To take a four year old to see 'The Amazing Spiderman'.

[Jiggleballs123]

Would you?

I'm a geek aren't I?

yep you are

I think with harry potter they are made for children the kids ages so as they grow up to the age it does get darker

I do think 12A is a useful category - but really for parents of DC aged maybe 8-11 - because children that age range vary so much in what they will enjoy. So, some 8yo will be fine at a 12A, while some 11yo wouldn't enjoy it.

But they are really not aimed at young children, and I do wonder why parents choose to take children as young as 4 or 5 to the cinema to sit through films which are just not likely to keep them entertained. Given the cost of cinema tickets, it seems a waste of money for them, and quite often a waste of money for everyone sitting nearby if the parents try to sit it out with a noisy fidgeting child.

The thing is though you could take a younger child because they wouldn't understand a lot of it, whereas a 6+ yr old child would comprehend a lot more of the horror and tragedies.

I'd take a 4 yr old to a 12A more than a 6 yr old.

If I was sure they weren't going to disturb other people ofc

My three year is desperate to go, he doesn't scare easily but still won't take him maybe will wait till the DVD comes out and skip the bad bits.

Pag, DP hated the first spiderman. It was a bastardisation apparently but then he has read the comics.

Fwiw I'm quite relaxed when it comes to games and films but I wouldn't take a 4yo and was very surprised about 5 mins ago to see clips of the film shown in the Disney shop. Don't take him, he won't like it and the other people in the cinema won't thank you for it.

It completely depends on the child and what they're used to. As I said I took my 6 yr old and then my 5yr old nephew.

My dd comes to the cinema with us most weeks, she has 2 much older siblings so is used to watching their choice, she's watched all the twiglights, hps, saw the avengers, iron man, and various romantic comedies. She's been coming with us since about 4, she knows to keep quiet, if she doesn't like it she just covers her eyes but she has never been scared to the point of getting upset.

My nephew fell asleep in Spider man, I don't think it fazed him at all.

Obviously if your child has only watched ( am struggling for examples here) but say postman pat then you stick them in front of the final Harry potter it isn't going to go well. It depends on lots of variables.

Forgot to say that I did take them to a 10am showing as I didn't know if my nephew would behave himself. Wasn't too busy but everyone there had come with kids, most of whom were well behaved.

You do need to be considerate of others when you take dcs with you.

RubyFakeNails, if I wanted to see a film not really suitable for a four year old, I wouldn't take them anyway and expect them to cove their eyes, I would just go without them or wait for the DVD/Sky version.

Just because they don't seem visibly upset at the time doesn't mean it's OK to take them to see Twilight/romcoms etc

It does annoy me when the merchandising is very attractive to younger kids, the you see it's a 12a.

No I would not take a 4 year old to a 12a. Nor a 5 6 7 8 year old either. By the time DS (currently 6) gets to 9 or 10 I will use my judgement on his maturity, read the reviews etc.

Agree they may not appear visibly upset, but it def has a long lasting effect on them. Kids under 8 have a much harder time with differentiating between fantasy and reality (Santa, tooth fairy, Easter bunny anyone?), and things can seem so much more "real" to them than us adults, who understand the film making process and the fact it is just entertainment. Therefore I believe we have a responsibility to protect them from more adult themes and images until they can make this psychological distinction, and mentally "protect" themselves by understanding it's NOT real. Ratings are advisory, yes, but why not take that advice?

toomuch- good post, I agree.

The advice is under 12s should be with a parent. I'm her parent I'm with her, it's completely fine.

We go to the cinema as a family of 5 weekly, we pick films suitable for all of us it's not that dependent on whether I want to see the film it's not as if I'm dragging her in to see Magic Mike of the human centipede.

Covering your eyes because it's 'yucky' and there's a bit of blood or something is hardly a trauma. I don't believe in being overprotective with my children, they know the line of its only a film they've got to be in another one next week.

But anyway it's a personal choice isn't it, that's why there is the option, so it can be at the parents discretion, I choose to, you don't, doesnt matter to either of us what the other does in the grand scheme of things.

nope i wouldnt, i would ltho wait for it to be out on dvd, watch it myself and see if i though they would be ok with it, we did this with transformers and my ds4 who is 4 has watched them with his elder brothers, all the sexual innuendo goes over his head, he just likes the robots!

Here's the official line: The ?12A? category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ?12A? film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ?12A? are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.

So yes, a parent must be with the child, but it's not "recommended" for a child under 12.

Personally, this would mean I would not take my 5yo.

Well, I'm taking my 5 year old who has begged me

You're the parent - you make the decisions surely? Not a load of faceless muppets on MN

Its a good film. I saw it with 11 yr old. 4 yr old would have wet his pants.

Shney

I'm taking my 5 year old. I drew the line at the Aliens films though...

Shine - exactly!

An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. is the key phrase here. If, in your judgement, your child of whatever age, will be able to cope with the content of the film then take your kid!

Nothing wrong with a bit of a scare every now and then anyway, Dr Who has been terrifying kids for generations.

An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child.

I just don't see how a 4yr old will ever, ever be as mature and able to cope as a 12yr old, which is where the threshold has been drawn.

I wouldn't have taken my DS at 4, but 7/8 ish - we felt some 12A films were okay, but it depends on the film. There's a HUGE amount of variety within the 12A category. We happily took him to see The Avengers Assemble, but on the advice of my brother whose judgement we trust, we won't take him to see Spiderman.

Woman in Black was a 12a. Anyone take their 4 year old to that?

I just think it's highly selfish (unless it is a parent and child showing) to inflict a possibly upset 4 year old on everyone else, who has also paid to see the film.

8-11 is a whole world away from 4/5.

I am really surprised that anyone would consider taking a four year old to watch a film with a 12A rating, I have a 3(almost 4) year old as well as an 8 year old and there is no way I'd take either of them to watch a 12A.

Wasn't The Dark Knight a 12A? Lots of kids love Batman but I find it hard to believe anyone would allow their 4/5 year old to watch that?

I find the whole 'you know your child best' thing a bit bollocky, surely anyone with more than 2 brain cells can see that films like this are in no way suitable for a child that young whether they have nagged and begged or not!

Of course a child who is subjected to films like like that will become desensitised eventually but that doesn't make it acceptable (in my eyes at least!)

Not sure why this issue pisses me off so much but it does!! but fails

12As vary quite a bit, tbh. Chronicle was a 12A, no way would I take a child under 12 to that.

But Step Up was a 12A. No violence. No nudity. No drug references. I think there may have been one rude word. In a song. (I didn't notice it)

These things can be pretty arbitrary.