 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
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Poltergeist
- Review Date: October 11, 2005
- PG
- Genre: Horror
- 1982
Common Sense Media says
One of the all-time great haunted house movies.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie touches on many things that are frightening to kids (and some adults), including scary shadows in the dark, monsters in the closet, and separation from family. A character rips the flesh from his face (though eventually we see he's hallucinating). A young boy is attacked by a ghost-inhabited tree. A girl is taken from her parents and held in a netherworld where she's menaced by a character it's intimated is evil. The parents are seen smoking marijuana, and are apparently regular users.
What's the story?
Written and produced by Steven Spielberg, POLTERGEIST is one of the all-time great haunted house stories, as a family's "perfect" suburban home becomes the target of a ghostly invasion. Steven and Diane Freeling and their three children are happy in their new home in a California housing development built by the company Steven works for. They don't notice at first that 5-year-old daughter Carol Ann is receiving messages from voices that speak to her through empty channels on the television set. But Diane soon begins to see more physical evidence of a ghostly presence, one that moves things around the kitchen. The unseen beings grow more malevolent, inhabiting a tree that attacks son Robbie. And when they take Carol Ann away, the Freelings call in a team of experts, including a diminutive psychic who holds the key to the other world.
Is it any good?
The story of a family assaulted by ghosts is still compelling. Well-written characters played by a strong cast make up for once top-of-the-line special effects that now look a bit cheesy. Kids raised on movies of the '90s, with their seemingly limitless digital effects, probably won't be too terrified by the ghosties on display here, which look dated by comparison.
But the most frightening parts of the movie arise from our empathy with the characters. Everyone in the family is sympathetic, likable and believable, which helps involve us emotionally in the movie. And the film doesn't abuse the fact that we've come to care about them: We're scared at the ordeal they face, but they all come through OK, saved by their love for one another.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about what makes this movie so scary. Are the effects, the ghosts and other things that you see, that are so frightening? Or is the situations?
Did you identify with the little girl who was taken away? What about the little boy attacked by a tree?
Did this movie make you think of the times when you were little that
you thought there were monsters in the closet or under the bed?Why do people like watching movies that frighten them?
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AGE
ok movie but brillent acting by Heather
This movie was ok but not really all that scary im not sure y common sense gave this 5 stars. But Heather o' Rorke definetly deserved 5 stars for her brilient acting. Heather is the girl on the cover she was born in 1975 and died in 1988 when she was 12 due to her intestintes exploding and being very sick. The movie was ok overall especailly for the time it was made in. And again great acting heather! We all miss u!
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AGE
Ok
People say this is "scary" but in my opinion, not at all. sure maybe for younger kids, but to tell u the truth, it really isnt. most special affects r cheesy, but i hav 2 say its an inbetween ok & pretty good movie.
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AGE
Poltergeist
A glorious horror. Mildly frightening.
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AGE
Probably Should Have Been Rated PG-13 If It Was Made Today.
I saw this movie with my dad when I was 11. Yes, it was scary, but 80s kind of scary, when you know its fake. The only part that actually made me jump, was the clown at the end. The only part that freaked me out was when that man started peeling his face off. Some parts I even laughed at because they were so 80s. The parents would often swear and smoke marijuana, but a lot of people did at that time. The mother often takes a swig of an alcoholic drink when she is frightened. Don't let kids see this just because it was rated PG in the 80s, it probably should have been rated PG-13 if it was made around now. I love scary movies, so when I was 11, I wasn't really that scared. So most 11-year-olds probably would be terrified.
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AGE
I wouldn't watch it again
Okay I thought this movie was going to be good but when I saw it I was really dissapointed. The graphics were silly and there was nothing scary about this movie. The only part that was memorable was when the man tears the flesh off of his face.
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AGE
second to best horror movie ever, frst is insidious and paranormal activity
this movie touches on many things that are frightening to kids (and some adults), including scary shadows in the dark, monsters in the closet, and separation from family. A character rips the flesh from his face (though eventually we see he's hallucinating). A young boy is attacked by a ghost-inhabited tree. A girl is taken from her parents and held in a netherworld where she's menaced by a character it's intimated is evil. The parents are seen smoking marijuana, and are apparently regular users.
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AGE
gross and boring
This movie is just dull. It lacks any good scares at all and is too predictable.
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AGE
A Classic Mild 80s Horror Film
I'll confess that this movie scared me to death as a kid (I'm 30 years old if that helps). This movie didn't even phase my 6 and 9 year old. Having said that, some kids are more sensitive to scary images than others. The technology used to make this film is low by comparison of what we see today, so your kids will likely find this movie a little bit cheesy.
There is ONE scene in the bedroom in which the parents are smoking dope and then quickly straighten up to attend to one of the kids who is scared of a thunderstorm. But unless your kids are wise to that, they won't even know what it is or really even notice it.
As far as language goes, it's an 80s PG movie in which the language standards were different than what they are today. You'll hear s--- and a--- and a few others (no f-bombs are dropped).
The parents demonstrate good parenting skills in not leaving anybody behind, sticking together as a family when faced with adversity, and their undying devotion to get their youngest daughter back.
Is the movie violent? No. Are there some scenes that will scare some young children? Yes. Watch it first and then you decide.
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| Topics: | monsters, ghosts, and vampires |
| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Director: | Andrew Adamson |
| Cast: | Cindy Williams, Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Run time: | 114 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 4, 1982 |
| DVD release date: | January 25, 2000 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
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