Movie Reviews By My Kid: Is She Old Enough For Harry Potter?
Don’t get me wrong, the idea of watching a children’s movie that I could actually sit through without wanting to poke out my eyes is most welcome. I love the Harry Potter movies and, admittedly, I’m one of those adults who has read every book. Now my daughter was coming home with questions about “Harry Potter” and getting invites to “Harry Potter” themed birthdays and, sadly, picking favorite characters from the film, even though she had never seen it.
But was I ready for my newly minted five year old to trade in her Tinkerbell wings for a Wizards cape? Just a week ago she was begging to watch a Strawberry Shortcake video and now she wants to see a movie which, among other things, features a dead unicorn having it’s blood drained by a mostly dead bad guy?
Apparently the answer was yes. So with the remote in hand, finger readily positioned on the pause button, we launched into our first Harry Potter.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first film in the Harry Potter franchise (if you’ve been living in a cave for the past decade) and is rated PG for some scary moments and mild language. Adventure/Family/Fantasy 152 minutes. Here is my five year old’s review:
So what did you think of Harry Potter?
Remember that guy? Like that not nice guy? That new dad and the new mom that was not nice and that not nice kid and the kid went into the snakes house?
Oh right the aunt and uncle and cousin Dudley?
Yes. They weren’t very nice.
True. What was your favourite part?
The happy endings. Not the bad parts. (considers) I actually liked the whole movie.
Did you think the bad parts were too scary?
I thought the dog one was the scariest with the tree heads. I went (makes scared face and then goes into fetal position).
Who was your favourite character?
Harry Potter and Jenny and Ron.
Jenny? You mean Hermoine?
Oh yes.
You know, Daddy and I weren’t sure you were old enough to watch this movie.
I am, and I’d tell my friends what happened in the movie so they’d hear it once and when they hear it it’s not so scary for when then they see it.
Doesn’t that ruin the movie if they know what’s going to happen?
Nope. It makes it better.
Who was your least favourite character in the movie?
The guy with the purple ribbon on his head who had a face on the back…. ewww. And the guy with the mean teeth.
Mean teeth?
You know he was (makes scary face) and he was on his broom?
Oh right. The Quidditch player. Why do you think five year olds are old enough to watch “Harry Potter”?
Because it’s not that scary.
No?
You know what I say to myself when something is scary? I say nevermind, it’s not real.
That’s great honey.
But I am scared of real bears monsters, dragons and giants.
Naturally. What would you tell your friends about this movie?
There’s a big guy with the yucky teeth and then that big giant with a stick smacked Jenny on the head with the sink.
You mean Hermoine?
Oh yeah, Hermoine…Like remember when they put the stick in it’s nose and then…uuummm…..is it Jenny?
Hermoine
Oh yeah, Hermoine. Hermoine and Ron said Ewwww!
Anything else?
Yeah…does Harry Potter live in the sky? I don’t really know where he lives.
I don’t think he does either. How many stars would you give this movie?
91 hundred and 21 stars.
So there you have it, the first movie was a breeze. But knowing that the movies get progressively more violent I think I’m going to wait it out. There’s no harm in watching “Enchanted” for the six hundredth time right?
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Previous Movie Reviews By My Kid posts:
Movie Reviews By My Kid: Puss In Boots
Movie Reviews By My Kid: The Zookeeper
Movie Reviews By My Kid: Kung Fu Panda 2
Movie Reviews By My Kid: Arthur Christmas
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At least she hasn’t asked you about The Hunger Games. Yet.
My 2-year-old has been exposed to Harry Potter as background, but not as a sit-down-and-watch-it sort of way. (Yes, my toddler watches TV. Whatever.)
However, one of his current favorites—outside the realm of Land Before Time, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (doesn’t get the “seasonal” concept) and never-ending Mickey Mouse Clubhouse—is How to Train Your Dragon, which my husband and I can sit through repeatedly without getting bored.
My daughter was sitting in front of a non-descript kids’ movie when I was taking a shower one day. I came out and she had found my stash of DVDs. This included the cartoon Plague Dogs, which is written by the guy that wrote Watership down. And it is slightly more scary and sadder than Watership down by about 3xs. Both of these books and cartoons are really for adults. They are dark and beautiful, but not for kids. My then 3 year old declared that it was her favorite movie. I mean, it was not like she found something with tons of 4 letter words or sex…but repeated drowning and resuscitation of a dog is a bit over the top.
My children started watching it at 3 and 4. We have allowed them to watch up through the 5th Movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix. At that point, we are waiting. The movies are much darker, so we will probably wait a couple more years. They absolutely adore these movies and we have even visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. They loved it.
I love these reviews! Freaking adorable
Well, with that ringing endorsement, maybe I’ll let Teagan watch it as well. I’m not a fan of the guy with the ugly teeth either.
I’m determined that my kids will read the books before seeing the movies, so we’re waiting. And it is hard because my daughter is 6 and she knows all about Harry Potter and that he’s a wizard and everything, but she hasn’t seen the movies or read the books.
But I did watch the first movie with my little cousin when she was 4 or so, and she loved it. So I don’t think 5 is necessarily too young.
This review was hilarious, though. :)
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I love these reviews. My son is 7. We have read the first book together and seen movies 1-3.
Let Teagan watch it this week. Kept watch for that guy with the ugly teeth.
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Most helpful parenting advice I’ve read possibly EVER. My husband has been wanting to watch Harry Potter with our 5 year old son Miles, and this was just the kind of review we needed : ) And our son LOVED it.