...you are probably too young to be seeing a PG-13 movie.
Saturday night, Eric and I went to see Avitar (loved it by the way). We got to the theater early and went in and there were only a few people, including a couple of adults and row full of kids. These kids at best were 6-years-old. A couple of them were sitting in boosters seats so that they could see. It wasn't a big family, but was a family with their child and his friends. As more people came in, more and more families with little kids, including a child who couldn't have been more than 2, came in.
Now, I know everyone has different opinions and ideas on what is okay for kids and what is not... but come on, an almost 3 hour PG-13 movie, that starts at 7:30 P.M. when you are 5 or younger?? They call it the innocence of children for a reason!
Okay, so what if you as a parent have seen the movie and think, it would be okay for my kid.. what about the previews?? In PG-13 movies they are going to have previews for at least PG-13 movies.. and all I know is a couple of the previews they showed last night were creepy! Besides, a movie where almost the final 1/3 is a battle/fight scene is probably not okay for 5-year-olds!
The kids were great and didn't talk or bother us, in fact one fell asleep... but is it just me or is 5 to young to take to a PG-13 movie?? No wonder why kids are growing up too fast.
I will now get off my soapbox.
I have not seen it though everyone I know who has seen it, tells me it's great. I don't think a kids movie should be classified by the rating though. Cartoons to me are to violent as it is. =)
ReplyDeleteI agree. I'm ready to disconnect the cable as well ;) My hubby and I went to see "Knocked Up" (before the baby) and there was this guy with his 8-9 year old daughter. I was like, seriously? They say the "C" word in like the first five minutes. I so would have walked out...
ReplyDeleteI agree. I watched "Where The Wild Things Are" with some girlfriends and we all agreed even THAT movie was not a "little" kids movie! Call me old fashion, I'm even picky about the PGs my kids watch!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I thought Avatar was incredible, but when I watch it again (and I will!) I'll still be finding a sitter.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your soapbox, I say stay on it. :) I completely agree with you on this, people are getting more and more lax about the movies they allow their children to see, and it's mostly just because they want to go see it themselves but don't want to worry about getting a sitter or something. People can't bear to do without something because they have children. :P
ReplyDeleteStuff like that totally annoys me too. Like when I go to the grocery store at 9pm and I see young kids running around. What are people thinking. Put those kids to bed!
ReplyDeleteI already wrote a big long email to McDonald's (and got a rather lousy excuse of a response) because their happy meal toy a few weeks ago was Avatar characters. I didn't like that they were advertising a PG-13 movie to my 3 and 1 year old.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. I went to see Spiderman a few years ago, and there is one scene in which a car flips up off of the road and looks like it is going to hit a crowd of people on the sidewalk. A little boy in the theatre yelled out, "Oh, No!" as the car was flying through the air. Um, yeah. I'm pretty sure he was too young to be there.
ReplyDeleteAt least they have restrictions on R rated movies. (I think they do, right?)
I'll stand next to you on the soapbox. Avatar is not my cup of tea, but based on what I know about it neither of my under 10 children would even be allowed to watch the previews. Their exposure to EVERYTHING is appalling to me and I struggle to balance between sheltering them so much that they lose it when they finally get some freedom and encouraging them to be innocent and naive as long as possible. Such a bumpy road!
ReplyDeleteAgree 100%
ReplyDeleteWhen I turned 20, a couple of my friends treated me to a movie. FLATLINERS. Have you seen this? Highly disturbing, but oh so good. Rated R. In the theater there was a little kid somewhere in age of Alex and Ryan...but no older than Lucas. Talk about needing therapy for life! What is wrong with people???
This is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves! I am amazed at some of the things people will let their children watch. I am very particular about what my kids are allowed to see. Even when my kids are 13...I will still have to approve any movie they see with a rating higher than PG!
ReplyDeleteI'm there with ya! We went to Transformers 2 and I couldn't believe how many kids were there and that movie was worse than a lot R rated movies I've seen! I just don't get it! I actually feel bad for the kids, they are getting so desensitized so early!
ReplyDeleteA twin soapbox for me is that media, restaurants, etc. MARKET these types of movies for children, then fill them with adult themes and words and everything that is inappropriate for children.. Like the McDonald's toy....you're right, Mary.
ReplyDeleteI have relatives who bring their little kids to movies like Avatar and I think it's crazy. Your 2-year-old might not get anything that's wrong or inappropriate, but when do you EVER set limits? When they're 12 and all of that sexual content stops going over their heads?
Amen. I loved the movie, definitely wouldn't take my children to it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up PG-13 movies were never allowed in our house, and the first time I saw one, I was 13. I am now a lot older than that, and really have no desire to see movies above PG unless it is a really good movie. But I think it is horrible to take kids to see shows like that at such a young age. I have noticed how Disney movies affect my son. He hits because they did in the movie (albeit he uses his cardboard swords, he thinks he is sword fighting) he pretends to shoot people, he says words we didn't teach him (shut up, etc). If a Disney movie has such an impact on my two year old, I shudder to think what a PG-13 movie would do to his innocence!
ReplyDeleteNo kids in the movie theater after 5 is my rule. But no one listens to me.
ReplyDeleteI saw "Avatar" too ... cool flick! Loved the special effects and the whole Pandora world.