Batman, The Dark Knight, and Some Menace

You probably know that the new Batman movie (The Dark Knight) comes out this Thursday.

But did you know that it's rated PG-13? You did? Well, did you look closer at the poster and see the explanation for the rating? Didn't think so.

The poster reads, "Rated PG-13 - For intense sequences of violence and some menace."

Not a little menace. Not a LOT of menace. But some menace.

How much menace is "some" menace?

To find out, you'll have to know a little bit about our ratings systems works. If you're like me, you won't want to actually do "research." Instead watch This Film Is Not Yet Rated. It's no Michael Moore documentary, but it's a good start.

Basically, a group of semi-conservative parents in the San Fernando Valley mixed with a handful of executives at the MPAA with close ties to the movie industry determine what your kids can or cannot see.

But the documentary doesn't explain the "menace." A little more investigating (going to www.mpaa.org) sheds some light on this dark...knight...rating.

Note: CARA stands for "Classification and Rating Administration" - those groups of parents and executives that get together to rate each movie.

"Every motion picture rated PG, PG-13, R or NC-17 will be assigned “rating reasons” by CARA at the time that the motion picture is rated. These rating reasons provide additional guidance concerning the specific content of the motion picture and also give a further explanation of why the motion picture has been rated in the category to which it is assigned. The rating reasons also include modifiers to give parents an indication of the strength of specific elements in the movie." (From www.mpaa.com - FAQs - Bold, my own.)

That's right, that "some" is no accident. That's what they call a "modifier."

Or was the "menace" the modifier?

And is that all the explanation they're going to give?

Answer: yes. They're a private organization and don't have to explain their ratings nor the process of deriving the ratings.

And so, parents: if you're okay with "some" menace, then by all means take your ten year old to see The Dark Knight this weekend.

If you're a good parent, however, you know what while a "little" menace never hurt anyone, "some" menace is the work of the devil. God save the MPAA.

-KV