U stands for 'Universal', meaning the film, video or DVD is suitable for anyone. Examples include Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang and The Princess & the Frog.
PG stands for 'Parental Guidance', which means that some parts of the film might not be ideal for younger children. Parents ought to think carefully before letting them watch. Examples of PG films are How to Train Your Dragon and Tooth Fairy.
12 is now only ever seen on videos and DVDs. As with the 12A, it tells parents that the content is best suited for those aged 12 and above. Examples, both of which were certified 12A for cinema, includeIron Man 2 and Avatar.
12A is only for films released at the cinema. It tells parents that the film is best suited for those aged 12 and above. Parents can take along under 12s if they choose, so long as they go with them! Examples include Iron Man 2 and Avatar.
15 means that the film, video or DVD is really only suitable for those aged 15 or above. Only people aged 15 or older are allowed to view a 15 rated film at the cinema or buy or rent a 15 rated DVD, video or game.
18 means that the film, video or DVD is only suitable for adults (people aged eighteen or over). Only adults are allowed to view an 18 rated film at the cinema or rent or buy an 18 rated video, DVD or game.
Magical Nanny McPhee returns to help the Green family, and their poor Mum Isabel, as they struggle to cope during the war.
'Nanny McPhee & The Big Bang' is a sequel to the popular children's film from 2005. This time the action occurs during the Second World War when the magical nanny comes to the aid of a mother whose husband is away at the Front. The mother is struggling to maintain order amongst her unruly children and their cousins who have been evacuated from London. The film was passed 'U' and contains no material likely to offend or harm.
The film features a child character who constantly uses the word 'poo' but this is in relation to the messy farm surroundings in which he finds himself. Furthermore, his attitude undergoes a clear change through his experiences on the farm. The film also contains some examples of mild bad manners such as a 'burping' blackbird' and mild bad behaviour as the children fight with one another. However, the children are reprimanded for their fighting and the bad manners and bad behaviour all occur within a good-natured comic context, with the film as a whole promoting positive messages about understanding, resourcefulness and courage.
There are also some mildly scary moments, such as the furniture in a shop seeming to come to life and talk to an adult character, but these moments are brief and are accompanied by both reassurance and comic respite. A scene in which the family are led to believe that their father has been killed in the war is handled with sensitivity, the sadness being immediately balanced by the response of one of the children who declares with utter certainty that he knows his father is still alive. He then uses his resourcefulness - helped by Nanny McPhee's magic - to prove it.
Scenes featuring a comically 'bad' character who is determined to sell the family farm so that he can pay his gambling debts see him being threatened by two equally comic women 'enforcers' who say that unless he settles his debts they will remove his kidneys. The women are presented like pantomime 'evil sisters' and their threats are played for laughs without any real sense that their 'victim' will actually come to a grisly end.
'U' stands for Universal, which means that we think the film is suitable for audiences aged four or older
