When will DS(5) be old enough to watch Star Wars?!

[Lovage]

DS2, just turned 5, is Star Wars mad. He's never seen the films, just watched his brother play Lego Star Wars on the wii and seen the Angry Birds version lots. So of course I'd like to show him the films (probably 4, 5 and 6 to start with) but I'm worried it will be too scary for him. He went on a school trip to see Despicable Me 2 recently and reported that that was too scary. I've not seen it, but I'd guess it's not meant to be scary at all. But some of that might have been sitting in a huge dark cinema with his schoolmates, not cuddled up on the sofa with Mummy and Daddy and able to stop whenever he wants. But I think some bits of Star Wars are pretty scary and I don't want to traumatise him!

How do you make judgements about when your kids are developmentally ready for this kind of thing? What did anyone else do (not necessarily in relation to Star Wars!)

My 4 year old son already watches Phantom Menance, which is a U. In fact, 4 5 and 6 are all U, but I he hasn't seen them yet.

2 and 3 are PG13, though.

DS showed an interest in Star Wars when he was about 5.5 (in reception year). We tried it but he got scared when the Sand People attacked the droids so turned it off, I didn't push him to watch it. He asked to try again a few weeks later but was spooked at the same point so we stopped it. He managed it a few weeks after that. I think he was over 6 when he decided he was happy to watch it.

It was an important milestone .

He's not sure about Empire Strikes Back. I think it's on this weekend so I'm going to tape it, but it will be up to him when he watches it.

FWIW we watched the first Harry Potter (after reading the book) in Feb this year, he was 6.4. The ending is scary, but he just looked away for a few moments at that point.

DS is nearly 5 and gets scared at quite a few things but he has seen most of the star wars films recently (they have all been on ITV) and hasn't found them scary at all. he is more likely to find Disney animations scary!

DS1 was 7 when we watched episode 1. He wasn't scared, but was very upset at a couple of bits and cried over them.

He has now seen episode 2 and 5, but we are avoiding episode 3, even though he knows the story, I think it might be too much for him.

I was just 5 when I saw the original as I saw it at the cinema! Watch it at home and turn it off if he's not keen.

DS has seen them all, he is 7, he has only very recently seen the newer three but was a toddler when he first saw the original 3.

Dd was 4 when she watched all of them with dh. Every Sunday night for 6 weeks. It was their thing.

She was fine. She's had nightmares over Toy Story 3 though (when she was 6 I think). Anyway, point is - you never can tell what will scare them.

Ds is 4 & has seen nearly all of the Star Wars movies. It depends on the individual child's maturity/intellect, I'd think.

Can you pick out a few scenes for him to watch that are fund but not too scary? We do this with dd to introduce her to films that she thinks she wants to see...

my ds4(5) has seen all.the star wars films and loves them... but he is terrified of elmo goes to grouchland.

We got shown the Star wars (originals) during lunch time in year R. I was scared and left the room fairly quickly. I was only one of two that did so though, and I am (still) very easily scared by films.

The first original 3 are OK I'd say, it totally depends on the child, Lord of the Rings/Harry Potter is a definite no no in this house, scares the plop out of my 11 yo DS!

I would start with 4, 5, 6. Watch with them. They already know a lot about it so Vader won't be that scary to them with luck.

Perhaps get him SW sticker books, SW lego, the short SW Lego dvds, for xmas. Then after xmas start with dvd of SW E4.

DD1 watched them at 4.5yo, but she seems to have a good filter for sci-fi and fantasy. I always stay in the room with her (which is no problem as I like sci-fi and fantasy). She likes the Star Trek and Transformers films which are 12s but are 'light' as in there are no dark and creepy, horror style scenes, but rather are all action. She loved the lightsabre duels in Start Wars and went to find the toy one from fancy dress now she knew what it was.

We are considering LOTR and Harry Potter for sometime next year depending on her reactions. I turned LOTR off when my 5 year old nephew watched them (my BIL had put it on but wasn't supervising), he was fine until the Nazgul turned up. We had a little chat about it being pretend, and that all 4 hobbits would survive to the end and I asked him if he wanted to continue. His brother tried to pressure him to say yes but I said it was entirely down to him.

Mind you DD1 ran out of the room the other day during Monsters University. One reason why I never leave her to watch anything on her own.