Out of all the questions concerning Christopher Nolan’s concluding chapter to his Batman movie trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, that of its rating was always one of the least interesting. It’s always been a forgone conclusion that the flick would be classified as a PG-13 affair – like its predecessors and a good chunk of Nolan’s filmography before it.
Well, as it turns out… that’s exactly the case.
Multiple sources (including Collider) are now confirming that the MPAA has branded Dark Knight Rises with a PG-13 Rating, citing “intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language” as the basis. That puts the film on a par with both The Dark Knight and Batman Begins, as both were likewise classified PG-13 in part for having “intense” action/combat sequences.
It’s the “sensuality” mentioned in the MPAA’s decree for Dark Knight Rises that’s worth actually noting, as sexual content in Nolan’s previous directorial work has tended to be either tame or non-existent. Considering that the film features classic Batman femme fatale Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), there’s long been the expectation that Nolan would have to up the amount of sensual content and atmosphere – if only to do that character justice on the big screen. Of course, that’s the same expectation which has prompted lots of jokes about the Caped Crusader’s “rise” being directly related to Miss Kyle. Moving on…
As mentioned before, there’s little additional reason to go on about the Dark Knight Rises‘ rating. The movie was never going to feature, say, Bane (Tom Hardy) causing a lot of bloody carnage or Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) fully getting his freak on with Selina Kyle – if only because Nolan’s not the sort of filmmaker who would include such explicit material, without good reason. That’s to say nothing of the more box office-friendly nature of the PG-13 Rating, of course.
The Dark Knight Rises hits regular and IMAX theaters in the U.S. on July 20th, 2012.
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