agree with malachi. The future scenes in Terminator 1 and 2 were pg-13. There was nothing over excessively violent about them. But I wanted to see more of that then the whole travel back in time.
Standards have changed T1 would still be R but I question T2 and FACE IT, T3 was was R for the nudity. There may have been one scene that maybe couldve been another reason, but I dont know im still trying to forget that movie. People were complaining about that movie, so now we got another Terminator movie be greatful for that, Hollywood really doesnt give us too many wars against machines movies. We only have Transformers, can you think of any other franschise thats not direct to dvd low budget. Dont say I robot cause that it isnt a franschise, that was one movie to never see a sequel in the light of day. BSG is gone and Caprica isnt about war its about sex and politics.
So im going to enjoy it just because at least its something. Plus ive seen how brutal war can be so just use your imagination.
By betty sue at 9:27 AM ON 05/12/09
Jesus Christ, alright already SciFi - just trying to get the hits on these stories? Didn't you do one nearly exactly like this like 2 days ago?
I'll repeat what I said last time: Who gives a crap about the rating? It is only about actresses being topless and the gore? I'd rather have the good storyline...
give it a break already!
By PamSue at 11:43 AM ON 05/12/09
I think what I take away from this is shock at finding out Dark Knight was PG-13. (I don't bother looking at ratings as I'm an adult with no kids.)
By Chamelion at 12:30 PM ON 05/12/09
What SOLD T1 and T2 wasn't the R rating and over the top violence; it was good story telling and strong characters.
Now, granted, there are some franchises which can NOT really work with a PG-13 rating; Aliens or Predator to name a few.. but Terminator, as an action film, sure.
By Marty B. at 1:26 PM ON 05/12/09
I keep double checking IMDB everytime someone reminds me T2 was R rated. I think the "Arnold arrival" (bare butt shot again, right?), the nuclear holocaust (people disintegrating into skeletons then ash), and the way the T1000 takes out Conors foster mom (skull penetrating pointy), probably warranted an R. If the "pencil trick" among other things in The Dark Knight warranted a PG-13, a lot of that might fly in TS I guess.
All that said, is the image accompanying the story an actual shot from the movie, concept art, or something from a video game. It doesn't look right, to me.
By supamark at 2:19 PM ON 05/12/09
McG is a talentless hack, who's big claim to fame is those horrible Charlie's Angles movies. and a couple really bad Sugar Ray records (which he apparently produced). no way would I pay money to see this, regardless of the rating.
By Kerrith at 2:38 PM ON 05/12/09
I think the T-800 performing surgery on himself in T1 and the T-800 cutting his own skin off his arm in T2 both pushed the ratings up. Also, killing cops with a shotgun at point blank range in T1 might have as well.
By PamSue at 4:01 PM ON 05/12/09
Marty B. - I thought the same thing about the picture above. I sure hope it's from a video game because if this is from the movie we have more to worry about than a PG-13 rating.
By Money4life at 6:16 PM ON 05/12/09
@ the complianers
It's about making money. if that means taking out a couple scences so the kiddies can see it to so what. Honestly the only people who should concerned are parents and those can't see it becuase of the rating in the first place. I'm sure it'll be good. i saw the panel at Comic-Con
By suprememango at 8:49 PM ON 05/12/09
you all are forgetting the Linda Hamilton/Michael Biehn sex scene from T1. And Arnold brutally murdering the cops. I guess it's a little harder why T2 was an R. You have the brief nudity at the beginning and T2 stabbing people. But it is a pretty tame movie compared to some gore fests we get nowadays.
By Ruffles at 7:32 AM ON 05/13/09
Hey from the trailers the movie looks good and I don't care what rating it gets as long as I enjoy the movie.
If taking out two scenes was all it took to make it PG why not?
Makes sense as well to make more money which is what all these movies are made to do anyway, if they can make something great that people enjoy its all the better.
(I really wanted to see Moon's scene but)
By whatthewhat at 8:27 AM ON 05/14/09
Its true scifi has to come out with a new terminator related story every damn day soon theyll get an interview with the guy christian bale lost it on and call that newsworthy.
By Debel at 1:49 AM ON 05/18/09
Hey malachi, as far as name "1 scene" from T2 how about the knife through the eye in the hospital, the stabbing in the biker bar, and the stabbing of in the steel mill? Still sound pg13?
By J at 12:41 AM ON 05/21/09
This is a story of carnage, destruction, and war. War is not PG-13 and neither is reality. The first terminator built a fan base by being brutally dark and horrific. Now we have a weak special effects circus for kids. I would fight a PG-13 terminator and Im a p**s. But I guess I fit in with a society that's full of them.
By Anon Ymous at 1:33 PM ON 05/21/09
I'll just wait for the unrated DVD when it comes out. I'm not going to go to the movie where a bunch of 13-15 year olds will be checking their cell phones and creating all sorts of distractions. Oh, and screw you Warner Bros.
By Anon Ymous at 1:36 PM ON 05/21/09
I'll just wait for the unrated DVD when it comes out. I'm not going to go to the movie where a bunch of 13-15 year olds will be checking their cell phones and creating all sorts of distractions. Oh, and screw you Warner Bros.
By Terminate the Director at 1:26 AM ON 05/24/09
Who really cares why the director did what he did. He made a really, really bad movie. People seem to assume that if it's scifi they don't need to develop characters, have a good script and have dialogue that is intelligent and meaningful.
The director made it PG-13 for money, purely. Given that the steaming head of crap that he made, I'm sure he needs every ill informed 14 year to go see the movie.
How do smart business people put someone as mediocre as this in charge of so much money? What were his directing credentials? We Are Marshall and one episode of Chuck. Great.
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Ishida:
Terminator's movie and game trailers looks fine for me (for now). As soon as I get a chance to grab the game, I'm ...More »