Comments | jrittenhouse: Movie question for Meredith’s benefit:

jrittenhouse

Movie question for Meredith’s benefit:

Dec 26, 2009 19:58

Mere, who recently saw YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES and really dug it, has really wanted to see the new SHERLOCK HOLMES movie with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Everyone else in the house wants to see it, but we’re not sure as to whether it’s really appropriate for the little mystery junkie.

Same situation with AVATAR in regard to not-sure-if- ( Read more... )

mysteries, parenting, susan, movies, conniej, meredith

Comments 24

bammba_m December 27 2009, 01:07:52 UTC

I've seen both, and recommend both for adults with no hesitation.

Avatar is probably fine for her. There's violence, but not any more than the battle scenes of Narnia. People die, but it's not so gruesome and gory. There is a love scene, but the sex is more alluded to than shown.

Sherlock Holmes has a lot of violence and scary-magical-dark-arts things. People die in gory ways, you see corpses, and there are some really very gruesome scenes. I would not recommend this for younger viewers.

Also: I didn't find a lot of "mystery" involved in Sherlock. It's more suspense-action.

barondave December 27 2009, 01:09:01 UTC

She's what, 9? 10? Avatar is fairly violent, in a cgi-explode-em-up sort of way. If she withstood Star Trek and you prep her a little, the beautiful parts will outweigh the explosions. I wouldn't recommend it for little kids, and it's a pretty hard PG-13, but she seems to have a pretty good head on her shoulders.

jrittenhouse December 27 2009, 01:17:50 UTC

She enjoyed STAR TREK, except that the in-jokes went right over her head.

maiabee8 December 27 2009, 18:12:42 UTC

I saw Avatar and agree that if she liked Star Trek then Avatar wont be too violent/scary. It's an action movie and characters die (as do a number of 'red shirts') but it's not gory and the bad guys, while interesting and well fleshed out, are not in-your-bones scary (like, say the Joker in the newest Batman).

jrittenhouse December 27 2009, 01:18:10 UTC

Just turned 10.

leathermines December 27 2009, 01:19:13 UTC

I saw both.

Avatar is NOT an adult 'Fern Gully'. There is foul language used appropriately,corporate machinations and nekkid people(both Na'vi and Human) but an ecological moral that I think she would get, even through the marine battles. Did she see Aliens or Starship Troopers? If so, I think she can handle this.

Sherlock Holmes is fast paced, political and has some references to 'black magic' that may cause questions during the show. Knowing that up to WWI, you could be hung by the neck until dead for performing acts of black magic in Britan may be something to discuss before seeing the movie. There are some issues that may be better for a home environment, but I think if she likes Young Sherlock Holmes, with a little prep, she will like the current movie.

Hope that helps.

jrittenhouse December 27 2009, 04:09:45 UTC

She saw Narnia and had no problem with that. Aliens and Starship Troopers would be way too scary/bloody.

alicebentley December 27 2009, 01:35:26 UTC

Depends on the kid really. Sherlock Holmes has a couple of graphic autopsy scenes which squicked the woman next to me, and there's quite a lot of direct person-to-person violence, people hitting each other with fists, pipes, weapons and what-all.

I know my kid would not have been bothered by any of it at 10, and that my sister's kid would still be bothered by it now at 15 (I don't expect she'll go see it).

We thought it was a fine adaptation of Doyle's work.

hakeber December 27 2009, 01:37:30 UTC

Saw both today. My son (who is 14) saw Avatar earlier this week. It's straight up SF, with mecha, aliens, an ecological overtone, several big fight scenes and it's LONG. It's listed as being 160 minutes. The one 'sex' scene doesn't really show much and is quite short. People die, Nav'i and human, as well as native fauna. The CGI is to die for. If she's already seen things like Narnia, this is no worse.

Sherlock Holmes is quite gritty, very dark in tone, and after seeing Avatar, the complete lack of green was a stark contrast. London is dirty, and so are the people. Not so much a kid film on any level. Not unless she is a very mature 10. Not so much gore as just dark. More than a few fist fights, but very little bawdiness. Lots of very quick camera cuts.

I loved both and would not take my own daughter to either, but she is only seven. OTOH, I'd let me son see either if he wanted, but as I said above, he's 14 (he'll be 15 in just three weeks.)