Worrying signs that Terminator Salvation is aimed at a younger audience

[prefused]

I was 13 when I saw ALIEN (my first "R" rated movie ). I wish I still had my Kenner figure.

that really was a truly amazing figure for its time. i have the halcyon kit that i think was made from it.

 

[CelticPredator]

Tom Rothman's a douche with not a single decent film on his resume:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0745257/#producer

Hmmm. Wasn't Watchmen rated R? Their toys are all over the place in toy stores (also having Toys'r'us exclusives). And to date, I haven't seen a commercial containing kids playing with the Salvation figures. If you're going by the effects make-up and the Terminator arm, well, while arguably not toys, a more accurate comparison would be for Halloween, they marketed full costumes of Day of the Dead, Leatherface, Freddy Krueger, and Jason (who had a movie released this year) to kids. Additionally, NECA released a Jason mask from this year's film marketed exclusively through Toys'r'us.

Those are COLLECTOR figures. 15, 17 and up. They arent marketed twords kids.

They break, they're fragile, and nothing indicates on the boxes that kids should buy them.


Terminator Salvation does.

 

[CelticPredator]

Those are not for kids. Once again.

 

[thenammagazine]

Those are COLLECTOR figures. 15, 17 and up. They arent marketed twords kids.

They break, they're fragile, and nothing indicates on the boxes that kids should buy them.


Terminator Salvation does.

Then why display them next to Aliens vs. Monsters? Again, until we see a commercial with kids playing with Terminator figures, you're speculating. As far as fragility and packaging goes, that doesn't validate crap. Oh, BTW, I seem to also remember Rambo toys marketed toward kids (pre-cartoon) as well as some Commando toys and AVPR toys too. Fact is, why do you think they distribute to toy stores? Guess what? They're marketing them to kids too!

BTW, love how you avoided the Halloween costumes comment. Considering I couldn't get my hand into the plastic Freddy glove, it was either marketed directly to kids, or midgets.

It's okay though Fonzie, dispite the fact that several of the previous posts validated the counter argument successfully we understand that you don't like to concede...

 

[karamazov80]

There may be toys for "R" rated movies sold at Toys R Us, but clearly these are not made for, or marketed to kids. Is the Jason Voorhees mask there made for kids? Are those expensive vinyl Predators prefused is linking for kids? I don't think so. We don't see commercials or fast food franchises for DC Direct Watchmen or McFarlane Aliens vs. Predator toys, but the battle damaged Terminator makeup/outfit is obviously geared toward pre-teens, and I would not be the least bit surprised to see Happy Meals with little endoskeleton toys.

Now, we saw similar stuff with Iron Man and Dark Knight--movies that were of a very high quality and that were not "dumbed down" for little kids, but got a PG-13 and had toys marketed to kids--so I don't know if this is a cause for concern or not. However, I also can't think of a single R-rated movie that came out in recent years that had toys made explicitly for little kids. In the 80s and 90s, there were several instances, as has been pointed out, but Celtic explicitly referred to stuff in the last few years, and I think he is mostly right.

 

[thenammagazine]

There may be toys for "R" rated movies sold at Toys R Us, but clearly these are not made for, or marketed to kids. Is the Jason Voorhees mask there made for kids? Are those expensive vinyl Predators prefused is linking for kids? I don't think so. We don't see commercials or fast food franchises for DC Direct Watchmen or McFarlane Aliens vs. Predator toys, but the battle damaged Terminator makeup/outfit is obviously geared toward pre-teens, and I would not be the least bit surprised to see Happy Meals with little endoskeleton toys.

Now, we saw similar stuff with Iron Man and Dark Knight--movies that were of a very high quality and that were not "dumbed down" for little kids, but got a PG-13 and had toys marketed to kids--so I don't know if this is a cause for concern or not. However, I also can't think of a single R-rated movie that came out in recent years that had toys made explicitly for little kids. In the 80s and 90s, there were several instances, as has been pointed out, but Celtic explicitly referred to stuff in the last few years, and I think he is mostly right.

Yes, but that doesn't explain the New Line childrens costumes of our favorite modern day horror icons, does it? I bought the Freddy glove at TRU last Halloween (we're talking October 2008) as well as a Jason costume for my daughter who is 3. As for the Predators, both NECA and McFarlane offered their AVP/AVPR action figures in TRU as well. I can easily take this up a notch and discuss the toys based on Mature game titles that are also sold at TRU and other toy stores. Whether or not they are marketed to kids is a matter of opinion. I personally think placing these toys next to Star Wars, DBZ, Ben 10, GI Joe, Transformers, etc., means they're looking for cross marketing.

 

[v1101011]

The rating doesn't matter. What matters is the final product. It can be R-rated and just a hot steaming pile of crap. Sacrifice the f-bomb and a couple of head shots for a decent script and good plot. The fact is no one will know until its released.

 

[automaton]

why not celebrate the fact that many young minds may be possibly influenced by a film such as this?

 

[uscmhicks]

why not celebrate the fact that many young minds may be possibly influenced by a film such as this?

I don't think people aren't happy that younger viewers may be interested in the franchise but for termiantor to stay close to what it should be it can't be aimed at too young of an audiance.
Either way toys seem to be made from everything nowadays so I'm not too worried. If little kids truly will get into this now maybe my little cousion wont burst into tears every time he sees my lifesize arnie bust now.

 

[A.L.I.E.N]

What no one so far has mentioned, is the fact this is a different breed of Terminator movie! This is not present day L.A were there are a million innocent bystanders in the way of a Terminators target to be shot or blow to pieces in a violent manor. This is a future where Terminators don't appear human, exception of one!, so kids wont be "corrupted" by a man being shot at point blank range in the face and just walk it of. No, this is a new ball game! The humans have to fight metal. Metal doesn't bleed, metal doesn't scream or shout profanities at the top of there lungs! They just shut down after to much damage, fair enough humans can bleed. But looking at the T-600's guns there won't be anything left resembling human life!

And another reason, probably the main one!, they are all about the MONEY and merchandise sells! Kids look at a HK Aerial Hunter and think "Holy smokes, that will look cool with my Star wars ship". Then they think "These guys look like they go with them" and before you know it the kid has twenty figures without even seeing the movie!

 

[uscmhicks]

! Kids look at a HK Aerial Hunter and think "Holy smokes, that will look cool with my Star wars ship".

quick ! , get rid of that bit before the SW nerds get in.

 

[DinoLast]

forget F-bombs
A toned down movie will lose impactful scenes like this
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[automaton]

seems like a discussion better served in about a month...

 

[-Super Hans-]

forget F-bombs
A toned down movie will lose impactful scenes like this
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/d1QDPQZTgYE&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/d1QDPQZTgYE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

that was the only scene that actually freaked me out as a kid forget the whole knife through head stuff, it still creeps me out though.

Spoiler

not sure if im the only one but on august 29th 1997 (i was 10) i really was scared the world would end

 

[Bloodsport]

The fact is The Terminator series should be aim at its core audiences not marketing for kids. The 1st and 2nd Terminator was rated R movies. Hey guys, I just had a throught that the endoskeletons will be killed very easily in Salvation. Head shots would do the trick. No more we need to blow these mothers up with a bomb. All you have to do is aim at the head and pull the trigger. I bet most of the violence would be against the endoskeleton and not the humans.

 

[A.L.I.E.N]

The fact is The Terminator series should be aim at its core audiences not marketing for kids. The 1st and 2nd Terminator was rated R movies. Hey guys, I just had a throught that the endoskeletons will be killed very easily in Salvation. Head shots would do the trick. No more we need to blow these mothers up with a bomb. All you have to do is aim at the head and pull the trigger. I bet most of the violence would be against the endoskeleton and not the humans.

You do realise what Endo's are made of? In Salvation it looks as though they are still using bastic, lead, rounds!

 

[The Chaver]

The fact is The Terminator series should be aim at its core audiences not marketing for kids. The 1st and 2nd Terminator was rated R movies. Hey guys, I just had a throught that the endoskeletons will be killed very easily in Salvation. Head shots would do the trick. No more we need to blow these mothers up with a bomb. All you have to do is aim at the head and pull the trigger. I bet most of the violence would be against the endoskeleton and not the humans.

The metal alloy the terminators (T-700 and T-600) use in salvation is not the same as in the originals. Skynet has not developed the hyper-alloy for it's Terminators until towards the end of the salvation. This hyper-alloy is what gives the 800 series it's adavantage against most small arms fire.

 

[thenammagazine]

The fact is The Terminator series should be aim at its core audiences not marketing for kids. The 1st and 2nd Terminator was rated R movies. Hey guys, I just had a throught that the endoskeletons will be killed very easily in Salvation. Head shots would do the trick. No more we need to blow these mothers up with a bomb. All you have to do is aim at the head and pull the trigger. I bet most of the violence would be against the endoskeleton and not the humans.

Who's to say it isn't? I still don't think a rating determines the value of a movie. As The Ween already mentioned, many movies produced today would've been slapped with a hard R back in the day. As for the ease of killing Terminators, I'd say it's natural progression. There was only one to deal with in T1, two in T2. Now they're in the future with lots. I don't see humanity not finding some way to adapt and overcome.

The metal alloy the terminators (T-700 and T-600) use in salvation is not the same as in the originals. Skynet has not developed the hyper-alloy for it's Terminators until towards the end of the salvation. This hyper-alloy is what gives the 800 series it's adavantage against most small arms fire.

Given that, and the fact that history has evolved not only in real life, but in the franchise, I'm surprised that they don't use coated armor piercing rounds.

 

[CelticPredator]

Then why display them next to Aliens vs. Monsters? Again, until we see a commercial with kids playing with Terminator figures, you're speculating. As far as fragility and packaging goes, that doesn't validate crap. Oh, BTW, I seem to also remember Rambo toys marketed toward kids (pre-cartoon) as well as some Commando toys and AVPR toys too. Fact is, why do you think they distribute to toy stores? Guess what? They're marketing them to kids too!

BTW, love how you avoided the Halloween costumes comment. Considering I couldn't get my hand into the plastic Freddy glove, it was either marketed directly to kids, or midgets.

It's okay though Fonzie, dispite the fact that several of the previous posts validated the counter argument successfully we understand that you don't like to concede...

Freddy and Jason look scary. Like Ghost Face. Hell, I bought a Freddy costume LONG before I even knew who Freddy was.

How many kids who dressed up like Ghost Face, ever watched Scream? None i'm sure.

Halloween is a different animal. But the toy argument is not.

 

[thenammagazine]

Freddy and Jason look scary. Like Ghost Face. Hell, I bought a Freddy costume LONG before I even knew who Freddy was.

How many kids who dressed up like Ghost Face, ever watched Scream? None i'm sure.

Halloween is a different animal. But the toy argument is not.

Did you look closely at the Watchmen action figures? While it says "ages 14 and up" which looks like it was printed as an afterthought on the box, it also states, Not for children under 4. The latter part says it all man...