MPAA too lenient on ratings for 'Potter,' 'Bruno'

I really enjoyed "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth and latest adaptation of author J.K. Rowling's best-selling fantasy novels.

In fact, I'd say it's my second favorite of the movies, after 2004's "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

But I still think the film should have received a PG-13 rating instead of the PG it got from the Motion Picture Association of America's Classification and Ratings Administration.

Parents of sensitive young ones should be advised that there's some disturbing imagery and intense action that may give them nightmares.

That's to be expected with these movies, most of which deal with wizardry and sorcery and the supposed "occult." (Bizarrely, four of the six Harry Potter features have been rated PG, though.)

If anything, I'd argue the MPAA has apparently gotten even more capricious and nonsensical with its rating system lately.

Take, for example, "Bruno," writer/producer/star Sacha Baron Cohen's mockumentary about homophobia.

The film was apparently trimmed or edited to get an R rating from the MPAA. But there's still so much in the way of sexual content and nudity and other questionable humor and language that it should have remained an NC-17.

"Bruno" also goes way too far to try to prove a point. I'm just saying.

SPEAKING OF GOING TOO FAR …

"Bruno" has been banned in the Ukraine. The country's Culture Ministry called the movie "immoral," citing its rather frank depiction of gay sexual practices.

You might recall that the 2006 hit "Borat" was banned in both Russian and in Kazakhstan, one of the two countries it spoofed.

The other, of course, was the United States. Where the film made $128 million theatrically.

BANNED? OR JUST SMART BUSINESS STRATEGY?

A couple of readers wrote in to ask why "Bruno" is not playing in Utah County. At least one of them questioned whether there was some sort of censorship going on.

There's nothing sinister about it. The eight major, first-run theaters in Utah County chose not to carry the outrageous and inarguably offensive film.

Those theaters might have gotten walkouts and complaints — if not worse — if they'd chosen to show it.

And besides, it's not like they're doing anything to prevent anyone from going to the five Salt Lake-area show houses — the Carmike Ritz 15 (West Valley City), Century 16 (South Salt Lake), Cinemark Jordan Landing (West Jordan), Megaplex District (South Jordan) and Megaplex Gateway (Salt Lake City) — that are currently playing the movie.

e-mail: jeff@desnews.com