One of the things that I like to do with the kids is actually go to movies.com and watch the upcoming trailers for children’s movies.
Since we would be in Florida for Thanksgiving, I had promised to take the little ones to see Happy Feet. They couldn’t wait! We had watched the trailers on the computer so many times and also saw the previews on TV day after day. Yes, they were excited and—oh by the way—so was I. Yes, an adult was excited about a kid movie!
So there we were in Florida on Thanksgiving Day with popcorn, a fruit punch and candy for each child sitting comfortably waiting to see the 11:30 show.
The first hour or so was very cleverly done—although there was a scene with an ugly terrifying seal with large, piercing teeth. Ok we got passed that. The computer animation was very clever, the songs were great, and the dancing penguins were very, very, very cute.
What I didn’t know was all of a sudden the movie sort of changed gears. The movie was now about a darker side—about pollution and humans (aliens they are referred to in the movie) encroaching on the birds’ habitat and basically taking away all of the food from the little and cute penguins and potentially putting them at risk. There is also a penguin that has a plastic six-pack holder that is around his neck and is choking him for a large percentage of the movie.
The movie has been very successful in terms of the box office, grossing over $100 million dollars in the first two weeks.
So clearly the marketing of this movie was great. But…
- Was it too great?
- Was it to the right audience?
Let me say that I am NOT a movie critic and at this point I am a parent who is a little concerned that I took a 3 and 5 year old to this movie. Had I known what the movie was about, I probably wouldn’t have taken them to the movie. I would have waited until they were older.
I am not saying don’t see the movie. What I am saying is enough people have seen it so far that I am sure you can find someone who can fill you in on the movie so you can make a better and informed decision for you and your family.
I realize that trailers don’t want to give away the entire movie, and I respect that. But I must admit I felt that this movie was about much more than that. What they had been promoting was not what I saw and I did feel that there was a little bit of bait and switch.
Maybe I am worrying for nothing since a 3 and a 5 year old probably didn’t understand what was going on anyway.
I would love to hear from parents, aunts, uncles or grandparents who have seen the movie.
Y.R. says:
Haven’t see the movie but have seen plenty of falsley advertised movies over the years. Previews are done to get butts in the seats, nothing else. I think a bigger problem with childrens movies is that you can’t really trust the G rating or that a movie is from Disney. Not because your going to see sex and violence but at what age is it appropriate for a child to be entertained with a woman who wishes to skin Dalmation puppies? A hunter killing Bambis mother? How old should you be when you can handle a movie like Monsters Inc., implying there are monsters in your closet? A G rating does not mean bring the whole family, not sure it ever has. I’ve known people who refered to the Wizard of Oz as too scary to watch when they were children.
kath says:
Never trust a trailer to reveal content (or lack thereof…) – after all, aren’t trailers basically just longer ads?
I have yet to see the movie, but have heard lots of great things about it and my daughter is excited to see it. This site:
http://www.commonsensemedia.org
is a great resource for parents looking for kid and family friendly movies. I love that includes age guidelines, which are tremendous since, in my opinion, the current rating system is useless to me as a parent.
Case in point: I recall taking my 6 year old son, whom I thought to be quite mature for his age, to see “Huck Finn” a number of years ago. To say that the movie was a little over his head would be an understatement. The questions about slavery began as I stopped at the gas station on the way home. What. was. I. Thinking? ugh.
And, Y.R. is absolutely right! Can anyone even think of a Disney movie that doesn’t deal with the issues of abandonment, loss, fear, monsters, separation or death. Think about it!
Great topic Merrill – thanks!
kath
Betsy Sutherland says:
Slightly off topic but I agree with Kath’s conclusion on Disney movies. Many of them have one or both parents disappearing tragically which is difficult to explain to a young child. Plus has there ever been a movie where a step parent was portrayed as anything other than a caricature of all the bad things a step-parent can be?
G-Man says:
Scary similarities. I too, took my family (an 8 and a 3 yr old) to see this movie in Florida during our Thanksgiving vacation. More to the point, I also felt that hype and the advertising spoke to a completely different theme.
I did not watch the trailers, as I like to be somewhat surprised, so I assume responsiblity for taking kids to a movie without proper research. I was truly dissappointed in the movie, but the kids loved it and can’t wait to own the DVD. Go Figure!
Marc Rentzer says:
I took my seven year old son. He understood more than I thought he or any seven year old could, so that was a pleasant surprise. It seems that kids these days are getting an earlier education on environmental and global health issues in general. Not only that, it is his favorite movie now.
All that is fine…but yes, there was a bait and switch. While not offended by the content (mostly), I think that since these movies probably have a huge influence on the development of values in young, hungry, growing minds – it would be nice if there ought to be truth in advertising. Also, I need to research the movies I take my son to a bit more.
Bill Neal says:
Merrill,
Great post on “Happy Feet.” Here are my thoughts.
As a grandfather of three, I’m now facing the same dilemma as you. What to expose the grandkids to and what not to. So far, I’ve avoided all of the movies for two basic reasons – too many are PC propaganda for someone’s social agenda (much of which I personally don’t agree) – like Happy Feet, or they are so removed from reality as to be worthless as a learning experience – also like Happy Feet. What I have chosen to do is expose them to real life out here in the country. And as part of that exposure, I try to set the example as best as I can. In the long run, it’s those examples that they will rely on as adults.
What are some of the things I’m trying to teach them?
People die. It’s inevitable so understand it and deal with it like adults should.
Not all people are nice, some are selfish, some are sick, and for some there’s no telling why. Learn to discern which is which.
Trust is important. You need to be able to trust me, and I need to be able to trust you. If you tell me something that is not true, you break that trust, and you are diminished by it.
Family is important, not just brother or sister, mom and dad, and Grammy and Pop-Pop, but all the aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives you come in contact with. Family helps define who you are. Family sustains you in times of need. I try to get them together with relatives as often as possible.
Animals die. That’s the natural scheme of things. And when they do, all is not lost. Their remains sustain other living things, whether man or other animals or plants. Understanding that is essential for understanding the natural world.
Animals are animals, not people. Some have marvelous traits and abilities. They do not have higher-order emotions like people do. They don’t talk like people do. They don’t reason like people do. They react to their environment. Reasoning is God’s gift to people.
Respect all that is natural. Help sustain it – personally in all that you do.
Only take what you plan to consume, and leave the rest alone to sustain others – whether that’s fishing, hunting, at a grocery store, or at the dinner table.
Most of what you see on TV and in the movies is not real – it’s someone’s fantasy.
Hunting and fishing, done right, is a great way to learn about nature and the environment. Come with me and I will show you.
Ed Sugar says:
This reminds me of the outcry a number of years ago when Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby” was released. Many people thought they were going to see a movie about boxing based on the trailers, commercials and reviews. In the end they were quite upset that the movie’s central plot evolved around euthanasia. Unfortunately, “that’s Show Biz folks”, where truth in advertising takes a distance second behind generating revenue.
Bev says:
Great blog, Merrill…..very thought provoking comments….
kath says:
Merrill,
Just got back from seeing Happy Feet.
Wow.
The only topic it didn’t seem to touch upon was the war in Iraq!
Finally (I can’t believe this is my second reply to this post), how did he get out of the Aquarium/Seaworld anyway?
:- ) kath