Film censors bow to snowflakes: Classic films including Rocky, Flash Gordon and Star Wars are slapped with stricter ratings to appease woke audiences

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) changed classification of films
Moved from PG to 12A, meaning no child under 12 should watch without adult
Of 93 complaints the board received last year, 27 were regarding Flash Gordon
It was reclassified up to 12A due to the inclusion of 'discriminatory stereotypes'

Published: 10:13 BST, 6 July 2021 | Updated: 10:13 BST, 6 July 2021

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Classic films including Rocky, Flash Gordon and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back have all received tighter ratings classifications as film censors bow to 'snowflake' viewers.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) moved several films from Parental Guidance (PG) to 12A, meaning no child under 12 should watch without being accompanied by an adult.

The former rating meant the film should not unsettle a child aged around eight or older.

Of the 93 complaints the board received last year, 27 were regarding 1980 space opera film Flash Gordon.

Classic films including Rocky (pictured), Flash Gordon and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back have all received tighter ratings classifications as film censors bow to 'snowflake' viewers

Of the 93 complaints the board received last year, 27 were regarding 1980 space opera film Flash Gordon. Flash Gordon's main villain, Ming the Merciless (pictured), was of East Asian appearance but played by Swedish-French actor Max von Sydow

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was also re-released and was classified PG for 'moderate violence and mild threat'. It had been a U film, meaning it was suitable for all ages

British film censor claims Flash Gordon villain Ming the Merciless is a 'discriminatory stereotype' and 'offensive'

Viewers have been warned about an 'outright offensive' character in the iconic movie Flash Gordon.

The British Board of Film Classification has added a warning about Ming the Merciless, advising the audience that the character played by the late Swedish actor Max von Sydow is a 'discriminatory stereotype'.

The 1980 movie was reclassified as a 12A, and the BBFC said Ming is 'coded as an east Asian character' and would now be considered, 'dubious if not outright offensive'.

Last year, Gone With The Wind was temporarily removed from HBO Max over concerns about its depiction of slavery.

On its website, the BBFC warns: 'An alien character is coded as 'Asian' due to his hair and make-up, although he is portrayed by a Caucasian actor.

'The character derives from the film's dated source material, but some viewers may find the depiction offensive.'

In a podcast released a few days ago, BBFC senior policy officer Matt Tindall said the film was originally classified A, or advisory - the equivalent of a PG.

He added: 'Things we have moved on since 1980 and we had to look at Flash Gordon with fresh eyes. In doing so, we came to the conclusion that for modern audiences its much more appropriately rated 12A than PG.

'Flash's arch-nemesis, Ming the Merciless, is coded as an east Asian character due to his hair and make-up, but he's played by the Swedish actor Max von Sydow, which I don't think is something that would happen if this were a modern production and is something we're also aware that viewers may find dubious, if not outright offensive.

'The character of Ming himself of course comes from the Flash Gordon comic strips of the 1930s and let's just say that attitudes towards the acceptability of discriminatory racial stereotypes have moved on considerably since then, and rightly so, of course.'

The movie's 40th anniversary re-release was reclassified up to 12A due to the inclusion of 'discriminatory stereotypes,' the BBFC report for 2020 said.

Flash Gordon's main villain, Ming the Merciless, was of East Asian appearance but played by Swedish-French actor Max von Sydow.

Also uprated was 1976 boxing classic Rocky, which was moved from a PG rating on video to a 12A for the 2020 theatrical re-release.

Its reclassification was due to 'moderate violence, mouthed strong language and domestic abuse', the BBFC said.

The extended edition of The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring was moved up to a 12A for its 'moderate fantasy violence and threat,' the BBFC said, bringing it in line with the other two films in the trilogy.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was also re-released and was classified PG for 'moderate violence and mild threat'. It had been a U film, meaning it was suitable for all ages.

The Elephant Man, the 1980 drama starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Sir John Hurt, became 12A for 'moderate threat, upsetting scenes and injury detail'.

However, not all re-classifications resulted in stricter ratings.

The 1984 sports drama The Karate Kid was a PG with cuts for its original theatrical release and a 15 uncut on video since then.

The BBFC now deems it suitable for 12A uncut, for 'moderate violence and drug references'.

And The Fast And The Furious, the first film in the blockbuster franchise, was rated 15 upon its release in 2001 but is now a 12A for 'infrequent strong language, moderate violence and sex references'.

The report said 17 people complained about the PG rating for 2019 fantasy film Pinocchio.

Most felt the rating was not high enough, according to the BBFC.

The BBFC stood by the rating and said the film balances its darker moments with 'comic interludes and a reassuring outcome'.

It added: 'As such, these moments are not strong enough for a 12A rating and the film is classified PG.'

And there were nine complaints about Netflix's controversial film Cuties, which attracted legal action in Texas over its alleged 'lewd' depiction of children.

Cuties follows an 11-year-old Senegalese girl living in Paris who rebels against her conservative family's traditions when she becomes fascinated with a 'free-spirited dance crew'.

One complaint focused on the poster art shown before the release of the film while the rest were about the film itself, the BBFC said.

The extended edition of The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (pictured) was moved up to a 12A for its 'moderate fantasy violence and threat,' the BBFC said, bringing it in line with the other two films in the trilogy

All complained about the sexualisation of children in the film.

However, the BBFC described Cuties as a 'mature and thought-provoking coming of age drama that shows the influence that aspects of sexualisation in popular culture can have on young people'.

The BBFC said it was suitable for a 15 rating.