6 years old too young for Terminator 2?

I love T2 but it's very sanitised compared to the first movie, I saw it very young (8-9 years) and had no issues whatsoever, in fact it was a birthday present VHS that I watched until it wore out. If you asked the same question about Robocop (uncut especially) I'd give you a hard no.

Given the rating it has, it's probably less violent/extreme than a lot of modern movies of the same. It's certainly a lot less messed up than child-orientated social media that parents turn a blind eye to.
 
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For my kids I'd wait until they're probably 12, mainly because I don't think they'd get as much out of the film at a younger age.

IMO it's tempting to rush getting the to watch films you think are cool, but sometimes it's better to wait so they can properly appreciate them.
 
Kinda on-topic: have the special effects of the T1000 robot aged well? T2 was the most expensive film made at the time (as of 1991) and the special effects were outstanding. Now we're in the 2020s, we live in a time where CGI is taken for granted and it's certainly no stranger for a 6 y/o kid either. I still appreciate the expensive effects in T2 but I'm not sure if a very young generation would. Some food for thought though!

The general consensus in the replies in this thread that 12 seems to be around the right age to fully understand the film.
 
If this is the same guy, which I think it is, I had to delete a thread on another forum (where I was a mod) about him boasting about drinking and driving. Now he's going on about allowing a 6 year old watching unsuitable films and encouraging him. Then boasting about using firearms. Model citizen.
 
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I have a distant memory of my folks renting The Exorcist (in Betamax, I had parents of distinction :D) and when I saw the cassette case my folks quickly hid it away, piquing my interest in it further. Was I allowed to watch it? HELL no!

Different beast and certification to T2 of course, but the principle still stands.

To the OP, don't be in a rush for your kid to grow up, they grow up too soon nowadays anyway.
 
hornetstinger said:
no. not at all.

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I agree.

Absolutely do not let your 6 year old watch this OP. My dad did some neglectful parenting and didn't stop me wandering in to the lounge and watching this scene when I was about 8ish, and it made me terrified of nuclear war for about a year. To the point where I'd check any wooshing noises outside were planes and not missiles for ages!

You can't be sure how a young mind will react or interpret something like that scene.

Having said that 6 might be too young to comprehend some things like that, but it's still far too graphic and violent a film for a child so young.
 
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Yes it is not the nightmares as much as desensitising violence and violent behaviour. There are reasons why up to 50% of eleven year olds carry knives "for self protection" in some of our boroughs.
 
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Rilot said:
My boy watched T2 at age 9.
The way I decide whether something is watchable is I ask the question "Is it less or more violent than Avengers Endgame?".

There is significant swearing in T2 though. The way we deal with swearing in our house as I've told my son that swear words belong to adults. They are only for adults. Children can hear them but cannot use them.
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The scene where the T1000 stabs Jon Connor’s foster dad through the milk carton into the face. Can’t imagine a young child not finding that upsetting.

I don’t remember any scenes from end game at that level.

 
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As has been stated, yes, I would say easily too young. Potentially desensitizes them to graphic content (which may or may not be evident straight away) and you wouldn't really get to appreciate the actual story the movie tells at the same time. Better to keep it for a more mature age for multiple reasons.
 
BUDFORCE said:
6 and a half technically.

If I maybe don't let him watch the bits where the liquid metal terminator stabs the foster father/mental hospital secretary guard.

Acceptable, or too young still?
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This is weird as I just watched T2 the other night with my son who is 5. I just made him look away at the scenes where the T1000 kills its victims. Like most kids he got bored of it for the most part and played with his toys.

I think T1 is a lot more scary tbh as the terminator never stops and is more horror in that respect. T2 is more of an action film.

Ironically my son was watching some cartoon with vampires in it which scared him more than watching T2. He was asking me if vampires were real but a T800 didn't phase him at all.

Back in the day I couldn't think of anything more frightening than a T800 which could crush your skull in his hands but I guess that fear comes from knowledge.

A 5 year old of today sees a T800 as a shiny Bumblebee without knowing the context.
 
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No I wouldn't let my 7 or 10 year old watch it. Worrying about the nuclear apocalypse as a kid isn't fun and easily avoided by waiting a bit longer. Please be patient they don't need to grow up too quickly.
 
Pants said:
No I wouldn't let my 7 or 10 year old watch it. Worrying about the nuclear apocalypse as a kid isn't fun and easily avoided by waiting a bit longer. Please be patient they don't need to grow up too quickly.
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Have they watched any of the avenger films? Age of Ultron is pretty much T2. Even back in the day they marketed Terminator 2 action figures for kids.


 
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Pawnless Endgame said:
At age 15, a mate and I watched Nightmare on Elm Street and that was too much for me. I know it's meant to be more of a comedy film than horror but it was too graphic for me and it gave me nightmares.
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Wut? The first Elm St was a horror, yes the rest got campy, but the original was one of the best horrors of the 80's!

Jaws messed me up as a kid, the bit where the head pops out from under the boat with the eyeball hanging out :(

As for T2 at 6 - no. I know we want to our kids to experience great movies, but6 is too young for the subject material and tbh they won't understand or remember it.
 
LiE said:
The scene where the T1000 stabs Jon Connor’s foster dad through the milk carton into the face. Can’t imagine a young child not finding that upsetting.

I don’t remember any scenes from end game at that level.

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Yea no way I'd let him watch that bit, or the other similar but with the security guard in Pescadero.
 
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