What age would you show ‘your kids’ Robocop?

[Nitefly]

Just for funsies.

There’s lots of films that took away our childhood innocence… for me the two that really alarmed me were Jurassic Park (seeing that severed arm) and Robocop (… ‘nuff said!). I’ve also heard of children in 2024 screaming of being upset for weeks re: the T-Rex… so it’s still very frightening for some.

But when would you show your own children some of these classic childhood ruining films? To what extent is seeing their horror, and passing on the cycle, worth it? Obviously, it depends on the kid but we can generalise.

Feel free to add your own films but here’s a short list…

Robocop: this is probably 12 years old minimum!

Jurassic Park: 8 years old

Raiders of the Lost Ark (face melting goodness): 8 years old

Jaws (dat eyeball): 8 years old

Or have any of you made the mistake of thinking your kids could handle it and they couldn’t?

Discuss, etc!

 

[BUDFORCE]

Aliens = 10 max.

Don't deny them that experience at a young age.

I think I was 8 when I first watched it.

 

[JonRGV250]

Debbie does Dallas - I was probably 12 or so, and didn’t do me any harm (much)
Nightmare on Elm St - 15
American werewolf in London - 12

 

[throwaway4372]

I'll add two:

Mars Attacks (1996) - This movie is rated 12, I would have been 11/12 at the time, I think the alien was pretty scary for a 12 movie, should be a 15 in my book.

Audition (1999) - Randomly watching late night movies as a teenager I ended up watching Audition, I had no idea what it was. Turns out it's a very scary horror movie, 18 rated. This is when I learnt that I don't enjoy horror movies.

General comments:

I think 12A/12 movies are fine from about age 8.

I think 15 is reasonable, but some 18 should be 15 instead.

The 18 rating is defined as "Adults should be free to choose their own entertainment", which isn't very helpful. Robocop shouldn't be in the same category as horror or porn.

 

[Sirrel Squirrel]

My dad let me watch Aliens when I was about 5, it's still my favourite film of all time and I turned out OK

 

[Nitefly]

@throwaway4372 Mars Attacks is based on a 50s bubblegum collectible card series where the images on the cards were outrageous for the time… and are still pretty shocking now, especially considering they were aimed at children! More shocking than the film tbh.

Warning for cartoon violence:

Spoiler: Mars Attacks examples

Also, I agree with the sentiments that maybe a child’s mind is where some of these films are most effective… maybe that can inspire or lead to interests in some cases! We all turned out OK… I think

 

[the shadow]

Reynolds himself told the New York Times, “My 9-year-old watched the movie with me and my mom, who’s in her late 70s, and it was just one of the best moments of this whole experience for me.” While Deadpool & Wolverine is violent, it’s arguably not as violent as previous chapters.

 

[Raymond Lin]

I watched Aliens with my mum age 8 or 9. I remember having to read Chinese subtitles on TV.

I think I saw T2 age 11.

I must have seen Robotcop when I was 9 or 10. Since I also seen that with subtitles.

I think these days, a teenager can handle watching Robotcop.

 

[something daft already!!]

I accidentally allowed my kids when they were quite young watch bad santa, not realising how adult it was. I thought it was a kids film lol.

 

[Rroff]

My dad let me watch Aliens when I was about 5, it's still my favourite film of all time and I turned out OK

Similar - I can't remember what age, I think it was about 13, I saw Aliens but I was a lot younger than the rating and I loved it - I found other horror, etc. movies scary at that age but for some reason I was alright with Aliens.

 

[roddypoddy]

A long time ago now, but on tv in the mid to late 60's, The Birds, Hitchcock classic.
To this day i could never keep a bird as a pet.

 

[Greebo]

Just for funsies.

There’s lots of films that took away our childhood innocence… for me the two that really alarmed me were Jurassic Park (seeing that severed arm) and Robocop (… ‘nuff said!). I’ve also heard of children in 2024 screaming of being upset for weeks re: the T-Rex… so it’s still very frightening for some.

But when would you should your own children some of these classic childhood ruining films? To what extent is seeing their horror, and passing on the cycle, worth it? Obviously, it depends on the kid but we can generalise.

Feel free to add your own films but here’s a short list…

Robocop: this is probably 12 years old minimum!

Jurassic Park: 8 years old

Raiders of the Lost Ark (face melting goodness): 8 years old

Jaws (dat eyeball): 8 years old

Or have any of you made the mistake of thinking your kids could handle it and they couldn’t?

Discuss, etc!

no No no. My dad took me and my brother to see jaws when I was 8. Had nightmares for weeks, i wouldnt go into the sea on holiday for years. Way way too young to have seen Jaws. The classifications for films were way too generous back then IMO.

 

[d_brennen]

My folks got a VCR with Alien and The Terminator. I tell you, I scampered up the stairs to bed real quick for a while after watching Alien

 

[englishpremier]

Robocop has some adult themes and a little gore but kids love gore. I was probably 8 or 9 when I saw it. No issues. IMO too many films are over classified. Nightmare on Elm Street is an 18 for example but it's actually well suited to kids around 11.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

I was way too young to watch Alien, Terminator, The Thing, Event Horizon.

 

[Thekwango]

We all turned out OK… I think

You’ve typed ‘should’ twice when it should have been ‘show’ - so no, you didn’t turn out ok

Watched all the films mentioned as a teenager so wasn’t that big an issue for me.
1 film/tv show that did freak me the **** out as a young kid was Salems Lot (the David Soul one) which I was allowed to watch when I was maybe 8/9. Didn’t sleep right for weeks

Books tend to have more an impact on me. I remember in my early 20’s reading Stephen Kings ‘It’ - and promptly refusing to walk near road drains for quite some time much to the amusement of the girl I was dating at the time.

 

[Nitefly]

You’ve typed ‘should’ twice when it should have been ‘show’ - so no, you didn’t turn out ok

Blimey - I didn’t see that at all!

I always ‘read what I think I have written’

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

I agree with Robocop (original) being a 12. I saw it when I was 13 and was fine with it.

Robocop 2 however I found overly violent with a minor machine-gunning down people and that guy being slit open with a Stanley knife while still alive. I think this should have been a 15.

Robotcop 3 was more the watered down one out of the film series but I liked it with that girl prodigy / technical whizz. I would put this as a 12.

I saw Jurassic Park when it came out in summer 1993. I would have been 14, nearly 15 and I was fine with it. Probably put it as a PG. There were so many Jurassic Parks in the end and I think it went on to be Jurassic World so I kinda lost track with it.

I saw Jaws probably age 12 but I don't remember much. I probably turned away if I saw a bit of gore.

My biggest regret was watching Nightmare on Elm Street, aged 15, when it's an 18. Yes it's meant to be more comedy than horror, but I've never been great with blood and guts as a child or an adult. Same with Starship Troopers, Dusk 'Til Dawn and Cube Zero. All too graphic for me.

I'm fine with 18-rated films if it's just lots of explosions and swearing like with the good ol' Arnie films of 80s / 90s. What's weird with Terminator though is that you had to be 18 to watch T1 but only 15 to watch T2. I saw both aged 12/13

 

[Bubo]

I remember, as a family sitting down to watch "The Burning" rented from the video shop on our new video machine. I was probably about 12. The Burning was subsequently banned I believe.

 

[ianh]

My first "accidental" watch of an 18 film was Jaws 2 when I was about 5-6 at most, still remember it but instead of being scared, it gave me a lifelong interest in Sharks.

The 18 film which definitely scared me as I was way too young for however was Alien when I was 10 and that was just........................wow! Again, it left me with a life long interest in the franchise though!