Episode 3 to be first pg-13 star wars...

[theDespiser]

George Lucas told 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl that Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith will be more violent than previous installments and will likely be the first to earn a PG-13 rating. "I don't think I would take a 5- or a 6-year-old to this," Lucas says in an interview that will be broadcast on CBS at 7 p.m. ET/PT March 13. "It's way too strong."

Episode III completes the story of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) as he makes the transition to the evil Darth Vader. "We're going to watch him make a pact with the devil," Lucas tells Stahl.

Lucas confirms that the prequel ends on a planet composed entirely of erupting volcanos. "Yes, ... the lava at the end. ... It ends in hell," Lucas reveals. "[The film] is much more dark, ... more emotional. It's much more of a tragedy. My feeling is that it will probably be a PG-13, so it will be the first Star Wars that's a PG-13."

[matrixman]

It's about time we had a Star Wars film that isn't aiming specifically to please a kiddie audience. Bring it on, George! I'm all for a journey into the heart of darkness Star Wars style.

[theDespiser]

yeah, im guessing the whole 'planet full of wookies' thing will make up for the whole 'planet full of ewoks' thing in Jedi...

[Lord Mhoram]

It's still gonna suck.

[duchess of malfi]

I for one didn't understand why Episode 2 wasn't a PG13.

I mean:

Spoiler

Come on. A little kid's father has his head chopped off in front of him, and then the little kid picks up the helmet with the chopped off head still inside of it?

Bare boobs flashed briefly on a screen can get a PG13 but something that violent is considered a PG?

Give me a friggin' break.

[matrixman]

Hmmm, good point, duchess. Thinking back on it, that scene is indeed a gruesome image (for a SW film).

I remember being scared when they froze Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back. The "carbonite" cast of his figure, half-embedded and frozen in struggle, really freaked me out at the time. (I was 9 years old then.) The impact of this scene has inevitably lessened since I've watched the movie sooo many times now over the course of 25 years, but I can still appreciate its emotional power. So, personally, I'd say the carbon-freezing of Han is a more emotionally violent scene that the one you refer to. Of course, Empire had no PG-13 rating because that rating did not exist at the time.

If I've got my facts right, I think it was the controversial violence of Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom back in '84 that led to the creation of the PG-13 rating as a compromise solution to appease both the ratings board and Spielberg & Lucas, who didn't want their movie to be slapped with an R rating.

As to the sex versus violence issue in movies, it seems to me that we're much more nervous and sensitive about nudity than we are about "mere" death and destruction--at least in North America, where we're more puritannical about the depiction of bare flesh than in Europe, as far as I understand it. But that didn't prevent Spielberg and Lucas from getting into trouble, heh.

It's still gonna suck.

How about Episode III: The Sith Sucks Back! Happy now?

[Ainulindale]

It's about time we had a Star Wars film that isn't aiming specifically to please a kiddie audience. Bring it on, George! I'm all for a journey into the heart of darkness Star Wars style.

I completely agree, and hope this is true, I really hope Episode III turns out to be incredible but alas, I have my doubts after Episodes I and II. I am a pretty big fan of StarWars (movies that is) but even I can't lie, about the prequels thus far....just terrible IMHO.

[Roland of Gilead]

Back in 1984, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins were the two movies primarily responsible for the creation of the PG-13 rating.

In the former, it was the priest ripping out the living heart of the sacrifice victim. In the latter, it was the creature pureed in the blender.

Both of these flicks were rated PG, thus the controversy and backlash from outraged parents.

[dANdeLION]

I saw the trailer for Epi III last saturday, and it looked pretty good. There was never really a chance I wouldn't go see it anyway, but it's nice to think it's gonna be a bit deeper than it has been for a while now.

[malinda_maloney]

When Episodes I and II came out, I thought they were alright, but nothing compared to the original (I watch them with my brothers all the time.). They just were missing something that the originals have.

I'm pretty sure now that it had something to do with Hayden Christensen. He's _very_ cute, don't get me wrong, but I have questions about his acting.

[CovenantJr]

I find the major thing that's missing is FUN. The first three had a sense of fun and adventure, whereas the recent films are more pompous and self-consciously "deep".

[Loredoctor]

Well said, Cov.

[Warmark Jay]

I think what's lost on most of the diehard Star Wars fans is that we were kids when the original three came out, and IMHO still view them with the same wide eyes as we did when we were (in my case) 7, 10, and 13 respectively. As grownups, we hold Lucas to high standards - that he should be able to fire our adult imaginations in the same way. I don't know that there's much he could have done to meet all of those lofty expectations - if he had made Eps. 1 and 2 for "adult" audiences, he risks losing a sizable audience of kids. We've already seen the unfortunate results of his trying to please everyone - a feeble attempt at "political intrigue" meshed with poor child actors and marketing schemes (Ep. 1) and ham-handed dialogue (Ep. 2). I'm cautiously optimistic for Ep. 3 (looking forward to seeing Wookiees dishing out cans of whoop-ass), but having been fooled twice...

Personally, I think the mistake was made in the decision to film the prequels. By definition, there's no real suspense here - we all know things are going to end badly, and the interest generated is in a way academic ("Ah, so that's why Obi-Wan lives on Tatooine. Ah, so that's why Darth Vader wears the armor...."). What remains is spectacle without much in the way of emotional substance, and the cliffhangers, revelations and payoffs that were such a great part of the original three are nowhere to be found.

[Loredoctor]

Despite the fact that the audience has indeed aged, what is lost with the prequels is that the characters are poor.

[Warmark Jay]

Despite the fact that the audience has indeed aged, what is lost with the prequels is that the characters are poor.

True, and again, the blame for that falls squarely in Lucas' lap. "Empire" worked because he did the wise thing and let others write the screenplay. There's been rumors circulating that Tom Stoppard was brought in to rework the screenplay for Ep. 3; Lucasfilm denies this, but if we see some real acting and genuine character development on the screen...

[Avatar]

...and the interest generated is in a way academic ("Ah, so that's why Obi-Wan lives on Tatooine. Ah, so that's why Darth Vader wears the armor....").

Excellent point. Although I love having that look back into the history, it's an already existing interest that sustains that enjoyment. What I'm rooting for is the sequels.

--Avatar

[duchess of malfi]

Despite the fact that the audience has indeed aged, what is lost with the prequels is that the characters are poor.

Indeed. Very true. And it certainly doesn't help that Christianson and Portman have zero chemistry together, and that they are both so wooden. As Portman has demonstrated acting ability in other films, that points, in turn, to poor directing.

[Roland of Gilead]

Avatar, I've always wanted the sequels, too, but we're both out of luck. I saw Lucas interviewed on 60 Minutes Sunday, and he not only said he would never do the sequels, he even denied that there were EVER any plans for sequels.

[dlbpharmd]

Sorry I missed this thread until now. Shouldn't it be in the Star Wars forum?

I'm pleased that Ep III will be PG-13, and I can't wait to see it! Bring it on!

[I'm Murrin]

The rating isn't really surprising, considering some of the events in the film (the whole storyline is pretty dark). From all I've heard about it, it looks to be a pretty good story - it's just all down to how they pull it off now.