UPDATED: Harry Potter and the half-blood ratings system

For another interesting story about the use of alcohol and teen drinking in the film, check out this NY Times article.

Last night, I got in touch with my teenage self and indulged in an outing to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I've always enjoyed the movies, even if they're geared to a crowd who's more into the Jonas Brothers than worrying about their next due date for rent.

And needless to say, there were moments that this PG-rated movie scared the piss out of me.

No one argues that the books get progressively darker, so I was expecting this 6th installment to definitely be an explicit "good vs. evil" showdown. However, no one warned me of that showdown including an scene of a boy (Ron Weasley) seizing and foaming at the mouth. Or that a girl who is "cursed" is thrashed around in the air, suspended in an unmistakeably crucifixion-like pose, and then thrown to the ground where she continues to twitch. Or a spell that causes a character's blood to seep out of his body onto the ground around him.

That's on top of the standard "evil wizards swarming around and burning down houses and killing innocent people" material that comes with the Harry Potter territory. Oh, and the sexual tension that runs so thick throughout the movie I wanted to gag at times.

The 4th and 5th movies received PG-13 ratings, and didn't suffer in the box office for it. And although there were some grumblings about the harsher rating, most viewers found them to be justified. So why the drop now, in what I considered the most violent of the series to date? Some of the people I went to the film with were like "what's the big deal? If people are going to see it anyway why does the rating matter?"

It matters because that "13" on a rating is the difference between what can and can't be shown in some schools. It's the difference between a little kid being sent to the movies without a second thought, and maybe just one parent taking a closer look at just what the film contains. Or at the very least, being prepared when those more graphic scenes do come up, so they can be ready for them.

I was just disappointed in the system. But I must say, the toolbag that tries to woo Hermoine is worth a second glance.