Indiana Jones rated PG-13. Why? Have you seen it?

[celerystalker]

Hi all. I try to abide by the rating guidelines, but I'm curious as to what in Indiana Jones makes it PG-13.
The rating says "adventure violence" and "scary images."
I'm considering taking a 6 year old and a 9 year old, but want to know if it's right for them.
The previous Indiana Jones movies were pretty mild to me - all except the scene in the temple of doom where the human sacrifice is. That still gives me the heebie jeebies.
Has anyone seen the new one?
What do you think?

 

[Angelhalo]

We're going to see it tonight Celery, if no one replies, I'll let you know!

Here is Movie Mom's review. She really breaks it down, which is one of the things I like about her.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
B+ Audience: Middle School
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images
Profanity: Brief strong language (s.o.b., s-word)
Nudity/Sex: Brief mild sexual reference
Alcohol/Drugs: Brief social drinking
Violence/Scariness: Indiana Jones-style action and peril including guns, atomic blast, knives, whip, swords, punches, car chases, insects, and, of course, a snake, some grisly images, including zombies, corpses, and skeletons
Diversity Issues: Strong female characters
Movie Release Date: May 22, 2008


Parents should know that like the previous Indiana Jones movies, this one has a lot of action and peril and some grisly and disturbing images, including guns, atomic blast, knives, whip, swords, punches, car chases, insects, and, of course, a snake. Grisly images include zombies, corpses, and skeletons and characters being stung and devoured by insects. There is also some paranormal material, some brief strong language, and some brief social drinking and a portrayal of mentally ill patients that may offend some audience members.

 

[m&m's mom]

I took my 8 yo yesterday and regret it.
Mostly bugs eating people (that was gross), a couple of bad words. Other than that it was not too bad. My 11yo loved it and was not bothered.

 

[legalsea]

I would not have taken a six year old to any of the prior three Indiana films. I see no reason why this one would be any better for such a young child.

 

[hopemax]

There are 2 swear words, scorpions, ants, mummies, skeletons and your typical adventure violence.

 

[celerystalker]

Thank you!
The thing that stands out is bugs devouring people. Eek!
I'll talk it over with their dad and see what he thinks.
These aren't my kids and I refuse to allow them to watch certain things that their mother allows them to -
so I would rather err on the side of caution.
Thanks for all your input.

 

[cccm]

Wasn't the Temple of Doom one of the movies that led up to the creation of the PG-13 rating?

 

[legalsea]

Wasn't the Temple of Doom one of the movies that led up to the creation of the PG-13 rating?

No. Seems like it was mid 1970's when the PG-13 was created.

 

[ckay87]

Hi all. I try to abide by the rating guidelines, but I'm curious as to what in Indiana Jones makes it PG-13.
The rating says "adventure violence" and "scary images."
I'm considering taking a 6 year old and a 9 year old, but want to know if it's right for them.
The previous Indiana Jones movies were pretty mild to me - all except the scene in the temple of doom where the human sacrifice is. That still gives me the heebie jeebies.
Has anyone seen the new one?
What do you think?

I don't want to hijack this, but that's interesting because I was just remembering how when Raiders of the Lost Ark came out, I was in 9th grade, 13 years old, and it SHOCKED me. I remember being VERY shaken by the helicopter blades hitting the bad guy and the face melting in the climax scene.

Of course, my kids never found those scenes disturbing, and I think it's just funny now. Just goes to show how we have become used to seeing this sort of thing.

 

[celerystalker]

Wasn't the Temple of Doom one of the movies that led up to the creation of the PG-13 rating?

According to Wikipedia, yes.
The official website of the MPAA does not state which movie caused the rating change, but the timing is correct.

http://www.mpaa.org/Ratings_history1.asp

 

[ilisao]

I guess you need to determine what the kids can and can't handle. All kids are different. You're right in talking it over with the dad since he knows what they have seen and what does and does not bother them. My kids are 6 and 9 and have seen all three Indiana Jones movies. We're probably going to take them to see this one this weekend.

 

[ckay87]

No. Seems like it was mid 1970's when the PG-13 was created.

I'm almost positive that is not true. I'm thinking it was mid-80s.

Planes Trains and Automobiles, for example, is rated R just for a long string of F words. That movie would never be rated R today. It was rated that in the absence of the PG-13 rating.

 

[Maleficent13]

From wiki:

In 1984, explicit violence in the PG-rated films Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins were "the straws that broke the parents' backs". Their complaints led Hollywood figure Steven Spielberg, director of Temple of Doom, to suggest a new rating, PG-14, to MPAA president Jack Valenti. Instead, on conferring with cinema owners, Mr Valenti and the MPAA on July 1, 1984, introduced the PG-13 rating, allowing in children under 13 years of age without a parent or an adult guardian, but warning parents about potentially shocking violence, cursing, and mature subject matter that may be inappropriate for children under 13; though weaker than an R rating, PG-13 is the strongest unrestricted rating. The first widely-distributed PG-13 movie was Red Dawn (1984), followed by Dreamscape (1984), and The Flamingo Kid (1984), although The Flamingo Kid was the first film so rated by the board. [8][9]

 

[celerystalker]

I don't want to hijack this, but that's interesting because I was just remembering how when Raiders of the Lost Ark came out, I was in 9th grade, 13 years old, and it SHOCKED me. I remember being VERY shaken by the helicopter blades hitting the bad guy and the face melting in the climax scene.

Of course, my kids never found those scenes disturbing, and I think it's just funny now. Just goes to show how we have become used to seeing this sort of thing.

For me, the bad guys deserved it. So even as a kid, I wasn't that traumatized by it.
I guess because I grew up on Bible stories. Some of those are pretty gory!
I have always been interested in the holocaust and the nazis have always been bad to me - so by the time I saw raiders of the lost ark, the face melting guy got what was coming to him.
The reason the temple of doom upset me is because I think it was a villager they were sacrificing - an "innocent" - so it shocked me.

 

[rainy~daze]

we took dd5 and ds6 to it, at the midnight opening no less! they have seen the other 3, repeatedly, we own them. and they love them. their fav is temple of doom.
they love Indiana Jones, even wore their hats to the movie.
and they do not watch scary movies.
the only part was the ant part, i covered dd's eys and then she was mad at me for it anyway. they woke up the next morning asking to watch it again.

 

[NMAmy]

For me, the bad guys deserved it. So even as a kid, I wasn't that traumatized by it.
I guess because I grew up on Bible stories. Some of those are pretty gory!

Heck, have you watched a Shirley Temple movie as an adult? I loved 'em when I was little (and NO, I did not see them in their original theatrical releases but on Sunday mornings on tv along with old Tarzan movies!) so I rented them for dd when she was little. I was totally traumatized when Shirley's governess gets hit by a bus and they SHOWED it! DD didn't blink an eye. It was Poor Little Rich Girl and also starred Jack Haley (the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz.)

DD also watched the Indiana Jones movies at a fairly young age. After the governess/bus incident, she was pretty immune to movie violence. Really, I just covered her eyes at the scarey parts. We had a system.

 

[eeyoremum]

I took my 8 year old last night. He loved it.

Personally I think if they have seen Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith this would be okay.

The insects eating the guy part was not that bad other than the insects in the mouth. Essentially they just carried him away to the ant hill. Temple of Doom was worse in my opinion (plus I hate that movie.....shut that lady up already)

 

[gshumaker]

Hi all. I try to abide by the rating guidelines, but I'm curious as to what in Indiana Jones makes it PG-13.
The rating says "adventure violence" and "scary images."
I'm considering taking a 6 year old and a 9 year old, but want to know if it's right for them.
The previous Indiana Jones movies were pretty mild to me - all except the scene in the temple of doom where the human sacrifice is. That still gives me the heebie jeebies.
Has anyone seen the new one?
What do you think?

Great site which will tell you why it got the rating...

http://www.kids-in-mind.com/i/indianajonesandthekingdomofthecrystalskull.htm

how they rate movies - http://www.kids-in-mind.com/help/methodology.htm

 

[Momvic5]

My DH and I just took our 3 children to see it. They are 6,8, and 12 yrs. They all loved it. Our younger two wore jackets and covered their eyes through the scary/gross scenes. We own the first 3 movies so we watched them together beforehand, and they were pretty prepared for it to be gross or have the same type of fear factors. We typically don't watch movies like this one, but they handled it well. Like I said, they loved it.

 

[dananbethany]

I always hesitate about PG-13 movies for my 12 year old but we've both been waiting for this movie to come out. She loves the other three but seeing them on small screen and on the big screen are two totally different things. However, I believe she can handle the "adventure violence". Of course, I may be the one hiding under the gum encrusted chairs waiting for her to tell me it's time to come out...