Sunday 17 February 2013

Rant - A Good Day to Die Hard (and Avoid the Cinema)

I don't understand why Hollywood feels it has to dumb down movies for UK audiences just to make sure that it can squeeze more pennies from our wallets. They played a similar trick with Die Hard 4, where all the swearing and violence we've become used to in a Die Hard movie had been taken out. I'm not saying it makes the movie any better however upon viewing the uncut version I felt as though I had enjoyed it more.

So here we go again. A Good Day to Die Hard, a movie sequel that no one really wanted, is finally opening in the UK but with a 'special' cut to take it down to a 12A rating (from what sounds like a 15). This to me seems pointless. No other European country has had this version made for them, so why have we been singled out? Oh yes, it's because the BBFC decides that you have to be a certain age to enjoy movies whereas other countries have the common sense to entrust it in the parents.

Normally I would be happy to blame the UK rating system, something which I've always highly disagreed with, however this isn't a case where the material might be too much or sensitive but rather with Hollywood wanting to attract a younger audience to make more money. For me this feels like we've been provided with an incomplete version of the movie, which I refuse to go to the cinema and pay full price for. I'm not saying that the swearing and violence will make the movie better (all the reviews already point to it being pretty damn dreadful), but if I go and see a bad movie from one of my favourite franchises I at least want to see the complete package, especially if the violence and profanity help induce a factor of nostalgia from the original, which is still one of the best action movies out there.

I don't understand why UK audiences put up with this. Why settle for an incomplete movie, even if it isn't meant to be any good? Don't allow the fat-cats at Hollywood to dictate what we can and cannot see just so they can make money.

I understand there are a few people out there who share the same point of view however, judging by the healthy box office receipts the movie has had, it isn't enough. Take a stand people.

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