Star Wars Prequel Gets New Rating For Violence
The British Board of Film Classification has given the 1999 movie Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace a new age rating. Due to violence, the classification has been upgraded from U (suitable for children aged four) to PG (which should not unsettle a child aged eight) ahead of its 25th-anniversary screenings.
The Darth Maul Scene
The scenes in question include Darth Maul being sliced in half by a lightsaber and Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn getting stabbed through the torso. The new Star Wars: The Phantom Menace rating is accompanied by a “moderate violence, mild threat” warning.
The “key consideration” for the classification change was the “strength of violence” in the film that “fit more comfortably” with a PG rating.
Ratings Changing
Research conducted by the BBFC indicates that viewers are becoming more worried about violence in movies.
As a result, the film classification standards will be updated in the coming weeks. The decision follows criticism aimed at the BBFC for increasing the rating of Mary Poppins from U to PG due to its discriminatory language, while films with violent content retained lower ratings. This is where Star Wars: The Phantom Menace comes into play.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is the first installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, directed by George Lucas.
Set decades before the original trilogy, the film serves as an origin story for several key characters and events that shape the faraway galaxy. The story revolves around the political tensions and conflicts within the Galactic Republic.
The Trade Federation blockades the planet Naboo, hoping to gain control of its resources. Amid the crisis, Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, are dispatched to negotiate with Viceroy Nute Gunray.
During their mission, they encounter a mysterious Sith known as Darth Maul, who is secretly orchestrating events behind the scenes under the orders of Darth Sidious.
Meeting Young Anakin Skywalker
In Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, accompanied by a Gungan named Jar Jar Binks and the Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala, escape the blockade and land on the desert planet Tatooine.
There, they meet a young slave named Anakin Skywalker, who exhibits strong Force abilities. Qui-Gon senses great potential in Anakin and believes he may be the prophesied Chosen One who will bring balance to the Force.
The Scene In Question
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace culminates in a climactic lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Darth Maul.
Despite Qui-Gon’sQui-Gon’s death at the hands of Maul, Obi-Wan manages to defeat the Sith, but the threat of the dark side looms large as the stage is set for the events that will lead to the rise of the Galactic Empire and the fall of the Jedi Order.
Star Wars Prequels
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was a commercial success, earning over $1 billion worldwide. It also received three Academy Award nominations for Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound Editing. Two more films were released as part of the prequel trilogy, including Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005).
Like Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, the other films in the prequel trilogy received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. While they were praised for their visual effects and action sequences, they were also criticized for their dialogue and characterization. Despite this, the trilogy remains an integral part of the Star Wars saga, providing context to the events of the original films.
Source: Daily Mail UK
