Not recommended under 12: parental guidance recommended 12-14 (Violence; Disturbing scenes)
This topic contains:
Children under 12 | Not recommended due to violence and disturbing scenes |
Children aged 12 to 14 | Parental guidance recommended due to violence and disturbing scenes |
Children 14 and over | OK for this age group |
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.
Name of movie: | Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens |
Classification: | M |
Consumer advice lines: | Science fiction themes and violence |
Length: | 135 minutes |
This review of the movie contains the following information:
The latest film in the Star Wars saga is set approximately thirty years after the events of Return of the Jedi. After the new Jedi order is betrayed, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the last surviving Jedi, goes into hiding. This allows the surviving Empire forces to grow into a new Empire horde called the First Order. The First Order is led by the sinister Snoke (Andy Serkis) and his first lieutenant, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Ren is bent on finding and killing Luke Skywalker.
The old Resistance, desperate to locate Skywalker, have sent their best pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac) to the desert planet of Kakku to retrieve a map which identifies the planet on which Skywalker is hiding. However, just as Poe manages to retrieve the map, the First Order, led by Kylo Ren, attack. Poe hides the map inside a BB-8 droid which escapes into the desert and ends up under the protection of a daring and talented scavenger named Rey (Daisy Ridley). Through a comedy of errors Rey and BB-8 team up with Finn (John Boyega), FN-2187 who is a First Order deserter and the trio are forced to steal the infamous Millennium Falcon in order to escape First Order storm troopers.
While making their way to the Resistance Rey, Finn, and BB-8 encounter Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and the Wookiee Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), who have been searching high and low for the Millennium Falcon. With Solo and Chewbacca’s help Rey, Finn and BB-8 make their way to the Resistance where they meet General Lia Organa (Carrie Fisher), 3PO (Anthony Daniels), and R2D2 (Kenny Baker). Rey and Finn learn that the First Order has built a weapon of mass destruction so powerful that it is capable of destroying an entire system of planets. Rey, Finn, Poe and the rebels must now fight for their existence by attacking the First Order and destroying the planet killer weapon before it destroys them.
Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.
Space; aliens; good versus evil; weapons of mass destruction
Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.
Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.
The film contains frequent science fiction action violence and peril throughout, battle scenes, scenes depicting mass murder of civilians, implied torture and the depiction of multiple violent deaths (one of which is emotionally intense). Examples include:
Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.
Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.
Children in this age group are also likely to be disturbed by the above-mentioned scenes
Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.
Children in this age group may also be disturbed by some of the above-mentioned scenes
Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.
Some younger viewers in this age group may be disturbed by some of the above-mentioned scenes.
Nothing of concern in the film, but plenty of associated merchandise and as a result, the film itself, being marketed to young children.
There are some sexual references in this movie, including:
Nothing of concern
Alcohol being consumed in a bar
There is some mild coarse language in this movie, mainly name calling, for example:
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is a science fiction action adventure targeting teens and adult fans of the Star Wars series. This entertaining seventh instalment in the series features several new characters as well as reintroducing classic favourites such as Han Solo, like Skywalker, Leia Organa and Chewbacca. This film has a very similar feel and flavour to episodes IV, V and VI with action violence throughout, although minimal blood and gore is depicted. The new characters depicted in this film are likely to appeal to adolescents, with a particularly proactive young female lead.
Parents should be aware that in spite of merchandise and other marketing which is likely to attract young children, the film has an M rating. Scary characters and scenes, multiple violent deaths, including the upsetting death of a main character, and the implied torture make it a disturbing film for young children. It is not suitable for children under 12 and parental guidance is recommended for the 12 to 14 age group.
The main message from this movie is:
Parents may also wish to discuss the film’s seemingly deliberate lack of realistic blood and gore and real life consequences. Does this lessen the impact on younger viewers and give them a false view of the effects of violence?
Tip: Leave out the first A, An or The
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Content is age appropriate for children this age
Some content may not be appropriate for children this age. Parental guidance recommended
Content is not age appropriate for children this age
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