by Action And Language For Wolverine’s Final Solo Movie
James Mangold’s 2017 film Logan marked a poignant and well-received conclusion for the iconic Wolverine character. Set in a future where mutants are nearly extinct, the story follows an aging and weary Logan, who now spends his days as a limo driver, taking care of an ailing Professor X. Life is grim, and Logan seems resigned to living out his final years in quiet solitude. However, his world is upended when he encounters Laura, a young mutant girl whose abilities closely resemble his own.
Laura is on the run from a group of sinister scientists, and Logan becomes her reluctant protector as they head toward the Canadian border. Known for his tough, rebellious persona, Wolverine finally delivers the raw, uncensored experience fans had been waiting for—no longer confined by the limitations of PG-13. In Logan, he unleashes his full berserker fury, offering a brutal and fitting farewell to the character.
“Machete: From Spy Kids to Grindhouse Hero”
In a surprising twist that no one saw coming, Hollywood maverick Robert Rodriguez created a brightly colored children’s movie, Spy Kids, alongside his closest collaborators, which became a massive hit at the box office. But in another unexpected move, Rodriguez took a secondary character from that family-friendly film and transformed him into the lead in a brutal, ’70s-inspired grindhouse movie. That character, and the film, is Machete.
Originally introduced as the estranged uncle in Spy Kids and later as a part of a faux movie trailer in Rodriguez and Tarantino’s Grindhouse, Danny Trejo’s tough, larger-than-life character finally gets the spotlight in his own film in 2010. Machete is a far departure from the kid-friendly world of Spy Kids, diving headfirst into a hard-R, action-packed ride that fully embraces the grindhouse genre with exaggerated violence, gritty aesthetics, and unapologetic exploitation themes.
“Riddick Makes His R-Rated Return in Diesel-Powered Threequel”
Vin Diesel’s most personal passion project, if not his most famous franchise (that honor goes to the one about cars and family), has had a turbulent journey when it comes to movie ratings. The first film, Pitch Black (2000), was a gritty, hard-R sci-fi thriller filled with brutal action and gruesome horror elements. The follow-up, The Chronicles of Riddick, aimed for a broader audience, upping the budget and shifting to a PG-13 rating in hopes of attracting younger viewers.
While it was a modest success, it barely broke even. With the third installment, Riddick, Diesel returned to the series’ roots—focusing on intense, horror-tinged sci-fi action with a more restrained budget, perfectly fitting the tough, no-nonsense character of Riddick.
“Birds of Prey and Suicide Squad Go Wild and Gory in DCEU Follow-Ups”
David Ayer’s Suicide Squad (2016) made a fortune at the box office, but it left many critics and fans feeling underwhelmed. The film was criticized for its incoherent story and missed opportunities, with one notable exception: Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinn. Her performance as the chaotic, grease-painted antiheroine was so well-received that it led to her own spinoff, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
In addition, Harley Quinn was the only character to return in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad soft reboot. While Ayer’s original tried to balance its dark, gritty premise with mainstream appeal, it struggled to fully embrace the wild potential of a movie centered around villains. In contrast, both Birds of Prey and Gunn’s The Suicide Squad dove headfirst into the zany, over-the-top, and bloody nature of their characters, embracing the chaos and personality of their antiheroes without hesitation.
“Patriot Games Brings Jack Ryan to the Big Leagues with an R-Rating”
Patriot Games (1992), the political thriller sequel to The Hunt for Red October, not only ditches its predecessor’s PG rating for a more mature R but also swaps out its leading man. Alec Baldwin makes way for Harrison Ford, who brings a gruff, more charismatic edge to the role of Jack Ryan. While Patriot Games may not be confined to the claustrophobic setting of a submarine like its predecessor, it’s still packed with action and intensity.
With plenty of four-letter words and bullets flying, the film sees Ryan, a retired CIA operative, drawn back into action after becoming the target of a vengeful Irish paramilitary group. He must protect his family from an escalating plot of revenge. Given that Tom Clancy’s novels were always meant for adult audiences, it’s only fitting that the film adaptations followed suit with a more mature, R-rated approach for their second outing.
