Honest Opinions, Please!

I just got an email from my MIL...she wants to buy Paul the 'Finding Nemo' DVD for Christmas with some of the toys that go with it...and I'm not sure I want this movie for him!

I need everyone's honest opinions about this movie b/c...
a) DH and I did not see this movie
b) I know that the Mommy fish is killed
c) Do you think Paul is too young for this movie?

IMO, just b/c it's Disney does not mean that it's okay for small children...I would not allow Paul to watch The Lion King, b/c I will never forget when I saw that movie in the theater...a little boy sitting behind me started crying and pleading with his Mommy to 'make Simba's Daddy come back!' It broke my heart!

So, what does everyone think? I'd love to hear specifically from those who saw the movie...try to 'remember' it through the eyes of a small child, pls. Thanks!

Niha, he understands ALOT...to the point where he will giggle if he finds something particularly funny during a show.

My biggest concern is how he will react to a the Mommy fish getting killed and if he will understand that....I don''t want him to watch something that might cause nightmares or fears that he otherwise wouldn''t even have yet!

Hmmm..... I haven''t seen it, but if the Mommy Fish gets killed, I''d think twice.

Perhaps you can rent it and watch it when you get a moment w/o Paul (I don''t know if that is probable, LOL)

I saw the movie in the theater. I obviously wasnt watching it with this in mind so i may not remember everything but:

a) from what i remember the mommy part is not so bad. It early on in the movie and there were a lot of young children there and none of them were noticely or audibly upset. I dont know how Paul would react to this of course.

BUT...

b) there are a few scary parts in the movie where scary fish threaten nemo, etc.. If he is sentitive to those kinds of things, it definitely might bother him.

AND

c) there is a long bit about a dentist that i think would scare a child away from dentists. Of course im afraid of dentists so maybe this struck more of a cord with me than with others but that is what i remember most.

I remember leaving the movies thinking that if were a child watching this, i might be afraid of dentists and water after the fact.

I dont think its as bad as Lion King but i would at least say to watch it yourself first and see if Paul would be upset by it.

PS: There are no real songs (maybe a few but its not a musical like the other disney movies)so a young child might not even enjoy it as much as some of the other choices out there.

Hope that helps.

Stefanie, I want to HUG you right now! I did not know about the dentist part -> Paul has his first dentist appt. in two weeks and the LAST thing I want is for him to develop a fear of the dentist! Thank you for mentioning that!

And, I also didn''t know that it wasn''t as musical (and therefore, entertaining) as other Disney movies.

I have heard about the other scary fish scenes, though. I''m definitely going to try and persuade my MIL to choose something else for his gift!
Can''t thank you ladies enough!!!

I also saw the movie and it is a very classic disney plot- parent dies, child is put into dangerous situations , lesson about love is learned- I do not think it is for very young children. I have a real issue with parents always being killed off in Disney movies. Name the ones where both parents are safe and sound? Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmations...not too many actually. Why this is I will NEVER know..

Anyway I digress...the dentist stuff is what I thought was VERY scary. I even said that to Scott as we left the theatre. I think that could scare a child, maybe not as young as Paul, but a bit older from every wanting to go to the dentist!

I don''t think the toys are bad or scary really. I am sure they are fine, but I personally would not want my young child to watch this movie. Of course, the theatre was full of children watching it....then again some moron brought her under 3 year old to see Saving Private Ryan the night I saw it so.....

Listen I saw Bambi when I was too young and never forgave my mom. I totally didnt'' understand why the mommy had to die and nobody could make it better. To this day, I can''t look at deer and I have these really awful negative non-Christian feelings towards anybody who kills them. No offense out there! It''s a childhood wound.

Skip it. If a mommy dies, no reason for Paul to be involved. Rather see him watching Scooby Doo where the ghost is really just a fragile old man at the end with a funny haircut......

I took Patrick to see it in the theatre & he loved it. The only thing that scared him was the theatre itself.

But I agree that maybe you should rent it & see for yourself.

Claud if she does buy it for you there is no reason he needs to watch it now Keep it packed up till he is a little older and understands more I never saw the movie but my girlfriends 3 year old loved it, she was even asking her mother to rewind the scary shark parts, and started crying in the movie theater when her mom tried to explain you can''t rewind it in here. She also loves the stampede in Lion King and the Sea Witch in Little Mermaid so you never know how a kid will react.

Thanks, Stacey and everyone for the different viewpoints/opinions

I definitely don''t want to 'over-think' this...BUT, I''d also like my in-laws to give Paul something for Christmas that he can tear open, use and love NOW - not in 3 or 4 years - b/c then what''s the point? Know what I mean?

I am so excited to watch him open gifts this year, and it would be a complete drag to have him open something, and then say, 'Okay, give that to Mommy to put away!'

They can just as easily send him a Blue''s Clues DVD with Blue''s Clues toys or something along those lines...JMO....personally, I would like to see the Nemo movie, but I am really feeling (based upon what everyone has said) that it''s just not right for Paul at his age. Not to mention that he does not have the attention span for a full-length feature film!

Claud, I think and hope that you should be able to honestly tell your MIL of a better suggestion. I usually tell my MIL of whether we will need something she plans to buy or not. She appreciates that I tell her, so she doesnt waste time and money (who are we kidding, she''ll buy him something else with that money)

I havent seen the movie so I cant comment on that exactly. but I really doubt that an 18m old can comprehend death in any way. or in most cases, a story line of a cartoon, never mind a full length movie...
They definately catch on to funny and silly clips and things, but I wouldnt worry about him understanding the death of anyone in the movie.
About the dentist part, leave that out of his sight! It''s bad enough that we still as adults are afraid of the dentist!

If you dont feel that its a movie you want him to see in the next few years, then you should be honest with your MIL and hopefully she wont take it the wrong way and get something more appropriate for his age NOW!

This just raises the question...if an 18 mo. old can comprehend a funny or silly clip in a cartoon, then can''t they just as easily comprehend something sad or scary? I think so....but, who knows for sure?

I definately notice that lets say John Anthony picks up if we are 'trying' to yell at him or scold him from doing something that he can get hurt from.
They do pick up on an angry face or even a scary sound. He even gets scared sometimes if I laugh too loud or make a funny sound too loud..
Oh, and silly and funny is amazing too,. How they can giggle their tushies off from any silly thing! That does amaze me too.
But them understanding the concept of death is far beyond their years.. That''s probably way after kindergarten even... Is it that brutal/scary in the movie?
I think even when little ones say that 'grandma is with Jesus in Heaven' lets say, they may still not be at the point of comprehending it. Im sure there''s an age where they truly can pick up on a sad movie, like the child you mention at the Lion King movie

As far as that movie being a gift, I''d also prefer more of a 'classic' or something he can pop right into the DVD player that night!
and then he''ll come to associate a favorite movie with his grandma!

CLAUD!!!!! I HAD NO IDEA the Mommy gets killed and Brian was picking it up tonight!

Oh well...I won't tell hubby...we just bought the Lion King as well and I still don't feel it's appropriate for young children, I was mortified when they killed off the Lion Dad.