'Dark Knight Rises' Earns PG-13 Rating

The rating for "The Dark Knight Rises" has been released, which means director Christopher Nolan is likely in the final stretch editing the film together.

The MPAA has given the third and final Nolan Batman film a PG-13 rating for "intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language," according to a screenshot of the Warner Bros exhibitor website posted by a forum member on nolanfans. As both "The Dark Knight" and "Batman Begins" were rated PG-13, this should come as no surprise. And while this Batman flick seems to be the darkest of the trilogy, we're sort of happy Nolan didn't delve into rated R territory.

"Batman Begins" was rated PG-13 for "intense action violence, disturbing images and some thematic elements," while "The Dark Knight' earned its rating for "intense sequences of violence and some menace." There are two things included in "The Dark Knight Rises" rating synopsis that weren't in the previous two films.

First, there's that whole "some sensuality" warning. There are two main female characters in this flick -- Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle and Marion Cotillard's Miranda Tate (or Talia al Ghul, to those of you who believe the rumors) -- but it's likely Selina who has earned that rating. She and Bruce Wayne have what we like to call a tumultuous relationship, and there's really no way of portraying it on the big screen without a little sensuality in the mix.

That whole "language" warning gives us a little pause though. Has the MPAA just gotten stricter, or does someone have a potty mouth in "The Dark Knight Rises"? Maybe it's new villain Bane, played by Tom Hardy, though from what we've seen of his footage we likely won't be able to understand any of his curse words anyways.

Are you happy with "The Dark Knight Rises's" PG-13 rating? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!