Watership Down would be rated PG nowadays

[Pawnless Endgame]

Just saw this Beeb article.

The U-rated 1978 film Watership Down would be classified PG were it released today, the new head of the British Board of Film Classification has said.

I can't really remember Watership Down (saw it in the late 80s), but what in it would make that a PG now and a U back then? The Beeb article says it's "arguably too strong", but that sentence comes to me as being subjective. One person's verdict as a PG might still be considered as a U for the general population. Too subjective.

Also, I wondered what caused the most recent Disney films to become PG e.g. Frozen and Tangled? Hell, I even have 2 copies of Lilo & Stitch. The 1st copy says U and the 2nd says PG wtf. Granted, I'm not very good with 18-rated graphic horror, but for lesser ratings, are we just becoming a bunch of wimps who choose to be offended (rather than being genuinely offended)?

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

Ahhh okies! If it should always have been a PG, then I don't have a problem with that. It's the changing of goalposts that gets my goat sometimes.

What is your view on Bambi? Pretty sure that's always been a U but I remember one particular spoiler (won't say what it is) that turned the film into a pretty dark piece of work, especially for a Disney! (even if the spoiler was shown slightly off-screen).

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

I adore Watership Down. I've watched it countless times over the years. But yeah, it pulls no punches when it comes to showing blood and death.

^ I mean check THAT out!

I've just watched that clip... damn! That would definitely be a PG now, but I think it should have been a PG since its 1978 release. Like I said in a post before and in my OP title, none of this changing of goalposts.

The bit at the beginning? Yeah that's unnecessary imo - tbh I can't remember the rest of the film though.

I'll have to re-watch Bambi, but I think the spoiler bit is a little way into the film, maybe about half way through. I don't remember it being overly graphic, but it was certainly a cruel thing to add in a Disney flick!

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

Reference Indy Jones - I tend to be squeamish when it comes to 15/18 graphic violence, but I think that the first 3 Indy Jones films are fine as they are as PGs. I just turned 11 when I saw Temple of Doom... intense, but still fine for me at that age. Think PG is around 12/13 generally for parental guidance?

25-30 years on, and we're just becoming a nation of softies

Any views on Lilo & Stitch btw guys? It's only about 12 years old but it has already changed certs from U to PG in that time. My DVD copy (bought in 2008) was a U. The blu-ray (bought in 2013) was a PG. I would classify the Lilo & Stitch "violence" similar to Tom & Jerry (rated U). Slapstick with bombs, blackface, traps, chases, lasers (pew pew pew!), buildings burning down, mean classmates, fights, etc

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

I'm bumping an old thread because the BBC has printed this story again about Watership Down going from a U to a PG. I read it today and got reminded of the thread I posted years ago. If the film got switched to a PG at the time I posted this thread (2016), then it means it has been a PG for 7 years, so why are they reprinting an old story? It even quoted 2016 now and using the same phrases e.g. "arguably too strong" like in my OP.

The date on this article says 11 hours ago, so will show up as 21st July 2023 in days/years to come.

Watership Down given new PG rating with language and violence warnings

The animated children's classic film will now carry a "bad language" and "mild violence" warning.

www.bbc.co.uk