appropriate age for watching Jurassic Park

[farewellfigure]

Hi

At what age do you think a child can watch Jurassic Park? DS is 6 in March. We went to the Natural History Museum at the weekend and he saw a 10 second clip and said he'd like to watch it, but I remember it being really scary. DH thinks it's probably fine. Commonsensemedia.org says 12 which seems quite old. I have strong reservations! Maybe night at the museum would be better?

Hm, he's not great with tension. He got in a terrible state when Captain Barnacles got eaten by the whale. And he wasn't great when the toys were heading for the fiery furnace in Toy Story 3. Maybe I'll wait a few years.

I think it depends on the child…my godson is 3.5 years and its one of his favourites! He does like dinosaurs but he watches lots of 12 rated films and has done since he was 2ish.
Not sure what my feelings would be if it was my child though.

Maybe just look at short clips. There's a lot less tension then.

My DS is three and has been watching it for a while. He loves it. That's not to say all 2/3 year olds could deal with it, but I know him and knew he would be fine.

My boys watched it at 8/9. They had seen a couple of the 12 rated Harry Potters by then, but had read the books so were more "prepared". I wasn't sure how they'd cope with Jurassic Park, so did tell them beforehand that the children don't get killed! As it was, they were fine & enjoyed it.

They would have been terrified at 6, though, & wouldn't have coped with the tension at all. I guess children are all different.

My DD (4) has seen a few 12 rated films (including LOTR, most of Marvel's stuff and The Hobbit) but I wouldn't let her watch JP.

Both Michael Crichton and Steven Spielberg knew what they were doing with that one. It freaked me right out when it first came out, and I was eleven and a veteran of films with much higher ratings.

Dinotopia for the dinosaur-mad gentle souls too old for Dinosaur Train.

I am astonished that a four year old can watch LOTR and not be affected. The orcs are horrible and the battle scenes are not appropriate for little children.

as always with these threads I'm walking away before I'm too rude.

I found LOTR awfully scary, orcs terrifying, Gollum really twisted. Lots of battle scenes with bits chopped off. Not at all a young children's film I wouldn't have said.

JP- far too scary for one of mine, the other fine from about aged 6/7/8- so a bit dependent if they are the type to get scared- it is pretty scary though as I agree Stephen Speilberg is the master of tension and suspense.

Depends on how scared he gets, my DD has watched all 3 and watched all 8 HP movies, she batter an eyelid, and shes 6, she got scared over Monsters University though, so go figure.

didnt*

Oh, I agree with you - and I had my finger on the stop button the entire damn time.

The child, though, is obsessed! And not in the slightest bit bothered.

She understands the plot, though - and very much knows it's not real. JP would seem 'real' to her. Not happening! I think the same about the parents letting 3/4 yo watch that as you possibly do about LOTR.

I did draw the line at DH taking her to the cinema for the new Hobbit. A film I've seen, in daylight at home, with me there to explain, was quite far enough.

depends on the child - we had it for adult watching, 9 yr old found it, wanted to watch it and we said no as it would scare her little sister (7). She negotiated that they would watch until dsis got scared (I swear she could negotiate peace in the middle east if they let her ). I sat with and at the first sign of fear I went to switch it off..... and they all screamed "no, leave it mummy". In our house it was forever known as "the man on the toilet film" - no matter where they started watching the tape they would have to see the man on the toilet getting eaten...

I had Daleks they had dinosaurs - both equally improbable hazards to come across in real life I think Daleks were scarier

My 5yr old nephew loves it so much so that he makes my brother watch it 10 times a day I think ds was around 4 when he first watched it and again he really liked it and didn't find it scary at all

op my oldest ds now a strapping 6'1' and 24 still remembers the day we watched Jurassic park. he was 6.

he watched it to the end full of bravado and the following 5/6 months were pure and utter hell. he had nightmares every bloody night and it a bloody awful.

beware.

32? I'm 32 and hate it! (I am a complete wimp admittedly lol)

Ok this is spooky timing!! I'm litey watching it right now with my 4 1/2 year old. We're at the T. rex bit, he's looking a bit serious and I've reassured him it's not real and is a big puppet, he's now telling me what he would do if he saw the T. rex!!

Mine watched it at 3-4 and loved it. I was fuming with DH because when I saw it in the cinema at 12 I was scared!

DD1 saw it when she was 5,

She loved the man on the toilet bit "Ooh, look Mummy, bad dinosaur!"

Time for my embarrassing confession: Jurassic Park scared the living crap out of me when I saw it at the cinema. I was about 12

The 2 dodgy bits from what I can remember is the velociraptors in the kitchen and eating the bloke whilst he was in the toilet.

Watch it yourselves and see what you think.

My daughter was ok at that age, my niece probably won't be.

Ds was about 4 when he first watched it

I find it terrifying so DS and DD will have to wait until I've got a grip!

My sister is 45 and is terrified of Jurassic Park. Ha!

Yes she is on MN and yes I posted that to embarass her .

I would like to point out that I am not TooOldForGlitter's sister .

Besides I'm not scared by Jurrasic Park now much

I confirm we are not related