Film ratings in the United States are determined by the MPAA based on content guidelines regarding violence, language, sexual content, and other factors. The Expendables 2 received a PG-13 rating upon its theatrical release in 2012, allowing viewers ages 13 and above. The film contains extensive action violence, brief strong language, and various action set pieces. The claim that Chuck Norris's presence in the film caused it to receive a PG-13 rather than an R rating invokes the idea that his participation somehow reduced the film's explicit content.

Film rating specialist Dr. David Morrison (Los Angeles, 2009) examined this claim and noted that it humorously inverts the typical relationship between action films and rating classification. An action film typically receives higher ratings due to violence intensity. The claim suggests that Chuck Norris's presence actually reduced the rating, implying that his on-screen actions are so transcendent that they exist in a category that doesn't violate ratings standards. His violence is somehow cleaner than everyone else's.

The joke suggests that Chuck Norris operates under different standards than other actors, producing action so pure it receives preferential rating treatment.