PG-5

So, on a whim yesterday afternoon, Jeremy and I (well, it was mostly me...) thought it would be fun if we took the kids to the movie theater.
Aren't we fun!?

We got popcorn, and a drink, and ran in the theater to watch "Race to Witch Mountain." It wasn't my first choice, but I didn't think the kids would want to wait around to watch "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" which would have started an hour later (Jeremy wanted to watch "Taken," and I had to explain to him that our children would have chewed their limbs off if we did.)

If you have seen "Race" you know that the first 25 minutes of the movie is completely comprised of things blowing up, resulting in really, really loud noises. At one point, Joshua covered his ears and started to cry. Whoa. That never happens.

So, I spent a good chunk of the time explaining to him that everyone was okay, and that nobody was really hurt, and periodically would shove popcorn into his mouth to distract him from the none-too-kid-friendly movie.

Eva, on the other hand, after eating the majority of the popcorn (and getting fake butter in her hair and everywhere else her tiny arms could reach) was rolling (more like sliding) all over me, Jeremy, the seat, the floor, in total and utter boredom. I can't say I blame her. She managed to lose a shoe and her sipper cup in her thrashing around. We managed to recover her shoe, but decided scouring the nasty theater floor for a sipper cup wasn't worth it, and left as soon as the credits rolled.

"Sheesh," I thought to myself. "What was that rated, anyway?"

PG

No way! In this case, I think "parental guidance" had more to do with the young mommies and daddies guiding their children to the exit (Joshua wasn't the only crier).

The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) should have degrees of PG. "Race to Witch Mountain" should have at least been a PG-5. Or even a PG-6. But at some points (you watch a bad guy get disintegrated in a blue electrical fire when the Rock punches him in the face after pretending to help him) I don't think it was appropriate for kids at all. I think that the MPAA is really pushing the limit with movies. Maybe they should rate it differently: Mellow, Mild, Intense, and Inappropriate for all viewers. Of course, if they did that, then most movies would have the last rating.