MPA: ‘Clayface’ and ‘The Social Reckoning’ Ready With “R” Ratings

The MPA has unveiled its latest batch of ratings, and a pair of high-profile titles are seemingly done with post-production work and ready to go.

Aaron Sorkin's "The Social Reckoning," coming off its August reshoots, has officially been stamped with an "R" rating for language, which is another idiotic move from the MPA. Why must "language" get an "R"? It does, however, suggest a sharper-tongued follow-up to David Fincher's "The Social Network," which landed a PG-13 back in 2010.

Sorkin, who writes and directs this time, has never been shy about rapid-fire, heated dialogue, so it's no surprise his return to the world of Facebook comes with some saltier exchanges. Still, language? Really?

Here's the thing: the MPA's language rules have been absurd for decades. A film gets one F-word as a freebie at PG-13, but use it twice and you're suddenly in the same category as a horror movie drenched in blood and gore, like "Clayface." That's how we ended up with "The King's Speech," a period drama about a stuttering monarch, getting an "R" because of one scene of therapeutic swearing.

Meanwhile, PG-13 blockbusters can level entire cities and rack up body counts in the thousands and the ratings board is perfectly fine with that. Any 15-year-old with a phone has heard far worse than anything Sorkin's characters will say in this film.

Also of note is DC Studios' "Clayface," the body-horror take on the classic Batman villain. The film has been rated "R" for "strong bloody violence, gore, language and some nudity," a considerably harsher designation than Sorkin's spiritual sequel. It was to be expected, as James Gunn had promised an "R" rating. With James Watkins directing, the project is embracing its horror roots rather than playing it safe as a superhero spinoff.

The other rated films this week include “The Beekeeper 2” (R), “Don’t Move” (R), and “Kung Fu Soccer” (PG-13). Full press release below.