The violent content of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” contributed to the creation of the PG-13 film rating.
Released in 1984, “Temple of Doom” received a PG rating even though it included disturbing material, including a ritual in which a man’s still-beating heart is pulled from his chest, human sacrifice, child slavery, and intense action violence. Parents and critics argued that the existing system offered too little warning for a film that was frightening for younger children but not clearly severe enough for an R rating.
The controversy was reinforced by “Gremlins,” another 1984 film produced by Steven Spielberg that was also rated PG despite violent and frightening scenes. Spielberg urged the Motion Picture Association of America to create an intermediate category between PG and R. The MPAA introduced PG-13 in July 1984.
A common misconception is that “Temple of Doom” itself was rated PG-13. It was not: the film retained its PG rating. The new category was created partly in response to the controversy surrounding it and “Gremlins.” “Red Dawn,” released later in 1984, became the first film theatrically released with a PG-13 rating.