Last month, inspired by the kerfuffle over the rating for Live Free or Die Hard, I started a list of movie franchises which began on an R-rated or X-rated note and then shifted down to the PG-13 or PG-rated level as the sequels came out. So far, I cannot think of a single case in which the PG or PG-13 sequel was all that good.
Now, I am wondering something slightly different. How many franchises have begun on a PG-13 level and then down-shifted to the PG level? I note that there are at least two such sequels coming out in the next couple of weeks — can you think of any more?
- Doctor Dolittle (1998; PG-13)
- Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001; PG)
- The Mask of Zorro (1998; PG-13)
- The Legend of Zorro (2005; PG)
- Bruce Almighty (2003; PG-13)
- Evan Almighty (2007; PG)
- Fantastic Four (2005; PG-13)
- Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007; PG)
Note: I have no thesis to make here. Not yet, at any rate. Whereas I can safely say that I have never seen a good PG-13 sequel to an R-rated movie, I don’t expect to notice any particular trend among PG-rated sequels to PG-13 movies — mainly because there is no real practical difference between the two ratings.
Oh, and while we’re at it, how about franchises that started out PG and then shifted down to the ultra-safe G?
- The Santa Clause (1994; PG)
- The Santa Clause 2 (2002; G)
- The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006; G)
If you think of any more examples, for either list, post ’em in the comments, and I’ll update these lists as required.
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