Movie Ratings
Aaron B.

In response to Ji-Soo W., a PG-13 rating in the U.S. means "parental guidance strongly recommended for viewers 13 and under." It is between PG and R, and probably equivalent to your M (Mature) rating.

I don't worry too much about Jackson shooting for the PG-13 rating. LOTR has no swear words or sex in it, so the only issue is violence. A PG-13 rating can still be fairly violent. Certain scenes from the book, such as beheadings or heads being catapulted into Minas Tirith, may not be shown or may be presented in a less graphic way, but I don't think that would interfere with the core of the story.