Restricted superhero films allow stories to remain true

Deadpool, Logan prove R-rated Marvel movies aren’t made for young children

Restricted+superhero+films+allow+stories+to+remain+true

Jordan Rouse, Staff Writer

There are some movies you just shouldn’t take kids to.

I mean that’s why we have a rating system, right? When a movie is rated R, it means Restricted. Just because a parent can take someone who is 17 if they are accompanies, that doesn’t mean you should take a 5-year old child with you.

When Marvel released Deadpool last year, that’s what many parents did. And then immediately afterward, many parents said they regretted it. There are some that people think it’s okay for children just because it’s from a certain studio, or because it’s animated.

Logan, which is the final chapter of the popular Wolverine series,  is just the latest example of this phenomenon.  This movie was more emotional, although critics said that it definitely earned it’s R rating because of some graphic violence and nudity; however, many people stated it was “more mild” than Marvel’s other rated R films.

Marvel entertainment
Marvel entertainment

This goes to show that when it comes to superhero movies, they aren’t just glorified kids movies with scarier scenes. They’re obviously meant for adults, but because of previous films they’ve released, they can’t see past the safety of a Marvel film.

The studios are also to blame for this common misconception. Marvel’s relentless marketing targeting children makes parents feel that their products are for all ages. It’s like the misconception that some parents have with Cartoon Network programming versus Disney XD or other popular animated series.

The trailers should more clearly show to parents that Marvel is no longer targeting children exclusively.  

But instead, they just show little snippets of the film that have no relevance towards the rating.

This not to say that R-rated superhero movies are a bad thing. They allow the directors to do edgier, more vulgar and more violent scenes, which are often times more true to the stories in the original comic books. The confusion is caused by the fact that Marvel has played it safe in the past, never wanting their films to be R-rated because it would limit how many people could see it, hurting their bottom line.

There are so many R rated movies out in theaters that make things very clear in either the previews or the trailers that the movie is clearly not for children.

And even though certain films have that rating aren’t necessarily inappropriate for a younger audience, this does not mean that all movies are the same way.

Here’s a good rule of thumb for those not sure if they should take their kid to an R-rated movie.

If the movie stays true to the original comic book it may be something to avoid.