I did see some kids in the theater, and as we left, some seemed fine—and others seemed weighted down. As a parent, you know your child best. You know how they process things. You know what inspires nightmares or brings tears. You know what movies they can get through—and should know where to draw the line. In wisdom, most parents keep their kids away from scenes filled with sex, violence, or language—but this is a unique situation. How will your child handle death at this level?
Of course, it’s all pretend—to us, that is. But many kids still accept fantasy into their reality—whether on a mental, emotional or heart level. This could be very difficult.
Again, Weppler stresses that YOU most likely know what your own kids can handle, but I encourage you to REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, and honestly – go see this yourself FIRST before taking them. Weppler makes some similar recommendations and I am in total agreement with him. He finishes up by laying out these recommendations for the parents he knows.
RECOMMENDATIONS (NO SPOILERS)
– I believe that MOST Elementary age kids and younger might not do well with the finale—possibly some young middle schoolers.
– PLEASE see the movie by yourself first, or with other adults who know your child. Discuss whether this would be best for them.
– READ reviews online from Christian organizations (Plugged In) or other family focused groups
– If you WILL see it with your kids, see it EARLY in the day. If this is the last thing your child sees before bed, sleep might be hard.
– If you WILL see it with your kids, PREPARE them ahead of time. Tell them that people will die—and that they can tell you at any point in the movie if they want to look away, to sit with you, or even to leave the theater that you will be there for them.
– If you WILL see it with your kids, TALK about it afterwards. Ask them questions. Remind them that even when things are frightening, God is in control. This is a movie where God does not play a role—we do not live in this universe, because our God is real and alive and powerful and cares for all His children. Thanos’ beliefs about death and keeping the universe balanced are not true. Thanos sacrifices others to bring His plan to fruition—God Himself came to save us. The theme and mood of this film is reminiscent of Good Friday—however, we don’t know what the next film holds. We DO know that Jesus died and rose again—and through Him we can live forever. “Therefore, since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15
– If you WILL see it with your kids, CONSIDER telling them ahead of time the characters that will die. I know this doesn’t make sense in a spoiler-cautious culture, but what matters more—a spoiler or your child’s heart?
– If you decide NOT to see it with your kids, EXPLAIN why. You could give spoilers, specific reasons, or just tell them that they are not ready for it. They will likely hear about this ending at school or elsewhere—people will be talking about this for years.
– If you decide NOT to see it with your kids, go WATCH another fun movie. There are plenty of fun Marvel movies, other kid-friendly films, a great superhero film “The Incredibles” (our VBS Theme!)
– If you decide NOT to see it, consider watching it at HOME when it comes out on DVD and digital download in a few months. Then you can skip or fast forward through scenes.
– If you decide NOT to see it, DON’T go tell other parents what they should or shouldn’t do—but if you feel compelled to share this post or talk with other parents about your concerns, please do.This was on my heart as the movie ended. I hope no one is angry about me for sharing details, but I believed this was important enough to share. If you do make comments below, do not give specific spoilers away. I will likely delete them if I see them.
It truly is an excellent movie. I will see it again Saturday and may change some notes on this post. I have no doubt people will remember this film for a while. But if your child has to wait to see it at home or when they are older—I think it’s worth the wait. Just my thoughts.
Ok, parents – NOW YOU KNOW! Go forth and enjoy the movie with or without your kids! It was a great movie, but I personally was quite sad a few hours after seeing it, and I’m forty years old. So give a lot of thought to what your kiddo’s emotions CAN and CANNOT handle, and decide what is best BEFORE going to the film.
