Faith-Based Movie Watchdog Takes 'Watchmen' Complaints to MPAA
Faith-based media ministry Movieguide has filed a complaint with the Motion Picture Association of America over the "R" rating assigned to the superhero flick "Watchmen," which made its national debut Friday.
"This movie contains extreme violence, nudity, and sex, including rape. Throughout most of the whole picture, one male character walks around completely naked, with his private parts waving in the breeze," said Dr. Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide and chairman and spokesmen of the Christian Film & Television Commission.
"This kind of content used to be rated X or NC-17," Baehr added. "The motion picture industry keeps changing its standards. No wonder the MPAA's rating system confuses parents."
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According to the ministry leader, the MPAA office has informed him that it would bring Movieguide's concerns to their board – a move that Baehr said the ministry appreciated.
"Even so, the movie industry needs to clean up its act and stop inserting graphic violence, sex, nudity, and drug use into its movies," Baehr stated.
"After all, would 'Casablanca' become an even better work of art if the script contained a bunch of 'f' words, or if Ingrid Bergman appeared completely nude? Definitely not!" he exclaimed.
Based on the 1986-87 comic book limited series of the same name, "Watchmen" follows a ragtag group of retired superheros, only one of whom has true powers, as a "wide-ranging and disturbing" conspiracy with links to their shared past is gradually unraveled. The film adaptation stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Matthew Goode, Stephen McHattie, Matt Frewer, and Carla Gugino.
