Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think its perfectly ok for under 12s watch superhero films?

73 replies

FishCanFly · 30/03/2015 11:46

Hosted a movie day on weekend. Hellboy 1 and 2.
Ds(11) invited a few friends from school. One was not allowed. At the schoolgate i met the said kid's mother and she told me its very inappropriate to show kids films rated above their age.
Ok, i get the point. But Hellboy is a kids' film, just like Spiderman, etc.
Rating isn't a law.

OP posts:
TheHoundsBitch · 30/03/2015 11:53

If they were kids films they would have kids ratings. YABU. Hellboy definitely isn't a kids film.

PGTip · 30/03/2015 11:53

YANBU to show it to your child if you know it won't bother them, it's also fine to show it to other children as long as their parents know they're watching it. But I know with my own DC that although they are of an age where PG's or 12's are fine age wise sometimes they find the content upsetting/ disturbing. I am 41 so can watch anything but I don't because I know I won't like certain things. It sounds as tho the parents knew what movies were going to be watched and one of them made an informed choice not to allow her child to watch it. Neither of you were U but maybe she could have said better

TheHoundsBitch · 30/03/2015 11:54

And also, it's up to her what her child watches.

OrlandoWoolf · 30/03/2015 11:56

Not seen Hellboy - what's his super power?

Hoppinggreen · 30/03/2015 11:57

Depends which film really.
My 6 year old has watched Thor but I won't let him watch Captain America 1 or 2 as I have seen them and don't think they are appropriate. He certainly wouldn't be allowed to watch Hellboy and I'm not sure the 10 year old would either.
It is up to the parent though but equally she shouldn't be telling you what's inappropriate either ( unless you are letting them watch 18's of course)

OrlandoWoolf · 30/03/2015 11:59

Doesn't sound like Superman

www.imdb.com/title/tt0167190/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg#certification

A man is killed and his body falls onto a pattern etched into the ground. His blood pours through the pattern and pools in the center. Another man rises from this pool.

There is a man on an operating table with deep scars across his entire body, and his lower lip is gone. His eyelids are gone as well.

The sci-fi monsters sometimes appear unexpectedly, and could be considered very frightening.

A building is engulfed in a fire.

A man that is missing his lower lip and deep scars and most parts of his body with no blood or eye lids lies on a table and gets up suddenly and puts a clock mechanism into his chest.

One of the Sammaels is seen eating an agent's head from a distance.

Hellboy breaks into a grave and reanimates a skeleton without legs

26Point2Miles · 30/03/2015 12:01

It's from marvel comics, I think his superpower is an immunity to fire. But he has other powers too

26Point2Miles · 30/03/2015 12:04

orlando you copied that from your link but forgot to I Clyde the bit where it says the camera usually land out away from those scenes

26Point2Miles · 30/03/2015 12:04

*include

OrlandoWoolf · 30/03/2015 12:06

No - the only time it says that is:

"Sci-fi monsters are seen throughout the movie attacking and sometimes eating their victims--however, the camera usually cuts away from the scene."

I haven't seen the film though.

TheArchchancellorsHat · 30/03/2015 12:06

YABU, not all "superhero" films are the same Hmm

Avengers/Thor/Guardians of the Galaxy etc are one thing, I'd let my DC watch them; I wouldn't let them watch The Dark Knight or Hellboy or Constantine.

Comic books are like any other media - they run the gamut from kid-friendly X-Men titles to adult books like Preacher, Hellblazer (if you read these you'll know not all comic books are for kids!)

AuntieStella · 30/03/2015 12:09

Hellboy 1 is a PG and Hellboy 2 is a 12.

I would show PG films to over 8s, but not a 12 until they were at secondary school. But I'd err on the side of caution, because unless I knew the DC well, I wouldn't know their level of squeamishness or general readiness for the content.

How much below 12 were these DC?

OrlandoWoolf · 30/03/2015 12:09

The point is though - you can't make the decision to show a film like that to another child - even if you would let your child watch it.

If a school did that, they would get into a lot of trouble.

Even if you think it's ok, it's not your call.

99pokerface · 30/03/2015 12:14

Agreed with others and its parents like op why I know have to pretty much give a list of things that ds is not allowed to wtach or do when he gose to others homes as people seem to think just because they allow their children to do what ever if must be fine for your child as well all children are not the same and all films rated 12a are not the same in mildness

So it's now asking parents please don't allow my child to wtach age inaprote films

Please supervise Internet use useless you have parental locks and pc is in a communal place

Please do not give my child alcohol

If they go out please make sure you know we're they are going and what time they will be back

I think it's very said that these question even need to be asked but it's people like the op who think your being a kill joy and want to be down with the kids makes me have to ask

TheHoundsBitch · 30/03/2015 12:14

They are both a 12 rating AuntieStella.

Discopanda · 30/03/2015 12:21

Hellboy is very, very different to your regular superhero film. I wouldn't show it to kids that young.

dixiechick1975 · 30/03/2015 12:22

I wouldn't show someone else's child a film older than their age.

There are lots of suitable films.

I have let DD watch some of the harry potters that are a 12 (she is 9) But she has read the books so knows what happens and i'm in the room so can see what she is watching.

I wouldn't even ask the mum as it puts them on the spot.

I just say to DD for a movie night she chooses a u or pg.

FishCanFly · 30/03/2015 12:25

Here the invited friends are around 11. Certainly old enough not to get upset by flying monsters and stuff.

I get the reasoning, however, its only Hellboy, not Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

OP posts:
OrlandoWoolf · 30/03/2015 12:28

I get the reasoning, however, its only Hellboy, not Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Missing the point, I think.

FishCanFly · 30/03/2015 12:29

And... If Hellboy isn't for kids, then whats' this supposed to mean?
www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/ron-perlman-make-wish-hellboy-346196

OP posts:
MuddlingMackem · 30/03/2015 12:30

YANBU to think that it's okay for some under 12s to watch Superhero films. Our 8 and 11 year olds watch the X-Men, Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy type films, but DH (who does the vetting for this kind of thing) hasn't let either of them near Hellboy yet.

Everyone has to take films and their kids on a case by case basis so it's very unreasonable to assume it's okay for all children under 12 to watch any particular type of 12 rated film, otherwise they'd have a PG not a 12 rating.

Rosa · 30/03/2015 12:32

Well after reading the description of the film I agree it is not suitable and the others kids mum was being sensible . Its rather different to Spiderman and Superman and its not your general superhero film by the sounds of things.

99pokerface · 30/03/2015 12:32

Add message | Report | Message poster FishCanFly Mon 30-Mar-15 12:25:34

And that's why parents like you in my view should be avoided as you seek to make choices for others just because you think 11 year olds should watch whatever you deem accatble I can't see why you can't find a film that's pg that a group of 11 years old would love I can think of 100s

My son is 15 and I would not him watching 18 rated fims their are plenty of films that he can watch

OrlandoWoolf · 30/03/2015 12:33

Do you have the right to decide what other children watch?

BolshierAyraStark · 30/03/2015 12:37

Depends on the super hero really, iron man probably ok, batman not so much & hellboy is also quite dark so again no. Doesn't matter anyway as it was someone elses child so YABU.

Swipe left for the next trending thread