Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is toughened up from U to PG by film classifiers due to 'strength of violence' - over scenes including Darth Maul being chopped in half by a lightsaber

The age rating for Star Wars movie The Phantom Menace has been toughened up from a U to a PG by film classifiers, ahead of 25th anniversary screenings.

It includes violent scenes which show villain Darth Maul chopped in half by a lightsaber and Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn being stabbed through the torso.

As a result, the British Board of Film Classification has tightened up the age classification for the film, with a warning the film includes 'moderate violence, mild threat'.

The BBFC said a 'key consideration' for the raising of the classification was the 'strength of violence' in the film. It added the violent scenes in the film 'fit more comfortably' with a PG rating.

Recent research by the film body showed that on-screen violence was of 'increased concern' to audiences. This research has helped shape the new classification guidelines that are introduced next month.

The film includes violent scenes which show villain Darth Maul ( portrayed by Ray Park) chopped in half by a lightsaber and Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn being stabbed through the torso

In The Phantom Menace, released in 1999, two Jedi knights escape a planet with its queen before they meet a gifted slave boy, as they face the reemergence of the Sith, an ancient order dedicated to the 'dark side'

This comes after the film classification body was criticised over its recent decision to raise Mary Poppins from a U to a PG over 'discriminatory language', when violent films still had the lower rating.

In The Phantom Menace, released in 1999, two Jedi knights escape a planet with its queen before they meet a gifted slave boy, as they face the reemergence of the Sith, an ancient order dedicated to the 'dark side'.

The film, which is the first episode in the series of Star Wars movies, stars Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn and Natalie Portman as Queen Amidala.

The BBFC highlighted the scene where the character is stabbed with a lightsaber during a duel.

It also pointed to the way a 'villainous character' appears to have been 'slashed below the frame' with a 'faint mist of blood' and the 'undetailed sight' of a severed body.

When the film was last classified in 2012 it was given a U rating, upholding the original classification given in 1999, meaning it was suitable for all ages.

The new rating of a PG means the content 'should generally not unsettle a child aged around eight'.

This is not the first time that Star Wars films have been given higher ratings in recent years.

Last year 1983's Return of the Jedi was lifted from a U to a PG because of 'moderate violence' and 1980's The Empire Strikes Back was also raised in the same way in 2020.

 The film, which is the first episode in the series of Star Wars movies, stars Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn (right)  and Natalie Portman as Queen Amidala (left)

A BBFC spokesman said: 'A key consideration in the classification of this film was the strength of the violence and classification decisions will take account of the degree and nature of violence.'

They added that the current guidelines for a U rating state that violence will 'generally be very mild' and 'mild violence' can be acceptable 'if it is justified by context'. 

As film classification board toughens stance on sex scenes and violence on screen but is more relaxed about cannabis... can YOU guess what the age-ratings of these movies would be?

British cinema audiences are less tolerant of violent and sex on screen than in the past but more relaxed about depictions of drug use, according to a new study.

Research conducted by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) for the latest revision of its classification guidelines suggests attitudes towards cinematic violence and risqué content have hardened in the last five years.

The film ratings board says it may require higher ratings for violence and sexual scenes - but attitudes towards the use of cannabis and solvents in films have softened since its last rule revision in 2019, requiring less strict ratings.

As a result, kids' blockbuster Bumblebee and James Bond classic From Russia With Love would be uprated from a PG to a 12A in 2024,  but Bob Marley biopic One Love, with frequent depictions of cannabis, avoided a 15 rating and was released as a 12A.

As well as audiences being more relaxed about drug use, the BBFC said the use of the drug and its effects were 'seldom referred to'; it comes down harder on material that 'glamorises' substance misuse.

Bob Marley biopic One Love would have been rated as a 15 under the old rules for its frequent depictions of cannabis smoking - but lax attitudes to the drug now mean it was given a 12A

The BBFC says audiences now view this scene from Goldfinger as sexual assault - elevating the film's rating to a 12A were it ever to be reclassified

Romantic biopic Vita & Virginia, starring Gemma Arterton and Elizabeth Debicki, would now be released as a 15 rather than a 12A because of its prolonged depictions of sex

Transformers spin-off Bumblebee would likely be issued a 12A certificate if it were released now - despite being edited before release in 2018 to be downgraded to a PG

Like Goldfinger, From Russia With Love would likely be rated 12A if it were released now - because of scenes of protracted violence that see James Bond stab and strangle an attacker

Elsewhere, researchers quizzed British viewers on scenes from The Many Saints of Newark and Joker - two films released with 15 certificates that, in likelihood, would be released with 18 ratings had they come out in 2024.

Concerns were raised with the Sopranos prequel and Batman spin-off because of their depictions of 'sadistic violence, repeated blows, strong bloody detail and a dark, gritty tone'.

What do the BBFC ratings mean?

U - Suitable for all 

U-rated content is suitable for audiences of all ages - with 'reassuring counterbalances' to any violence, threat or scary scenes. The BBFC says U content should be 'unlikely to unsettle a four-year-old'.

PG - Parental guidance

PG content should generally avoid upsetting children aged eight - with no glamorised depictions of dangerous and discriminatory behaviour, and only mild bad language and violence.

12A 

The 12A rating was introduced for in 2002, allowing under-12s to be accompanied by an adult. 12A films can feature 'moderate' bad language, 'discreet' nudity and sexual activity as well as 'moderate' violence and threat.

15

15-rated films can depict discriminatory language in a non-glamorising way, as well as strong language, sexualised nudity and violence, strong threat and horror and strong violence without sustained focus on victims' suffering.

18

Any content with adult audiences in mind will be rated 18 - with the exception of material that is illegal, or that encourages positive attitudes towards sadistic violence and rape, features gratuitous depictions of drug misuse, self-harm or suicide, or is pornographic in nature.

R18

R18-rated content is a rating applied to explicit pornographic work depicting 'consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults'. Films rated R18 can only be shown in licensed cinemas, or sold in licensed sex shops. Obscene material, or extreme fetish content, is banned. 

But not even child-friendly blockbuster Bumblebee - based on the Transformers toys and starring Haylee Steinfeld - would be safe. Frightening scenes of evil robots drawing knives would likely bump the film up to a 12A now.

Ironically, the film was edited by Paramount to achieve the PG rating in 2018 - with six seconds of footage depicting 'a man's bloody facial cuts' removed to achieve the lower, more family-friendly rating. 

Older films, such as 1960 Kirk Douglas epic Spartacus and 1938 Errol Flynn swashbuckler The Adventures of Robin Hood would likely be 'reclassified in line with modern standards' if they were to be released now after being reviewed in the study.

Suggested ratings were not given for the two classics in the BBFC's research report - though they were classified as PG and U respectively in their most recent releases, suggesting each would be upgraded to at least a 12A and PG now.

Psychological sports drama The Novice, about a US university student who becomes obsessed with rowing, may have been graded as an 18 had it been released in 2024 due to its graphic depictions of self-harm.

Audience attitudes towards sex and sexual violence have also changed since the last revision of the rules in 2019.

Alongside From Russia With Love, Goldfinger would likely be given a 12A certificate in modern times for the barn scene between Sean Connery's James Bond and Pussy Galore, which 2024 audiences would view as sexual assault.  

12A-rated romance films such as After, based on the Anna Todd novel, and Gemma Arterton biopic Vita & Virginia would now be rated as 15 due to the 'level of sexual detail, nudity and duration of the sex scenes' in each. 

Similarly, 2013 romance film A Promise, starring Alan Rickman and Rebecca Wood, would likely be released as a 15 because of its depictions of 'rough' sex.

None of the films used in the research have had their ratings changed retroactively; updated ratings are only issued in certain circumstances, such as if a film is re-released cinematically with changes or if its distributors request reclassification.

However, the BBFC named them as examples of how its ratings rules have changed following the study, which polled 12,000 Brits to understand present day attitudes towards sex and nudity, drug use, violence and bad language.

It found that audiences are 'more concerned' about depictions of violence, particularly 'how distressing or disturbing' some violence can be.

The new guidelines add a new note to the circumstances under which a film's rating may be upgraded - noting that 'the suffering of a victim of violence' may push a film into a higher age category.

Elsewhere, sexualised and misogynistic bad language such as 'd***' and 'b****' may now earn a film a higher age rating.

David Austin, BBFC chief executive said of the Bond films: 'People told us that neither of those films would be appropriate for PG any more, they would need to go to a 12A.'

Mr Austin said the BBFC would not be reclassifying previously released films unless they were being rereleased.

He said: 'When stuff gets rereleased, the profile increases, more people are going to be watching it and that's when we reclassify.

'If those films came in for a high-definition rerelease, for example, they would be classified at 12A.'

BBFC president Natasha Kaplinsky said her experiences as a mother have informed her desire to help protect children from age-inappropriate content both online and offline. 

The ex-newsreader added: 'Since we last asked people across the country what they thought about our standards, society has changed, and opinions have followed – it's fascinating how this vast body of new research reflects this.' 

In February, Mary Poppins' age rating was raised from U to PG by the BBFC because of 'discriminatory language' ahead of the film's rerelease marking its 60th anniversary.

It used a term for African people now regarded as racially insensitive - including in a scene in which chimney sweeps' faces were blackened with soot.

Psychological drama The Novice (pictured) was released as a 15 but would likely be an 18 now because it features graphic depictions of self-harm

Similarly, some of those asked about the film Joker (starring Joaquin Phoenix, above) believe its gratuitous depictions of violence and injury would see it released as an 18 now

Similarly, Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark (Michael Gandolfini and Alessandro Nivola, above) would likely be given a tougher rating for its violent scenes now

Classics such as Spartacus (Kirk Douglas, above) would also likely be re-assessed against modern standards were they to be released in cinemas again

Disney classic Mary Poppins was re-graded as a PG earlier this year due to its use of racially insensitive language

And in the past, the BBFC has reclassified films after they were re-released in modified forms - such as 'director's cut' editions or high-definition remasters.

Brad Pitt's Fight Club has been downgraded from an 18 rating to 15 for 25th anniversary screenings this year, despite its portrayal of 'sequences of graphic and brutal violence' and 'occasional sequences of strong sex'.

Bruce Willis action flick Die Hard was released as an 18 in 1988 - but was downgraded to a 15 for a cinematic re-release in 2013.

Jurassic Park, previously rated PG, was reclassified to 12A last year for 'moderate threat, violence, bloody images.'

And Jack Black-led comedy School of Rock, also originally rated PG, was raised to 12A in 2023 for 'moderate bad language, discriminatory terms (and) rude humour.'

Films that were previously given a BBFC rating from 1982 onwards, when the current ratings system was introduced, do not need to be reclassified - but they can be resubmitted to the BBFC voluntarily.