Reviewing the Restricted Rating of Action Cinema

Director John Moore is steaming mad over a Restricted rating for "Max Payne." "Punisher: War Zone," another action movie is also appealing its Restricted rating. Yet, "Max Payne," takes its formula from a violent video game, and the characters from "Punisher: War Zone," are taken from an ultra-violent comic book. The stereotypical film-goer who sees these types of movies are usually adult males, sometimes with an unhappy girlfriend in tow. These males are running on testosterone and they want to see some bloody violence in a relatively safe environment for the adrenalin rush. So directors of movies like "Punisher: War Zone," and "Max Payne," need to make movies for the audiences they appeal to, young adult males and a growing niche of female action movie fans.

Most movie-goers who go to see an action film are looking for excitement. According to one media resource "Action travels well, Action movies don't require complex plots of characters. They rely on fights, killings, special effects and explosions to hold their audiences (Media)." Yes, even audiences in foreign countries understand the fun of an action movie, it is universal. The usual hour and a half of an action film is pure enjoyment to its fans and a PG-13 is often full of fluff known as dialogue, which only creates a lingering boredom in the audience.

According to Scheff, a psychologist "...humans seek and enjoy activities that help them to symbolically relive their own painful emotional experiences, and therefore achieve relief or resolution (Powell)." This statement simply means that the movie theatre can be seen as a safe place for movie-goers to feel powerful emotions. It is a better situation for adult men to feel aggression, hostility, or arousal in a passive situation like a movie theatre rather than an active situation such as behind the wheel of a car or in a high stress job. Identifying with movie characters emotionally is very human and possibly therapeutic.

Now, with "Max Payne," to be shown in theatres October 17, 2008 movie-goers must make their preference for the rated R action movie known by voting with their cinema dollars. A PG-13 action film is trying too hard to appeal to too many audiences, and thereby fails the movie going public. Directors of the action movie genre need to set out from the get-go will the goal of receiving an R rating rather than complaining about the MPAA or its rating system.

"Max Payne," according to some sites will be "...brutal...," and "(full of)...revenge...(Tribute...)" Excellent, just what audiences want to see.

Trailer for Max Payne: Here

Sources:

Gaudiosi, John. "Max Payne Director John Moore Just A Tad Pissed With Film Ratings Board." Das Gamer. 5 Sep. 2008. 1 Oct. 2008 http://www.dasgamer.com/max-payne-director-john-moore-just-a-tad-pissed-with-film-ratings-board/2/

"Max Payne." Tribute.ca. 1 Oct. 2008 http://www.tribute.ca/movies/Max+Payne/16662
http://www.dasgamer.com/max-payne-director-john-moore-just-a-tad-pissed-with-film-ratings-board/

Powell, Esta. "Catharsis in Psychology and Beyond: A Historic Overview." Primal. 1 Oct. 2008 http://primal-page.com/cathar.htm