So, here’s the thing. As of late, I have become a big Star Trek geek – that’s TOS plus the first six movies and reboot. I’ve also been introducing my nephew to the series (his mom is already a fan).
He loves Spock. LOVES Spock. “Spock is AWESOME!” says my nephew.
I’m probably going to watch “The Wrath of Kahn” with him tomorrow (you see where I’m going with this).
I wouldn’t say that he’s an incredibly sensitive child, but he’s cried at “The Iron Giant” and “The Fox and the Hound” and some other films, and I’m not sure how he’s going to take this movie. Should I let him cry it out without telling him how things turn out for his favorite Vulcan? Or should my sad nephew have to wait a week to find out? (He’s seen the new movie, but I’ve noticed he tends to be very now minded, and probably wouldn’t connect that the new film implies that Spock lives.)
Thoughts? Do you think it’s better to be sad or spoiled? Honestly, if he just gets a little sad, I’ll be able to handle it, but if he starts earnestly crying, I don’t know if I could stop myself from spoiling the whole series.
I’d say let him be sad. It doesn’t hurt a kid to be saddened by a movie. Although you probably shouldn’t take him to the Steel Magnolias/Dancer in the Dark double feature.
I’d go with letting him cry all he wants at the end of the movie. It’s good for him, and that’s what you’re supposed to do when Spock dies! Then, after the credits roll, remind him that the next film is called The Search for Spock. How do you suppose a movie called The Search for Spock is going to end?
But if crying continues past four hours, tell him that Spock was just taking a nap and when they launched him from the Enterprise he went to a nice farm where he could chase rabbits.
Spoil him. He’s old enough to learn how TV and the movies work. “Kid, do you honestly think they’d dump the most popular character and not bring him back in the next movie?”
Or you could show him the title of the next movie. They’re not going to search for a corpse.
Though going by some of other “What films/books traumatized you as a kid,” children should only watch HAPPY films where dogs never die, even when they’re old and in walkers, and no one’s heart should ever be broken. Not even for the good of the plot.
Yeah, I don’t think I’ll actually spoil it from him, unless he gets very upset. He probably wont. I’ve never seen really him lose it at a movie before, so this would be an odd one for him to start.
I was just wondering how many dopers would wrather spoil a series than watch their child cry.
I wouldn’t want to deprive the kid of the experience. I wish I hadn’t already known that Spock was coming back, as it would have made his sacrifice that much better.
I think it would also be interesting to see what he thinks it means when Spock does that whole “Remember” thing McCoy. Knowing he was coming back, it was a bit too obvious for me.
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ETA: You know, the whole thing was engineered because everyone thought that Nimoy didn’t want to play Spock anymore (which he denies in I Am Spock. He was just frustrated that someone had used his image without paying him the appropriate royalties.)
Heck, go to the store, pick up what they’re billing (in an obvious marketing ploy to try to capitalize on the reboot) as the “Star Trek Trilogy” (Star Trek II, III, and IV in a single DVD package) and spend the day watching the whole thing.
This. I hated STII’s ending and it’s one that always sticks with me. It made me write off the ST series until finally in college i went back and decided to go and watch the films, but I completely lost interest after watching STII- I remembered nothing from that movie really except for that ending, and even though over the years I knew what happens in the next ones and watched all the other movies- it just kinda bummed me out and I never really cared for the series again from that point.
The Search for Spock is not a play and small hen’s nephew’s exposure to experimental theater has probably been minimal at best. If Waiting for Godot were a big-budget sci-fi movie based on a popular franchise in which Godot was arguably the best-loved character… actually, I’d think that was a pretty stupid name for a movie. Waiting for Godot? Ooh, nothing says excitement like a good wait.
I’m not sure if spoiling him would really nullify the impact of the sacrifice. Hell, I’ve always known that Spock would come back (I was born the same year TWoK was made, and the first ST movie I saw was Voyage Home the year it came out), but I still cry. Every single damned time. A few weeks ago, I learned that the original plan was for Spock to stay dead, and it hit me like a fist to the chest. For some reason, it never occurred to me that they would really kill Spock without a plan to bring him back, but apparently they did.
So since there might be tears either way, you might as well not spoil him, and just be prepared to watch Search For Spock right afterward (another one that makes me cry every damned time. “Your name is Jim.” sniff).
