Is violent new Star Wars too disturbing for under-12s?
As blockbuster opens in Britain
A BATTALION of stormtroopers marched on the West End last night from their galaxy far far away.
But as the stars and their starry-eyed fans gathered for the premiere of the latest Star Wars movie, there were fears that the £2bn blockbuster may be too frightening for the young audience its 12A rating will target.
With villagers slaughtered, characters tortured and an entire planet obliterated in one shot, The Force Awakens paints a picture of a very violent universe.
As the on- screen body count mounts, parents have been urged to consider whether they should take young children to see it.
The film, which opens in British cinemas today has received rave reviews from critics.
Even the Prime Minister, David Cameron, has been swept up in the excitement. A father of three young children himself, he was asked about the film’s British connections at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday and said it is ‘very exciting for children and I have to say quite a lot of parents who are looking forward to this film’.
However, its violent scenes mean it is the latest in a line of movies to prompt questions over the 12A rating that allows children of any age see graphic content if they are with an adult. There is particular concern that those under the age of ten could be left scared or upset.
There is no shortage of shocks in The Force Awakens, with one character shown beaten and covered in blood, only to be tortured again on-screen using the magical powers of ‘the Force’. Another scary sequence sees monsters rampage through a spaceship, eating people alive. Life seems cheap for the heroes, who have no qualms about killing. One fight scene sees a main character stab an enemy in the chest, with the lightsabre coming out through his back.
Another disturbing moment sees an entire planet blown up by a super-weapon. Audiences are shown the terrified faces of its inhabitants as they stare at the sky moments before their death.
As details of its more graphic scenes emerged, experts called for parents to think twice before taking younger children to see the film, tipped to be the first to make more than £2billion. They said it looks to be far more graphic than the original trilogy from the 1970s and 1980s which was billed as a ‘fairy tale’ style adventure.
Child psychologist Sally Goddard Blythe said: ‘There’s a difference between the morals implicit in fairy stories and graphically seeing something on the screen, which in some ways normalises violence. When something is presented on a large screen, there is in one sense a reality to it and in another sense it makes it seem OK in a way fairy stories don’t.
‘Parents should consider whether such a film is suitable for their children. It will depend on how sensitive that child is. It could also upset some children emotionally.’
Vivienne Pattison, director of Mediawatch UK, said: ‘Many parents will remember the original Star Wars films of the 1970s and 1980s, which were lower ratings. Of course, what made a PG then is very different to what makes a PG now and I think that’s part of the problem actually.
‘They would have been under a lot of pressure actually to get a 12A because it means they will be able to sell more tickets. It means that as a parent you are expected to go a see a film first to decide whether it’s suitable for your child.’