Warning: The Good Dinosaur Is a Tough Watch for Young Kids (Spoiler Alert!)

[Captains wife]

Sooo....I wanted to take my 4 year old son to the theater for a fun Xmas outing (and he hasn't been getting out much given his recently broken leg) - and read a synapsis for The Good Dinosaur plus saw a preview. I also assumed as a Pixar movie that it would be ok for a pre-schooler, even if it was PG, so off we went.

 

WRONG assumption. First of all, the Poppa Dinosaur is killed in a horrific flood in a storm early in the film and my son was very distraught, especially since his dad died in a water related accident. He kept asking where Poppa was - but then the film gets very scary (over and over), then completely emotional as the friends talk about their families, then get separated. THEN the film replays the Poppa accident and then separates the friends in an emotional goodbye.

 

My son was so scared by the scary scenes, then sobbing through the last part of the movie - and even at his young age, related to his own loss and started crying about missing his Daddy - and crying for the young dinosaur who lost his Poppa. I tried to get him to leave the movie but he didn't want to as he was admittedly drawn in by it.

 

So while there might be a good aspect that this film brings out these emotions, I felt terrible I had subjected him to it and hadn't read more reviews before we went. I read online later that many parents complained about the film. I followed up the movie by a visit to the toy store and picked up a happier DVD that he watched when we got home so he was soon over it. And when asked about the film, my son says he liked it....Hummm......

 

Not sure if anyone has an opinion but I felt this movie (and my taking him) was far too much for a pre-schooler. Sigh...live and learn I guess.

[Losttogether]

I find many of the 'kids' movies terribly hard on kids who have lost parents. So many Disney movies involve the death of s parent (bambie, lion king, Cinderella, fix and the hound, Tarzan, etc etc). I took my kids to see Inside Out last year and my daughter (6 years at the time) SOBBED for about 45 mins after.

I watched the kids movie Up shortly after Bill died and it took me weeks to recover. Saddest movie I've ever seen.

[iloveyoualways]

Captains wife,  I can see how this movie would be upsetting. I took my seven year old as I want him to be a child for longer without watching all of the weapons and killing movies. It was shocking how the dino father dies. It was difficult but once again it's a Disney movie. It pulls on the heartstrings of viewers but for those who have been through death it can traumatize. I found myself crying at Big Hero 6. It just seems the blueprint for Disney movies now. These innocent movies fail to realize that this is a reality for many families, sadly.

[luvmy2babies]

Just want to thank you for posting this.  My son is almost 6; but having been 2 months old when his father died, the reality of it, is coming on him very slowly and right now he's in a tough phase.  Happy most of the time; but doesn't want to talk about his father at all.  Sees a picture of him and instead of saying, "that's daddy," turns his head and yells "NOT FAIR!"  So we are definitely not in a phase where we can deal with something like that.  Sounds like watching Jurassic Park would be less traumatizing, which we actually did last week because he was so mesmurized seeing the animals. He loves them; which was why I considered taking him to see this movie.  My son was rooting for the dinos in certain scenes, granted it was when the humans were trying to shoot them.

 

My daughter received the DVD for Big Hero 6 as a gift just off the previews and trailers; but I kind of "put it somewhere and forgot where" once I heard what happened.

 

 

[keeptrying]

I am glad this was posted. This post makes me want to have my kids see this movie.  I don't want them to be sheltered from death. It is a reality, a part of every day life that everyone pretends doesn't happen. Tries to hide, keep it hush hush... don't discuss...  When it does happen, you don't know how to deal with it. - Yes, it isn't a pretty and fun, but neither is life... it is a reality.