Film Certs

[Amadeus]

Would you give a 12a cert film to either a 5 year old or an 8 year old?

[maviczap]

Maybe to the 8 year old, but not the 5 year old. I'd also ask the parents first.

It depends on the film

[Spank86]

Depends on the film.

I watched Batman when I was 8 and I think that was a 15.

There are other 12's however that may not be appropriate.

[Amadeus]

It was the parents who gave the kids the films. Seemed rather inappropriate to me but it sounds like I'm being a little over sensitive.
Dad says that he tells kids that zombies (don't know which films he's shown them) aren't real so that makes it ok. The (now) 5 year old endured Harry Potter a couple of years ago - was terrified!

[maviczap]

Yep, for pre 5 and even 5 year olds I wouldn't show them Harry Potter movies, they are too scary in parts, especially the latter ones.

[Kenzie]

I think people should pay attention to the ratings. They are there for a reason. It's like giving 10yr old Timmy GTA (18 rated) then complaining that it has given him nightmares or bad ideas. What film was it by the way?

[Amadeus]

That was my thought.
One was an x men film, the other was captain America

[Bibio]

willy wonka gave my youngest a nightmare so the ratings are flawed.

i have never bothered with ratings and my kids have always had free reign to watch what ever they liked. my kids were always told 'if you dont like it dont watch it'.

[Amadeus]

Sounds like you have a similar view to my inlaws - it's not perfect so ignore it. Not my view and it may well be fine for some kids or kids of a certain age.
I suppose that I worry that certain films will have a negative impact on them even if they chose to watch them.

Appreciate your input tho

[NTECUK]

You need to make your own mind up.
After all Paddington Bear is a PG?
Harry Potter movies also scared my son when he was younger.

[PyroUK]

Film ratings nowadays are useless. Stuff which should have been 18 or maybe even held back for a DC are being released as 15's and some which should be 15's as 12a etc.

I think as a species we have become desencitised so more stuff gets through.

As a general rule though for my niece and nephew I stick to the more "traditional" animated films as a safe bet.

Still watching stuff that isn't age appropriate isn't all that bad, walking in to a screening of terminator and seeing a big ass robot gets its face smushed as a toddler never did me any harm........on second thoughts yes, yes it did. Kids should only watch kids films.

[Amadeus]

I don't think Paddington bear should have been a PG but I understand that there are some scenes that are inappropriate (I have no idea of the nature of such scenes - do you?)

[Spank86]

I'm not sure that a scared child means they shouldn't watch something.

Sometimes it can but being scared is part of life and I'm glad I watched scary movies before I became old enough that they aren't scary anymore.

Maybe not 5 though. There's a line between being scared and being terrified and unable to sleep for weeks.

Thing is X-men and Captain America are both "cartoons", so if the parents haven't seen them they might not be aware of exactly what they're like.

[thulfi]

I think I saw the Terminator and other similar 1980's rated 18 action flicks when I was around 8, remember absolutely loving it. Grew up just fine, slept like a baby.
Funnily enough there was an educational childrens tv show called through the dragons eye that we were showed at school at around the same age where the bad guy looked like this.
http://images.tvrage.com/cguide/99/6037.jpg
http://www.abigailryder.com/snatter4/26-Charn.jpg

I kid you not, found this guy more disturbing than any of the hollywood action flicks I watched at the same time. Go figure eh.

[dirtydog]

I think it depends on the film and the child, I don't take too much notice of ratings 2 of my girls are completely different and find different movies scary/funny etc

[Bibio]

I suppose that I worry that certain films will have a negative impact on them even if they chose to watch them.

Appreciate your input tho

yes you worry so could you explain what your 'negative impact' worries are?

i'm not trying to be negative i'm just interested in your views.

[Amadeus]

I saw a couple of boys (not my nephews) who got very boisterous after watching an older film - they didn't seem to appreciate what's real and what you can do in real life.
The boys who murdered James Bulger regularly watched older films (specific films that they'd watched were cited as an explanation of their behaviour)
I think quite a lot of films that appeal to young men do not always portray women in the best light.

I think the average person doesn't necessarily appreciate what goes on in a child's head and despite telling a child that it's not real, they can dwell on things.
That said, I agree with what someone said that being scared isn't necsarily a bad thing - I doubt Daleks turned anyone into murderers but for a child of the 70's, they provided almost certain scares.

Don't want to come across as holier than thou- I don't have kids and am not in a position to criticise

[Spank86]

Funnily enough there was an educational childrens tv show called through the dragons eye that we were showed at school at around the same age where the bad guy looked like this..
That whole program was seriously creepy!


The boys who murdered James Bulger regularly watched older films (specific films that they'd watched were cited as an explanation of their behaviour)
I think quite a lot of films that appeal to young men do not always portray women in the best light.

PersonallyI think you're mixing up cause and effect.

[Bibio]

I saw a couple of boys (not my nephews) who got very boisterous after watching an older film - they didn't seem to appreciate what's real and what you can do in real life. i have watched adults do exactly the same coming out a cinema after watching a movie. if watching a movie does not spark emotion then i would be worried about the individual.
The boys who murdered James Bulger regularly watched older films (specific films that they'd watched were cited as an explanation of their behaviour) just like the kids that murdered themselves after listening to too much Judas Priest records.
I think quite a lot of films that appeal to young men do not always portray women in the best light. so by that fact you are saying that movies are responcable for men treating women badly? no i think not, most of these so called men would behave in the exact same way no matter what as most women are the weaker species and a loooot of men take advantage of this because they know they can or its taught by their fathers.

I think the average person doesn't necessarily appreciate what goes on in a child's head and despite telling a child that it's not real, they can dwell on things. yes your quite right only a child and that individual child knows what is going on in their heads but due to not having the life experience that older people have they cant comprehend what is going on.
That said, I agree with what someone said that being scared isn't necsarily a bad thing - I doubt Daleks turned anyone into murderers but for a child of the 70's, they provided almost certain scares.

Don't want to come across as holier than thou- I don't have kids and am not in a position to criticise

each person's brain is different and that is what makes us all individuals. as the brain grows and creates new pathways these pathways can become 'abnormal' add to that the chemical reactions taking place can make people comprehend things different to other people, what might be wrong in most peoples eyes could be normal in others, this is why some people turn out to be murderers, rapists, child molesters etc.etc.

as parents we can only guide our children so far in life hoping that we teach them moral consciousness but its up to the adult that they grow into to live by these moral teachings unless there is an abnormality in their brain then there is no hope.

the worst misbehaving adults i have ever had the misfortune to encounter have been sheltered as children.

as little as 100 years ago children of 8 were sent down the mines or worked in the mills which by todays standards would be unthinkable.

anyway enough of my ranting :-)

[NTECUK]

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view"?

[Littlepeahead]

I've watched all the Hobbit movies this week and had Orc nightmares every night and I'm 44!

My 5 year old nephew is allowed to watch things like brain surgery on TV, he loves it, and I know a lot of adults can't watch that sort of thing.

I took both nephews to see Paddington and there was nothing in it that was scary.

[Amadeus]

I remember a program called "the changes" when I was young - think it was about electrical devices becoming conscious, I was terrified - couldn't be in the same room when it was on tv.

[PyroUK]

I think we're missing the point somewhat, it's not necessarily about them being scared.

It's about seeing stuff that is appropriate for their age. As we have gotten more used to all this stuff more and more is making it through at an earlier age.

Swear words,violence, sex etc all of which is more accessible to more, fragile, minds.

[NTECUK]

The TV news is hardly appropriate for kids....

[PyroUK]

True, but to be fair, how many kids actually watch the news?

I know I couldn't think of anything worse when I was younger! Haha

[Littlepeahead]

My older nephew would always watch it, then ask me questions about it. Aged 6 he got on a train and asked how I would get to work and what would happen to all the drivers if they lost their jobs now the train company had been stopped from running trains? I was very confused until the lady opposite said he must mean the franchise being taken away from them early due to poor performance. He'd seen it on the news.

He used to ask about all sorts of things including on one occasion economic policy! I learned 2 things, always read the papers in depth before I was planning a day with him so I could discuss current affairs, and never assume kids don't take in and think about what they see on TV!

[Heorot]

I let my kids watch The Keep (X rated as 1 of the top 100 horror films of all time) when they were 9 & 10. They loved it but my ex went ballistic when she heard. The kids thought it was great and no after effects.

[maviczap]

The TV news is hardly appropriate for kids....


Neither is Eastenders, that should be banned, like many other programmes which have surreptitiously taken away the nations brain cells. :smt075

[ClunkintheUK]

The thing that gets me is how some completely inappropriate things get through (I am thinking Noah mid afternoon on Christmas day) because they are based on a story in the bible.

I also think, as has been alluded to previously, that the rating system doesn't cut out anything truly damaging. I am sure if you really put your mind to it you could make a film which got a pg rating but showed deplorable behaviour. Things like bullying, people being passive aggressive and manipulative being held up as the hero.