Wondeing If Star Wars the Clone Wars Is Okay for Four Year Old

Hello! If you go to the 94.9 ktly radio station web site and click on the morning show they have something called plugged in movie reviews. It is great as it tells you everything in the movie that has to do with violence/rude humor/sexual content. Also gives you a good run down of the plot. I always go there before taking my little ones to a movie. Hope this helps! M.

K.,
It is a good movie. I took my 7 year old to it on Friday night. Darth Vader is not even in this movie. I think there was only 1 bad word in the whole movie. I think the PG rating is for the shooting of the weapons and just the over all light saber fighting. I think your 4 1/2 year old will really like it, if he is inot Star Wars. My son has seen all the movies and the first 2 clone wars movies.
L.

Hi K.,
I was just wondering about this myself...if fact I was looking up information on it late last night because my husband was wanting to take our 4 year old to see it today. I was hesitant and my husband thought it would be okay. I went to www.pluggedinonline.com
We have only been letting him watch G, of course, so I also wanted to know why it was rated PG?? It said in the language part that they say "d--n". (don't like that) I always think about the language but the violence is just as important to me...My 4 year old really likes Star Wars too but I always think "he's too little to see all that fighting etc..." :) I don't know...he's a pretty smart little guy and if he doesn't like it he will say...that's too scary!! I'm just hoping it goes okay seeing as though I lost that discussion on whether or not he goes...
Sounds like we have kids around the same age..I also have 14 month old twin girls! Life is crazy, huh?

My son is 8 and has seen every Star Wars movie except the darker one. It's rated PG-13 and Dad think he's ready. I have my doubts. Personally, I find them all to have too much shooting, but there isn't blood, gore or swearing so it's better than most movies out there today. I have yet to visit one movie that is even rated "G" that doesn't offend me in some way. They can't leave one cuss word out these days, it seems. I also get offended during movies like Madagascar and others that have potty-type humor. The word "damn" was used once during this Clone Wars film and that was all that personally offended me as a Mom who is very strict with what her child watches. Again, my son is 8. Take that as you wish. My son was not watching anything Star Wars at age 4. I think he was 6 before we introduced that and his life has been nothing but light sabres and battleships since. It is very action-packed with lots of spaceships and blaster shooting.

We go to www.kids-in-mind.com to get movie reviews before taking the kids. It does a good job breaking down and describing all scenes that may be offensive for the kiddos.

Hi K.,
We have NOT gone to see the movie but I asked my son that is 10 and knows everything STAR WARS and he said NO. He thinks he is too young. I thought it was funny but he seems to know a lot cause he said it would be too violent loud and not child appropriate. I thought it was cute that he cared to be honest cause he really loves Star Wars. I have an in-home daycare so he knows exactly what a four year old looks like and is like so I'm sure he knows what he is talking about. I read what other parents had to say and I agree, for that age..I personally would wait.
B. and son

My husband watched it yesterday. He wanted to take our 4 year old, who LOVES lightsabers, but I told him to watch it by himself first to decide if it was okay, and if so, our son could watch it on TV (it's going to be on some channel - maybe Cartoon Network? - in the next few weeks). My husband decided it was too violent for our 4 year old, with a lot of shooting and fighting. That said, we're pretty strict about what he watches. Other than the occasional Scooby Doo (which my parents introduced to him when we were out of town), he sticks with Noggin, Playhouse Disney, PBS and Disney DVDs.

We plan to to take my son to see it and he'll be 3 next month. He LOVES Star Wars and this one isn't much like the others so I don't think your son would be scared or anything.

Hello, I would love to encourage you and any other readers to visit the Parents Television council at:
http://www.parentstv.org/ They work tirelessly to rate EVERY single tv program and movie out there. I copy/pasted their review of the Star Wars Clone Wars below. If anyone is concerned about all the violence, etc in tv, movies or video games, this is the place to report it. They will send your complaint directly to the FCC. If enough people complain about the bad content that is marketed to our children, we can have an impact! Thanks,
A. Sharbino
mom of 3 in Flower Mound
To see this review in a better format click:
http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/moviereviews/PT...

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

By Christopher Gildemeister

Release Date: August 15, 2008

MPAA rating: PG for sci-fi action violence throughout, brief language and momentary smoking

Vocies: Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor, Ashley Eckstein, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee and Anthony Daniels

Recommended age: 10+

Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Yellow

Sex
Brief suggestive dancing

Violence
Death depicted, guns, explosions, constant and massive battle scenes, minor torture, decapitation, fantasy violence

Language
“damn”

Behavior Belching, disrespectful attitude by minor

Set in the period between the Star Wars prequel movies Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, the animated movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars features the wartime adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Now a full-fledged Jedi Knight, Skywalker is given a difficult assignment: the evil Count Dooku has kidnapped the child of gangster Jabba the Hutt; while Obi-Wan tries to negotiate with Jabba, Skywalker must retrieve the baby Hutt, battle Dooku and his evil apprentice Ventriss…and deal with the cocky attitude of his own new apprentice, the beautiful padawan Ahsoka.

As a science-fiction film set during a war, Star Wars: The Clone Wars consists almost entirely of wild action-filled battle scenes. Though most of the film’s violence is of a fantasy nature, with battles with spaceships, robots, ray-guns, high-speed chases, massive explosions and lightsaber duels constituting the majority of the film’s action, there are a few scenes with somewhat stronger content. Throughout the movie many of the Jedi’s subordinate troopers are killed. Though no blood is shown, it is clear that these are living people who have been killed, with fellow soldiers calling out for medics. Some of the soldiers fall to their deaths, are shot down by robots or killed in explosions. One trooper is tortured and choked by Ventriss. The severed heads of several of Jabba’s bounty hunters are briefly seen.

There is little other content in The Clone Wars of concern to parents. A scantily-clad “dancing girl” in Jabba’s palace is briefly seen performing for the gangster. Jabba belches on several occasions, and Ahsoka’s attitude is cheeky, disrespectful and occasionally rude to her new master Anakin. Profanity in the film is limited to a single use of “damn,” along with alien “swear words” such as “poodoo.”

Several good values are emphasized throughout the film: Anakin’s reluctance to take on an apprentice slowly mellows into first grudging acceptance and finally an enthusiastic and protective concern for Ahsoka. Ahsoka, while maintaining a humorous banter, also learns to respect her new master. Both devote themselves to keeping the baby Hutt alive. And in the Star Wars tradition, The Clone Wars presents children with a traditional portrait of Good versus Evil, with heroes to root for and villains to hiss – though adults should be aware that anyone not thoroughly steeped in Star Wars lore will find the film nearly impossible to follow.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a fast-paced and action-packed film, though its hyperactive nature and a few violent scenes may make it inappropriate for younger children. The Parents Television Council does not recommend this movie for children under age 10.

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Hi K. -
same problem over here for us, except the 4yo is the youngest child. We use www.movieguide.org for first run movie reviews - it is the Christian Film and Television Commission and they are extremely thorough. They also review the film with 2 ratings, one for actual film/production quality and another for suitability for families. The graphics are a little stark and some of the drama is intense. My husband did take our 8 year old son to see it and they enjoyed it, but not so much that he even wants to take our older daughters (who are Star Wars fans) until it's at the dollar movie or on DVD.
For our 4yo, we decided not yet - and for the earlier movies, he gets to watch The Empire Strikes Back - it's the mildest of the 6 films. Hope that helps!
Blessings, S.

I haven't seen the movie but I always go to www.pluggedinonline.com to check all movies out before my teenagers go see them. It is a Focus on the Family web site and very informative. Hope this helps.