I've known about the rating for
Tron Legacy for a good while before it was announced online a couple of weeks ago. You can't tell me that you didn't think of a PG or PG-13 when you saw the trailers. Sure the film could be harmless and the rating was created because the MPAA thought that it was different from Disney's other G-rated live action films. I know that I never knew that there were live-action films rated G from the mouse House when I was younger because as I was growing up, if a film involved live actors, have light or heavy cursing, some light or hardcore action sequences and sensual or sexual content that can also be heavy or light, the films gain a PG, PG-13 or R. We all know about the XXX rating so I won't have to explain it. At Toonzone.net, I found a post from one of the members who had his reasons about not seeing the upgrade to the Disney classic that relates to everything that I just said. To remind those who still don't know the rating for
Tron: Legacy, here's a reminder:
Tron: Legacy is rated PG "for sequences of sci-fi action violence and brief mild language".
Now here's the person's response:
"Personally, I'm kind of relieved. I don't think I would have been able to see this movie if it had gotten a PG-13 rating, because that would mean that not everyone could see it, plus PG-13 just doesn't suit "Disney" (which means for example, had the PotC movies been released as "Touchstone", then I might have been more willing to watch them).
Now, I don't want this topic to turn into a debate about movie ratings or a debate about "Disney" vs. "Touchstone". This is just how I feel about it. I now look forward to watching Tron: Legacy when it comes out next Friday."
Here's my defense for the film:
"You really thought of not watching the film if it was rated PG-13? I'm not ridiculing you but I have to point out that, like all of the movie studios in Hollywood and elsewhere, Disney is a business. Like any business, it has to change to fit with the times. If it means catering to an older crowd with remakes, movies with material not suitable to a Saturday morning cartoon or having a multi-billion dollar franchise combining Disney classic films with characters from the
Final Fantasy series, it will do so. If it means more money in their pockets, it will do whatever it takes to make ends meet and prevent themselves from being behind many other movie studios who have felt fine with creating films for people of all ages since the beginning of the movie industry. Now, I know that Disney will never make a film that will be rated R ever in its history, but you have to admit that since Disney's name was all over Pirates of the Caribbean since the ride was created decades ago, it would have felt out of place if, what you said about Touchstone being the distributor of the first trilogy of the
Pirates films, other names of one of Disney's smaller movie studios were in the titles.
I'm seeing
Tron: Legacy regardless of its rating. What you said about not seeing the film if it wasn't PG is like saying that you won't see
For Colored Girls, which has been sinking like a stone in the Top 12/15, due to its original title from its original source material and the fact that it's Tyler Perry's first film when he's only the director and is rated R. I've been avoiding a lot of the preview clips and besides what I've seen in the trailers on TV and in theaters, I should be in quite a surprise come December 17th. Maybe Touchstone Pictures could have been the distributor of this particular film but think about it. Was its name in the original title of the first
Tron? No. Who owns it, the sequel and whatever money it receives from pre-orders of the
Tron: Evolution video game,
Tron: Legacy toys, and other merchandise from the film? Who will be accepting the ticket sales both on the first day of release, pre-order, and the days following its release? It all goes back to the Mouse House.
Add the fact that Touchstone haven't had a decent hit this year.
You Again,
The Last Song, and
When in Rome all received a lot of negative buzz this year. You can argue that
Step Up 3D did well for Touchstone back in August but even that has the notion of being the worst performing film of the
Step Up series. This could affect the planned
Step Up 4, if it ever comes to fruition but while the company deserves a strong performing film, Disney's willing to not worry about it and think about what other future projects they can finance with the amount of money it'll receive from a film that has its haters and adoring fans like many films before it. Plus, this will be the first time people can listen to the music of Daft Punk even if they don't know that the band has a film,
Interstella 5555, that, besides the hardcore fans praising the animation in said feature, has gone ignored for years.
I apologize if I have offended anyone but if anyone here was running a movie company, wouldn't it make sense to cater to have films catered to everyone regardless of rating? Shouldn't we let the ticket sales prove to us that the performances of the films are both strong and weak no matter what else we do to ensure success with the films whether it's bouncing between release dates, changing the film format to 3D, or deciding whether or not it'll be a nationwide/worldwide release or in selected theaters?"
Now it's up to you to decide. Would you see a film or, in this case,
Tron Legacy, regardless of the rating? What about films have to convince you to watch them rather than waiting three months later and await the DVD/Blu-Ray release?
