Would you take a 3-year-old to see a 3D film?

olgadapolga

I took my three to see Brave (at my 12yo daughter's request) and my 7yo was terrified by it. This is a child who has sat through films I thought would scare him and has been fine. He's a child who isn't usually bothered by anything "scarey" but this film was too much for him and we had to leave the cinema.

I was lulled into a false sense of security about it as all the other Disney/Pixar films that I have seen have been relatively tame, but not this one.

Brave has a PG rating and it does state that it may be unsuitable for those under the age of 8yo - I wouldn't recommend taking any child under the age of eight purely because there are several really frightening scenes in it.

onlyroz

Thanks for the input folks.

I think I'll go with the "safe" option and go and see The Lorax. It's not that I don't think she'd cope with Brave or cope with the 3D. After all, we own pretty much every animated film made in the last 10 years and she's seen most of them. However, as it's her first time, and as it costs such a lot of money to go to the cinema these days, I think it's best to go with a film that better suited to her age range with no fiddly glasses that she's unlikely to keep on.

After all, Brave will no doubt be out on blu-ray in time for Christmas and we can all see it then in the comfort of our living room for half the cost of a cinema trip.

aliasojo

daska wrote: »

But it raises the question: why should disabled children and adults not be able to go to the cinema on a normal showing just because you want everyone to be quiet?

I think it depends on the disability and how loud or uninhibited the person is likely to be.

We visited the Glasgow Science Centre and paid extra for tickets to the Planetarium. For anyone who doesn't know, this is a 'show' where lights go out and the galaxies and stars etc are projected onto the roof and a talk is given at the same time advising what and where in the sky various stars may be found.

There was a disabled chap in the row behind us who suffered with involuntary movement and he shouted and grunted extremely loudly the whole way through. We heard nothing that was being said by the person who was doing the commentary.

Whilst I have every sympathy for disabled people, his actions (although involuntary) spoilt the day for many other people (there was lots of grumbling on the way out).

We wasted money on something we couldn't hear and we learned nothing.

I would imagine being at the cinema would be much the same.

As for the original topic, I personally wouldn't take a 3 year old to a 3D showing. I don't think a 3 year old would be able to sit with glasses on for that long and I would question the possible effect on such young eyes if watched without the glasses on. My 12 year old gets a headache and sore eyes if she uses a 3D DS for longer than 20 minutes.

daska

aliasojo wrote: »

I think it depends on the disability and how loud or uninhibited the person is likely to be.

We visited the Glasgow Science Centre and paid extra for tickets to the Planetarium. For anyone who doesn't know, this is a 'show' where lights go out and the galaxies and stars etc are projected onto the roof and a talk is given at the same time advising what and where in the sky various stars may be found.

There was a disabled chap in the row behind us who suffered with involuntary movement and he shouted and grunted extremely loudly the whole way through. We heard nothing that was being said by the person who was doing the commentary.

Whilst I have every sympathy for disabled people, his actions (although involuntary) spoilt the day for many other people (there was lots of grumbling on the way out).

We wasted money on something we couldn't hear and we learned nothing.

I would imagine being at the cinema would be much the same.

As for the original topic, I personally wouldn't take a 3 year old to a 3D showing. I don't think a 3 year old would be able to sit with glasses on for that long and I would question the possible effect on such young eyes if watched without the glasses on. My 12 year old gets a headache and sore eyes if she uses a 3D DS for longer than 20 minutes.

TBH I feel similarly which is why we take advantage of the special ASD screenings. Most places do offer alternatives where the person attending has social/ sensory/ behavioural issues - except theatres :mad:

I just resented the notion that kids at a kid's showing of a kid's film should somehow be expected to behave better than the average adult - or at least the average adult at our local fleapit which is admittedly in chav central! It's a personal bugbear as I struggle with the normal high volume + bright flashy lights in a dark room. I am very well behaved though

onlyroz

daska wrote: »

I just resented the notion that kids at a kid's showing of a kid's film should somehow be expected to behave better than the average adult - or at least the average adult at our local fleapit which is admittedly in chav central! It's a personal bugbear as I struggle with the normal high volume + bright flashy lights in a dark room. I am very well behaved though

Well I agree. Surely an adult who wants to see a film in relative silence would not choose to go to a midday school holiday viewing of a child-oriented film? I'm not saying that bad/noisy/inappropriate behaviour should be excused, but a bunch of enthusiastic kids out for the day can't really be expected to sit in complete silence.

Tiddlywinks

onlyroz wrote: »

Well I agree. Surely an adult who wants to see a film in relative silence would not choose to go to a midday school holiday viewing of a child-oriented film? I'm not saying that bad/noisy/inappropriate behaviour should be excused, but a bunch of enthusiastic kids out for the day can't really be expected to sit in complete silence.

But it's a good opportunity to start to teach them how to behave in a cinema... i.e. sit quietly (obviously, laughing or whatever in appropriate places), don't wander up and down the aisles, don't kick seats or start a conversation about your wiggly jellies etc

Just because it's a kids showing shouldn't mean that the kids get to do whatever they want regardless of its impact on others.

daska

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

But it's a good opportunity to start to teach them how to behave in a cinema... i.e. sit quietly (obviously, laughing or whatever in appropriate places), don't wander up and down the aisles, don't kick seats or start a conversation about your wiggly jellies etc

Just because it's a kids showing shouldn't mean that the kids get to do whatever they want regardless of its impact on others.

Quite agree, but being realistic, they're still learning to do that, you can't expect them to get it right first time. And it's virtually impossible with some of the more disabled kids. The joy of the ASD screenings is that it's more akin to being in a giant sitting room, you can see where the kids are and all the parents are used to their kids being disruptive and so aren't phased by ones that go moo every 5 minutes or have to twiddle things or want to explore. It's a really lovely thing to experience.

BTW, while I can't imagine being able to take DS2 to a high class opera or theatre any time in the near future, his older brother was doing just that from the age of 8 - formal black tie events - and his manners were impeccable, it's not always a parenting matter.