MovieChat Forums > Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Discussion > The PG-13 rating isn't necessary

The PG-13 rating isn't necessary

posted 5 years ago by TheHungryHippo (821)
19 replies | jump to latest

It's quite simple: PG = PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED, translation: THERE ARE THINGS IN THIS FILM THAT PARENTS MIGHT NOT WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO WATCH!!! This really isn't hard at all. Temple of Doom fit the criteria of the PG rating as did Jaws and Raiders and ET. The PG-13 rating is redundant and pointless. That and it intended up having some unintended consequences, it was designed to allow a PG film to get away with a little bit more without becoming R but it ended up being used to dumb down R rated films.

[–] alv790 (87) 4 years ago

I watched this as a young kid, certainly much younger than 13, and it did not traumatize me in any way. In fact, I did not notice it being darker than Raiders. Sure, the heart scene was scary, but in a thrilling cool way. I mean, there wasn't even blood, and it was over the top and cartoonish in a perfect way. We even had a kid sidekick to identify with and envy, for getting to go on an adventure with Indy.

[–] Drooch (5333) 3 years ago

Did you enjoy watching Short Round rub that fat grey horse?

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7414) 10 months ago

I really agree with the TC on this. Almost all the most successful PG movies now a days are animated kid films that just have a tiny bit of adult content. And parents take their young kids to see them. While almost all PG-13 films are live action. It seems kind of dumb. You could just have those animated films be G and it wouldn't even make a difference. Heck, the PG-13 rating was barely used til the 90s.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 10 months ago

Seriously, I mean parents bitched and moaned about Temple of Doom because it was too scary, even though it was a sequel/prequel to another film that was very dark and violent and the rating even said that parents should supervise children when watching it. So their complaints resulted in the PG-13 rating

Then Batman Returns comes out with the PG-13 rating and parents still bitched that their under 13 age child was scared by it, despite the fact that it also was a sequel to a movie that was very dark and violent.

Then Deadpool comes out and is rated R, parents still take their children to see it and complain that it’s too violent and there’s too much sex. HELLO!!! It was rated R, parents should have known that it was inappropriate for children, they were warned that it was inappropriate for children and if they still let them watch it it’s their own damn fault.

[–] howgamer (3652) 10 months ago

It was probably the cult leader ripping out the guy's heart which burst into flames that got it the rating. I'm not sure PG13 was around when Raiders was made or it would probably have got that rating.