MovieChat Forums > Brother Bear (2003) Discussion > No death scenes in kid's movies please

No death scenes in kid's movies please

posted 16 years ago by birdseed-11
63 replies | jump to latest

I think one of the big problems with this movie is that there are two deaths. Parents, like me, who don't want to have to explain death to my 5 year old (yet) wouldn't take their kids to this movie, or rent the DVD at this point.

I mean what has Disney been thinking lately? Let's entertain kids by showing them their families can be destroyed? Who is the sadist that comes up with this stuff?

First we get that obnoxious Lilo 'n Stitch. Awful! "Let's put a felon, no a most-wanted felon, no a galactic most wanted felon, with a little girl whose family might be broken up at any time. He has claws and could dice her up at any time because he's an irresponsible criminal. And let's portray government as bad people who want to destroy a family's happiness. And let's portray the peacemakers as vindictive assassins who want to kill innocent Stitch for no good reason. What family wouldn't want to see that?"

Then Lion King: "Let's have a lion cub who sees his father get killed and thinks it's his fault. Better yet, he finds his father's lifeless body. Wow! What a great way to entertain a family."

I actually caught my daughter crying in front of the Lion King at that scene. I had to stop and explain to her that it was all make believe. Thanks Disney!

Then we get Brother Bear: "Let's have three brothers. One gets killed. Right away so the kids can cry early. So the other brother kills the bear responsible who is also a mom to a cub who we meet and come to sympathize with. So the kids, who also have a mommy, will cry again when they think that maybe they could lose their mommy too. What family doesn't want to go home from the movies and discuss death and loss with their kids?" Brilliant!

[–] An_Animator 13 years ago

I actually caught my daughter crying in front of the Lion King at that scene. I had to stop and explain to her that it was all make believe. Thanks Disney!

Good. That's the whole point of the scene... to make you cry or feel some sorrow for Simba. I should pass this on to the guys who animated that scene, they'll take it as a compliment!

-----
"An animator is an actor with a pencil (or a mouse!)."

[–] Nolegirl97 13 years ago

I realize that I have no space to criticize your parenting, but I will give you my advice.

Basically, you remind me of my parents. While I can't remember what it was like when I was 5, I do know that when I got a little older, I was so sheltered. I was so mad when my parents wouldn't let me go see R movies. So how did I deal with it? I snuck in the movie theater to see 'Closer' because I was a huge Jude Law fan, and it horrified me. I had been so sheltered that I couldn't believe (at age 16)that it could be like that. The blow was a lot harder because my parents were so controlling and strict.

I guess that the moral of my story is that trying to protect your kids can be a little harmful.

"The only exercise I take is walking behind the coffins of friends who took exercise."

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] AngelWhoWaited 12 years ago

Oh good BOB!!

Are you freaking kidding me!?

That is what Disney movies are for!! To help parents explain life to their kids.

Pull the stick out, untwist your knickers, enjoy the movies, and explain it (life) to your kid(s). Learning about death is NOT going to damage your kid!

[–] Lost_Woods87 12 years ago

If you don't want to explain death to your child you are NOT a parent. Being a parent means introducing your kids to the world and life throughout their growth. This means death, sex, virtues, etc. Death is a part of life your kids are better off learning early. Get over yourself and be a parent. Its "parents" like you that make me so mad. I bet you don't even spank your kid or raise your voice to them. Pathetic

[–] OmegaWolf747 12 years ago

It's parents like you who are responsible for today's wimpy, needy kids. Death is a part of life. Best to learn about it and accept it at a young age.

--
"House. My room. Can't walk. My medal. My father. Father, don't!"

[–] Sandol70 11 years ago

Gosh how I detest overprotective (American, sheesh!!!) Parents. Sheltering kids from sex, violence, and what not. That is life! Show it to them. Don't you ever underestimate kids. They understand many things! Then they will be great kids (humans, people) someday. :)

[–] richard.fuller1 11 years ago

One of the earliest cartoons I recall 'dealing with death' was '78 Fabulous Funnies, a Saturday morning cartoon effort with Alley Oop, Broom HIlda and about two others in rotating sequences.

Broom Hilda actually dealt with alcoholism, if you can believe that. Now I was 12 before I go any further, and no, I wasn't troubled or traumatized by these depictions.

I'm watching Brother Bear at the moment by the way.

An Alley Oop episode dealt with death by having the doctor of the village fail at saving a small pterodactyl and then question his medical skills at saving Alley Oop's wife.

As it was, I thought the sad, pleading eyes on the named pterodactyl was a bit much and wondered how smaller kids might view that.

When Bambi's mother was killed, hunting was a big part of life back then, for hunters and the animals they hunted.

But by the time of Alley Oop and beyond, much of this does seem exploitive, especially in the cartoons. To me, there doesn't seem to be any need for these characters being killed as they are.

The logistics of 'realism' that if they don't show these 'events' they are smoothing things over and kids will grow up like Vera on 'Alice' and think Thanksgiving turkeys originate in the supermarket.

Again, I'm watching Brother Bear now. He just killed the bear. The need to have any sort of realism such the brother being killed or the bear, and now I'm watching swirling lights descend with music. I guess these are the great spirits.

Seems to me often times as not, you could do away with these characters being killed in these things.

Lion King was based on King Lear, so the father did die and the son had to fight the uncle, I believe, but you wouldn't want to see a smoothed over version of Romeo and Juliet (tho granted, both West Side Story and Titanic were supposed to be 'based upon' Romeo and Juliet, and in each, she didn't die, as Juliet did do).

Funny thing is, there are two utterly peculiar animated Titanic programs, both on Youtube, one is Italian-made, the other Korean and quite literally, everyone survives except a couple of Dalmation dogs.

The captain, the band, survive. They are incredibly strange to watch and last thing in the world I would want is for a small child to watch that foolishness.