We had been thinking that Pixar's recent release "Up" would be a good early movie for our nearly five-year-old, Z. The PG rating, according to the Internet Movie Database, is for "some peril and action," which doesn't really faze us. But then we heard from multiple adults who had seen the movie that while they had enjoyed it, they wouldn't take their young child to it. Some even called it "kind of depressing." Fortunately for most of Disney's direct-to-DVD sequels, MPAA includes "depressing" in its rating criteria!
So, I'm asking... Have you seen "Up"? Did you, or would you take your kids to it? Why or why not?
There's a broader question here, which I'll pose soon. But first, I'm really curious to hear any parent's thoughts about this particular movie.
And incidentally, whoever the folks are at Disney who thought that disabling embedding of "official" trailers was a good idea... - Jeremiah
We took our daughter to see it on her 5th birthday and she loved it. I agree there are parts that are a bit sad (the opening montage is heartbreaking for adults), but even though I’d say she’s pretty perceptive for her age, she wasn’t bothered by it and didn’t really “get” the depressing bits. There were lots of funny parts that had her (and us) laughing hysterically and the overall feeling we got from the movie was very uplifting, not depressing at all.
We took our 3.5 y/o (Ladybug) to see it opening weekend. Hubs and I are big Pixar fans so we could hardly wait!
We chose to see it in 2D, mainly because the theater didn’t have 3D glasses sized appropriately for the kiddo. That was probably a wise decision, as I’m fairly sure that the extra “punch” from 3D would have been a bit too intense for Ladybug.
I took Olive on her 4th birthday, and she kinda liked it, but we left about 15 minutes before the end because the scary dogs got a little too loud. Word is, her best friend left as soon as the dogs appeared.
I agree with Jen that the depressing bits will be missed by most kids, but will have adults in tears.
We took our 5 1/2 y/o and he loved it so much he wanted to see it again in 3D (we opted for non-3D the first time, as we thought it would be less intense). This hardly ever happens. The only movie he liked this much was “Cars,” and this is now his new favorite.
Some important considerations:
Is she afraid of dogs? (lots of mean dogs and dogs chasing people)
Does she understand the concept of death? (old woman pictured in hospital bed and at funeral in a quick montage.. if she knows nothing of death it will likely go over her head because they do not dwell on it in the film, but if she is of questioning age on this it may stick with her)
There is a little fighting (swordplay-style),lots of cartoon stunt action (the equivalent of vine-swinging with balloons and garden hoses) and peril, but the peril does not seem insurmountable. My son is very peril-sensitive and it never bothered him because he could always see a method of escape.
On the plus side, the colors and visual imagery are fantastic, and adults will love it is much, or more, than the kids.
I think a movie you can all enjoy together is probably worth the risk if you are unsure.
5. Sandy [7/07/09]
I just wanted to add that if it is 3-D you will want to see the previews for Toy Story 3 but if it is not 3-D you will likely see Harry Potter previews, and those previews are pretty darn scary. There is also a preview for a kids show on the Cartoon Network about ghosts and haunted houses which is a bit much.
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We took our daughter to see it on her 5th birthday and she loved it. I agree there are parts that are a bit sad (the opening montage is heartbreaking for adults), but even though I’d say she’s pretty perceptive for her age, she wasn’t bothered by it and didn’t really “get” the depressing bits. There were lots of funny parts that had her (and us) laughing hysterically and the overall feeling we got from the movie was very uplifting, not depressing at all.
We took our 3.5 y/o (Ladybug) to see it opening weekend. Hubs and I are big Pixar fans so we could hardly wait!
We chose to see it in 2D, mainly because the theater didn’t have 3D glasses sized appropriately for the kiddo. That was probably a wise decision, as I’m fairly sure that the extra “punch” from 3D would have been a bit too intense for Ladybug.
I thought this was a great “sum up” article about the flick. It gives good information without the spoilers.
I took Olive on her 4th birthday, and she kinda liked it, but we left about 15 minutes before the end because the scary dogs got a little too loud. Word is, her best friend left as soon as the dogs appeared.
I agree with Jen that the depressing bits will be missed by most kids, but will have adults in tears.
Also, why can we have an elderly star before a girl star?
We took our 5 1/2 y/o and he loved it so much he wanted to see it again in 3D (we opted for non-3D the first time, as we thought it would be less intense). This hardly ever happens. The only movie he liked this much was “Cars,” and this is now his new favorite.
Some important considerations:
Is she afraid of dogs? (lots of mean dogs and dogs chasing people)
Does she understand the concept of death? (old woman pictured in hospital bed and at funeral in a quick montage.. if she knows nothing of death it will likely go over her head because they do not dwell on it in the film, but if she is of questioning age on this it may stick with her)
There is a little fighting (swordplay-style),lots of cartoon stunt action (the equivalent of vine-swinging with balloons and garden hoses) and peril, but the peril does not seem insurmountable. My son is very peril-sensitive and it never bothered him because he could always see a method of escape.
On the plus side, the colors and visual imagery are fantastic, and adults will love it is much, or more, than the kids.
I think a movie you can all enjoy together is probably worth the risk if you are unsure.
I just wanted to add that if it is 3-D you will want to see the previews for Toy Story 3 but if it is not 3-D you will likely see Harry Potter previews, and those previews are pretty darn scary. There is also a preview for a kids show on the Cartoon Network about ghosts and haunted houses which is a bit much.