Although the movie rating system is effective to the extent that it helps parents become more aware of the typical content in movies, the ratings are not specific enough to make the difference needed.
The purpose of the ratings seems to be to provide information to parents that will allow them to make informed decisions about media content, in order to help them reduce their children’s exposure to content that may be inappropriate. The current rating system’s problem is that movies with a very large range of inappropriate material often get the same rating.
The 2009 movie Taken is rated PG-13 for “intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language.” Contrast this with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, rated PG-13 for “sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images”. There is a huge difference in the themes of the movies and in the amounts of violence and other material presented. These two movies should be considered appropriate for entirely different audiences.
The official rating statement states why a movie was rated that way, but that information is difficult to find. Most websites display the rating but not the content reason for the rating.
Also, the ratings don’t take into account consequences of violence. In the previous examples, the violence in Taken is glorified- the main character used cruel and unusual forms or punishment, and was still portrayed as the hero of the movie. In Harry Potter, the violence is presented in the themes of good vs. evil and in this sense the “good” characters are justified in their violence. The use of glorified violence in Taken makes the movie much less appropriate for younger and more vulnerable audiences.
The rating system should be modified to be more specific. It should be more specific in terms of consistency of ratings and in terms of conveying the content information to the general public.
Sincerely,
Alicia Rae
