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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 With Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts nigh, the orphan wizard (Daniel Radcliffe) is plagued by horrible nightmares. He senses that Lord Voldemort and his familiars, the Death Eaters, are out for murder more than ever. And when he and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) attend the Quidditch World Cup competition, something is definitely amiss. Strange things happen, and the "Dark Mark" appears over the stadium, giving evidence that Voldemort is ready to rise again. The students return to Hogwarts and learn that the school is prepping for the Triwizard Tournament, facing off against two other academies, the Beauxbatons and the Durmstrang. When an under-age Harry is picked to represent Hogwarts, he mistakenly believes that Ron entered his name, causing a rift between the two lifelong friends. The new teacher, Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody (Brendan Gleeson) seems especially interested in helping Harry train for the Triwizard Tournament. Meanwhile, 14-year-old Harry encounters more traditional teen-angst problems: he's trying to work up the nerve to ask the beautiful Cho Chang (Katie Leung) to the annual Yule Ball. And his friend, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) is paired with Durmstrang's Triwizard champion, Viktor Krum, much to the chagrin of Ron. PRE-SCHOOLER (ages 2-5): This movie is too intense for preschoolers; instead, they might enjoy "Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs," based on the best-selling books by Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynolds (Cartoon Network, 9 a.m. weekdays). This show tells the story of 5-year-old Harry, who jumps into his magical bucket and transports himself into Dyno World, where his six dinosaur toys become full-sized playmates. Gentle magic for preschoolers. GRADE-SCHOOLER (ages 6-10): It should be noted that this movie has been classified by U.K. censors as 12A (stronger than the U.S. PG-13 rating), which bars children under 12 from seeing it unless accompanied by an adult. The Brits may be onto something, as there are some truly intense scenes, scary characters, and dark moments involving Voldemort. That said, if your kids have been ok with previous Harry Potter movies, they'll likely be fine with this one -- especially if they've read the book. My kids -- 8 and 11 -- are great Harry Potter fans, and haven't been bothered by the dark parts of the films. TWEEN/TEEN (ages 11+): This movie continues the Harry Potter tradition of a great storyline, intriguing characters, and lots of action -- even moreso than the previous movies. We see the young wizard and his friends grow up, attend a dance, become romantically entangled, and encounter more peril than ever before. Kids 11 and up will identify with that angst, even if their own "peril" consists of a yearning for independence and a newfound awareness of the opposite sex. ______________________________________________ Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance writer specializing in the television and movie industry. Her syndicated column, "Reel Life With Jane," is published in papers throughout the country. Email her at jboursaw@charter.net. |
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