Complaints from the public have prompted the chief censor to lift the rating for the film Land of the Lost from PG to M.

Chief censor Bill Hastings said New Zealand automatically adopted G, PG and M ratings from Australia , but the system was not always perfect.

"But there is an inbuilt safety valve - if members of the public are concerned about a film's rating they can ask me to review it."

The M label applies to films containing offensive language and sexual references.

Land of the Lost is an action comedy and a remake of the 1970s sci-fi television show.

- NZPA