10 Films Intended To Be R-Rated That Got Neutered To PG-13

The original Die Hard is one of the greatest action films of all time. It is the quintessential R-rated action film of the 1980s, filled to the brim with vulgar language and blood-soaked action.

The first two sequels to the film followed suit, also being rater R, literally turning one of Bruce Willis' best profanity-laced one-liners from the first film, "yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker", into his character's signature catchphrase. So when the fourth film rolled around for a 2007 release, it seemed obvious that it would also be rated R.

But when the film hit theaters, it was with a PG-13 rating. While the film still retained a great deal of violence, it was often exaggerated and bloodless. Willis got to deliver his iconic line, but it was the only F-bomb in the whole film and kind of muffled by the sound of gunfire to preserve the PG-13 rating. Fox apparently got cold feet about releasing a big-budget R-rated action flick in a summer full of PG-13 blockbusters and cut the film down to PG-13 in hopes of securing a better box office run.

The original R-rated cut was later released as an unrated cut when the film hit Blu-ray and DVD.