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Kingsman - The Secret Service - 15 Certificate Appropriate?

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birdie1971 | 00:04 Sun 31st May 2015 | Society & Culture
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Wow. Just wow. What a fabulous action movie that was. Literally just finished watching it. However, I am really surprised that it was a 15 certificate. It's quite insanely graphically violent and yet isn't an 18. I find that really surprising and actually rather disconcerting.

I was wondering whether to post this question to the Film & TV section of AB but since my concern is about the certificate it has been given, it may be more at home here.

Has anyone else here seen it? If so, did you enjoy it and more to the point, do you think it should have been an 18 or am I just being an old prude?
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'Strong violence' is permissible in '15' certificate films: http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/15 (Click the links on the left to compare with other certificates) Attitudes to on-screen violence seem to vary greatly across the world. The USA is less restrictive than the UK but Australia is far more so. (For example, when I was in Oz many years...
00:41 Sun 31st May 2015
'Strong violence' is permissible in '15' certificate films:
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/15
(Click the links on the left to compare with other certificates)

Attitudes to on-screen violence seem to vary greatly across the world. The USA is less restrictive than the UK but Australia is far more so. (For example, when I was in Oz many years ago, I saw 'The A-team' on telly there. In the UK it was being shown in the peak family-viewing slot on early Saturday evenings. In Oz it was on late at night, with an '18' certificate shown on the screen beforehand).
I'll be honest, and I'm by no means sheltered! I thought the very final bit was a bit much for a 15 (the sexual reference, not any violence)
I did enjoy it up til then, and then thought 'Hmmmm.. why add that in'?
-- answer removed --
honzstgirl is popping up everywhere !!!
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Buenchico -

Thanks for that BBFC link. I never thought to look there. D'oh!

According to their website, regarding 'strong violence': "... at 15 violence may be strong. It should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury, however, and the strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable..."

I have to say that I think the scene in the church qualifies as "strong gory images". At the end of the massacre there's a lingering shot of a chap with a wooden stake going through this chin and out through the top of his head!
Not exactly the kind of McDonald's commercial we've all come to love and respect.
I watched it last night and I did enjoy it, it's pretty unique and certainly hits the spot action wise. I agree about the violent acts, some harmful stuff going on but I remember thinking whilst I watched it that they didn't really focus on the 'outcome' of the act., not much blood or guts! Borderline though, would have definitely been an 18 cert 20 years ago.
You should only be allowed PG.
Keyplus, That response says more about you than it says about Birdie - but you can't resist an opportunity to poke the stick. I'd hazard a guess that few are impressed.
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Keyplus - "You should only be allowed PG."

Oh dear.
You make a fool of yourself again. Old habits die hard I guess.
birdie1971, the BBFC says that 'the strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable' in 15-rated film. Having re-watched that scene, it's strong but not really one of the strongest (i.e. Hostel or Saw). You see some blood coming out of his mouth and small bloodstains where it enters his head in his chin and out of the top. Bloody, yes, but not too gory IMO.
8 Symbol - Mostly minus T + B

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