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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think it would be ok to take my 4 yr old to see HP7

155 replies

Clarence15 · 10/07/2011 15:20

I'm not sure if this is normal but my 4yr old son (along with my 9yr old dd) LOVES the Harry Potter films and has watched them all so far (on DVD) Dh, dd and I really want to watch the final film at the cinema but don't really have anyone we could leave ds with. Even if we did we'd have to keep it secret!

AIBU to think I could take him too? It's a 12A so in theory I could, but although he loves the films there will undoubtably be parts where he'll be asking what's going on or wanting to go to the loo - is this likely to upset the die-hard HP fans?

OP posts:

Scuttlebutter · 10/07/2011 17:43

Knowing the plot of the last book, I'd struggle to think it would be appropriate for a 4 year old.

And this is why DH and I have given up going to see films in the cinema, since they are now full of small children, kicking seats, loudly munching, asking their parents in loud voices what is happening, going to the loo, fidgeting and so on. What with that and teenagers who text/phone all the way through, cinema going is now an ordeal and a complete waste of money.

TyMinisterForMagic · 10/07/2011 17:46

I have at the moment my 3 year old ds watching film 2, just finished film 1.
I will be watching it, and as an adult choosing to not take my dc I would be abit fucked off if someone elses dc ruined it for me am nicking my food money to go [hblush] I agree take him in the morning or afternoon, leave the evening shows to the grumpy adults and older children [hgrin]

TyMinisterForMagic · 10/07/2011 17:47

Sorry clarence didnt see your post. FWIW I dont think it is a bad thing him watching them, they are great. Take him, he will love it

pranma · 10/07/2011 17:51

My s-i-l took dgs [just4] to see Toy Story 3-he loves 1 and 2 and he was totally freaked out by it and when you ask him about it he just says,'I cried'.

belledechocchipcookie · 10/07/2011 17:56

A lot of people cried at Toy Story 3 (and the monkey was scary!)

virgiltracey · 10/07/2011 17:57

Ty are you mad? he is 4!!!!
He will of course ask to see it, but it is an adult's responsibility to say no to prevent him from being exposed to violence and images that are inappropriate and potentially psychologically harmful at such a young age.
I think its such a shame that parents rush their children to the cinema to see films that are clearly too old for them. I really don't think the 12A certificate is a good thing at all. They should have stuck with 12 and prevented younger children from seeing films that are inappropriate.

NestaFiesta · 10/07/2011 18:01

I watched the first two with my DS1 ( aged nearly 5)) at home, with the lights on and me sitting next to him to pooh pooh scary stuff. After the first two, HP gets scary and there's a lot more evil and death. By the time you get to HP7 it's extremely dark and challenging and in no way suitable for 4 year olds.

I can see you have made a good decision to back down OP.

yearningforthesun · 10/07/2011 18:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

trixymalixy · 10/07/2011 18:18

My DS is 4 and there's no way I'd take him. The later films in the series get quite scary.

I think particularly as you haven't seen it in advance then you can't make a fully informed decision.

I'm glad you've changed your mind.

TyMinisterForMagic · 10/07/2011 18:20

Virgil if he has already seen the previous 6 films then the 7th is not going to shock him. I personally will not let my ds see any past number 2, but as the op's ds has seen the scary ones and wasnt affected then seeing the 7th will surely not bother him.
Me mad, maybe, but you need to get off your high horse!

debivamp · 10/07/2011 18:37

OMG!!! the censors have given it a 12a for a reason. bad parenting mmmmmm?

sparkle12mar08 · 10/07/2011 18:39

Totally inappropriate and I would seriously question the judgement of anyone who thinks murder and torture are suitable viewing for a four year old. Judgey pants firmly hoiked up here. It's the kind of thing that makes me pity the children exposed to them frankly.

ChristinedePizan · 10/07/2011 18:42

pranma - my DS loves ToyStory 1 AND 3 but is too scared to get our DVD of TS2 out of its wrapper. He's scared of the evil robot thing that tries to get Buzz Lightyear apparently!

theyoungvisiter · 10/07/2011 18:43

but ty how do you know he wasn't affected by watching the other films? I don't actually agree with the OP's decision to let her son watch the other six but since she didn't ask for an opinion on that, I didn't voice it.

Besides, watching a DVD on your own safe sofa with the lights on is very different from a cinema experience, in the dark, in a strange place, with sensory overload.

I think she's made a good decision to change her mind.

TyMinisterForMagic · 10/07/2011 18:58

the young visitor I too think it is a better decision to not take him, but going by what the op said, her ds enjoyed the first 6 films, so was not scared was he.
I think calling me 'mad' for not having the sheep theory and having a different reaction is ridiculous!
All dc have different levels of fear. My ds would be scared of the more recent films, but my younger brother would certainly not be.
As the op has left this thread so am I, I am not here to defend her choices regarding taking her ds to see the first 6 films. I can just see why she would consider taking him to the 7th.

lenak · 10/07/2011 19:10

I wouldn't let a four year old watch HP7 - certainly not at the cinema anyway. Watching a loud film like HP7.2 is one thing at home on a small screen, in the daytime with other distractions - it is quite different on a large screen, in the dark with loud surround sound.

DD is almost four and has been watching the first three HP films since she was 2.5. She doesn't scare that easily and absolutely loves Doctor Who. She's also seen bits of Avatar (although the chase scene in the forest freaked her out) and also bits of Jurassic Park.

I'm considering letting her watch HP4, although am a bit reticent because of the final scenes - I might wait till cozy movie afternoons in the winter. But there is no way she is watching HP5 - 7 for quite some time.

HP7.1 was really quite scary - especially the scene(s) with the snake. I watched it on my own at the cinema and it made me jump loads, even though I have read the book several times and knew exactly what was coming.

exoticfruits · 10/07/2011 19:18

I wouldn't have thought it suitable.

redskyatnight · 10/07/2011 20:35

In some ways taking a 4 year old is perhaps safer than taking an older child (say 7/8) because a lot of the truly scary adult themes will go right over their heads. But honestly - there is no way this film is suitable for a 4 year old. Even if they don't scare they won't "get it" and what on earth is the point of taking a child to see a film where they entirely miss the point?

(on a side note, why is there this current trend to do things with our children earlier and earlier? Neither of my DC had even been to the cinema at 4. If you do everything with them when they are so young, what will they do when they are teenagers?)

yearningforthesun · 10/07/2011 20:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

theyoungvisiter · 10/07/2011 20:42

yearning - a 12 means that no-one under the age of 12 can see it, whether accompanied or not.

A 12A means that under twelves can see it if they are accompanied by an adult.

Hulababy · 10/07/2011 20:46

12a just means that it is an advisory age range, so may not e suitable for all under 12s, but some will be fine, depending on the individual.

I know the OP isn't taking her 4y anyway, but I wouldn't have thought it particularly suitabe at 4y - doubt they'd follow the plot tbh.

I am taking my 9y DD though. She loves HP. Has seen the other films, has read the first couple of books and is about to start listening to the audio book of HP4. We are hoping to go a week on Thursday in the afternoon. DD will ave finished school wheeas most local schools wont have so shouldn't be too busy - that's the earliest we can get. Then at end of July were going back to Florida and off to HarryPotter land at IOA! [hgrin]

virgiltracey · 10/07/2011 20:47

Ty I'm happy to be on my high horse on this one. Its not about whether the child says they will be scared or even whether they have been scared by the previous films. Its about the fact that the parents are exposing them to inappropriate images and violence

A1980 · 10/07/2011 20:49

Only if they can appreciate it and sit still and quietly. It's 12A for a reason and there will be mainly older children there.

I say this becasue the last time I went to see HP (also a 12A number I think) there was a child who looked about 5 sitting behind me. For the entire film, "Mummy what's happening, Mummy where are they going, MUmmy is Harry Potter really a wizard." add to that the loo trips and the kicking the back of my seat, I nearly blew my top. It was clearly beyond his understanding and he should not have been there.

Hulababy · 10/07/2011 20:51

www.imdb.com/title/tt1201607/parentalguide

The above shows the reasoning behind the rating.

Those saying not for under 12s (if any?) remember it is 12A, not a 12 cert. That means under 12s CAN go.

thursday · 10/07/2011 20:51

my 4 yr old loves HP, but he's only seen the first 3 films so far. he doesnt scare easy usually but i dont think he's old enough for more of them. but then he's my oldest, his sister watches things i'd never have let him watch at that age. so i can imagine she'll be watching HP films at a younger age too unless she's not keen. but no, of course taking him to the cinema would be crazy, i'dbe mightily peeved a 4 yr old was sat near me when i go [hangry]

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