The BBFC’s “U” rating is most analogous to a “G” rating from the Motion Picture Association — a seal of approval that a film’s content is appropriate for very young children. In the United States, all three original Star Wars films received PG ratings from the MPA upon release, so it makes sense that they’d share the equivalent demarcation in the U.K.
These days, Star Wars is skewed more toward older kids. In 2005, “Revenge of the Sith” became the franchise’s first entry to get slapped with a PG-13 rating, and every live-action theatrical outing since has received the same. The main sticking point for the BBFC seemed to be the violence in “Return of the Jedi,” with their website detailing a laundry list of specific moments: “A man is repeatedly electrocuted and reacts in pain. A villain’s hand is cut off at the wrist; however, there is limited detail. A woman is fed to a fantastical creature. A man is thrown to his death.”
Again, the new PG rating fits how the film has always been viewed in the U.S. As the label suggests, it isn’t a hard rejection of children watching Star Wars, but simply an extra note for parents and guardians to consider before putting it on the TV.
