This film has been rated: Not so good

What makes a movie G, PG, PG-13, R or, most controversially, NC-17? Is gay sex more explicit than straight sex? Why is violence more acceptable than sex in American cinema? Is it all a giant government conspiracy? Documentarian Kirby Dick attempts to answer these questions and more in his independently released feature on the ratings board of the Motion Picture Association of America, "This Film is Not Yet Rated." \nIn addition to side-by-side comparisons, interviews with acclaimed filmmakers and provocative attempts to contact the heads of the MPAA, Dick also hires private investigators to track down the heretofore anonymous group of people who are responsible for rating every theatrical release in America. While this seems like an interesting topic and approach to answer these questions, Dick simply does not make the subject engaging enough for a full-length film.\nFor starters, the film is very unfocused. Parts of it attempt to be an exposé in the vein of "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "Super Size Me," but Dick is not nearly the overwhelming presence that Michael Moore or Morgan Spurlock are known to be. Also, a good portion of the film focuses on the investigators themselves, who (by no accident on the part of the director, I'm sure) happen to be gay. Once the PIs find out the identities of the movie raters, no real attempt to contact and expose them is made, which ends up weakening the position taken by the director. \nThe best parts by far are interviews with filmmakers who have a reputation for being risqué, such as Matt Stone, Kimberly Pierce and John Waters. Their comments are insightful and they appear to have great knowledge and experience in dealing with the frustrations that the MPAA can cause. If the detective angle was scrapped completely and we were just left with more fact-finding and in-depth interviews, there might be some important light shed on this seemingly bribable, elusive and ultraconservative company. As it is, the film just appears sloppy and boring. It yields predictable results and forced conclusions, the most obvious of which is the rating that as you can probably guess is "suspiciously" NC-17. While it may have worked better as an hour-long documentary for TV, "This Film is Not Yet Rated "is hardly the earth-shattering work it intends to be.\nSurprisingly, the special features are what really give this DVD the excitement it badly needs. Aside from a run-of-the-mill commentary track, the extras tacked on to this disc are the best parts of the movie. Deleted scenes featuring extended interviews with Stone, Waters and Kevin Smith are entertaining, as well as a Q&A Dick held at a film festival. New questions about racism in ratings and the effect of technology on the MPAA really get wheels turning and show what the film could've been in the hands of a more exciting filmmaker. As it stands, the movie is rentable just to catch a glimpse of how the ratings system works, and if you've already seen it, the extra interviews are better than the originals.