PG13 Pirates targets small kids?

[Cousin Orville]

Does anyone out there think it's a bit disingenous for WDC to market Pirates, a PG13 movie to small kids? Many of the toys, Happy Meals, "I love Johnny" Kiddie T shirts, games and trinkets are absolutely aimed to the under 12 set, but the movie is far too intense and they will beg to see it. I'm not saying the company should not make the movie, but is PG13 Disney? Is it really for the whole family? The MPAA says no. Then don't create the expectation in your kids that it's Disney. Obviously, many parents will take their little ones anyway, but after sitting next to a mom with a screaming kid who couldn't handle the noise of "Cars" over the weekend, I wonder if specifically targeting pre teen kids with a PG13 is a kind thing to do to the kids and puts the parents that do decide to say "No" to a Disney movie in a awkward position.

What do you think?

[RobotMirror]

I think that, since this question has to do with the movie's marketing, or even Disney in general, that it doesn't belong in the "Disneyland resort' section of the site.

[Max Fischer]

I think there is worse stuff on nightly news, then you will see at most PG-13 movies. Let's be real. How insulated can someone keep their child? And why?

[lazyboy97O]

Does anybody find the original film to be any worse than the actual attraction? I mean skeletons everywhere. A town being plundered. An auction offering you a "Wench for a Bride". Not very wholesome if you ask me.

[TinkPink]

I often ask myself why I am okay with my 4 year old watching Pirates when I don't even let him watch most shows on Nickelodeon, including Spongebob and NOTHING on Cartoon Network. I don't really know the reason. He loves Pirates of the Carribean- the movie that is. And we are taking him to the drive in to see the next one as soon as it comes out.

I don't have a rational explanation. It isn't wholesome at all, quite opposite in fact. I think in my case, a lot of it has to do with the whole family enjoying it together and of course the nostalgia of growing up going to Disneyland and that being my favorite ride.

But it really doesn't make sense.

[SarahVilla]

My daughter is 4 and I'm gonna let her see it, especially since she got Johnny and Orlandos autographs.

[FigmentJedi]

Hey, Star Wars Episode III was still marketed towards kids despite being PG-13. The same with Jurassic Park. In fact, I think I MAY have actually seen Jurassic Park in theaters when it came out and I was about four years old back then.

[lazyboy97O]

I just thought this was worth sharing:

PG-13: Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13

PG-13 is thus a sterner warning to parents, particularly when deciding which movies are not suitable for younger children. Parents, by the rating, are alerted to be very careful about the attendance of their under-teenage children. A PG-13 film is one which, in the view of the Rating Board, leaps beyond the boundaries of the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, or other contents, but does not quite fit within the restricted R category. Any drug use content will initially require at least a PG-13 rating. In effect, the PG-13 cautions parents with more stringency than usual to give special attention to this film before they allow their 12-year-olds and younger to attend. If nudity is sexually oriented, the film will generally not be found in the PG-13 category. If violence is too rough or persistent, the film goes into the R (restricted) rating. A film’s single use of one of the harsher sexually derived words, though only as an expletive, shall initially require the Rating Board to issue that film at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive must lead the Rating Board to issue a film an R rating, as must even one of these words used in a sexual context. These films can be rated less severely, however, if by a special vote, the Rating Board feels that a lesser rating would more responsibly reflect the opinion of American parents.

PG-13 places larger responsibilities on parents for their children and moviegoing. The voluntary rating system is not a surrogate parent, nor should it be. It cannot, and should not, insert itself in family decisions that only parents can make. Its purpose is to give pre-screened informational warnings, so that parents can form their own judgments. PG-13 is designed to make parental decisions easier for films between PG and R.

This is all from the MPAA's web site. And I must say after reading that I believe even more that the attraction would recieve a PG-13.

[Hyperbole]

Originally Posted by Cousin Orville

Does anyone out there think it's a bit disingenous for WDC to market Pirates, a PG13 movie to small kids? Many of the toys, Happy Meals, "I love Johnny" Kiddie T shirts, games and trinkets are absolutely aimed to the under 12 set, but the movie is far too intense and they will beg to see it. I'm not saying the company should not make the movie, but is PG13 Disney? Is it really for the whole family? The MPAA says no. Then don't create the expectation in your kids that it's Disney. Obviously, many parents will take their little ones anyway, but after sitting next to a mom with a screaming kid who couldn't handle the noise of "Cars" over the weekend, I wonder if specifically targeting pre teen kids with a PG13 is a kind thing to do to the kids and puts the parents that do decide to say "No" to a Disney movie in a awkward position.

What do you think?

The movie is far too intense?? Not at all. The movie is perfectly fine for younger children, at least for my under-12 child.

Oh, and the MPAA are a bunch of clowns, ratings mean nothing to me and my decisions about what is and is not appropriate for my child. Only I make that decision.

[Xharryb]

Originally Posted by Hyperbole

Oh, and the MPAA are a bunch of clowns, ratings mean nothing to me and my decisions about what is and is not appropriate for my child. Only I make that decision.

I agree whole heartedly with this statement. The MPAA does not have a specific set of rules or guidelines by which they determine ratings. It is completely based on the opinions of it's members. These people often make those decisions based on their personal beliefs and have been known to serve up ratings that are influenced by the mood they happened to be in the day they saw the film.

[Cousin Orville]

Remind me if any of you needs a sitter. I'll send Larry Flynt over.

[PrncssZ]

I think it all depends on the child. I have two younger female cousins who would be just fine seeing it at the age of 4, but a younger male cousin who would have had nightmares seeing it at any age before 10. So I think the rating is correct just in the fact that the parents need to be responsible...but all in all the parents know their children best.

[dsnylndmom]

Originally Posted by Hyperbole

Oh, and the MPAA are a bunch of clowns, ratings mean nothing to me and my decisions about what is and is not appropriate for my child. Only I make that decision.

I agree also, 100%. My son is going to be 12 in Spt. he will fine seeing this. He loves the first one and I have absolutely no qualms in letting him see this.

My 7 year old, however, loves the ride, it's one of his favorites, but has no desire to see the movie. He's never sat all the way through the first one either. BUT he loves the toys and all that go with it. Not due to the movie but due to the ride. I see no issue in there being toys to go along with the movie, kids have liked pirate toys forever, it's not going to be different because there's a POTC movie now.

[WDWGirl]

In my opinion, being 13 - it depends on the child themself.. there are many small children who are scared of the Haunted Mansion stretching room when the Ghost Host is dangling from the ceiling, then you have small children watching horror movies.. parents, please use logic here - if your child doesn't do well in scary situations, do the math. If they could handle the first movie well, and handle many scary situations well, it's up to you. I've seen horror movies since i was - well, forever! I saw the Blair Witch Project at 1:00 A.M. in First Grade, and slept calmly ( if you have ever seen the movie, you know why it is not the best for little kids ) LOL! So seriously parents should be the judge.. there are many factors that go into deciding what is right for kids to watch.. its up to you, as a parent, to either allow or not allow your child to watch As for me, ill be in the front row seat in the middle on July 7th waiting for the movie to start, and whenever Pirates opens in WDW, ill be there at the front of the line waiting to ride So the choice is yours, parents - you decide

[lazyboy97O]

Originally Posted by Cousin Orville

Remind me if any of you needs a sitter. I'll send Larry Flynt over.

You do understand that this is the MPAA right? They've changed ratings (up and down) without any part of a film being changed. I bet if Disney really wanted all three films could be given the PG rating.

And I still believe the attractions meets the "criteria" for PG-13.