Posted on 05/24/2005 11:24:34 AM PDT by Borges
The Force may - or may not - be with Burger King's latest Star Wars-themed Kids Meals.
One day after a record-shattering weekend for Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, an advocacy group is asking Burger King to stop the tie-in of its Kids Meals with the film because it is rated PG-13.
The same group, Dove Foundation, got McDonald's 13 years ago to apologize for "confusion" from its promotion of PG-13 Batman Returns with Happy Meals. Now, it's going after BK's latest Kids Meal promotion - targeted at kids ages 4 to 9. The meals feature characters from Sith or other Star Wars films.
"When Burger King puts that in a Kids Meal, there's an implicit endorsement of the movie," says Dick Rolfe, chairman of Dove Foundation.
This is no small matter. Product licensing and promotion is a $100 million annual business. Since the first Star Wars was released in 1977, the six films have racked up almost $9 billion in merchandise sales and product promotions.
For Burger King, the stakes are huge. The No. 2 burger chain is in the 16th month of a major rebound. The Star Wars promotion, dubbed "Choose Your Destiny," is the 50-year-old chain's first global promotion.
Burger King officials insist the promotion isn't specific to the latest film (the others are rated PG), but one that relates to the chain's long-term relationship with the Star Wars franchise. Executives point out that only four of the 31 Kids Meal toys are specific to Sith.
The toys "clearly celebrate not just one film but the entire Star Wars saga," says Edna Johnson, a Burger King spokeswoman. "The reception at our restaurants and from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive."
But Rolfe says "the tie-in is very specific to this film." Wrappers around Kids Meal toys all promote Sith, he notes.
Dove Foundation, a non-sectarian family advocacy group, sent an overnight letter to Burger King last Thursday requesting the promotion be stopped. It also conducted a national phone survey of 889 adults and says 83% felt the promotion was not appropriate for kids.
Another critic says the fault isn't that of Burger King but Star Wars creator George Lucas. "It's irresponsible of George Lucas to OK the marketing around this PG-13 movie to young children," says Susan Linn, a Harvard psychologist and author of Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood.
"Star Wars is broader than a single movie," says Lynn Fox, a LucasFilm spokeswoman. "Parents know that Star Wars has been a positive influence."
The late great Robert Ridgely. He died before the film came out.
I think this is being just a bit of over reacting. It isn't a tie in with an new R or NC-17 film. It's Star Wars, a very well understood franchise.
Yeah, that's gonna happen.
As long as the toys themselves are age appropriate, I don't see anything wrong with it. No one is being forced to take their kids to see the movie.
The real question is how old is your son. I have a 10 year old who I let see the movie and he was fine with it. I would not let my 7 year old little girl see it. She is too sensitive. It all depends on your child and how you think they can take a PG13 movie. You know your child. If your child saw Daredevil, the Hulk, or the last Spiderman movie and was OK afterwards, he will probably be OK with this installment of Starwars.
"How 'bout just stop that creepy plastic-looking Burger King guy on the commercials?!?!?!"
That dude is Scary looking! Looks like he could have stepped out of a slasher movie...
How do you figure he messed up?
I understand that you don't care for the gore, and that's fine, but when all is said and done and this movie is in the top 5 all time in terms of revenue (which it probably will be), it sort of indicates that he did quite the opposite of messing up.
Kind of like saying that Mel Gibson messed up with the gore in the Passion.
JMO.
While there is one questionable scene, my own two boys saw the movie (with Mom and Dad) on Sunday. In my opinion, unless the child is VERY sensitive, I really don't see a problem.
Other posters have spoken about the scenes which probably caused the PG-13 rating, so I won't reiterate them here.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, as did hubby and the kids.
No matter what you decide, though, I'm sure it will be the right choice for your son.
Regards,
PS: If your boy saw the Spiderman movies or Jurassic Park, he won't have any trouble with this one.
I saw RotS last week and I saw nothing that warranted a PG-13 rating. Hell, I didn't even know it was PG-13 until I read this article. Anybody know what the PG-13 rating was for?
Sounds to me like these people are on the Lucas payroll. Nothing more attractive than forbidden fruit.
First of all I'm not sure I like you LOL
.Second, I remember waiting in line in Bentwood MO., in the freezing, F@ing cold, to see "Last Tango..." This was at an "Art Theater" in a very nice neighborhood with "Up Scale" clientele. It was the first time I paid $5.00 for a flick! During the flick, people were throwing things at the screen demanding there money back!
Well third of all that should Brentwood, Mo.
Just a lot of intense battle scenes...one intense "burning scene" on a lava planet(don't want to spoil it for you)
LOl
Give me a break!!
On to Burger King!!! woohoo!!!
Oh, for heaven's sake!
Burger King has been around for 50 years?
First one opened in 1954 in Miami.
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