MovieChat Forums > Rango (2011) Discussion > I changed my mind... This is NOT for kid...

I changed my mind... This is NOT for kids.

posted 14 years ago by nielw
78 replies | jump to latest

When I first saw this film, I thought it was perfectly innocuous. I thought it was really well done, funny, and entertaining, not to mention the amazing CG. Then I came onto this board and saw all the people complaining about how inappropriate this movie was for kids. I thought back to the movie and only remembered a couple damns and hells. So I figured these people were Christian purists who get offended at the slightest things.

Then I checked the content guide. 21/50. The TECE says "20-25 is going to be pretty darn adult". I wondered why this would be so high for a harmless kids film. I read through it all, and realize now how desensitized I've become to all this content. Read the parents guide at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1192628/parentalguide and you'll notice all sorts of things you may not have caught during the film. Or maybe you did and didn't think anything of it at the time.

Lines like "I'm going to slice your face off and use it to wipe my unmentionables." "You missing your mama's mangos?" and "Mama had an active social life." The guide also says there are about a dozen or so uses of the word hell. I thought to myself "How did I miss all those hells? I only remember a couple." When I was a little kid, I was taught that it's a swear word, and was highly sensitive to it.

Like I said, I really enjoyed the movie. But some of the posters on this board don't understand why some parents would get so offended by this content. Remember, they're watching the movie through a kid's filter, while the rest of us don't use any filters at all.

My main point here isn't to say who is right or who is wrong, but that some of us are more desensitized to adult material than others. And we don't realize it when we come on here and complain about people sheltering their kids.

[–] Pitchguest 13 years ago

It is SO TOO for kids. And I'll tell you why. Because it's cool. For the "older" audience, there's the journey of Rango, the humour, and the development of both the story and the characters. For kids, it's a spaghetti western; fun, exciting, a lot of things happen. There are also the universal slapstick moments which "kids" are bound to enjoy. I still consider myself a big kid and I enjoyed it just fine. So did my nephew and he's six years old. He might not have understood it all, but so what? It's entertainment! Plus it's a movie he'll go back to when he's older and say "Hey, I remember this!" and realise it's an EVEN BETTER movie than he remembers. So yes, it is DEFINITELY *FOR* kids.

As for your arguments, if parents are watching these kinds of movies through a "kid's filter" then they shouldn't be worried at all. Kids really aren't all that fuzzy about "violence" in movies. I'd only object if the kids in question haven't learned to distinguish between reality and fiction, which most kids usually have. Especially if they're animated. And you were highly sensitive to the word "hell"? Really? I mean, I might be speaking of a non-American-centric perspective here, but that's a pretty tame word. Moreover it's NOT a "swear." "Goddamnit" is a swear. "Jesus Mary Mother of God" is a swear. "Swears" are in Christianity "using the name of the Lord in vain." Therefore "Hell" would not be a swear no matter how many times you said it.

The "parents" who get offended by this movie because of its content ARE prudes and DO shelter their kids and you were very right in thinking so. They need to realise that they're not going to grow up in a world where words like "hell" or WORSE are not EVER going to be uttered.

[–] dagaul101 13 years ago

I must say lately the theme seems to be gravitating more of these CGI movies towards adults as opposed to kids when Toy Story came ourSource:Rango Reviewhttp://moviereviews.noskram.com/2011/08/rango-review

[–] Holkospinner 13 years ago

No kid with even understand the quotes you mentioned. XD

And why would the word "hell" be a problem when so many American parents tell their kids that there is a hell and those who do not accept Jesus as their savior will burn in hell forever? Seem kind of hypocrite to me..

[–] FairlyAnonymous 13 years ago

Nice comment. I don't swear at all, never have. But the word "Hell" is about the weakest of all words. Hell is about as bad as piss which are probably the two lowest of profanities. While there are a lot of adult comments in the movie, they go by really fast and that is good. A western should have adult comments and this movie does. It would be UNREALISTIC for there not to be adult comments in a western.

[–] Phanatic77 13 years ago

I think this is a family movie, however it definitely carries quite a bit of more mature undertones, with the commentaries, short tongue-in-cheek dialogue and overall ideas presented, such as death and killing. And while the movie does not glorify it, it does not shy from showing death when it is needed for the progression of the plot.

Though its campyness and overall lighter tone, fast paced and quip dialogue, makes it very fun for kids to watch. I'd say don't show it to anyone under 7 though as it will mostly go over their heads.

Some commentaries like Rango explaining how he's Rattlesnake's brother by claiming that his mother had a very active social life... definitely not oriented for kids.. And there are plenty of this kind..

But.. it is super funny and a great movie.

[–] FairlyAnonymous 13 years ago

The mother having a very active social life I would not have gotten as a kid. PG means Parent General or something like that which means it is up to the parent decide. What annoys me is when parents show their 5 year old kids a PG movie and say the movie was too mature for kids and then they give the movie a 1/10 saying it wasn't suited for their kids. THAT IS WHY IT IS PG! But yes I agree with you.

[–] noblefreak 13 years ago

As a born-again Christian, I'm offended by the TC's assumption.

Anyway, I would probably show this to a 10-year-old but no one younger that that.
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[–] jajceboy 13 years ago

Without having seeing "Rango" I give my thoughts on this matter.

I think that most parent groups that find this offensive are viewing the movie from their own adult perspective, instead of the child's focus. Most children probably won't understand the "deeper" meaning of those sentences. They would laugh for the literal meaning, not the hidden. Children might be intelligent, but they are not as mature as some) adults are. If I was a child, I probably wouldn't get these lines.

And also, I am not sure hell is such a powerful word any more. It certainly isn't considered as a curse word any more.
And I don't think that exposing your children for curse words and similar will make them a bad person. They are still probably going to hear those words either way.

Similar, I don't think showing them a naked this or that, or showing sex or violence will automatically turn them into rapists or murderers.
I watched "Scream" when I was 6 years old, yet I never felt the urge to randomly just kill people.

And finally, I dont' understand why sex and nudity is being seen as something "dangerous" and sensitive. It's a natural part of life, why cover it? I just don't see the fuss about it.

[–] Brainy-2 13 years ago

Well, that pretty much eliminates viewing 90% of all movies ever made.

[–] gokousupasayan 13 years ago

Not made for kids. But, kids can watch it. It was fairly harmless. Kids wouldn't enjoy it as much though, just too serious of an animated movie for it to turn out a kid favorite. I watched Lion King with my daughter the other day and realized it was probably just as bad, minus a few adult words. Timon and Pumba threw out some pretty serious stuff. Like, "Why do I always have to save your...Ahhhhh!"

[–] xfastfurious15 13 years ago

they said "hell" only 4-5 times. not a dozen or more times. Stop exaggerating OP.

[–] KricketSC80 12 years ago

If you have ever watched any kids cartoon most of the time there are jokes and lines that adults will get and children never will. There were tons of old Disney movies like Aladdin that had jokes and lines my parents used to laught at, but I never got until I got older and caught them while watching with my old children.

I have watched Rango and there are a couple of things that I found slightly disturbing such as the road kill and other little things, but nothing that would cause issue for my kids. It depends on the parent and what you find wrong or not for your child and go from there.

Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.