In just a few short days time, the long-awaited Barbie movie will make its debut in cinemas around the world. The film – directed by Greta Gerwig – is being viewed as one of the biggest releases of the summer and as such, there is a great deal of interest and anticipation about the picture.
Margot Robbie takes on the title role for Barbie, while Ryan Gosling plays Ken. The movie is based on the iconic doll from Mattel, and is described as a light-hearted comedy about Barbie and Ken’s adventures outside of Barbieland.
Due to the popularity of Barbie dolls and the Barbie brand (especially amongst young children), the Barbie movie isn’t just catching the attention of adult audiences, it is also on the radar of younger cinemagoers too. There is a legion of children out there who are very interested in Barbie (you probably know a few in your own household) and they are keen to watch the film when it makes its cinematic debut on Friday.
But before you head out to the cinema, you are no doubt asking a very important question about the movie – and it is a question which many parents of young children are also asking. The question is: Is Barbie suitable for young children?
In answer to the question, and for the purpose of this discussion, I’m focusing on the suitability of Barbie in the UK and the US. The ratings in both territories are quite similar, so hopefully the following information will help guide you if you’re currently concerned about the age rating of the Barbie movie.
In the UK, Barbie has been awarded a ’12A’ certificate. This means, the film has been deemed suitable for audiences who are 12 years old or over.
Films which are given the ’12A’ certificate are generally viewed as being unsuitable for children under the age of 12. The movie will contain themes and material that may not be appropriate for very young children, but those who have reached a certain age should be OK.
So, does this mean UK children under the age of 12 are unable to watch Barbie at the cinema? No, not at all.
A person under the age of 12 can watch a ’12A’ certificate film at the cinema, but only when accompanied by an adult. So, if you are a parent, and your child is under the age of 12, they can watch Barbie at the cinema, but ONLY if they have a parent along with them.
However, for parents of very young children who are considering taking them to the cinema, it is worth noting that Barbie has not been given the more family-friendly certificates of either a ‘U’ (Universal) or a ‘PG’ (Parental Guidance). Both of these certificates are deemed more suitable for younger children in the UK, and both are the certificates that are usually associated with the animated Barbie movies that are very popular amongst very young Barbie fans.
The animated Barbie movies are very different to this new live-action film. Those movies are specifically aimed at young children, while this new movie is not.
All of the material in Barbie is deemed suitable for someone close to their teen years and above, which is why it has been given a ’12A’ certificate, rather than a ‘U’ of ‘PG’. And for added context, a ’12A’ certificate is what is normally given to a Marvel Studios movie in the UK, so if you think those films are not quite suitable for your youngest children, then the same rule applies for Barbie.
As for the reason why Barbie has been awarded a ’12A’ certificate by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), this is because the film contains “moderate innuendo, brief sexual harassment, (and) implied strong language.” “Moderate” is the key word here, because while the film’s use of language, sex, and violence is not suitable for young children, it is not deemed as being particularly problematic for those who have reached the age of 12.
As an example, the BBFC states that when it comes to the subject of ‘threat and horror’, Barbie contains “infrequent scenes of mild threat includ(ing) a car chase. This occurs within a comic context.” And when it comes to the film’s use of ‘violence’, “comic fight scenes include undetailed punches, kicks, headbutts and (the) use of improvised weapons.”
Once again, the key words here are “infrequent scenes of mild threat”, “comic context” and “improvised weapons”. Nothing in these descriptions suggests Barbie is particularly hard hitting in its presentation, and certainly not harmful for teens.
So the above information relates to the UK certification of Barbie, but what about the US? Do the same rules apply?
Well, in the US, Barbie has been awarded a ‘PG-13’ rating by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPA). The ‘PG-13′ rating is similar to the UK’s ’12A’, in that the MPA believe some material is inappropriate for children under the age of 13.
In the case of Barbie, the MPA believe the film is most suitable for audiences of 13 and above – rather than young children. Young children can view the movie at the cinema, but the advice given by the MPA for ‘PG-13’ movies is that parents are “strongly cautioned.”
The Association states: “Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers.”
So, as with the UK, the US censors believe teenagers will be OK, but pre-teens not so much.
While the meanings and rules behind the UK and US certificates do differ in places, the ’12A’ and the ‘PG-13’ are generally operating within the same ball park. This means whichever side of the pond you happen to fall on, UK and US censors believe Barbie is best suited for audiences of around the age of 12/13 or above.
Once again, anyone below this age can view Barbie at a cinema, although in the case of the UK, those below the age of 12 will require an accompanying parent. The decision is therefore left with parents to decide if they now believe the film is suitable for their child, and to make their viewing choices accordingly.
And remember suitability isn’t just about bad language and violence, it is also about whether you believe the 8-year-old Barbie fan in your home will happily sit through a two-hour, live-action comedy, while in the company of other members of the public. While some young Barbie fans may sit happily for a couple of hours without any problems, others may not, and this is something to take into account of, for you, for your child, and for other audience members.
While there is a great deal of excitement and hype surrounding Barbie, it is always worth remembering there are plenty of shorter, animated Barbie movies available to view, if your child simply wants to watch a Barbie movie. These animated films are very popular, are specifically intended for children, and may be a more suitable alternative if you require one.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about Barbie – I hope the information has proved useful. For more movie posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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