‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Gets an Official PG-13 Rating

Parents, take note: if your kid is under the age of 13, they won’t be able to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens unless you accompany them to the theater. The highly-anticipated film has officially been given a rating designation of PG-13 from the MPAA, which really isn’t a big deal, considering how many of this year’s top-performing films also carry the rating.

THR reports that the MPAA has given Star Wars: The Force Awakens a PG-13 rating for “sci-fi action violence,” a combo intense enough to warrant the suggestion that kids under 13 shouldn’t see the film in theaters without a parent present. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was previously the only film in the franchise to earn that rating; the other five films were given a rating of PG, though the original trilogy was released before the creation of PG-13 in 1984.

While the rating may seem like a bit much for a family-friendly sci-fi adventure, keep in mind that eight of the top 10 films of 2015 are also rated PG-13, including The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, Jurassic World, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Furious 7, with three of those films appealing to fans of all ages.

So before you hesitate to take your kid to see a new Star Wars movie, remember that PG-13 isn’t really that big of a deal, and also that the MPAA tends to be a bit conservative (and often baffling) in their ratings practices.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18.