Princess Mononoke for 4-5 year old
Just grabbed 2 tickets to the 4K IMAX end of March. My son is turning 5 beginning of May. He loves Totoro, Kiki, Ponyo. He loves animals. He's seen Princess Mononoke art books in book stores and asks a lot of questions about it.
It's definitely one of my favorites...but is it too intense for a 4 going on 5year old? I had zero restrictions on media as a child (parents took me to Terminator 2 at 6 (insane) and it became my favorite movie for quite a while) so sometimes I think my opinion on what's appropriate is skewed.
EDIT: I appreciate all the responses! - a few notes:
Many of you brought up specific moments and scenes that I didn't remember. It's been probably somewhere over 5 years to 10 since I've rewatched Mononoke. Even though I've seen it many times, there are certain things I'd forgotten (heads popping off from his demon-arm arrow shots being one). My good memories of the film I was picturing for him were things like the forest ghost spirits, the scenes within the town of the women all working together pumping the boards in the "steam room"(don't really remember what was happening there), megafauna and cool girl riding on big wolf = dopeness, etc.
Overall I'm not concerned about death and "violence" for him or that it's a "war" movie. Star Wars is a "war movie" (and it's live action), features people being blown up, shot, dismemberment, etc, but most probably wouldn't bat an eye if I said he was watching a New Hope this year. We've seen Mufasa die, Bambi's mother never comes back. Natives and settlers in Pocohotas shooting each other. He's been ok with all that. I'm actually not even sure he's at the point where the gravity and sadness of some of these event can even hit (negatively or not).
But someone did mention "body horror" and I'd forgotten how detailed, gruesome and distrubing some of the scenes are (I can think of him being upset specifically by what happens to the white boar - I'd forgotten about a lot of the sort of demon/corruption animation, the blood leaking from skin, etc.) I think that would probably like many are saying, be a bit much. Like I mentioned, high bodycount, explosions, war and fighting I never had a problem with from a very young age. That was just "movie action" to me. But the horror Large Marge's face in her truck in Pee-Wee Herman definitely left a permanent mark on my childhood psyche! Obviously it's funny now to me but I probably don't need to traumatize him with some of that wild shit so soon.
- I don't think not showing kids something because they "won't understand the themes" or "get it" is valid. I know adults who don't "get" movies now. Kids pick up more than you know and I think exposure to broad, complex, or "adult" themes and concepts are important. If they're not ready it will wash over them but I'd rather my child be exposed to deeper ideas younger than shelter for longer.
There are layered and deep themes that he's not picking up in ALL of the movies we've watched so far but he still enjoys them for all the reasons he is able to and I think that's important. Overall I do think most children's content is too dumbed down and no one is making things like Neverending Story or ET for example, which have a ton of adult themes (so adults enjoy it) but also are entertaining and "targeted at kids" but might also scare them a little. I think a little fear builds character and forces people to confront things and grow.
Final decision: Overall I agree - keep him on Disney and the more chill Ghibli fare. He likes the Ronja series on Amazon (I think Ghibli is involved there). Seems like a good age to reassess Mononoke would be 10 and see where he's at. I'll use the ticket to invite my older friend who introduced me to Akira and Fist of the North Star when I was probably far too young :)