Kids and Movies

Plus, a review of "Deadpool and Wolverine"

August 14, 2024

Lynn Hernandez,

How strict are you on your kids and the movies they watch? I remember growing up, some of my friends’ parents didn’t regulate it much, and some were way too protective about it.

It has always been one of our family’s favorite pastimes, curling up on the couch with popcorn and hot chocolate . I make the best hot chocolate, btw.

I guess I get this love of movies from my dad because he always loved going to a movie theater and watching a movie. He said he loved to “escape” for a couple of hours at a movie. After some chores on a Saturday, you would almost always find my dad in the living room in front of an old John Wayne western or Charles Bronson tough-guy action film.

Let’s talk about movies and kids. I’d love to know your thoughts!

Lynn@Tulsa-Rocks.com.

“Go Ahead, Make My Day”

Here is the movie rating system I found on Google:

The Motion Picture Association (MPAA) uses the following ratings for movies:

G

General audiences, all ages admitted

PG

Parental guidance suggested, some material may not be suitable for children

PG-13

Parents strongly cautioned, some material may be inappropriate for children under 13

R

Restricted, persons under 17 are not admitted unless accompanied by a parent or adult guardian

17 years and older is to me a pretty obvious choice, so I just want to focus on R-rated movies and younger.

When my kids were younger, the movie choices were so great. Movies such as Toy Story, Frozen and really any of the Disney Pixar movies were our favorites. 1995 is when Toy Story came out. I remember that had content for children, but also plenty of fun side jokes that only the parents would get. They also included toys that all of us parents loved as a kid like toy army soldiers, slinkys, and of course, toy cowboys and space rangers.

I was surprised none of the Toy Story movies had Silly Putty or Big Wheels in them. Or did they?

I am so happy that my kids grew up watching these movies instead of Barney or Teletubbies. I don’t think I’ve could’ve handled that.

We all know those movies are instant classics and no-brainers for kids, so let’s jump to why I am writing this article: Deadpool.

“You’re about to be killed by a Zamboni.”

I am a huge Ryan Reynolds fan, so when Deadpool first came out in 2016, I was an immediate mega fan. Everything about the character I loved. Quick witted, a badass, and in the end, has a good heart.

Before he became an official member of the Marvel universe and the Avengers, I could definitely see him as part of the group. My kids and I absolutely love all of the Avengers movies, and I’ve watched all of them many times over. So when my oldest child, Atticus, who is now 14, started liking Ryan Reynolds, especially in Free Guy, I asked if he’d like to watch Deadpool.

His older sisters were big fans, too, so we started watching the Deadpool series. There were more than a few scenes in those movies that I was hesitant to continue, but we did anyway. When the kids were younger and a scene occurred with blood, or a super sad scene, I would stop the movie and remind them that it’s just ketchup, and nobody was getting hurt, that they were all acting.

I stopped the movie when in Avengers: Endgame, Natasha gets thrown off the cliff so Clint can receive the Soul Stone. It was so sad because we all love Nat so much!

Any movie that I think may be too much for the kids, we wait until we can watch it at home, so I can stop the movie if needed.

I remember taking my nephew Nicholas to a Jurassic Park movie. I don’t remember if it was Jurassic part two or three, but I do remember the opening scene was very scary, even for me. The dinosaurs were attacking the characters who were stuck in a tree. I looked down at my nephew who was under 10 years old, and I asked him if he wanted to leave. He said yes, and I was happy to get up and walk out. I told him that I was getting a little scared, too, so he didn’t feel bad.

I reminded him that the dinosaurs were not real and that all the people and movies are just acting. The guy behind the ticket counter noticed me and him about to walk out the door and offered our money back, which was super cool of him to do.

My son is now 14 years old, and I allow him to watch pretty much any R-rated movie he wants, but I will always keep reminding him that movies aren’t real. Unless I’m watching WWII documentaries, which I do alot. Then I let them know it is quite the opposite to teach them the incredible sacrifice our military has made over the years.

My daughter is now 10 years old, and I allow her to watch PG-13 movies under close supervision. Usually I have to watch the movie first and determine whether it’s OK for her to watch, or not. And even then, I don’t like taking her to a movie theater to watch PG-13 movies. I’ll wait till we can stream them at home so I can stop the movie and make sure she remembers that it’s just a movie and, all of that “blood” is really just ketchup.

Deadpool and Wolverine

We love Deadpool and Wolverine; however, after seeing it in the theater, I will not allow my daughter to see it in the theater. Once it comes out on streaming, then maybe, but again, there are a couple scenes I might skip over. That’s another great thing about watching movies at home is that you can skip certain scenes.

My son and I both saw Deadpool and Wolverine, and we both gave it a thumbs up. Not a double thumbs up. I know it has made over $1 billion so far, which is an incredible milestone for an R-rated movie. I won’t give any spoilers, but honestly, I thought both Deadpool and Wolverine separately have made better movies. I think trying to combine them weakens each other’s star power. Since I am a big dog lover, though, I thought it was an awesome idea to give Deadpool his own Deadpool dog!

We saw the movie at Cinergy Entertainment, which is such a great place because before and after the movie you can enjoy video games, bowling, ax throwing, escape rooms and, for mom and dad, they have a really cool full bar! In fact, I tried one of the Deadpool specialty drinks, and it was super yummy.