Animated movies

[Jennie Geisler Hutchison]

I've found that just because a movie is animated, doesn't mean it's OK for kids to watch. I rented "The Incredibles," for my 4-year-old and he was terrified by the violence 20 minutes into the movie. It was weird. I actually saw the movie before I got it, and it didn't even sink in how scary it might be for my little guy.
I was wondering if anyone had similar stories or advice about picking animated movies. I know the ratings systems, but those often seem vague. I'm trying to look deeper into the issue, like what are the elements to look for in a movie before you decide your kids can watch it.

[Kris]

My kids were never big on Disney movies at that age. I still remember popping in Peter Pan and stepping out of the room for a minute and returning to find my son cowering behind the couch because the Croc was after Captin Hook. And the scene in Cinderella where the step sisters rip the dress right off of her, Yikes! The Witch in Snow White! And Sleeping Beauty's nasty villan!

I guess any "movie" movie has to have drama so that can make it scary. I stuck to the Dora/ Diego, Backyardigans, Olivia, Mister Rodgers, Sesame st, Baby Einstein sorts until just recently and that seemed best for us. They were educational, and i had seen other episodes of them before so i knew what i was getting. Cheesy but Safe.

[Jennie Geisler Hutchison]

Thanks so much for your insight. How old do you think kids can be to handle that kind of drama? It probably depends on the kid, I guess, but how old is your son, now? And what can he watch that he wasn't ready to before?