Moviegoers miffed as kids recite poems during film

A popular animated movie featuring dozens of poems has become a favorite for many children who recite the verses, creating a dilemma for moviegoers who simply want to enjoy the plot.

The movie Chang An, which hit cinemas on July 8, has garnered more than 720 million yuan ($100 million) at the box office as of Monday, according to movie statistics platform Maoyan. On popular review platform Douban Movie, the animation scored 8.2 out of 10 points with nearly 170,000 reviews.

Using Gao Shi, a famous poet during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) as a main character, the movie tells stories about roughly a dozen prominent poets such as Li Bai, Du Fu and Wang Wei. Unlike any movie put on Chinese screens before, the 168-minute movie features excerpts from 48 famous poems.

As the literature-scattered film rolled on, many children who went with their parents enthusiastically recited the poems whenever they appeared, many netizens said in their reviews on various platforms. While some found it amusing, others considered it annoying.

"More than half the audience were elementary school students during my showing, and the girl behind me was reciting really loudly whenever it was something she knew," one review said, adding parents should teach their children manners, especially when they are trying to help their children learn something.

"There are even parents who recorded their children reciting in the cinema, as if the 'no-recording' rule doesn't apply," another review said. They went on to suggest cinemas organize family-only showings and keep them separate from those who want silence during the show.

As the movie runs 168 minutes, many said it suits older audiences more.

They said children typically can't concentrate that long. In addition, they said it takes an adult's life experience to savor plots that reflect a world filled with hardships or even crises, which were largely depicted in the movie.

Yu Xin, a movie critic who often goes under the alias Tuebingen Carpenter, said on his Sina Weibo account that moviegoers should be more tolerant.

"It's a wonderful sound. It's the unique romance that only belongs to Chinese cinemas," he said, adding when the musical movie Les Miserables hit Chinese screens a few years ago, viewers who sang along won applause.

He suggested that parents should look after their children so they will say nothing other than reciting the poems.