"Families storming out of the cinema in droves": FSK fuss about "Paw Patrol 2"

Nearly every child under the age of six knows and loves the canine heroes around Ryder. The anticipation for the paw patrol's second cinema film was correspondingly high.

"Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie" was finally released last week - but has since been met with a lot of anger. Many parents have criticised the film for not being suitable for young children.

"I want to go home"

"Families are storming out of the cinema in droves," writes a journalist from "Der Westen", who attended a preview with his two boys aged three and five. They also left the theatre during the first part. "I want to go home," his three-year-old whimpered. "Parents gathered outside whose children couldn't stand the thrill either - even those who had already watched children's films in the cinema," says the author, describing the scene. His conclusion: the pace of the story is "enormous" for children under the age of six and the "constant threat is almost unbearable".

A mother named Beate describes similar scenes in an article on Hallo-eltern.de: "A great many children, estimated to be three to four years old, started crying and ended up leaving the auditorium early."

The film itself wasn't bad, she said. But some of the characters were too scary and overwhelming for small children.

The film portal Kino.de recommends the film "for ages five and up at the earliest". The critic writes that his five-year-old son climbed over the cinema seat in two places out of excitement and complained of fear. "These were not necessarily big action scenes, but the stealth scene in which a dog infiltrates the villain's base (and is caught). These are routine film devices, but they are not always age-appropriate for the audience."

In Germany from 0, in Switzerland from 6 years

At least in Germany, "Paw Patrol 2" is authorised without an age restriction. A restriction from the age of six was discussed before the cinema release, but did not prevail. The film is fast-paced and contains exciting moments and numerous action scenes. However, the FSK (Voluntary Self-Regulation Body of the Film Industry) in Germany explains that these are softened and balanced out by humorous and relieving situations. "The bright and friendly design and the conveyance of positive values such as cohesion, courage and friendship also help to ensure that pre-school children are not frightened in the long term."

In response to the criticism from parents, the FSK rejects the accusations. "There are major individual differences in development, especially among pre-school children. Exciting scenes can be received very differently," says Peter Kaun from the FSK to TV broadcaster RTL. And he appeals to parents: they are best placed to judge whether their children will react to certain content. He recommends reading the brief FSK statement on the film in advance as a guide and watching the trailer if necessary.

The situation is different in Switzerland. Here, "Paw Patrol 2" is only released for children aged six and over. The Swiss Commission for the Protection of Minors in Film, which determines the age of access, justifies its decision with the fact that the film has "fast editing, omnipresent music and an incessant succession of threatening scenes and characters". It is also "dialogue-heavy". Due to this and the film's length of 87 minutes, it is not suitable for young children - "in contrast to the series, which is aimed at children aged between three and six".

Did the film makers simply want the second part to be too much of a heroic mission? While it misses out on its core audience, it also seems to be courting a new target audience. That can't go well, not for either side. After all, "Paw Patrol" is for the little ones. But from the age of eight or nine at the latest, it has long been children's stuff again.