Adults are trying to become children again through modern children’s activities. Grown ups are becoming more and more involved with books, games and toys that were originally meant for kids.

“The difference between children and adults is becoming harder to recognize. Adults play children’s games, read children’s books and watch children’s movies more than ever before.” (The Fresno Bee, Jan. 27, ?02)

The difference between activities designed for adults and those designed for children seems harder and harder to decipher.

“Even though some movies are specifically aimed at adults there still needs to be something for everyone,” Eric Neufeld, ’05, said.

Critics agree that the entertainment industry needs more variety for all age groups to enjoy.

“I think it is all right that there are some lines that kids don’t understand,” Tyler Charest, ’05, said. “Because when parents take their kids to little kid movies, the parent needs something to laugh at.”

Shrek, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone and Monsters Inc. were the three top-grossing movies of 2001. Monsters Inc., according to FilmCritic.com, is a “popcorn-tactic fun for kids and adults.”

Some critics even feel that animated films that appear to be marketed to children are over the heads of young audiences.

“Monsters Inc. contained too much winking at adults to make real sense to young kids, and too little thematic depth or sophistication to hold lasting meaning for adults.” (The Fresno Bee, Jan. 27, ’02)

By calling animated movies “family films”, the film industry avoids limiting the marketing to only children. So even ?G’ animated movies are promoted to a wide audience.

However, the soon to be released, Ice Age by Twentieth Century Fox, has a ?PG’ rating. And while young children will want to watch the animated film, the film trailer warns parents it contains peril and intense scenes. The film is scheduled for release on March 15.

In Ice Age, a sloth, woolly mammoth, saber-tooth tiger and a squirrel return a human baby to his father. The obstacles they overcome not only create humor yet may be too intense for young viewers. (www.iceagemovie.com)

“The entertainment industry needs to be more careful about the content of movies and parents should be more responsible about what they let their kids watch,” Nick Crawford, ’04, said.

However, if parents read up on Internet or magazine reviews, they should be able to make informed decisions on the appropriateness of animated films. People Magazine wrote that Shrek is “one of the few family friendly films that will keep adults as entertained as post kindergarteners.” (Feb. 22)

In children’s movies there are many comical lines that are aimed at adults that children do not understand.

“Parents should reach out to their own kids and not have to let Hollywood do it for them,” Neufeld said.

By making this boundary hard to determine, all ages are attending family rated movies for entertainment.

“There are already too many films that are for kids and adults,” Charest said. “People should go back to watching the animated classics like Sleeping Beauty, Aristocats and Aladdin. Parents need to stop taking their kids to see R rated movies and send them to the new animated classics.”

James Berardinelli wrote in Reel Views that Shrek is “not a guilty pleasure for sophisticated moviegoers; it is, purely and simply a pleasure.” (http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/)

“I think that it could be great if grandparents got into kid stuff so then they could play with their grandkids,” Katherine Babcock, ’04, said. “As people get older they sometimes go through a midlife crisis and start to act younger than their real age.”