If you really think it will upset him, then I’d be inclined to say something along the lines of: “The movie after this is called the Search for Spock. I guess that means something is going to happen to Spock at the end of this movie. What do you think might happen to Spock? Shall we watch it and find out?” and then at the end of the movie, remind him again.
I say let him get upset. He’s supposed to be upset; that’s the whole point of the scene. If you do spoil it for him, it’ll ruin the emotional impact of the third movie as well as the second.
If he is really sensitive, I suggest the double billing or even the “Search for Spock…what do you think it means?” option. He’ll get over it rapidly I think.
However, be prepared for Kirk’s son being dead in ST: III and Kirk’s reaction. The son David is a second tier character but is still used to wring emotion from Kirk (as if Shatner needed a reason to wring “emotion” out of any character). And blowing up the Enterprise might be upsetting too…or really cool and get him over the death.
Disclaimer: Never saw the movie under discussion.
I can’t think of any reason I’d spoil a movie ahead of time. If I had reason to believe a child would be that upset, I just would wait to show him the movie until he had time to mature a little more. But depending on the child and the child’s reaction, I might tell the child the “secret” afterwards - and in this case, it sounds like the next movie in the series would clear it up. Might be good to have it in reserve so that, if nothing else, you could show him the box and talk about what might happen in that movie, or even tell him enough of the plot to reassure him.
I’ve had a small child on my lap in absolute hysterics as the Grinch was driving the sled up to the top of Mount Crumpit, which taught me that there are sometimes you just need to hit the fast-forward button and say to hell with the Valuable Moral Lessons. But I don’t go around telling kids that the Grinch has a change of heart and brings it all back just in case somebody gets upset.
This. If he’s devestated, ask “Do you want to know what happens in the next movie? It will make you feel a little better, but it will spoil the surprise.” And tell him if he says he wants to know. If he wants to be spoiled, ask him after the next movie if it would have been better or worse to not know what was going to happen. And believe what he tells you, even if it’s that it’s better to be spoiled: child brains don’t work like adult brains, which is why they can watch a movie 15 times in a row and enjoy it every time. “The Reveal” is less important: whether or not they know what’s coming, they are part of it as it happens.
Watched Wrath of Khan with my nephew today. He jumped around and didn’t pay attention to 80% of the movie, opting instead to turn a box into a tribble house (yes, my nephew is an AWESOME little geek hugs him). However, once Spock was in peril, he watched with rapt attention. “Spock’s not going to die, is he?” he asked softly, when Spock was in the engine room, flooding the chamber with radiation. I didn’t answer. He watched, quietly, as Spock died, and Kirk gave the eulogy, before announcing, “That was sad.”
“Yup. You’re not too sad?” I asked.
“No. He’s alive in the new one.”
So the kid is smarter than I gave him credit for.
Wait, so some people still watch movies without reading the whole plot on the internet first?