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Coraline: Don't take a young/sensitive child to see it.

90 replies

FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 09/05/2009 20:34

Ghost children have their eyes taken away, main character kidnapped, weird spider wants to take her eyes. Her parents taken. Too weird, creepy overtones. It could give a small/sensitive child nightmares for months! I wish I hadn't gone. Story is similar to the People under the stairs. Main character even gets attacked by plants.

OP posts:
janeite · 09/05/2009 21:24

Agh - it's got French and Saunders in it. That has really put me off.

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FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 09/05/2009 21:26

It's not like the corpse bride. This is too realistic! Too much like real life.

OP posts:
cthea · 09/05/2009 21:33

I read Rapunzel the other day to my 4 year old, the original Grimm story. I was quite taken aback but DD was only interested in her long hair. DS(9) really wants us to see Coraline.

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 09/05/2009 21:34

cant wait to take my litttle boys - sounds great

nymphadora · 12/05/2009 10:43

It was really good but yes I was scared ! TBH I think a lot of kids would have nightmares. My two (7&9) were ok but both are pretty tough!

annaje · 14/05/2009 13:35

Wow - just seen this and both me and the DS's (8 and 5) thought it was the best kids film ever. It was creepy, but only in the way kids love. I'm surprised that people thought it was too much. Maybe for a sensitive child - but I would have thought most would love it!

OrmIrian · 17/05/2009 19:42

Bloody brilliant! Absolutely loved it. 10 and 6 yr old were scared but loved every minute of it. Classic witch story. Fantastic!

Was it Tim Burton? If so anyone who took a sensitive v young child was asking for trouble. It was beautiful, sensitively drawn. I am taking DH to see it soon!

OrmIrian · 18/05/2009 08:28

Might just add that mine also loved Corpse Bride. Perhaps they are just sick children

annaje · 18/05/2009 11:25

OrmIrian - mine loved Corpse Bride and Nightmare before christmas - and it's definitely similar in style and storying telling - but don't think it was Tim Burton.

bratnav · 18/05/2009 11:41

DH and I were debating whether to take DDs and DSD to this (5 and nearly 7). They all adored Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride and Stardust, a couple of little squeals but they all thoroughly enjoyed it.

Would this be ok for them or is it much scarier than these?

squilly · 18/05/2009 12:03

I think they'd be o.k. bratnav. The reviews made the film sound so scary that I warned DD she might want to come out part way through and that would be fine. She can be a bit sensitive (couldn't drag her into the Dungeons at York for love nor money...lost my admission fee for that thanks squilljr!).

She loved it. Said it wasn't that scary.

They made a big thing of the needle and the eyes, but I don't think kids would think that deeply. More of an adult squirm than a kiddy one.

The imagery is similar to the Corpse Bride, Nightmare Before Christmas and is no more scary in my opinion. I think that a sensitive child is a sensitive child, and they should avoid this kind of movie. But if your two have seen films like this, they should be fine.

Perhaps if you go with the attitude that they can come out if they want to, it might make things easier all around??

Hope you go. We loved it and I think it was totally appropriate for dd's age range (8) and was beautifully crafted and suitably scary.

lionheart · 18/05/2009 12:13

Seven and three year olds loved it.

singersgirl · 18/05/2009 12:23

Well, the DSs (10 and 7) went to see it with DH this weekend. They are not normally very scared or sensitive - they love Doctor Who, for instance. DS2 was terrified and has been unable to sleep for the last two nights, also waking up in the night. DS1 also thought it was very creepy, but is now reading the book with relish. I read the book yesterday and thought it was brilliant, but very creepy.

reach4sky · 18/05/2009 16:38

I really don't think its unreasonable to take a young child to a PG film and assume it won't be frightening. After all, the definition of the PG rating is as follows "Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ?PG? film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children".

Thus the advice is that it's suitable for anyone over 8. The reviews of Coraline very much suggest this isn't the case.

foofi · 18/05/2009 16:40

It's a very weird film.

moonshine · 18/05/2009 16:52

I have a very sensitive dd age 7 (+11 months!) whom I took to see it and she was not scared at all - she loved it. Tbh I think a lot of the creepy stuff goes over the younger ones' heads and is more frightening to an adult (if you are frightened easily!). But I wouldn't let my nearly 5 year-old ds see it, although I think that has more to do with the fact that he wouldn't be able to concentrate all the way through.

Visually it is stunning.

OrmIrian · 18/05/2009 16:54

Well maybe it should have been a 12A ? I don't know. It was a little disturbing but very beautiful and rich. I didn't hear any crying in the the cinema and there were plenty of LOs there.

MorrisZapp · 18/05/2009 17:01

I'm still having flashbacks - I found this film too creepy and disturbing. If I'd have seen it as a kid I'd have been utterly terrified. Am truly amazed it's a PG.

My 10 year old neice loved it but dare I say she's been watching all kinds of stuff aimed at older kids all her life.

It's a stunning, beautiful, haunting film but absolutely not for me, and not for most kids under at least 10 I'd have thought.

DP dragged me along, citing 5 star reviews etc. I should have stood firm.

BibiThree · 18/05/2009 17:15

I went to see this (alone ) last week and yes there were scary bits in it, and I agree it's not for very sensitive or very young children ... but I wouldn't say it was sick or creey or disturbing in the adult context of those words.

Some of the notions we as adults find distasteful really aren't that bad for children because they just don't understand them in the context we do. Yes, some children will be scared by the idea of someone stealing their eyes and sewing buttons in their place but to lots of children it won't mean anything.

I went alone because dd is 4 and I don't think PGs are generally made for 4 year olds, but if she'd expressed an interest then I might watch it at home with her.

Children get scared, it's normal, it's natural and they need it. That said, i'm not saying we should all hide round corners jumping out at them regularly to build character or anything

OrmIrian · 18/05/2009 17:18

I don't think it's to do with that morris. I'm not sure that standard adult films would prepare anyone of Coraline - it is too off-beam. I think you need to be accepting of a different view - whenever I've watched a Tim Burton film before you have to accept the general wierdness as a premise before the film even starts. And find comfort and beauty in the oddest places. I don't know how else to to put it really,

Littlepurpleprincess · 18/05/2009 17:27

It's not really for children. It's a teen cult film (or aiming to be) like, The Corpse Bride, or The Nightmare Before Christmas. Except it's by Henry Selik not Tim Burton

It depends on your child. DS is 2 and loves TNBC but my brother is 7 and I wouldn't let him watch it.

I think children are taught certain things are scary, and are frightened by parents reaction, rather than what they see.

DS is not scared of Jack Skellington because I've never taught him to be. He's quite a familiar face in our house.

I haven't seen Coraline yet, but if I think of the Corpse Bride, it's not scary, its wierd. There's a difference.

OrmIrian · 18/05/2009 17:27

Gaghh! Not Tim flipping Burton

I was convinced it was. V similar.

Littlepurpleprincess · 18/05/2009 17:35

mmm i thought it was too OrmIrian but I did a little research. Henry Selik did just as much work on TNBC as Tim Burton he just didn't get as much credit, still, it looks unoriginal, which is a shame because it looks like he's done a good job.

Still, I get a nagging feeling he's riding off Burton's success.

OrmIrian · 18/05/2009 17:40

He may well be. But tbh I don't think it matters as it's a truly magical film. I'd not come across the author before - will have to investigate!

Littlepurpleprincess · 18/05/2009 17:46

I don't think it matters either tbh. I haven't seen it, but if I like it, I like it, if not......

I will watch it first before letting DS see it though. Just in case.