Reading about the upcoming comic book relaunch of The Punisher got me thinking. The series by Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto will be gritty, and it will be violent...it will not however be a MAX series and instead will feature a "Parental Guidance" warning on the cover. Now, this is nothing all that new. There have been plenty of Punisher series' in the past, all of which have been of a similar type to this one. None of them feature bad language or overly bloody and gory violence, but they're still loved by fans. So, would a movie just like that work? Does it have to be R-Rated? Could a PG-13 version work on the big screen?
Personally, I think the answer is maybe. With Marvel Studios and Disney now holding the rights to the character, we're bound to see Frank Castle turn up on either the big or small screen sometime in the near future. If it's the former, then I think it's fair to say Disney have little interest in producing an R-Rated Punisher movie. Which is why I'm asking, would it work as a PG-13? Tone down the language and gore, and it really could. A movie in the same vein as Matt Fraction's 'Punisher: Warzone' series might work, but however you look at it, there's no getting away from the violence which surrounds Frank Castle.
So, would you like to see them make a toned down Punisher movie? Would it even work?! Use the poll and comments section below to share your thoughts and check back in a few days for the results!
PG-13 — Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13. A PG-13 rating is a sterner warning by the Rating Board to parents to determine whether their children under age 13 should view the motion picture, as some material might not be suited for them. A PG-13 motion picture may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category. The theme of the motion picture by itself will not result in a rating greater than PG-13, although depictions of activities related to a mature theme may result in a restricted rating for the motion picture. Any drug use will initially require at least a PG-13 rating. More than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating, but such nudity in a PG-13 rated motion picture generally will not be sexually oriented. There may be depictions of violence in a PG-13 movie, but generally not both realistic and extreme or persistent violence. A motion picture’s single use of one of the harsher sexually-derived words, though only as an expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive requires an R rating, as must even one of those words used in a sexual context. The Rating Board nevertheless may rate such a motion picture PG-13 if, based on a special vote by a two-thirds majority, the Raters feel that most American parents would believe that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context or manner in which the words are used or because the use of those words in the motion picture is inconspicuous.
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