Would you let a 6y/o see Barbie?

[44PumpLane]

I'm in two minds about this- kids have been invited to see Barbie the movie but it's rated 12A because of moderate sexual innuendo, brief harassment, catcalling and implied strong language (including bleeped out motherf*er).

Supposedly it has the words bitch, crap, God, hell and damn in.

What would you do? We wouldn't typically let the kids see anything with this sort of language but then it would mean missing out on someone's birthday party.

There is no chance of us seeing it before the girls as we would have to accept or decline the invite today.

I think the swearing would go over the heads of mine, but I definitely know it wouldn't others so they then might chat about it or discuss it afterwards.

Am I being too precious about it all?

YABU- let them go see it

YANBU- yeah I probably wouldn't let a 6 year old see it or I'd want to see it myself first to judge.

No, 42 straight-to-DVD low-budget Barbie animated movies.

1 mainstream, adult-targeted live-action Hollywood Barbie movie.

Very different.

I wouldn't take a 6 year old, no. It's not a kids movie.

This is true but I was referring to it in a cinema setting only as a comparison of the old 12 rating and the "new" (even though it has been this way for years) 12A rating - apologies for not clarifying my inference.

The old 12 rating was a hard and fast rule of "no under 12s" but has been changed to 12A to allow the accomodations within the cinema setting based on parental discretion as opposed to cinema staff upholding the 12 limit to its full extent. However when it comes to home viewing then again the difference between 12/12A are entirely based on the parent's discretion anyway.

I never understand why some parents think there is some superiority in showing or taking their kids to movies that are not suitable for their age.

First no one actually cares, unless you are the poor sod whose movie is ruined by kids who can't sit still because it's the wrong movie for them.

What do you think you gain, that your child will magically become ahead of their friends or something?

Would I take my own 6 year old? No, it's obviously not a child's movie.
Do I think you are an idiot to take your 6 year old? A little bit, but it has no impact on me

But parental discretion is important.

There is no way I’d take my daughter to see something like Indiana jones, the marvel films etc, because I don’t think she would cope with the “darker” elements.

I don’t think these same dark themes are present in Barbie though. From what I can read, the reasons for the higher classification are mostly due to the language (one strong and several mild) Innuendo, and some catcalling which is called out.

Ive had similar experiences in the past - we left the live action lion king early as it was too scary for my daughter, but she loved frozen 2 which had the same rating.

Complaining to the cinema is nuts.

To a 6 year old the only difference is that there are 42 age appropriate Barbie films that they will enjoy, and one non age appropriate Barbie film that they won't understand and likely be bored by.

Watch one of the 42 with a 6 year old - they will get more out of it.

Thanks for clarifying. I am not sure what you mean by the difference between 12 and 12A at home. There is no 12A certificate for home viewing and there is no difference between the two certifications.

Well, yes.

My comment was aimed at the poster who was peeved that their 6 year-old wasn't the target audience for the new Barbie movie.

I agree with PP that they will be bored. The fact that Barbie and Ken are played by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling indicates that it's a film going for the nostalgia. If it were live action Barbie for little girls, they would have cast actors in their late teens or early 20s (and not rated it 12A).

Definitely I wouldn't take children to see it before I'd judged it for myself.

To a 6 year old the only difference is that there are 42 age appropriate Barbie films that they will enjoy, and one non age appropriate Barbie film that they won't understand and likely be bored by.

Not really. There is a reason that they went straight to DVD rather than were cinema blockbusters like many kids movies have been. Because they are shit!
Hardly a suitable replacement to a movie the world is talking about 😅

you are taking a 4 year old to a film that is 2 h long and is for 12+???
really?

are you out of your mind?

ok i saw Indiana Jones when I was 8yo but this was the 80s...

That's the point I'm making - 12/12A mean literally the same thing, the only difference is that 12A is used in cinemas because it saves cinemas from having to make the decision as to whether a child can see a film based on an arbitrary age definition even if they are with their parents who are happy for them to watch it. The "A" is the get out clause for cinemas to say "It's recommended for age 12 but if you take your 6yo then it's on you if they don't like it/get upset at the content"

12/12A on DVDs are the same thing - if a parent is going to let their 7yo watch a certain movie whether they put 12 or 12A on the DVD box is irrelevant as they were always going to let them watch it anyway, but the "A" isn't necessary as there is nobody there to have to make the advisory judgement call like there is in the cinema.

Barbie is a decades old institution. There are tons of barbie movies and shows aimed at kids. This is aimed at people who used to play with barbies and have the critical thinking skills and can see the nostalgia and problems with the toy.

So I should go to a later evening viewing so there won't be small children watching a movie that's not aimed at them?

Kids play with dolls. Chucky is a doll. Therefore chucky is a kids movie.

This.

I listened to this yesterday: Screenshot - Barbie on screen. It's really interesting.

12/12A on DVDs are the same thing - if a parent is going to let their 7yo watch a certain movie whether they put 12 or 12A on the DVD box is irrelevant as they were always going to let them watch it anyway, but the "A" isn't necessary as there is nobody there to have to make the advisory judgement call like there is in the cinema.

Also cinemas can control whether the child watches it under the supervision of an adult. If a shop sells a 12 to an 8 year old there is no way to police that an adult will approve it even though it may be absolutely suitable for that child. If someone older buys it for them

Ooh lovely! Thank you. I love Mark Kermode.

Why would a Barbie film be a 12a? No one over 8 will want to see it.

So I should go to a later evening viewing so there won't be small children watching a movie that's not aimed at them?

Unfortunately it seems the only way to ensure that your screening isn't full of 6yos who will be bored and restless when they realise it isn't aimed at them is to go as late as possible in the hopes it's past their bedtime.

That's what I'm doing - Oppenheimer in the afternoon (since nobody is taking their 6yo to that), dinner then Barbie in the evening showing with teen DD and our friends in the hope that there will be no small kids due to the timing of the showing.

Silly comparison. Chucky was a doll crated especially for an 18 rated horror movie. Barbie is an actual child's toy

Classic 18 yo, thinking they know everything, eh?
It's clearly not obvious it's not aimed at children.

I hope you told her not to be so sneery at you choosing to read MN.

I'm really hoping it's one of the movie choice when I fly next month.

Wrong

Fwiw the cinema is unlikely to be 'full of' 6 year olds. I imagine any screening will be quite a mix although it's less likely groups of adults will go at 10am so I would say safer going later