When ‘PG-13′ doesn’t cut it. Netflix detailed ratings.
“Should I take my 5 year old to see Shrek 19? It’s rated PG, but it’s marketed to younger kids.”
The MPAA rates movies from G to NC-17 and leaves it at that. No details on what or why the movie garnered such a rating. For parents trying to make good movie selections for their children, these generic ratings based on age are not especially helpful. Extreme violence (like Frank Miller’s 300) is rated the same as crude language and sexuality (American Pie).
Kids are all different, maturing in some areas faster than others. Meaning they can handle some mature content and not others. They might get the fart joke and be oblivious to the innuendo that follows, or vice versa. And parents have different ethical values that they want to pass on to their children. My father and step-mother are opposed to simulated violence at any level on screen. Whereas, I see a distinct difference between fantasy violence (Lord of the Rings) and sadistic brutality (SinCity)
A PG movie may earn that rating because of violence, crude language, ’suggestive’ or ‘adult’ behavior. But which one? And how much? These are questions parents ask themselves when their child wants to see a movie. Rarely do working parents have time to preview the movie before the kids get it in the DVD player.
Enter: Another reason to use Netflix. I recently discovered that the rating icon on a Netflix movie listing is a link to a detailed description of WHY the movie earned that rating. The description is broken down into categories, and briefly describes what and how much violence, sex, foul language, drug use, etc the movie contains. This is a great tool, which will allow my wife and I to determine, before ordering, if a movie is suitable for our children, and possibly even for ourselves. And the writers of the rating chart are careful not to give away major plot points if possible, saving the surprise ending for your viewing.
