A man with a samurai sword and a man with razor claws protruding from his fist get in a fight on top of a bullet train in Japan. What do you expect the end result will be? Considering the film is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, some sexuality and language I guess we can all agree it doesn’t result in any kind of gruesome death, but how can that be?
Two people with razor sharp weapons fight each other with the intent to kill and yet should we expect anything more than a visible scratch and the impression of death rather than actual consequence?
Obviously these decisions are made for monetary reasons as you can’t market The Wolverine to kids if it’s rated R, but aren’t parents giving their children the wrong impression of violence by shielding them from bloody reality (even if it’s movie reality) only to show them something like The Wolverine and superhero films like it where violent actions result in what looks like a nap or just a character disappearing for the rest of the film?
Matt Singer wrote about the “PG-13 Problem” in this summer’s movies and there is absolutely something to this and superhero films are suffering the most as they rely on big action set pieces and close-quarters battles, but can’t show the audience the end result.
Does the fact fight scenes in PG-13 movies typically end with bloodless results diminish their power? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
