After a couple of Ryan Reynolds’ movies made history for being the first R-rated films to hit Disney+, the Deadpool star tweeted out an elaborate joke suggesting some its classic animated features should have earned that rating long ago.
Every now and then, we’ll hear about a celebrity’s beef with one of the Disney classics we grew up with. Peter Dinklage was understandably never keen on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves , while Keira Knightly said that several of the company’s flagship animated films were banned from her house due how she feels they depict women.
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But while similar criticisms of films like The Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty tend to attract backlash from people who think these movies should be taken for what they are, they’re also not made in a vacuum as they speak to issues some parents have had with Disney for years.
However, one way in which these Disney hot takes differ from a recent Ryan Reynolds tweet is that they’re usually made with some real sincerity. Whereas it sounds like Reynolds is engaging in the kind of mischief that makes him the perfect Deadpool.
On July 21, Reynolds made an elaborate tweet showing off four edited MPAA ratings for famous Disney movies that he joked should be rated R for “irreversible trauma.”
In case you’re wondering where any of this comes from, it’s likely his special way of celebrating the fact that both of his Deadpool movies and Logan have been added to Disney+.
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that this makes them the first R-rated movies on the platform.
And of all of his tongue-in-cheek MPAA ratings, it’s probably safe to call his first one the wackiest.
His tweet depicted the new MPAA rating as stating that the “following beloved animated classic should not be approved for all audiences be they minors, miners, or bashful.”
In a case of committing to the bit, he added that children should be accompanied by one parent or seven adult guardians.
As for why it should get this rating, Reynolds identified, “Breaking and entering, borderline polyandry, pretty sure those diamonds aren’t cruelty free.”
But while it would be hard not to roll our eyes if someone said this seriously, many of us have to admit that his other choices did legitimately make us bawl as kids.
A perfect example comes in the form of the 1957 movie Old Yeller , which he cautioned dog lovers to steer clear of unless they’re in the presence of a “good boy who’s very much alive.”
After all, that furry friend will be needed for the “Total ugly-cry inducing straight-up murder of Old Yeller. Also, bear abuse.”
Fun fact, I didn’t even make it the most infamous part of the movie when I saw it at five. I turned it off after the second or third time Old Yeller got attacked by an animal and said, “Too many troubles.”
And while Reynolds said his third choice was approved simply because “that’s the circle of life,” he still advised bringing a meerkat and a warthog.
Naturally, we’re talking about The Lion King and how bummed out we all felt when Scar killed Mufasa.
But while the fratricide and wildebeest mauling certainly ended up on Reynolds’ radar, he also noted the presence of “very possibly half-sibling loving, or at least kissin’ cousins. Seriously.”
But of course, no list of lowkey traumatizing Disney movies is complete without the granddaddy of them all.
Yes, it’s hardly a surprise that Reynolds recommended watching Bambi with an emotional support blanket and cautioned audiences that “therapy’s not cheap.”
Indeed, the movie has earned its place due to what he described as the “cold-blooded killing of an innocent deer mom that will cause lifelong trauma.”
Maybe Phoebe from Friends ‘ mom had the right idea of turning it off and saying “the end” before that part after all.
h/t: Twitter | @VancityReynolds
