Has the return of the R-rated comedy backfired?

[terry78]

I remember a few years back people griped about how every comedy was now a watered down PG-13, but as of late I'm seeing a lot of new ones gather that coveted R rating, but the thing is..the quality hasn't really been improved by this. That new Step Brothers flick, I was sure it was going to be PG-13, but I see the latest commercial has it at R, and I honestly don't think it's going to help it in any manner. Used to be they'd put the R rating to good use as far as comedy, now it's just there to get that crowd that hates PG-13.

 

[odiin]

The 40 Year old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz say "Hi."

 

[Cain]

I've seen Step Brothers and it earned that R rating and the rating also helped the movie be funnier than it could've as you can see two 40 year olds in their second childhood bicker amongst themselves by dropping f bombs and such. The scene with him defacing (ha ha) John C. Reilly's drum set alone is reminiscent of the R rated Farrelly Brothers movies.

 

[Shifty]

Then in August there is Tropic Thunder and The Pineapple Express. Those won't be hurt by an R ratings.

Harold & Kumar 2 used the R rating well.

Semi-Pro bombed and Forgetting Sarah Marshall probably disappointed box office wise.

 

[odiin]

Bad movies are going to suck regardless of what they're rated.

 

[블라스]

We've been having great R-rated comedies, what the hell's wrong with this thread?

 

[Nirvana]

I thought Step Brother actually looked kind of funny.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

StepBothers looks funny to me.

 

[DACrowe]

Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The Matador, Thank You For Smoking, the 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Walk Hard and to a lesser extent Old School and Wedding Crashers.

All rated R and all hilarious. The only one that didn't do well at the box office was Walk Hard (yeah, the first good spoof movie in over a decade and it bombs. Go figure). I don't think an R rating necessarily makes any movie better, but comedians are more bold at that rating while at PG-13 studios water it down to really boring safe crap a lot (though there have been a lot of great PG-13 comedies this decade too. Zoolander, Meet the Parents and Anchorman off the to pof my head for example).

I'd keep an eye on The Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder btw.

 

[WarBlade]

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

 

[odiin]

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

oh for chrissake... How did I miss that one in my initial post??

 

[Groovetopia]

I don't think that it has backfired at all. In fact if you look at the track record of R rated comedies vs. PG-13 comedies, the R rated ones perform better in theaters and are much better quality (ummm Blades of Glory any one).

I think a large part of it is due to the fact the PG-13 comedies have to water down their comedy to more toilet humor and can't get to the point like R rated ones can. The only good comedy I can think of recently that was PG 13 was baby mama, and I'm still not sure it was even a true comedy a good funny movie none the less.

 

[Golgo-13]

I've never heard the complaint about R rated comedies being watered down, i always thought the issue was R rated horrors being passed off as PG-13.

 

[Soapy]

Has this thread backfired?

 

[Omega Wizard]

The 40 Year old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz say "Hi."

Three words:

Good Luck Chuck