The interesting to the kid and not too disturbing criteria are optional. It isn't that it can't be disturbing, it's just that I wouldn't bring a date to watch 'Just Melvin'.
Predictable sequences, unfortunately, are a big part of movie making. To exclude all the formulaic movies would be to exclude many of the classics, and most if not all of the more popular films.
The way I approach movies (excluding documentary) is kinda like how I approach candy, I know its supposed to feel good, and any positive lasting effect i get from it I count as an unexpected bonus.
This is the reason I liked "Star Wars: Episode One" I put my 10 year old personality on, and because of this, thoroughly enjoyed it.
So I guess I'm rambling on with the general theme of "dont take it too seriously, they are just movies"
Formulaic I can deal with, in fact plots generally need to at least allude to common patterns to make themselves reasonably understandable. It's when the 'surprise ending' isn't such a surprise that it irritates me. A movie should either fool me or make me enjoy the ride, but it must do one of them.
I couldn't enjoy episode one under any circumstances. Episode two I can't even review as a movie, I sat in the theatre while the whole thing played in front of me and still have no idea what happened in it, my mind wandered for almost the entire thing. It's more like that play which my elementary school put on one year.
probably my favorite movie was made out of a children's book: Matilda.
alltime favorites that were best in childhood: labyrinth, willow, and groundhog day.
And then there was Sidekicks, a cheap, hilarous ripoff of the Karate Kid. I was on the only one in the world who liked this movie. This movie is overflowing with predictable scenes, but they are all intentional. It's half inspiring story, half self-mocking spoof of an inspiring story.
you could go in for some old school beta-film fantasy: krull, ladyhawk, dragonslayer. Though those all have a considerable amount of violence, it's usually directed towards fantastical monsters.
Matilda and Sidekicks aren't in the database. I'm not interested in karate movies, because (a) I don't want the kid thinking you can get in a fight and have it be no big deal, and (b) I don't want the kid to take martial arts classes and think they're for some hooey bullshit rather than for learning to beat the snot out of people.
They were two distinct concerns. I wouldn't expect anyone taking a martial arts class to take fighting likely, although those guys do overestimate their chances when defending themselves all the time.
Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Shoot Fighting, and a few other styles are aimed at beating the snot out of people without all that hooey bullshit. Some of them are a little more sport-based than fighting-based, but the sports involved are reasonable approximations of a street fight.
Ironically, boxing is the most barbaric of all fighting sports, because it's designed to maximize brain damage. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the least, because they don't throw punches. It's sort of like wrestling with choke holds and arm- and leg- bars the finishing positions instead of getting one's shoulders on the mat.
I've looked into no holds barred inspired fighting sports a bit, but have been informed by friends of mine that I'd get an arm ripped off due to my bad shoulders.
For relief from predictable sequences and bad dialog, I would suggest foreign films, even though they will probably score low in the "interesting to the kid" parameter. As an example, I recommend Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Three Colours" trilogy (Bleu, Blanc, Rouge), which I just finished re-watching (I have them on DVD).
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*snicker giggle laugh*
Damn. If you find a movie that meets all those criteria, I wanna know.
Though English films about the Victorian Era come to mind. They can be boring, though.
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Oh! Thought of one: Finding Nemo
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The interesting to the kid and not too disturbing criteria are optional. It isn't that it can't be disturbing, it's just that I wouldn't bring a date to watch 'Just Melvin'.
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The way I approach movies (excluding documentary) is kinda like how I approach candy, I know its supposed to feel good, and any positive lasting effect i get from it I count as an unexpected bonus.
This is the reason I liked "Star Wars: Episode One" I put my 10 year old personality on, and because of this, thoroughly enjoyed it.
So I guess I'm rambling on with the general theme of "dont take it too seriously, they are just movies"
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I'm not sure naturalborn had a 10 year old personality even when he was 10 years old. :)
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I couldn't enjoy episode one under any circumstances. Episode two I can't even review as a movie, I sat in the theatre while the whole thing played in front of me and still have no idea what happened in it, my mind wandered for almost the entire thing. It's more like that play which my elementary school put on one year.
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alltime favorites that were best in childhood: labyrinth, willow, and groundhog day.
And then there was Sidekicks, a cheap, hilarous ripoff of the Karate Kid. I was on the only one in the world who liked this movie. This movie is overflowing with predictable scenes, but they are all intentional. It's half inspiring story, half self-mocking spoof of an inspiring story.
you could go in for some old school beta-film fantasy: krull, ladyhawk, dragonslayer. Though those all have a considerable amount of violence, it's usually directed towards fantastical monsters.
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I've queued up krull, ladyhawk, and dragonslayer.
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Martial arts classes have plenty of hooey bullshit in them.
And if you ever fight unprovoked, they kick you out.
And if you've ever so much as been arrested for fighting, you're not allowed to take classes.
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Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Shoot Fighting, and a few other styles are aimed at beating the snot out of people without all that hooey bullshit. Some of them are a little more sport-based than fighting-based, but the sports involved are reasonable approximations of a street fight.
Ironically, boxing is the most barbaric of all fighting sports, because it's designed to maximize brain damage. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the least, because they don't throw punches. It's sort of like wrestling with choke holds and arm- and leg- bars the finishing positions instead of getting one's shoulders on the mat.
I've looked into no holds barred inspired fighting sports a bit, but have been informed by friends of mine that I'd get an arm ripped off due to my bad shoulders.
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