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Max Payne Director Giving The Finger To The MPAA
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By George 'El Guapo' Roush on
September 06, 2008
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Max Payne director John Moore is not happy with what he views are inconsistencies with the way the MPAA rates movies. (No argument here)
Dasgamer has an interview with John who doesn't hold back when it comes to his opinion on the MPAA:
Das Gamer: How challenging has it been to get a PG-13 rating for Max Payne?
John Moore: It continues to be a challenge. We’re right in the middle of it now. We’re suffering from what I call Batman blowback. The Motion Picture Association of America gave The Dark Knight a PG-13 rating and basically sucked Warner Bros. cock. I have a serious amount of issues with the MPAA. Did you know it was made up of volunteers? As if that somehow excludes them from some type of wrongdoing. You can’t serve on it if you’re a homosexual or if you didn’t grow up in a shared parenthood home. Go to their website and read their charter about what gives a fair and balanced view for typical parents. We’re still strangled by an association that’s straight out of the House Un-American Activities Committee.
It probably hasn’t helped over the years that horror films like the Saw and Hostel franchises have received R ratings by the MPAA, correct?
John Moore: The R-rating has been completely abused now by films like Saw and exploitation movies. Those films are so happy to be getting an R that it’s undoing the point of the rating. The MPAA has mutated into an extremely dubious organization.
In terms of the film’s success, how big of a difference does the PG-13 versus R rating make?
John Moore: It’s conventional wisdom that you make more money from a PG-13 movie than from an R-rated movie. A lot of people aren’t fully aware that the reason studios are so gun shy about R-rated movies isn’t because of the content, it’s because it limits the advertising opportunities. You can’t advertise an R-rated movie before 9 p.m. in most states. You can’t advertise an R-rated movie in front of a PG-13 movie. There are some real hamstring rules of advertising.
Click HERE for the rest of the interview. It's a good one.
Remember in the 80's when a PG movie like Sheena would have numerous boob shots? (The first PG-13 movie, Red Dawn, came out one week before Sheena.) We're lucky now if we get a butt shot in a PG-13 flick. In today's movie world, if you're gonna see some knockers, it's gonna be in an R rated movie.
Maybe it's just me, but I always thought Max Payne was GOING to be rated R? I mean, we all know The Dark Knight is a dark PG-13, but it's not even close to being an R rated flick. Just from the trailer alone I thought Max Payne would be rated R, so the rating doesn't really surprise me. And gamers are going to go see it regardless of the rating, aren't they?
John, the audience you're targeting doesn't really care if it's PG-13 or R. They'll find a way to watch it. We just care if it's a good movie, rating be damned. We know Fox is mad, but I'm sure they'll get over it if Max Payne makes a ton of money.
Don't worry John, we do back you up on your view of the MPAA. They've always been a joke when it comes to rating movies. And boobs.
What do you guys think? Does an R rating kill Max Payne's success? If it's a good movie, it'll make money despite the rating, won't it? Discuss below or e-mail this boob: george@latinoreview.com
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Max Rating
Commented By: Max Money on 2008-09-06 23:31:03
It could go either way really. I never beat the first game or played the second, but as a gamer I would definitely go see it regardless of rating. On the other hand I know in the Max Payne games theres a ton of bullets going every way possible and isn't it supposed to have a dark and broody kind of tone to it? From an Exec's p.o.v. I sympathize with them, but as a gamer I say stay true to the spirit of the game. They had to have known what they were getting into when they even bothered hiring people to write a script for it. I hate to be indecisive and all, damn this democracy of ours, but I think above all else I would say make it an "R" rating. I'm no Max Payne aficionado, but it seems like an "R" rating would be the only rating that could give him justice much like with the new Punisher movie.
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Max Rating
Commented By: Max Money on 2008-09-06 23:36:31
And there's been tons of "R" rated movies that have gone onto make money and were really good too (i.e. Training Day and Inside Man).
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on 2008-09-07 00:31:49
The first movie released with a PG-13 Rating was Red Dawn but the first film to be given a PG-13 Rating was Temple of Doom
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Commented By: MetallicaFan on 2008-09-07 01:36:47
No lie...this movie SHOULD be a hard "R" rated movie. I think this movie washed down wont be as good if they did it full blown. Period. If you look at what Max Payne is about, its like it would be a crime to give it a PG-13 rating, despite how many people gonna see it.
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Huh?
Commented By: El Guapo on 2008-09-07 02:45:04
"The first movie released with a PG-13 Rating was Red Dawn but the first film to be given a PG-13 Rating was Temple of Doom"
Temple of Doom was released as PG, so I have no idea what you're talking about. According to IMDB: (The Flamingo Kid (1984) was the first film to be *given* a PG-13 rating, but sat on the shelves for five months before being released), so Red Dawn is what's recognized.
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Question...
Commented By: Fontez on 2008-09-07 11:21:49
Is PG-13 the next stepdown from an R rating in the U.S. ?? Because here in Toronto, we have a rating in between R and PG-13 called 14A. I also find that you guys are more rating-conscious. All of your movies are usually rated one step lower here. We don't censor as much. Then again we don't have as many crazies willing to mimic sequences from a movie and adapt them to real life. Fortunately the majority of Canadians have a better grasp of reality. No offense guys... Just saying you gotta a lot of easily influenced weirdos...
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"M" Rating To "R"
Commented By: JP aka Joe on 2008-09-07 13:44:47
I have played and beat both Max Payne games. I loved them both. The games were rated "M" so shouldn't that make the movie be an "R?" From the way the trailer looked, it made it look like a hard R movie and that only made me want to see it more because it would make it more true to the games. I will see the movie no matter what rating it gets stuck with.
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It's Max Payne Dammit!
Commented By: jermaine fowler on 2008-09-07 14:03:40
may payne is a hardcore game so of course i thought the movie would have an r rating. I have a strong feeling the movie will do well. The director is just fighting for his movie to make enough money for a sequel i hope.
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why complain?
Commented By: !_! on 2008-09-07 19:31:05
why is he pissed that the movie is R rating. i mean 300 was R and that movie made more than its budget back.
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Pathetic...
Commented By: Dúath on 2008-09-08 07:42:52
Serves him right! Fox was already aiming at a PG13-rating just to make more money from the bigger audience, they were even willing to cut the movie in terms of violence and adult themes to get a lower rating. If they try to castrate the movie, there won't be anything left of Max Payne and the things that made it popular among gamers...
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Well...
Commented By: Smitty on 2008-09-08 12:43:04
When thinking about great movies, it's never the gore or the MPAA rating that comes to mind. There were a lot of things about Max Payne 2 the game that where memorable: the phrase "the pills would ease the pain.", Wanting Mona but never getting her - the formula for every love story), and the visual style of the IGC (or the story frames from the first game). I just hope the filmmakers didn't miss the point by focusing on gore.
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well
Commented By: Jon on 2008-09-08 13:43:05
The movie only exists to make money, and if PG13 gets them more money, theyll do whatever they need to do to get that, fans be damned. But the MPAA does suck.
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I Hate theatrical Release
Commented By: sean on 2008-09-08 15:01:06
Dvd release will be "R" rated, but its the principal..you pay good money to go and see the film on the big screen and its been cut to s#@t
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Hah
Commented By: John on 2008-09-08 15:13:13
I have played through both Max Payne games several times... what disturbs me is that they are pushing for money, when a TRUE R-Rated Max Payne is the only rating would suffice a true Max Payne movie...
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This needs an R
Commented By: Pat on 2008-09-08 16:43:25
What's with this stupid idea that PG-13 movies make more money? People know when they're getting a watered down product, and it pisses them off. You might get some decent opening weekend numbers with a PG-13, but when everybody comes out of the theater to say "That movie sucked," well, that movie's gonna be gone within a couple of weeks. Of course in this day and age we get unrated DVDs with all the original "R-rated" footage cut back in, but by then, there's too much bad word of mouth about the movie and it's already game over, man.
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Commented By: cinemaniax7 on 2008-09-08 18:18:58
John Moore has got a real way with words when talking with the press. How would like to be working publicity at Fox, trying to keep this guy on a leash? John, maybe you should try making a GOOD MOVIE — "The Omen" remake, anyone? — instead of worrying about how the MPAA does its job. I think "300" and "The Matrix" showed that we will happily line up for an R-rated film if it's well made and entertaining. On the other hand, if you were under contract with Fox to deliver a PG-13 rating, then you should have addressed this during the writing and production of the film rather than railing at the MPAA to do your job for you.
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Temple of Doom
on 2008-09-08 22:43:46
Temple of Doom was originally released as PG, however Steven Spielberg went to the MPAA and created PG-13 specifically for his Temple of Doom movie, which he felt was far too dark and disturbing for just a PG rating. Red Dawn and Flamingo Kid were amongst the first to come out with a PG-13 as their original rating, something that Temple of Doom cannot claim and as such is sometimes misunderstood as not being first PG-13 film
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Max Rating
Commented By: Grant on 2008-09-15 22:16:50
I honestly think that the Max Payne movie should be rated R because when you look back at the games, they are really violent and like me always thought that the intensity of the violence in the game what be interesting to watch on the big screen.
People start talking about a movies success based on the MPAA Rating. There are soooo many movies that are rated R and have been extremely successful such as Scarface, The Godfather, Rambo, Saving Private Ryan etc. I say that the Max Payne movie would be more interesting if the movie was like the game on the basis of violence.
One more thing. In the U.S. the movie Hitman is rated R however for some retarded reason, in Canada where I live, the movie is rated 14 A. WTF.
P.S. Hitman is the shit!!!
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If It ain't broke don't fix it. R RATING
Commented By: MARCUS on 2008-10-08 19:01:09
Give it an R-Rating, stop screwing with the movie. The game is an M so it make sense to givge the movie an R Rating. Make use feel like this movie is really based off the game instead of some pre processed artificial crap.
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Max Inaccuracy
Commented By: Cole on 2009-01-28 22:56:46
As much as I enjoyed the games, and to some extent the film, I was extremely saddened by the ridiculous amount the story and details were "dumbed-down" for it's target audience. John Moore you are a moron to such a degree I cannot believe you made it through elementary school. Max Payne is an Mature rated game and as such is NOT going to have problems attracting large amounts of people due to it's popularity. You can advertise it once at three in the morning and have everyone who has even slightly heard about it trying to buy tickets before it's even in theaters. Don't make such an amazing story stupid because you want more money.
Faults:
-Lupino is not a soldier, he's a gangster. It is beyond me why you even tried this maneuver other than to try and explain the "rare and amazing" effects of a drug which is clearly unnecessary.
-Valkyr is a drug, not a super soldier serum that's only works on less than five people. You are pushing the limits with this, it's not clever.
-Valkyr is taken through a hypodermic needle, that means you don't drink it. This is important because only junkies use it, the obvious needs to be pointed out again.
-Taking the blood out when the game has it smeared all over just about everything? Nice move, nobody could possibly notice.
-Max Payne was originally a smartass, not a mute.
-The mafia is not involved, this is key to the story.
-Aesir corporations is pronounced "Ace-er" not "Ace-ear".
That's all I can remember for now but that's worse than bad. All I can say is thanks Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis. You are the only reason I enjoyed this film.
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