I feel like I don’t really need an R-rated Star Wars movie. Andor is pretty damn mature thematically, and what else would an R rating add? Violence and nudity? We already have a lot of decapitation and impaling, I feel it gets the point across.
Even TCW, you see ahsoka dealing with some exceptionally mature issues like the morality of war, trust and betrayal, corruption. grief, loss and PTSD… there’s more there.
Yes, it’s packaged as a kids show, but it goes pretty hard at times.
And Rebels hits even harder. It’s difficult to imagine what value being R-rated adds. It’s not like we can’t find twilek cosplay porn at the drop of a hat; and gratuitous violence simply for the gratuitous violence tends to ruin movies.
morality of war, trust and betrayal, corruption. grief, loss and PTSD
So did the last airbender on Nickelodeon
it’s packaged as a kids show
Which is why it feels so soft. Bladerunner 2049 could have easily been smoothed over to be pg13. Its nice when media is just made how it wants to be instead of conforming to ancient Puritan prudish censorship in order to sell more.
But that’s what the star wars franchise is, sell as much as possible. It was never about telling a story, its about selling media for mass consumption.
I mean, none of these things you’re mentioning are comedic in nature, which I think is what Reynolds excels with. I think there’s definitely more room for comedic moments in a Star Wars setting. Especially if you get away from the political and societal drama.
In fact, I’d say it’s a very good way to expand the Star Wars universe in a much more down to earth (so to speak) way. Focus on something or somewhere that isn’t intrinsically linked to the big players, kind of like how the first Deadpool movie dealt with much more personal issues and really only had bit players from elsewhere in the X-Men/Marvel universe.
Trying for a comedy doesn’t need an r-rating, either.
And you’re right. That could be fun to watch. Maybe something featuring Dex. (Of dex’s diner) there’s a few ways that could go- dex’s “wild days” where he’s out seeking adventure… or something like Star Wars’ version of Cheers.
Or, quite possibly, both, with a settled-down dex telling tall tales at the diner (and flashing back.)(also this would allow breaking the 4th wall and give more opportunity for comedic interjections. Deadpool, or Princess Bride, as examples)
Maybe better with a tv format, and space in episodes that don’t have flashbacks, so the flashbacks are more “special”, if that makes sense.
Trying for a comedy doesn’t need an r-rating, either.
It doesn’t need to be, but it doesn’t need not to be either.
These discussions always seem to lean towards extremes, either it has to be one way or it has to be another. Saying something can’t be R-rated is as much of a restriction as making something intended to be R-rated. It’s more important to consider the content itself rather than it’s hypothetical rating.
R-rated content in the Star Wars universe could work, just like PG-13 or below content can and does work. Not because of the rating, but because of the quality of the content itself.
Deadpool works because it’s a parody of the super hero genre. What’s fun about those movies is that he’s deliberately doing things that are out of place in the Marvel universe - which includes going far more violent than usually allowed in the Marvel films. That’s kind of his challenge.
I’m not sure an equivalent in the Star Wars universe would work.
The only way I could see that style working in Star Wars is with Reynolds playing Jaxxon T. Tumperakki to fully lean into the absurdity and snarkiness, but I don’t think he’d be willing to play a green-colored comic book astronaut again any time soon
He specifically says he does not want to act in it, as [his comedy] is a bad fit for Star Wars. He also says he wanted it to be r-rated in terms of “sneaking” in emotions.
And let’s be honest, lightsabers could be much more violent without parodying anything. They should be, but they’re censored down because of ratings and target demographic.
I’d be down for some R rated Star Wars…as long as Ryan Reynolds has nothing to do with it…
