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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To tell DH 5yrs old *is* too young for Star Wars (even though I've never seen it)

142 replies

lechatnoir · 18/05/2011 21:05

DH has started to let DS1 watch Star Wars (the old ones) which I'm not happy about it as I assumed they are quite dark &/or violent. DH reckons the early ones are 'harmless' Hmm and I'm being OTT and unfair stopping him seeing then when most of the boys in is class have seen bits if not all of them.

So AIBU to DH/DS1 or are the Star Wars series totally inappropriate viewing for a 5yr old?

LCN

OP posts:
squeakytoy · 18/05/2011 21:06

Er yes, you are being totally unreasonable. Most kids love star wars.

Alambil · 18/05/2011 21:08

I think they're quite dark - I held off DS watching that stuff until he was practically 7 and started being picked on for not knowing what the other kids were on about in the playground. I wasn't totally happy but let him watch Transformers (the first one) and the 70s Star Wars films - the bullying stopped.

meditrina · 18/05/2011 21:08

Star Wars (the first one released, now known as IV - A New Hope) is a U certificate, and here is what BBFC has to say about it.

chicletteeth · 18/05/2011 21:09

YABU. My eldest (6 years) loves it. And he really doesn't get the dark stuff; he just likes the costumes and the spaceships and the aliens etc...

ManicPanic · 18/05/2011 21:10

I wouldn't say that they are dark / adult at all, however I don't think they're suitable for a 5 year old as the plot will largely go over their heads (apart from the goodie versus baddie theme) and they will get bored and wander off 15minutes in. If your dh wants to revisit the films once the dc are in bed, fair enough.

My 5year old dd loves fantasy and sci-fi, she enjoys Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Primeval, is banned from watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer until she's older, and I am eagerly awaiting her to get to 7 / 8 so she can watch Star Wars, then Lord of The Rings when she's 10 / 11.

AgentZigzag · 18/05/2011 21:10

It has a universal rating, I thought it might have a PG tbh.

It's a bit of a classic though and your DH is probably seeing it through his own eyes when it came out?

The 'death grip' on that bloke and shooting down the ships I suppose could fire his imagination, but I don't think DC need 'mild' films to do that, they're usually scared of totally normal stuff you can't avoid.

I let my 10 YO DD watch 12 rated films, but only ones I've seen and know she can handle.

meditrina · 18/05/2011 21:10

Oh, and The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi (2nd and 3rd in order of release, but now numbered V and VI) are also both U certificates.

CurrySpice · 18/05/2011 21:10

YABU. It is very tame and rather moralistic tbh

DamselInDisguise · 18/05/2011 21:11

Oh, they're fine. 5 year old boys love star wars. I'd say go along with your DH on this. (perhaps not the newer ones, though)

Then you can fill your house up with star wars toys, just like the rest of us. Urg.

raindroprhyme · 18/05/2011 21:11

YABU he will love it even my 18month old can use a light saber that is because DS1 and DS2 are Star Wars mad.

The newer ones and the 3rd one are darker and DS1 didn't watch these until he was 7 but DS2 saw them younger than that.
It is a lovely thing for them to do together and if DH is on hand to make sure he understands the scary bits they will be fine.

If on the other hand you don't want to making Jedi outfits for halloween and having to call your DS Obi Wan to get him to do anything don't let him watch them.

EvilTwins · 18/05/2011 21:12

My DTDs are 4 3/4 and they love it. DH let them watch the first three when they were doing half days at school in September. I have never seen any of them all the way through, and my girls just cannot understand why. They keep telling me stuff about how amazing Star Wars is. DTD1 told me this morning that when she grows up she's going to have 4 babies, and their names will be Luke, Leia, Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip.

moodymama · 18/05/2011 21:13

DD (5.2) saw all 6 Star Wars, a few months ago. There was only 1 episode I wasn't happy about her watching but it was too late as DH had shown it to her already. She absolutely loved them but I think they were quite scary really. No ill effects though.

mymummyisasquarehead · 18/05/2011 21:13

YABU.

To be honest, I fond it pretty odd that you aren't happy about this.......given that you've never seen them!!

Perhaps you'd be better advised to watch them first?!

My 4 year old LOVES them. Ageless.

theglove · 18/05/2011 21:13

Old Star Wars are fine! Probably good for that age. The newer ones are darker but still ok.
No sex (in fact DS and I were commenting on the lack of women altogether),
the death is quite sterile and it's about good and evil.
Watch them, they're okSmile

The only trouble is, you'll have years of expensive Star Wars toy-buying, maybe your DH can take that overGrin

CogitoErgoSometimes · 18/05/2011 21:13

YABU to ban someone from watching something if you have no idea what it's about.

AuntieBranflake · 18/05/2011 21:14

A couple(??) of Christmas' ago, my DD (about 4 then??) watched Peter Pan (not the cartoon, nor the one with Robin Williams?? sorry not very helpful this bit!) and she got really upset because Peter Pan wouldn't let Wendy go home.

After it had finished she switched channels and caught the end of one of the Star Wars, and didn't bat an eyelid at all the violence, flying vehicle crashes and bodies being thrown all over the place.

She didn't get it at all, where as Peter Pan being a sulky meanie ...

footballsgalore · 18/05/2011 21:14

My DS is 5 and has just started watching star wars. My feeling is it depends very much on the child. He loves it, but his older brother would have had nightmares at that age.
I think the old 'original' films are OK but the new ones are a lot darker. He knows he is not watching the one which is a 12 rating and only watches the PG ones with us.
I also don't really like the 'Clone Wars' series as it seems much more violent and shoot 'em up. However, he does watch a DVD of the film which we have watched with him and checked out. He doesn't watch the TV series.

MovingAndScared · 18/05/2011 21:15

my 5 year old DS also LOVES star wars - and I think they are fine -
I have banned him from no 3 of the new ones as that is a 12

Egg · 18/05/2011 21:15

My 3 and 5 yr olds watch star wars all the time. Was not overly keen but they love them. Have also watched the first lord of the rings. Even the three year olds talk excitedly about gandalf etc. Not so keen on transformers tho despite dh's protestations.

MerylStrop · 18/05/2011 21:16

There are many reasons why you might want to hold off exposing your 5 year old to Star Wars. Take it from someone who has just spend an hour trying to come up with reasons why Bobba Fett is the best character in Star Wars 1,2 and 3, apart from Han Solo and Anakin Skywalker.

oldieneedsreminding · 18/05/2011 21:16

yabvu
I took my ds to see it in the cinema aged two, twice. he loved it.
episode three, the latest is a bit darker, but he was older by then, i think six? or five. not sure when it came out.

bigmouthstrikesagain · 18/05/2011 21:16

ds WATHCHED THEM ALL THIS SUMMER with me and dh he was 5 then 6 as his birthday involved getting the box set. He enjoyed them all (particularly the first film).

I had no problem with it and his imagination has been really fired by the story he particularly identifies with Luke Skywalker and I have been reading Stars Wars and Clone wars books and annuals with him constantly regularly since. His reading really came on as he found books he really wanted to read and we never have to struggle over what to get him for christmas etc.

He also looked great in a (homemade) Luke Skywalker outfit at a fancy dress party last yearSmile

MerylStrop · 18/05/2011 21:16

It's way less full on than say Ben 10 IMO.

trixymalixy · 18/05/2011 21:16

The original ones are U rated, my 4 year old DS loves them.

wildstrawberryplace · 18/05/2011 21:17

Hmmm. I think YABU. I let DS watch at 4, and I'm fairly strict about acceptable viewing. As far as I am aware the first few are all U rating, aren't they?