The Republic of Heaven

I was thinking recently about just how mentally provoking the movies will be allowed to be, considering they seem to be marketed at a PG-13 audience. For example, how much of the bear fight do the sraffies think will go in? On film it will look pretty violent, however that's not a thing that's stopped Hollywood in the past. No-one really minds a bit of blood and gore, it balances out the less action-based scenes. On the other hand, the main hero is a little girl and as much as NL says they're not being stopped by fantasy stereotypes it is a fantasy movie, and as such it may appeal to a young female audience. 'Girls don't want blood and gore' is probably one of the most ancient stereotypes in cinema.
And in that vein, what about the scene where Pan is touched by the Bolvangar doctor? In the book it's quite clear it's an allusion to rape, how far do people think Hollywood will (or won't) take it?

Any flying blood is an instant R rating. So I expect the jaw flying to be toned down. New Line is certainly not going for R.

The MPAA has been giving pretty strange ratings recently, like PG for Casino Royale, even with the torture scene. Nothing was visible but it made the males in the audience cringe all the same.
I wouldn't be surprised if the bear fight is considered 'Supernatural Themes'.

I can't see why a bear fight would have any affect on the rating. You can see animal rip each other to shreads around tea time on the BBC. It's only natural. Having said that, so is sex...I doubt any fighting would be too grusome anyway, there's a whole lot of bear fat to get through before you get to the good stuff. Violence always seems to be the last thing they're worried about when rating movies these days anyway.

As for the bit with Pan, i don't see what's so controversial about that. Hardly as bad as the things you read in fairy tales, but you'd tell those to kids.

there is also the thing where the MPAA rates sex more strictly than they do violence. i don't know if it is the same in britain but i know the comparison is usually made to europe where sex is not that big a deal but violence is considered uhh... sketchier.

This was actually mentioned at lunch.. Someone from about.com (yuck) asked if they were specifically aiming for a PG rating. That's lower than PG-13 right? The producer said they weren't aiming for any particular rating (I think), but that's probably not exactly true.. Numbers.com is awesome: http://www.the-numbers.com/market/MPAARatings/

I mean, it'll be PG-13. There's not much doubt of that. Dakota will have to go with her mum Or is her birthday in April?

The difference between PG and PG-13 is that PG is just for children in general, and PG-13 cautions parents more strongly.

EDIT: What was for lunch, by the way?

Chicken with stuff or salmon with stuff. I had the salmon and left the stuff on the side. Would have preferred chips.

pg13 was actually created for the gremlins, which i don't remember being particularly gorey, but maybe it was for its time.... it's just supposed to denote a warning dimension to a film otherwise enjoyable for the whole family, etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PG13#The_a ... -13_rating

It was created for a specific film? It was the same with Spiderman and 12a here; interesting.

well technically gremlins and indiana jones and the temple of doom which as i remember now was a great deal gorey-er what hand-pulling-out-heart? (iorek could totally eat iofur's heart if that's the case!)

but they came out around the same time, so... i guess it was a specific creation of the rating.

Any flying blood is an instant R rating. So I expect the jaw flying to be toned down.

Hmm, is it though?
Another example i can think of is King Kong with him ripping of the dinosaurs jaw...

and again, indiana jones and the temple of doom:

The cult is led by the villainous Mola Ram (Amrish Puri), who performs a supernatural ritual of removing a man's heart while the man is kept alive by the power of the Sankara Stones. The man is then dropped into a pit of lava, his heart bursting into flames in Mola Ram's hand.

under these sort of guidelines, i think iorek might be able to rip of iofur's jaw, dig his claw into his chest and rip out his heart... i'm not sure about eating it though.

The problem I can see is Lyra bravely looking on. It's not good for little children, I'm sure the MPAA will say, to see a girl looking at the ripping out of throats, jaws, etc, and not seeing anything bad in it.

there is also the thing where the MPAA rates sex more strictly than they do violence. i don't know if it is the same in britain but i know the comparison is usually made to europe where sex is not that big a deal but violence is considered uhh... sketchier.

Actualy there was this whole big thing in the Buffalo News how the MPAA is goint to start to be more fair with sex and treat it on a closer level with everything else.

The MPAA has been giving pretty strange ratings recently, like PG for Casino Royale, even with the torture scene. Nothing was visible but it made the males in the audience cringe all the same.
I wouldn't be surprised if the bear fight is considered 'Supernatural Themes'.

Casino Royale was rated PG-13 not PG

The MPAA has been giving pretty strange ratings recently, like PG for Casino Royale, even with the torture scene. Nothing was visible but it made the males in the audience cringe all the same.
I wouldn't be surprised if the bear fight is considered 'Supernatural Themes'.

Casino Royale was rated PG-13 not PG

But as I said, there isn't any age difference between the two, just a strictness rating. Parents aren't made to go to either.

The MPAA has been giving pretty strange ratings recently, like PG for Casino Royale, even with the torture scene. Nothing was visible but it made the males in the audience cringe all the same.
I wouldn't be surprised if the bear fight is considered 'Supernatural Themes'.

Casino Royale was rated PG-13 not PG

But as I said, there isn't any age difference between the two, just a strictness rating. Parents aren't made to go to either.

Oh, I get it, you mean there is no enforcement, therefore there really is no difference. True.

Any flying blood is an instant R rating. So I expect the jaw flying to be toned down. New Line is certainly not going for R.

Not necessarily an instant R rating... I'm SURE Lord of the Rings somewhere had flying blood. OH! And King Arthur did too! But yes, that will defiantly be toned down. I just hope we aren't surprised with a PG rating like with Eragon... except the producers seem to be sticking pretty true to the material of HDM, and that is defiantly a PG-13 rating

Mmmm, going by the teaser/not-real-teaser video, they aren't going to shy away from the violence too much

Bits of note:
- Lyra knocking over the Tartar guard (although that is admittedly pretty tame)
- Iorek rampaging through the town
- Soldiers firing on him????


I suspect that we probably will get to see the bear fight, just not as gory as described in the book

Also, i hope they include the bit where Lyra stops Iorek from crushing the priest's(?) skull in Trollesland