According to a bulletin published today by the Motion Picture Association of America Classification and Rating Administration, the extended edition of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will carry an “R” rating for “some violence.” Of course, it’s no news flash that the movie contains violence. The theatrical version’s PG-13 rating came with an advisory for “extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images.” So, it’s intriguing to imagine what, exactly, in the EE bridged that gap, especially with only “some violence” to go by. Possible EE spoilers ahead!
There’s speculation that the deaths that were in the theatrical version might have been toned down a bit for theater goers. As difficult as they were to watch, Thorin’s death, and Kili’s in particular, may have had some of the more gruesome bits cut. There’s also speculation that a rampaging Beorn, who saw little battle screen time in theaters, might be shown getting more revenge on the orcs and other villains. Other rumored additions to the EE, such as Thorin’s funeral and the cart-on-ice chase, don’t seem like likely candidates to add enough “some violence’ to up the rating. More character-building time also doesn’t fit the bill, for the ‘good guy’ characters at any rate. Could Azog get any more evil and vile than we’ve already seen him? We’ll all have to wait and see. In the mean time, let us know your theories!
