What films would you let a 4 year old watch?

[cosmicdiva]

My ds1 is 4 and a half and I think I would like him to watch the occasional film but i'm having trouble finding ones I think are suitable and that he would like. So far Mary Poppins hit the spot, as did Disney Cars, although I felt that it was too grown up and wished i'd watched it first. We had Annie from the library and he asked me to switch it off as the fight scene early on upset him. I freely admit to a degree of control freakitis but can the film certificates be relied on? Or is it best to stick with cbeebies and Thomas dvds for now?

3 year old DS enjoys Disney films, superman and batman cartoons, scooby doo movies. He tends not to like ones with real people in though.

ds loves most disney films tbh. he loved dumbo at the weekend.

tangled is a good new one its really funny too.

I love tangled! I have a new found respect for frying pans.

Peter Pan went down well. Although I did have to be Captain Hook most of this afternoon so DS could fight pirates.

Totoro - the Studio Ghibli film is lovely and is acceptable viewing in the opinion of DD, who doesn't do 'bad bits'.

She also likes Ice Age and Madagascar.

Pixar are usually reliable. What didn't you like about Cars? (Not necessarily disagreeing but then I will get a sense of your preferences.) My DS (who is a little younger than yours) loves Toy Story and Toy Story 2, though I am holding Toy Story 3 back till he's older - also Monsters Inc, Wall-E, the Ice Age films, Finding Nemo, The Lion King. Toy Story would be my suggestion to start with. It's a PG not a U though so I think the certificates are a bit inconsistent sometimes.

My 4yo is a real scaredy cat, but The Muppets and all the Madagascar films went down very well with her.

She also adores Mary Poppins but not other Disney films as yet. Including Tangled. Too scary!

Toy Story films were waaaay too sad. Floods of tears!

Shrek, she doesn't understand.

Is he easily scared? DD loved Finding Nemo, but a friend's DS found the bit where Nemo's mum gets eaten too scary.

She also likes Toy Story, Madagascar, Ice Age, Gnomeo and Juliet, Jungle Book, in fact most Disney films are a hit.

Oh yes, Madagascar too. My DS is also less keen on films with real people in.

Horton Hears a Who
Finding Nemo

My 3yo enjoys watching films like March of the Penguins and other nature things, he loves them. We watch quite a few older ones like Singing in the Rain too. I can't sit through Disney so not many of those get an airing here. If he is choosing for himself he is more likely to choose a series os the telly e.g. Shaun the Sheep etc.

My 3yr olds loves Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, Shrek. Also loves Jurrasic Park and Spiderman.

Other favs are Willy Wonka, Hook, Legend, Labyrinth and Monster House.

my ds found cars boring. at 4 he enjoyed madagascar 1 and 2, toy story, thomas films and the fireman sam film, Ice Age

Antz was a disaster and made him cry

Yes a real scaredy cat! Cars...might be the second one, i found the scene where some of the cars are basically torturing another a bit much (yes I know they're not real but to kids they are)

My dd likes finding nemo, toy story, all the ice age films she adores, so I suppose really the pixar type films. Madagascar also a hit (one of the first films I can remember her watching where she laughed out loud - at the bit where the lion bites the zebra on the bum!!!)

Think the beginning of finding nemo went over dds head tbh!

I think Antz is really an adult film in disguise!!

I think that the great thing about a lot of the Disney pixar ones is that there are definitely more than one level to them, so your child will probably get a different impression of the film than you.
My 4.5yo loves Cars 1 & 2 although 2 was harder to grasp. He loves Madagascar (& now continually asks for the soundtrack to dance to). Big fan of Despicable Me although he's convinced the minions aren't minions they are in fact onions
Monsters Inc he loves now but wasn't so keen first time he watched it. UP he loves but finds it quite sad and wants to hold hands throughout. Same goes for Wall-e.
Wallace & Gromit - the wererabbit went down well last weekend when I was having a duvet day (thanks head cold)
Toy story - all of them go down well but he finds 3 a bit mote scary.
Finding nemo is ok too.

Just look for U certificates rather than PG and you should be fine. I think Tangled, though excellent, is a bit strong for a 4 year old tbh.

DS also loves planet earth and animal docs. He's a tad strange with his viewing choices. So far the only scary film has been monsters inc.

I'm slightly confused as to how cars could be too grown up for a 4 year old. I thought that was the age it was aimed at.

DS still can't cope with animal docs!

He loves Monsters Inc

DS wants to be a zoo keeper. I can't cope with some animal docs but he likes seeing where the animals live and so far hasn't asked why they're eating each other or had any nightmares.

Having read this thread I'm now worrying about my lax judgement towards children's movies!

DD 4yo loves Cinderella, Snow White, Tom & Jerry, Finding Nemo, The Muppets, Bolt., anything Disney really.

My 4 year old loves Mary Poppins, also shrek, toy story, chitty bang bang (although hides from child catcher) and monsters inc. We have to sit together so I can answer any questions!

Oh god, at 4 DS was watching Star Wars, Indiana jones and Zulu.

DD (7) can't cope with even the milestone of "peril" in a film.
DS (4) watches Star Wars (1, 4-6), Harry Potter (1&2), Peter Pan, How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek, Toy Story, Narnia etc. I have been known to be neglectful of certificates as long as I am watching with him and can distract him from anything too visually scary (like the final scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark).

Mildest, not milestone!