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'Some Rear Nudity' to 'A Smoking Caterpillar': The Weirdest MPAA Warnings

The new Godzilla was rated PG-13 for “intense sequences of destruction, mayhem and creature violence.” Creature violence! That is the kind of very specific warning that has become a hallmark of the rating board at the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) since the 1990s. While they tend to harp on the same basic potentially kid-scarring taboos — violence, language, sexuality, nudity, drug use, and smoking — the MPAA gets incredibly precise noting just what type of potentially offensive variation is shown. From “a mild birds and bees discussion” to “non-stop ninja action” to “wide range of perversions in explicit detail,” here are some of the oddest MPAA warnings of the past 20 years.

ACTION AND VIOLENCE

Dead Alive (1993): “Rated R for an abundance of outrageous gore.”

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up (1995): “Rated PG-13 for non-stop ninja action.”

The Skateboard Kid II (1995): “Rated PG for brief mild language and an adolescent punch in the nose.”

Fight Club (1999): “Rated R for disturbing and graphic depiction of violent anti-social behavior, sexuality and language.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001): “Rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences and some scary images.”

Rollerball (2001): “Rated PG-13 for violence, extreme sports action, sensuality, language and some drug references.”

Alien Vs. Predator (2004): “Rated PG-13 for violence, language, horror images, slime and gore.”

LANGUAGE

Little Giants (1994): “Rated PG for kids’ rude language and pranks.”

Grumpier Old Men (1995): “Rated PG-13 for salty language and innuendos.”

Matilda (1996): “Rated PG for elements of exaggerated meanness and ridicule, and for some mild language.”

Bushwhacked (1997): “Rated PG for language and a mild birds and bees discussion.”

SEX AND NUDITY

The Indian In The Cupboard (1995): “Rated PG for mild language and brief video images of violence and sexy dancing.

Pink Flamingos (1997 re-release): “Rated NC-17 for a wide range of perversions in explicit detail.

Mr. Deeds (2002): “Rated PG-13 for language including sexual references, and some rear nudity.”

Clerks II (2006): “Rated R for pervasive sexual and crude content including aberrant sexuality, strong language and some drug material.”

Cutie And The Boxer (2013): “Rated R for nude art images.”

Brick Mansions (2014): “Rated PG-13 for frenetic gunplay, violence and action throughout, language, sexual menace and drug material.”

DRUGS & ALCOHOL

Dazed and Confused (1993): ” Rated R for pervasive, continuous teen drug and alcohol use and very strong language.”

Trainspotting (1996): “Rated R for graphic heroin use and resulting depravity, strong language, sex, nudity and some violence.”

Beverly Hills Ninja (1996): “Rated PG-13 for sex related humor, martial arts violence and a humorous drug related scene.”

Mean Girls (2004): "Rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and some teen partying.”

SMOKING

Alice In Wonderland (2010): “Rated PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar.”

The Monuments Men (2014): “Rated PG-13 for some images of war violence and historical smoking.”

PUPPETS

Jefferson in Paris (1995): “Rated PG-13 for mature theme, some images of violence and a bawdy puppet show.”

Team America: World Police (2004): “Rated R for graphic crude and sexual humor, violent images and strong language - all involving puppets.”

Photos: Fineline Features, Disney