I watched “The Hobbit” on Christmas night. Alone. It was such a treat! But the entire time I watched it, I was deciding whether it was a good idea to take my 5 year old. And you know what? The Hobbit is not good for young children, especially not in 3D. Older children and adults will love this movie, I just think that small children will be confronted with images that will frighten them and overload their already active imaginations.
With 3D glasses, the entire world of Middle Earth is frighteningly realistic. And Middle Earth is full of dangers and perils, enough to flood a small child’s mind with gruesome images and fears. The Orcs, Wargs, giant spiders, ghosts, and rock giants are scary. The Wargs especially scared me to death, I can only imagine the nightmares they will give small kids! Wargs are like wolves, but ten times scarier and more deadly. Their teeth, evil eyes, and desire to devour and destroy everything in their path make them a perfect evil component for the movie. It also makes for the perfect ingredient for nightmares. The wargs in The Hobbit in 3D are too realistic for young children.
The fighting scenes – especially in 3D – are vivid and scary. Bilbo and the dwarves are near-death many times. There are two bloody and fierce fighting scenes between Thorin the dwarf and The Pale Orc (Azog) that had me covering my eyes, afraid for the life of Thorin! The Pale Orc embodies evil and radiates destruction and fear.
Slow Story Line
The Hobbit has a running time of almost 3 hours (2.78 hours to be exact). When there are not fighting scenes and some funny jokes, it has a detailed story line that might either bore small children or they won’t be able to follow it very closely. Other children might not want to sit in the theater that long.
The Hobbit is a serious, mature movie, not meant for children. It is rated PG-13 for good reason. I personally recommend all parents watch this movie alone first before allowing their very young children to watch it. Every child is different, some are frightened very easily, some not so much. Make the choice that is best for your child’s maturity.
If you have seen The Hobbit – what are your thoughts? Is The Hobbit appropriate for young children?
Sarah G. says
My family and I finally went to see The Hobbit on Christmas night, as well! I enjoyed it, but I definitely agree that it’s not for children. 🙂
Annie @ Mama Dweeb says
Thank you for letting me know Sarah. I am glad I am not alone in feeling like it is a mature movie for older viewers.
Alexandra says
I am going to the pictures on Saturday! (Some me-time…without the little ones). I can’t wait! It’s so hard to avoid all the spoilers and thanks for not putting anything up there, in your post! :)) Will share my thoughts after Saturday 🙂
Annie @ Mama Dweeb says
There is one part that I did not mention because it really is a spoiler. But I WILL say it is a tear-jerking moment. You will LOVE this movie. Let me know what you think!
Sara @SensiblySara says
I have not seen it – but it’s also not my kind of movie. My husband would love it, though!
Aimee says
Totally agree. I won’t be showing it to Peanut until she’s at least seven or eight. Even then, I’ll have to think it over. Great movie though!
Alissa Apel says
Ya it seems like a movie that’s for ages 10 and up. No matter what movie it is, 3 hours is a long time for a small kid to sit! I always wished The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were a bit shorter.
Annie @ Mama Dweeb says
I am very curious about how they are taking a small book (the Hobbit) and splitting it into 3 movies that are each 2.5-3 hrs long. I bet there are LOTS of drawn out fighting scenes!
Sarah G. says
They are adding in material from other Tolkien works….there are things happening around that same time that he explains in other books, so the filmmakers are expanding the film to include more context. Three films are a little much, though. It used to be 2, then they decided to go to 3.
Annie @ Mama Dweeb says
ooohh!! Thank you Sarah, I didn’t know that! Well….I guess that this could be very interesting. And I know I will be going to see all three….but I do agree they could have put everything in two films.
Amy @ Oh So Savvy Mom says
My husband and I are pretty picky about what we let our kids watch. We did a lot of research on Rise of the Guardians to make sure it was appropriate before my husband took our 5 year old–and that was only rated PG.
Kids are growing up way too fast. Yes, we adults may find these movies very cool, but the action sequences and subject matter are far to mature for little kids. Kids minds don’t need to burdened with this stuff.
Annie @ Mama Dweeb says
“Kid’s minds don’t need to be burdened” – I could not say it better. Their imaginations can already turn a blanket’s shadow into a bloodthirsty villain, do we need to give them a clearer picture of the villain?
Hanan says
Since my oldest is only five, we’re pretty strict on the no watching movies that are above a G rating, with the exception of a few times. I haven’t seen this movie yet, but I personally can’t wait to.
Christina Gleason @ WELL, in THIS House says
My husband and I went to see The Hobbit together without our son, who is 7. Husband and son read The Hobbit together, which is a completely different animal than seeing it on screen. I agree with your assessment that the movie is too scary for young children. So many of the creatures are scary-looking, and the mortal peril is intense. For comparison’s sake, TJ gets anxious and shouts things like, “Watch out!” and “Oh no!” during Disney/Pixar movies when things appear to be going badly. I think he’d be in tears worrying about Bilbo and the dwarves. Maybe he’ll be ready when he’s 12. I’m sure we’ll own it before then. 🙂
Annie @ Mama Dweeb says
I am reading this book for the first time ever….and there are some parts that are pretty scary, I won’t be reading it to my 3 year old. BUT you are right – hearing it is way different from seeing the wargs and goblins come at your in 3D.
JulieK says
I’m so glad you posted this. I haven’t seen it yet but just knowing the Lord of the Rings movies and the content of the books alone I would not THINK of bringing anyone under 12!!
I also love the “kids’ minds don’t need to be burdened” comment, and yours about how reading it aloud is different than watching.
I heard it put this way once: when you read, your mind imagines only what it can handle. When you watch the same thing on TV, you’re exposed to SOMEONE ELSE’s vision of that same concept – which maybe be far scarier / worse than what you imagined and more than what you’re mind is able to handle. That’s why reading a book is usually not as scary as watching it on TV…
Annie @ Mama Dweeb says
You nailed it in your last paragraph. You really do have control of what you “see” when you read. Perfect explanation and exactly why I won’t be taking my children. 🙂