My 9 year od son wants to get Van Helsing when it comes out next week, he even said he would get it with his own money. We've been on a horror/movie kick at the house (nothing too horrific, just the old Universal flicks and PG-rated fair).

I haven't seen it yet so I'm asking those who have. Is this flick OK for a 9 year old to watch? Yes, I know the movie probably isn't that good so no reviews please.

I'd say yes, as the action is mostly cheezy and over the top with nothing particularly scary or gruesome. A little more violent then the Mummy movies, but if he was fine watching those, Van Helsing isn't a whole lot worse.

Hmm. Insert "hey, looks like it was made by 9-year-olds" joke...

Van Helsing isn't particularly frightening, nor does it seem to attempt to be. So I wouldn't mind a 9-year-old, used to PG Horror flicks, watching it. Nothing more frightening than your average X-men movie, really. It's more action-adventure then scares.

Apart from werewolf transformation - where a human tears off his flesh to reveal a wolfman underneath - it would be fine by me. That scen isn't particularly frightening, nor too gruesome; less like lasceration and more like peeling off a mask.

Lets check out the rating:

Looks like it's ok for him.

yeah it should definently be ok for a 9 year old kid.

i don't need to know the names of the other horror flicks you've been showing him to tell you that van helsing isn't going to be too much to handle. i am interested in the other flicks though, do tell.

Well, he got a little scared with The Exorcist and An American Werewolf in London.

Kidding

He has really enjoyed all of the classic Universal films in the Monster Legacy set. He also liked the modern The Mummy & The Mummy Returns (Hey, he's only 9 ) - I was a little hesitant about these because he was freaked out by Pirates of the Carribean last year but he handled these well. He really liked Something Wicked This Way Comes, great movie for a boy his age.

We're going to watch The Night Stalker/Night Strangler this evening - these are a little spooky but he wants to try them. We have an agreement that if he thinks he may worry about something he sees in the movies when bedtime comes, we stop the flick. So far, he hasn't bowed out of one. The Abominable Snowman was a little too slow for him, lost his interest. We're watching the original The Blob this weekend but that's pretty tame. We talked about The Changeling but I'm pretty sure that would scare the hell out of him (he's more prone to be scared of ghosts than monsters). He REALLY wants to watch Jaws but I know the scene would scar him for a few years, like it did me when I first saw it at 7 years old. We're contemplating Lady in White as he's seen it on my shelf for a while but I don't know due to the ghost factor. The other night, he walked in the living room as I was watching Return of the Living Dead right when Tarman makes his appearance and it kinda freaked him out (I thought he was in bed asleep, he had gotten up to get a drink of water). From now on, he lets me know when he enters the room at night just in case.

Wrong forum to ask this in. Most here would argue that you could show I Spit on your Grave to a five year old with no ill effects.

Agreed.

Wow, that would take one fucked up 5 five year old with some major psychological problems to watch that movie.

But you CAN show I Spit On Your Grave to a five-year old with no ill effects!

I was shown it as a five-year old, and I'm perfectly fine! And if you keep spreading these lies, Groucho, I will KILL YOU! GAAAAH!




Meanwhile, Van Helsing is more than fine for a 9-year old. Although might I suggest getting Hellboy DC for him as well?

I agree, Van Helsing is fine for a 9 year old. It's a goofy silly movie without any real blood letting or gratuitous violence. It's more like a silly adventure in the vein of the Mummy set against the Dracula monster background. And you don't even have to worry about those pesky things like plot, characters, etc etc.

In my opinion Van Helsing isn't appropriate for anyone of any age.

Take that as you may.

I knew that was coming! As most have said, a 9-year-old should be able to handle this flick no problem...and I don't care what anyone thinks, I'm buying VH on Tuesday and I'm going to enjoy the shit out of it!

MATT

If I had seen Van Helsing at age nine, I would have loved it. In all honesty, I think his age group is the right one to just enjoy a movie like this in a carefree sense. I guess what I'm saying is, yes!

FWIW, I found Van Helsing to be very much a throwback to the cartoons I used to watch in the afternoons on TV when I got home from school (i.e. G.I. Joe, Thundercats, He-Man), particularly in dialogue and plot. Take that for better or for worse.

I have a 9 and an 11 yr old. We just watched the Mummy 1 and 2 a few months ago before going to Universal Studios. (Mummy Ride) The 9 yr old did fine with those...

We got the Van Helsing book (he picked it out in one of the Scholastic Fairs) and we read about half of it. I plan ta let him check the movie out with me. (Oh...didn't let him go thru the Van Helsing "Haunted House" at Universal...too many jumping out characters. But we took a pic with the look-a-like.)

I saw Jaws when I was ten and it messed me up for months, so I am pretty cautious...but as his older brother sees things, he wants ta see them too. Some he gets to..some he doesn't. (Neither have seen Jaws.)

I enjoyed the flick as a cheesy matinee..and well... Kate....!

I would think it's okay (having seen it), but I also wouldn't take much value in an internet forum regarding what my child should view.. IMO (obigatory these days). As a start point 'sure', but ultimate decision should be informed.

We don't know what standards/morals you hold your kids to. I'd recommend renting/viewing yourself first and make your own decision, that's what I tend to do...

That's what I was ultimately going to do, but I wasn't even going to pick it up if the consensus was "No" to my question. My son doesn't see anything (except Disney and such) that I have not seen before. Trust me, the last thing I would do is leave my son's psyche up to bare to a bunch of strangers. I just wanted to get a general opinion to help determine if this flick is at least worth checking out prior to his viewing.

http://www.screenit.com/movies/2004/van_helsing.html

its ok to let your son watch this but boy this movie bad. Whatever happened to those movies that all families can enjoy like cool runnings and like the mighty ducks home alone. Those were great for kids. It seems like all these new flicks just arent at part with those movies.

I guess since I'm not a parent I find this page to be WAY over the top and far too detailed. I can't believe how in depth they are for this movie and how much they pick it apart. As watered down as I've heard this film is I'm surprised to see them rate it as "Extreme" in so many categories.

I haven't seen this movie yet and I'm really thinking about getting it on release day. I've heard how cheesy and lame it is and I'm still very very curious.

For comparison:

http://www.screenit.com/movies/2001/...y_returns.html

Yeah - but thats the POINT! I *LOVED* having the socks scared off me when I saw Jaws in the theater (yes, first run a million years ago. We had just invented fire back then too)

9 years old? Yes, that's exactly the level of intelligence one needs to see this film.

All joking aside, I think it's the parent's opinion, but PG-13 for intense (cartoonish) violence.

My .02