The MPAA established the rating system to determine whether a movie is acceptable for specific age groups. PG-13 is considered somewhat family-friendly and appropriate for children over the age of 12, while R is restricted to anyone under the age of 17. For the most part, the system works, but throughout the 1990s, several movies were marketed to kids but were filled with a ton of violence.
The MPAA is strict about its ratings, and directors often must cut content to achieve a desired rating. Still, occasionally, something remains that leaves parents scratching their heads in wonder as they take their screaming child from the theater to their first counseling session of many. Most of the time, this is due to violent imagery, and these '90s movies have it and other frightening imagery in spades.
Take a look at the supposed kid-friendly ‘90s action movies that went as hard as R-rated movies. If you find one that left you with the impression that you probably shouldn’t have brought your underage children to it, be sure to give it an upvote to see which film rises to the top!
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Jurassic Park is arguably the best movie ever made about dinosaurs. The film is directed by Steven Spielberg and is based on Michael Crichton's best-selling novel of the same name. It features some of the most impressive practical effects ever seen in a movie, thanks to the inimitable Stan Winston. Those special effects still hold up today, which is more than you can say for other films in the franchise.
Overall, Jurassic Park is meant for families to enjoy, but at the end of the day, it's still a movie about a bunch of escaped dinos eating people. Several scenes, in particular, are frightening to children. These include the T-Rex breaking out of its enclosure, the velociraptors chasing the children in the kitchen, and the discovery of Samuel L. Jackson's detached arm in the power boot-up scene. According to Common Sense Media, JP is ok for children 12 and up, but parents should go on a case-by-case basis for their kids because several of the scenes, meant to be frightening, could be too much for young viewers.
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Decades after Universal Pictures last released a mummy-related film, the studio surprised the world with The Mummy in 1999. The movie is arguably Brenden Fraser's best action movie performance and launched a franchise. While the subsequent sequels weren't as good as the first, they are nonetheless enjoyable to watch.
The film centers around the accidental resurrection of the titular monster, who is given an interesting backstory through a flashback. When he returns to life, the Mummy is a disgusting, partly-desiccated, shambling corpse. Because it was released via a curse, it can rebuild its body into a more pleasing human form by taking bits from the men who inadvertently unleashed him on the world. While some children may find the Mummy frightening, others may take exception to the monster's penchant for ripping the eyes and tongue from a man's face. Granted, this happens off-screen, but it's nonetheless frightening for kids.
As the Mummy makes his way through the men who released him, he removes various parts and incorporates them into his body. He then leaves them desiccated husks, which can't be the most pleasing thing for a kid to see on the silver screen. The Mummy received a PG-13 rating for violence, and Common Sense Media agrees with the rating, even going so far as to suggest it is appropriate for children 12 and up.
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Independence Day is a Roland Emerich disaster film like no other. The SFX used in the movie don't rely on CGI and instead employ intricately-built models, which the filmmakers blew up in fiery explosions. Most of the practical effects stand up to today's standards, and it's truly an entertaining movie. Of course, several subplots and elements within the film are tough for some youngsters to handle despite the steps taken to make the mayhem a non-bloody affair.
Of course, destroying the world's significant buildings and landmarks might frighten a young child, but most older kids revel in the effects. There is a scene when one of the doctors is taken over by an alien, and that's undoubtedly frightening for kids to watch. Additionally, as you should expect from such a film, there's plenty of destruction. Common Sense Media believes the PG-13 rating is age-appropriate, but some parents may disagree, especially regarding alien/human interactions.
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Men in Black began a fantastic franchise when it debuted in 1997. The film stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as the titular MiB. They belong to a group of underground agents responsible for policing the Earth of rogue aliens, and they've been busy! The film focuses on the arrival of a bug, a giant cockroach-like creature that intends to destroy the Earth by capturing “the galaxy,” an energy source a cat wears on its collar.
The film features a plethora of cartoonish cruelty, and for the most part, it's not something that kids will be too frightened of, which is by design. The aggression is toned down, there's no human blood, and a lot of the horrible stuff is only implied. That said, some children may take exception with an alien donning an Edgar suit, which continuously rots as the film progresses. The ending with the big, nasty bug might throw some nightmares into a few children's heads, but Common Sense Media thinks it's acceptable for children 12 and up.
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Twister is a summer blockbuster featuring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton as tornado hunters. Their job is to confront tornadoes to study them, and the film begins with a frightening scene involving Hunt's character's father being sucked from a storm cellar to his demise by a twister, so it already gets off to a scary start for kids. There's not much direct aggression in the film, so don't expect to see a plethora of cadavers lying about in the aftermath of a bad storm.
That said, one scene might make a few kids cringe. The film's villain, if you could call him that, chooses to chase a tornado along a perilous path. From afar, his truck is seen as it's lifted in the air, and before anyone can react, a ladder comes flying toward the vehicle. It slams into the windshield, killing him before the truck is slammed onto the ground in a fiery explosion. Common Sense Media believes the film is ok for 14+ but thinks the PG-13 rating is too lenient.
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Rush Hour sees Chris Tucker team up with Jackie Chan in an action comedy that is the very definition of a buddy cop film. The movie centers around the kidnapping of a Chinese diplomat's daughter from Hong Kong. The Hong Kong police dispatch Chan's Chief Inspector Lee to the United States, where he's teamed up with Tucker's reluctant Detective James Carter, and they don't get on too well… at first.
Carter doesn't want to work with anyone, and Lee is only concerned with finding and rescuing the little girl. The film is a comedy, first and foremost, and features two incredibly talented leads. Still, there is a lot of fighting and gunplay, which often sees pieces pointed at peoples' faces. The mercilessness associated with the kidnapping and the little girl, who is scared and separated from her family, may frighten young children. Common Sense Media thinks the film is appropriate for children 14 and up.
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Jumanji is one of Robin Williams' most beloved films, and it's rather complex and well-structured to boot. Of course, Williams was in a plethora of children's movies over the years, but Jumanji is special. It spawned a franchise, which didn't see a new film produced for 22 years. Still, the original is where it all began, and in it, Williams plays Alan Parrish, a young boy who is sucked into the Jumanji board game.
He's stuck inside for 26 years, and when he emerges, he's gone native. As the game is played, hoping to bring it to an end, a hunter named Van Pelt is released, and he's a nasty person. He is intent on literally hunting Alan, which is where most of the film's cruelty comes into play. Van Pelt chases Alan across the city with an elephant gun, which he fires at him multiple times. This level of mayhem may put off younger viewers, and while the film is rated PG, Common Sense Media doesn't feel it is appropriate for children under nine.
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Last Action Hero is a fun spoof on popular action movies, and it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead. The film is set around Danny Madigan, a ten-year-old boy who loves Jack Slater movies and visits his favorite theater to see the newest one before it's officially released. He's given a magic ticket that transports him into the film and then spends the next hour or so eviscerating popular action movie tropes and how silly they are.
The film ultimately takes a turn when the setting returns to the real world, and the film's villain attempts to terminate Danny. Numerous action sequences feature explosions and gunfights, but it really dips into R-rated territory when Danny is injured and nearly felled. Everything gets very real very quickly, and it's a bit much for a PG-13 movie. Common Sense Media lists the film as appropriate for 15 and up, noting the mayhem, mentions of drug use, and the scary nature of the real-world scenes.
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The Mask of Zorro hit theaters in 1998 and helped make Antonio Banderas an international star. It also elevated Catherine Zeta-Jones to superstardom and is one of the best entries in the Zorro franchise. It stars Anthony Hopkins as the original Zorro, Don Diego de la Vega, so the film has a lot of star power. It also features tons of action sequences, swordfights, and more than enough sexual innuendo for some parents.
Of course, kids don't often pick up innuendo, so that's not necessarily a reason to keep them from seeing this PG-13 film. The movie does have several adult themes that could put some parents off from bringing their kids, and the swordplay might be too rough for others. A bit of gore and death is spread throughout the story, but it's not too over the top. Common Sense Media feels the rating is appropriate, though it says children 12 and up can view the movie.
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If you've ever watched Toy Story and thought to yourself, “this could use a whole lot more mayhem,” then Small Soldiers is the movie for you. The film is a 1998 action comedy starring Kirsten Dunst and Gregory Smith. Tommy Lee Jones lends his voice to the main bad guy, who is an AI-controlled toy. The basic premise of the film is that a military microprocessor was used in the design of a series of military action figures, and they became sentient.
Fortunately, they are split into two factions: one that wants to protect the humans and another that wants to terminate them. Yes, the film is about murderous toys, but unlike Child's Play, it's all about military tactics and weapons. For the most part, Small Soldiers is meant for children, but some may not like the copious amounts of aggression depicted on-screen. Common Sense Media doesn't think the PG-13 rating is entirely warranted, suggesting Small Soldiers is appropriate for children 11 and up.
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GoldenEye is the first James Bond film to feature Pierce Brosnan as the titular spy, and it's arguably his best in the franchise. The film was released six years after the previous title, so it was somewhat new to a generation of movie watchers. GoldenEye was rated PG-13 for various sequences of mayhem, and that's pretty much what you expect to find in a James Bond film. Of course, some of the demises were more graphic than others, especially at the end.
It's fair to say that everything involving the expiration of Alan Cumming's character, Boris Grishenko, is cartoonish, but that doesn't make it any less scary for children. He's drenched in liquid nitrogen, which instantly freezes him to death. There are, of course, a ton of bad guys taken out by various firearms and explosions, and because Sean Bean plays the bad guy, you know he succumbed to a horrible demise. Common Sense Media says the film is appropriate for 13+, but parents might disagree…
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Hook is a brilliant adaptation of the Peter Pan story featuring the amazing talents of Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, and Maggie Smith, among others. The movie sees Peter Pan all grown up and unaware of his past life. Instead, he's an attorney who is always on his phone. He's forced to go to Neverland when Captain Hook kidnaps his children, and it's up to Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys to make him remember who he is so he can save his kids!
The film is as wonderful as you'd imagine, featuring magnificent sets and gorgeous costumes. There are a few scenes and themes which may put off younger children. In one scene, a pirate is put in the so-called “Boo Box,” which is then filled with scorpions. Another scene features an accidental shooting of another pirate, which is laughed off, while other scenes feature swordfights and frightened children. Hook is rated PG and, according to Common Sense Media, is appropriate for children ten and up.
Not just for kids?See What The Kids Of The 'Hook' Cast Went On To Do Decades LaterSee all
- 1Charlie Korsmo9 Votes
- 2Dante Basco6 Votes
- 3Gwyneth Paltrow8 Votes
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As an adult, it's difficult to think of a Star Wars film as being inappropriate for young kids. Besides the occasional hand being chopped off, it's always a family-friendly affair. Toss in an annoying Gungan, and it's all about marketing to children. That said, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (and its two sequels) features some vicious imagery, which may not be appropriate for some of the younger viewers in the crowd.
While there's plenty of blaster fire, the bad guys are all droids, so it's difficult to get emotional about seeing them wiped out. There's not much person-on-person aggression, but there is a scene that may frighten some young viewers despite the PG rating. The scene where Darth Maul terminates Qui-Gon Jinn may disturb some young viewers, and those same children might not like seeing him bifurcated in the following scene, which may be deserved, but it's also horribly ruthless.
Not just for kids?The 18 Best Characters From 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace,' Ranked By FansSee all- 1Qui-Gon Jinn46 Votes
- 2Obi-Wan Kenobi50 Votes
- 3Padmé Amidala40 Votes
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The first live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is most definitely made for children. It is based on the cartoon, which is loosely based on the independent comic book by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird (which isn't really for kids). The cartoon made TMNT famous, and the films took their lead from that. The first film, aptly titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, was released in 1990 to rave reviews and spawned a feature film franchise.
For the most part, kids can enjoy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for its campy muppetry effects and substantial overacting. It's a fun alternative to the cartoon, and when it came out in 1990, it was the only option in a franchise that was still in its infancy. Throughout the movie, the TMNT engages in weapons-related cruelty and martial arts, which is precisely what you want in a TMNT flick. According to Common Sense Media, the PG rating is well-earned, and the film is appropriate for children eight and up.
Not just for kids?The Rocketeer hit theaters in 1991 and proved a man could fly! The film is centered around a stunt pilot who stumbles upon a jet pack designed by Howard Hughes. Unbeknownst to him at the time, the Third Reich hired the mob to find the rocket and deliver it to them so they could reverse-engineer the technology and take over the world! The mayhem in The Rocketeer is largely cartoonish in nature, but some scenes may frighten children.
In the movie, Ronald “Tiny Ron” Taylor plays the villain Lothar, and when he gets his hands on someone, he breaks their back. He doesn't do it Bane style by snapping their back over his knee and instead chooses to fold his targets backward in a grotesque manner. This is something that might make more than a few children want to sleep with their parents after seeing the film. For the most part, The Rocketeer is very family-friendly Disney fare, but some kids under 11 may be scared despite the PG rating.
Not just for kids?George of the Jungle is an action comedy starring Brenden Fraser as the titular lead. The film is based on the animated TV series of the same name from the 1960s, which is a spoof on Tarzan. Walt Disney made the film, and it is primarily meant for children. Of course, some jokes are inserted to keep the adults who took those kids to the movie entertained, but for the most part, there isn't much about George of the Jungle that might be unappealing to children.
There is a bit of aggression between George and several animals, which could frighten some youngsters… and seeing him smash into a tree face-first, while funny, could scare some little kids. The film was rated PG, so children of all ages could enjoy the movie. Common Sense Media believes it's appropriate for anyone six and older, but parents disagree. According to a parent poll on the site, children under nine should wait to see George of the Jungle.
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3 Ninjas is a kids' movie that follows three young brothers who are taught martial arts by their grandfather. He spends years training them in ninjutsu, which comes in handy when the three young boys are bombarded by a crook named Snyder, a rogue former student of their grandfather. He kidnaps the boys in an attempt to get to their father, who works in the FBI. Unfortunately for Snyder, he doesn't know what he's done…
While the American release of 3 Ninjas was well deserving of its PG rating, the international cut was a bit more intense. Several scenes were removed to achieve the PG rating in the United States. These include the firing of a gun, additional footage of Snyder's escape, and several more extensive vicious scenes. If you're interested in showing this movie to your kids, be sure to confirm which version you have so you don't traumatize the young ones! The international version is available on Vudu, while the American version is available on various streaming platforms and physical media.
Not just for kids?
