Star Wars film reclassified to PG due to violence and frozen Han Solo scene

Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi has been reclassified from a U to a PG due to its violence and a scene which shows one of the film’s heroes Han Solo frozen in carbonite.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) had given it a U rating upon release in 1983, but said “the detail and overall intensity” of violence in the film meant that it was changed to PG last year for violence and threat, despite this being “offset by humour and an emphasis on loyalty in adversity”.

A U rating means the film is suitable for audiences aged four and above and should be “family-friendly”, while a PG rated film contains some content that may not be suitable for children and parents or guardians are advised to be present while they are watching.

In its 2023 Annual Report, which saw the sci-fi film reclassified, the BBFC said of Star Wars Episode VI: “This sci-fi adventure sequel concerns rebel heroes who must rescue their friends before facing an intimidating enemy army.

“As well as laser gun fights, aerial dogfights, and fight scenes which include the occasional use of improvised weapons, a person falls to a presumed but unseen death, a villain tortures a character by repeated electrocution, and a hero severs a villain’s hand at the wrist in a scene featuring limited detail.

“A captor attempts to feed his prisoner to a monster, and there are other scenes of threat involving bombs, hostages and a hero being frozen alive.”

In the film, Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford, remains imprisoned in the carbon chamber after he was frozen by Darth Vader in 1980’s prequel The Empire Strikes Back, which is classified as PG, to test whether the process will safely capture Jedi Luke Skywalker.

Now in the hands of crime lord Jabba The Hutt, after he purchased him from bounty hunter Boba Fett, Luke, Chewbacca, droids C-3PO and R2-D2, and Princess Leia Organa attempt to rescue him from the monster.

Another film which was reclassified from its initial 1978 U rating to PG by the BBFC was Abba – The Movie.

This was due to “mild sex references and language” in a “suggestive” song title and lyrics, discussion of a “sexual term”, and band members talking about one of them being given the title of “sexiest bottom”.

It also noted that the film features “mild bad language”.

The BBFC said the sequences were “no longer within our standards at U” despite upholding the initial rating for video and theatrical releases in 1987 and 2008.

Other films to be reclassified were 1947’s Black Narcissus, which went from U to PG due to “mild threat, violence, brief bloody images and discrimination”, and 1995’s Higher Learning, which went from 15 to 18 for “sexual violence”.

In the report, the BBFC announced plans to strengthen its partnership with Amazon’s Prime Video as part of its increasing collaboration with streaming platforms operating in the UK.

It said it hoped to establish a self-rating system similar to the BBFC’s existing agreement with Netflix.

The BBFC said it worked closely with the streaming platform to refine its internal rating processes ahead of the wider adoption of age ratings and content advice across the service.

David Austin, chief executive of the BBFC, said: “Following a precarious few years for the film and entertainment industry, it was encouraging to see cinema submissions increase in 2023.

“Looking forward, the BBFC will continue to deliver on our mission to support safer viewing experiences for UK audiences by supporting the cinema and home entertainment industries, as well as extending and enhancing our best-practice partnerships with streaming services.

“As an extension of this, our groundbreaking work with AI will make trusted BBFC age ratings and content advice more accessible than ever before, enabling us to better meet the needs of our industry partners and ensure that families have the guidance they want and expect when choosing what to watch.

“There are exciting times ahead for the BBFC.”