Cognitive Development and Children's Movies: Frozen & Karate Kid

Introduction to the Films and Target Audiences

The Karate Kid (2010) is rated PG and targeted at viewers aged 10 and above (The Karate Kid — Family Movie Review, 2015). The film is appropriately PG-rated; however, there is some content that parents and caregivers may wish to be aware of, particularly because the drama includes a few themes aimed at older viewers. The beginning of the movie shows a climbing scene depicting a child's height chart. Typical milestones — such as starting kindergarten and losing a first tooth — are included; however, the last two entries are "daddy's death" and the child's 9th birthday. While the background music at this point is jolly and light, the death of Dre's father when he was only 8 years old carries a mildly shocking impact and may upset younger children (Andlor, 2013).

Frozen (2013) is rated PG and recommended for children aged 5 and above (Frozen, 2013). The film contains only a few scenes that might disturb or frighten children between the ages of 5 and 8. For instance, it features several scary characters, including large wolves with snapping jaws and glowing eyes, and a large frightening snow monster with glowing blue eyes, huge hands, a wide gaping mouth, and icicle-like talons. A magical storm also traps several ships in a frozen lake, causing them to rise from the ice and crash down, throwing Kristoff's reindeer into the water and nearly crushing Kristoff himself (Australian Council on Children and the Media [ACCM], 2015).

The Karate Kid (2010): Cognitive Development for Ages 10+

Children's thinking at this stage becomes increasingly abstract. They can understand and represent more complex ideas and reason more logically. This is consistent with the fact that children this age are already in the elementary schooling phase and are actively discovering the world around them. They can retain information in memory for longer durations, have better-developed schemas — the mental structures used to organize information — and are able to process greater amounts of information more quickly.

Children at this age can concentrate on more than one dimension simultaneously. For example, they are unlikely to be frightened of a multidimensional character like Shrek, whom they can recognize as complex rather than one-dimensional. They are capable of comprehending diverse characters with multiple traits and motivations. Piaget's theory of cognitive development holds that by age 11, the foundations of adult thinking are already visible and that the highest order of logical thinking is established around that age. Children at this stage also possess metacognitive abilities — that is, the capacity to think about their own thinking — and tend toward idealistic thinking (Notes on Cognitive Development).

Movement Toward Independence

At this age, identity begins to emerge, shaped over time by both external and internal influences. The emergence of identity often produces behavioral changes. These may include: moodiness; an enhanced ability to express oneself verbally; a greater likelihood of expressing feelings through actions rather than words (more common in young boys); heightened importance of close friendships; reduced attentiveness to parents and occasional rudeness toward them; a growing realization that parents are not perfect; identification of one's own faults; a desire to form emotional bonds outside the family; a tendency to revert to more childish behavior during stressful moments; and susceptibility to peer influence on matters such as clothing styles and personal interests (Stages of Adolescent Development, 2004). The Karate Kid portrays many of these dynamics — for instance, when Dre disagrees with his mother about relocating to China, feeling that his perspective is not being considered.

At this stage, media content can exert a strong influence on children. They are drawn to idealistic messages and, being young and relatively inexperienced, tend to believe that the ideals depicted are realistically attainable. Children this age can engage with longer content and serialized story plots — such as weekly television programs — because they can recall what occurred in a previous episode. They can also be introduced to complex characters, since they are capable of understanding characters' motivations and the reasoning behind their actions, giving them a more sophisticated approach to interpreting media.

Age-Appropriateness of The Karate Kid for the Target Audience

The Karate Kid (2010) is largely a family film that manages to remain mature while offering substantial entertainment. Jackie Chan's understated performance is a highlight, and Jaden Smith portrays a worthy protagonist. The dynamic between their characters is highly reminiscent of the relationship between the lead characters in the original film. The movie is recommended for viewers aged 10 and above, most likely because it functions more as a drama than a straightforward martial arts film — meaning younger children might find it somewhat slow (Andlor, 2013).

The film includes intense scenes of graphic martial arts violence performed by young boys on other boys, as well as frequent depictions of bullying. Much of this violence could potentially be mimicked by children who view Dre and other characters as role models. Apart from some bruising, the actual physical consequences of these violent acts are largely absent from the screen — no serious injuries or blood are shown (Australian Parenting Website, 2010). Considering that children this age are striving for independence and experiencing emotional volatility, many will find it easy to identify with Dre. The film also demonstrates how Dre navigates conflict with bullies, and children can learn an important lesson from Mr. Han's advice: that martial arts should not be used to start fights but only in a formal competitive context.

The movie contains a great deal of content designed to attract children, particularly the martial arts sequences. Children at this age are flexible thinkers who can readily grasp character motivations and connect the events on screen to their own lived experiences. Dre undergoes changes that many children this age are also experiencing; in addition, he learns lessons that help him overcome difficult situations and protect himself from school bullies.

The film also depicts several specific acts of violence that children might be inclined to imitate. These include deliberate bullying — such as when Cheng knocks a food tray out of Dre's hands, covering him in food, or when Cheng and his gang steal Dre's bag and empty its contents on the floor. A more serious scene shows a boy, acting on Master Li's instructions, repeatedly punching Dre's knee in an attempt to injure him. Dre is later shown lying badly bruised in bed with ice on his leg; a doctor informs him that he is too severely injured to continue in the competition (Australian Parenting Website, 2010).

Despite these negative elements, the film weaves in numerous positive messages that can have a constructive impact on young viewers. These include: the best conflicts are those you avoid; there are no bad students, only bad teachers; the only person you truly need to control is yourself; kung fu is not about fighting but about making peace with your enemies; and life will knock us down — what matters is whether we choose to get back up (Australian Parenting Website, 2010).

Values that the film can help instill in children include:

Confronting fears: Dre is persistently afraid of bullies. By facing them in a formal competition, he overcomes that fear and earns their respect.

Keeping promises: Dre and Meiying make a vow to each other and work hard to honor it.

Empathy: Dre demonstrates genuine empathy toward both Mr. Han and Meiying (Australian Parenting Website, 2010).

Conclusion

This paper examines two children's movies — Frozen (2013) and The Karate Kid (2010) — and considers how they potentially influence the developmental and cognitive stages of children aged 5+ and 10+ respectively. Both films convey positive and negative messages, and because the recommended age groups are at sensitive stages of cognitive development — actively forming new understandings and concepts — both the positive and negative content are readily absorbed by young viewers. This has meaningful implications for children's developmental trajectories, reinforcing the importance of age-conscious media selection and active parental engagement with the films children watch.