People continue to ask me why I can see PG-13 movies, even though I’m not 13.
First of all, PG-13 stands for Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some Material May be Inappropriate for Children under 13. What it doesn’t say is that kids under 13 CAN’T GO TO THESE MOVIES. In fact, kids under 13 go to PG-13 movies all the time – sometimes with their parents, sometimes by themselves. Starting in 2008 with “The Dark Knight” and “Iron Man” movie studios began designing PG-13 movies for kids. Toy stores are filled with action figures and games from PG-13 movies and fast food restaurants such as McDonalds and Burger King give away toys from PG-13 movies to children of all ages.
So, since kids are seeing these films, I, as a critic, have to see them as well, so I can tell parents if they’re appropriate for kids or not. I’ve reviewed 18 films so far this Summer, and 9 of them are rated PG-13. And most of them fall into a new category I call “PG-13 Action/Violence (AV). “The A-Team”, “Twilight: Eclipse”, “Robin Hood”and “Knight and Day” are all in this group. And none of these films contain bad language, nudity, or adult situations. The only reason they’re PG-13 is action violence.
Studios keep making PG-13 AV films because they’re successful at the box office. Four of the top ten movies of 2010 so far are rated PG-13, including “Iron Man 2” and the worst movie of the year so far – “Clash of the Titans”. And the studios also know that kids are going to these movies.
Even Disney has gotten into the act. “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” is rated PG-13, the only other Walt Disney Pictures film besides the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy to be rated PG-13. And how many kids under 13 went to the three “Pirates” films? Millions!
Reportedly Disney made Tim Burton change some scenes in “Alice in Wonderland” to keep it PG, but it was still pretty dark. Even “Toy Story 3” had some suspenseful action, and that’s rated G.
There are still plenty of PG-13 films I do not see and kids shouldn’t be going to, including the slasher films and the sex comedies. I check-out all PG-13 films before I see them to find out why they have that rating. And I do have “parental guidance”.
So I’ll continue to see the PG-13 AV films because, right or wrong, the studios are making them for kids and it’s my job to let everyone know not only if they’re good movies but who they’re good for.