The Robot Giant

Yesterday we watched The Robot Giant together. I have to choose your films carefully because you are pretty sensitive to danger, sadness, anger, dark, purple minions, witches and snow monsters....to name but a few. This film was on the borderline. We talked through the, potentially deal-breaking scenes. I didn't want it to end up in the graveyard of 'too scary' films along with Frozen and Despicable Me 2.

This film started with a futuristic war scene during which you shuffled closer to me. It finished just before you wrote it off as too scary. The war left a giant lonely robot called Big Green wandering through a wasteland. He met a little robot and they embarked on a journey together becoming the best of friends through their adventures. 

Now, I can't watch all kids' movies. I think it's a pre-requisite that they are silly but some are silly and empty. This one wasn't. It had heart. I like that. It was surreal, imaginative and desolate. There was a scene where Big Green had to save his friend who was stuck to a bomb which would go off when the the sun's shadow was cast at noon. Big Green could have used his strength to pull his friend free but instead he embarks on a determined mission high up into the sky to stop the sun. How he gets there and what he encounters on the way results in one of the most imaginative scenes I've ever seen in a children's film. You followed his perilous struggle on the edge of your seat and let out a cheer when he reached the sun. "YES! He made it Mummy."

Big Green struggles with what he was programmed to be and want he wants to be in a battle between his heart and his CPU. You recognise his struggles and you talk through them to reassure yourself that it'll all be ok. 

"He doesn't know how to be a friend does he Mummy?"

Your speech is developing every day although you haven't yet mastered contractions and instead choose to not always use them. I try not to correct you. You will learn in your own time. 

"Friends should always help each other should they Mummy?"

"If we tried to stop the sun, we'd get burnt would we Mummy? That's why we're not robots"

"They are still friends, are they Mummy?"

"I know why he's scared of Big Green. It's because his secret extra robot arms make him look like a spider and he doesn't realise it is just his friend, not a spider, does he Mummy?" 

We tackled war, friendship, politics, loyalty, good, evil and morals with The Robot Giant yesterday. And you were very brave sweetheart. It was a tiny bit scary.

I love you.

"Everything I learned I learned from the movies." ~ Audrey Hepburn