Super Hero Movies & Our Kids

The "super hero movie" phenomenon is EVERYWHERE lately - This week, Avengers: Age of Ultron is opening in theatres and kids everywhere (and some parents) can't wait to see it.  Most kids don't realize, though, that us parents are weighing the pros and cons of these action films pretty heavily before we make the final decision on whether or not our kids are ready for "comic book violence."

As a child, my parents didn't censor much.  We were able to watch R-rated movies from a pretty young age and I became fairly desensitized to film violence and sexuality - but I'm being a bit more selective on the ages that my kids become exposed to this stuff.  So what should we be concerned about when it comes to these types of movies?  When the main characters are labelled as "Heroes," do we need to be more careful?

"Comic Book Violence"

I put that in quotes because some people consider the violence in Super Hero movies to be different from "normal" violence.  I suppose that if the violence stems from Captain America's shield or Thor's hammer, some would say that the violence isn't as bad for kids as, say, gun violence.  But here's the thing - the "bad guy" is typically carrying a gun - a BIG gun - and a great deal of the violence in these movies is "old school," with super punches, super kicks, and super ass-whoopings.  By taking our kids to these movies, are we opening ourselves up to them "super ass kicking" other kids at school while they wear their Iron Man t-shirt?

Super Spandex Girl 

While this isn't a problem unique to Super Hero movies, it is something to consider.  Many of the women portrayed in these movies are wearing a great deal LESS spandex in their super hero uniforms than the guys are.  The "super girls" are, at times,  more of an object than hero, and their story lines often have them being cold and damaged - Why can't these women be simply awesome, like Superman and Captain America?  Why do they need to have been abused or have lost a family member before they became a super hero?  ...and why can't they wear more clothes??

Violence is the Answer 

Here's my major problem with these kinds of movies and my son watching them... The big movie climax is always a HUGE fight sequence.  Things get blown up, super powers are flying everywhere, and the bad guy gets his ass kicked.  To an impressionable child, this might be telling them that in order to solve problems, violence is the answer.  Not compromise, not friendship - Violence.

A key element of these films are the idea that the main character (Iron Man, Batman, Thor, etc) is a HERO - they are good, strong, and fight for justice.  So when our kids see them resorting to violence to solve all of their problems, aren't we encouraging that idea? 

Do my kids watch Super Hero movies?

Yes.  My kids do watch super hero movies and they love them.  As you may recall from this post, I have two older stepchildren - They have seen many of the popular hero films, including Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America.  They have not, however, watched the recent Batman trilogy, as my husband and I feel that it's too violent for them.

But what about my six year-old?  As you can see below, he LOVES super heroes - Seriously.  His favorite right now is Iron Man, though he also likes Black Widow and the Scarlet Witch.  For a long time, the only super hero film I let him watch was the Pixar film, The Incredibles - it still has a lot of the same violence, but censored down, animated, and the topic of strong women is addressed well.

We also took him to see the new Avenger's film this weekend.  Some of you may be thinking, "What?!?!?  How could she?!" - But here's the thing that we parents have to consider with our kids: EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT.  My 12 year-old stepdaughter, and even in some cases my 6 year-old son, can handle films that are too "dark" for my 14 year-old stepson.  Each child will react to things differently based on their own maturity level.  As a parent, it's our jobs to consider our kids and their uniqueness when we tackle this topic of what films "aren't appropriate" for them.