The movie was rated PG-13 for a reason. If parents have a problem with more advanced movies, then don't take you kids to them. And it's not like these movies are going to get any more kiddie. The stories after all, are about teenagers.

I saw it and i am only 10!! I think it was fine!!

MOD EDIT : Hiya Megan and welcome to the forums! Could I ask you to please drop by the newbies central forum, or more specifically, the rules page? I'm afraid we don't allow one liners on the forum Thanks.

im 14 and i think the movie is fine. i think it its was a good rating here in good old canada it was pg.

Ok my sisters kids are 4,6,and 8 and they LOVE GOF!! lol. I think its ok if the kids that are watching it know its not real! Some kids think that Harry Potter is a real Person and that there really is a Voldy! as long as they know its not real then i say let them watch it

People are very protective of their children, and they don't want there kids exposed to death. The PG13 content rating simply requires a parent to be there when the child experiences this. Now the debate is whether kids can handle a death. I have heard that JKR believes they can. I do think it should be a judgement call on the parents. Whether or not the government should be making those calls for you is another issue entirely.

If the book will be not for children (hard to read), child just will not read it. There is nothing, I think, that can harm for children health. 5th, 6th books can be read by 7 years old children.

I think that if the parent should know what is best for a 10 and below kid. I liked the movie and i took my 11 and 12 year old brother and they liked it.

Well. I think it should not be more than PG-13.If it is..than be prepared for uproar,cause though we know it we don't realise that HP has hundreds of kid fans too......

I just love HP movies though. I hope its not Pg-18 or something like that.

They're Magical...(well like obviously but they're cool,ultracool)

:kiss:Bye

Well,Im 11 and ive watched it.I think that all kids should watch it.See I watch X-Rated movies. My Parents dont care.But Its not right if you need to be 13 to be able to watch GoF. Its Not like kids can do any real "MAGIC" lol SO whats the harm,They are doing thing that nobody can do.Its not like there using guns and things like that. We cant just pick up a wand and go kill someone. AND Anyway if they make it PG-13 no kid is going to care.They arent going to listen to the PG-13 IF any kid did listen to the movie ratings then there would be no teenage violence

Also,I (Not to be offensive to others peoples oppinions)That kids shoud not be exposed to death.Everyone is exposed to death sometime in there live.Why not expose them to it early so it isnt new to them when they are older?(again these are just my views)


Im Not Really Sure There Are "Sexual" jokes on it though.I really dont see any reoson a 1 year old cant see it


also,I agree with piper19 almost,I think it should be PG13 but i think that if they can cope and comprehend the movie that they should be able to watch it

i don't think so,at the start it is very nice even foe childrenz.itz really an interestin movie for both adults and childrenz

Wow this topic is till on!
I forgot all about this one!Can't believe you people are still posting on this!
The movie is fit for children!So those kids who haven't watched it,make a go for it!
Girls,
just shut your eyes when you Harry goes in for a bath..for Dan is my man..MY MAN!

Chels.

Ok, now The Only Harry Potter being 11 and watching X-Rated movies, that's illegal.

Now beyond that , what exactly is in GOF that hasn't been in every G-Rated Disney cartoon since Walt started drawing? Dark magic? (The poison apple/witch/magic mirror in Sleeping Beauty) Yep... Violence? (Bambi's father being shot and killed) Yep... Witches and Wizards? (Do I really need to go on here?) Yep...

Just because this particular movie uses real people as actors instead of cartoons, doesn't mean it is any more/less influential on children who are too young to fully realize the difference! In my opinion, GOF is fine for anyone of any age.

I think that if kids are reading it there imagination is probally going to ba alot worse than the movie could be, after all kids today are watching movies that I think are horribly scary and give me nitemares for weeks afterwards so I don't think HP is going to be as scary as those movies at all!!!

I agree that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire should be rated PG-13. This won't stop younger fans from watching it though. Like they will really check ID at a movie theater. I mean really, come on people.

*loud gasp* WHAT??? No, no, no, no, and no. They simply can't do it! It's dark, yeah, but not for preteens? Are you MAD?! I just can't believe it. Somebody call Saint Mungo's!

Should we now be talking about The Order of the Phoenix here?

If so, I think, as a parent that any rating over a PG in unjustified. Now don't gasp in horror at me. I have a nine year old and I will allow her to see the movie. She's grown up with Harry Potter and I'm not about to cut the cord on her favourite films because some bureaucrat has decided that some scenes may not be suitable for children. I'll decide on that. I will, as I have done with any movie rated above her age, preview it first and then forwarn her of anything that she may find upsetting. To be quite honest the only truly scary moment in OotP is the snake attack on Mr Weasley. But she knows this already having read the books.

You have to look at this in context. I have just watched a DVD of the Da Vinci code, rated 12A (UK rating) which I think is the equivalent of a PG13. The content of that film was in parts macabre to say the least. Although there was no bad language, there were scenes that I wouldn't have let my own mother watch.



I totally agree, kids have vivid enough imaginations on their own. I know that we need to protect our kids from the bad things in the world, but Harry Potter...I don't think so.

Saying this though...X rated movies....I don't even watch them!!

I totally agree that any rating over PG would not justify the Harry Potter and The order of the Phoenix. I have two kids, they love Harry Potter. My son has read all the books and my daughter loves them also. She likes to pretend that she is Hermione Granger (she's even dressing up like her for Halloween), but she knows that the stuff they portray in the movies is not real. I mean come on children have creative imaginations and reading just helps to expand their ever growing minds. As far as the Xrated movie bit went, I do not partake in this and would be appalled if my son did (he's 13)

I would rather see my kids reading HP, than playing those ridiculous Grand Thieft Auto games... I think that people are afraid of Dark Magic because of it's so-called Anti-Christian connotations...but they never consider the good magic that is involved in HP...It is very typical of a Puritian based society, and a real shame as well...

I think there are frightening parts, and that it is up to parents to decide what is appropriate for their little ones, but certainly it is appropriate for children.

I think its a good idea! Many kids under the age of 13 didn't read the books and only see the movies in cinemas or they read the books afterwords and I think that's bad because well they have now if they read books and read the name Harry the picture of Daniel Radcliffe in their minds so they can't use their fantasy anymore. When they're not allowed to see the movie they might first read the books and personally I think reading the books first helps kids image things better that are written in books.

I think it is a good idea, i mean i do think age restrictions are pointless...i was more emotionally mature then my sister at age 13 then she was when she was 17. but she can see the movie and i cant?..but i still think it is a good idea because this way the parents can rent the movie and they have the choice to let them watch it or not... the parents can make a dissision on if the child is ready to see the movie...they do know their kids better then anyone else..and they are the to explain things when the child see it so they wont get scared.

Yes i guess u r right. i agree, i mean wow

i agree! it's the darkest hp film by now, and i think the 5th will be restricted too... and even the 6th, we'll have to see if the 7th ^^

No, i don't think it is because yeah it's darker than the others but it's got lots of humour in it to lighten it up. Plus if the had made it to scary for kids than the viewing population, would go way down!

Well as with most articles there is usually some opinion here or there, but I think for the most part the media simply puts out suggestions of this type to make people more aware. As a society in general we try to protect children from seeing or hearing things that are inappropriate, and as a means to help parents the media will often blow things out of porportion as a way to at least get parents to think so that there are no surprises later on. I can't think of anything in HP that is inappropriate for children. I agree that the story is taking on a darker tone, and so we can expect to see perhaps more dark magic and even violence..But it certainly won't be bloodbath, profanity is nil, and I am quite sure that even if the snogging makes it to the screen there will certainly be no shagging (thankfully)
Of course as with all moviesI think there needs to be a cut-off..My 6 year old loves HP, while my 4 year old doesn't have the attention span to sit through it. There are children out there who are senstive to what they see and hear, even as old as 10 or 11, and parents need to condsider those factors. Be involved is basically what I am saying.
I don't really appreciate that the article states that HP is not for Kids. (Because honestly, who is it for then? I don't know many adults..Well outside my own circle that are into HP) But I can easily see why they would put it that way..It draws attention, gets people to read the article and either A. Creates attention for the magazine, or article in question, or B. Provides information for parents so that they can determine what they want their children to watch.

I think that the HP movies were for kids.In the movies SoS and CoS, and PoA i think it was for kids.Now in movie 4, the GoF i think they are starting to become more for teenagers and adults than for younger kids.As the films continue i think they will become less and less like movies for kids.In the books they get darker and darker each time and i believe that the same thing will happen to the movies.

I think that HP has never been for 5 year olds, the books start out with a double muder after all. I think I'm a bad judge to tell what's for kids and what isn't. At 5 I was wacthing the X-files and Star Trek, my first nightmares were borgs and aliens, but anyway, I think that parents tend to not give their kids any credit to just what they can take. My first rated R movie was the Godfather when I was 9, and it didn't make me wnat to join the mob. I consider myself a well-adjusted person and I think a big reason for that is because when I was little I wasn't treated like baby when I was 10.

HP movies are alot milder than some of the movies kids are exposed to nowadays. My kids are 13 and 6. And they both have been watching HP movies for the last year and they love them! My daughter can even recite whole lines from the movies before they are spoken by the charactors. My first introduction to "bad movies for youngsters" was "The Exorcist" at the age of 11. That movie petrified me (and still does to this day) but I knew back then when I saw it that it was just a movie and that it would not happen to me! My kids have also watched scary movies, but they know they are not real. HP movies are very entertaining and kids love them! Mine are counting down the days until OOtP comes to theaters so we can go and see it.

I agree the movies are getting darker and becoming for teenagers and adults by each movie that they make. Children should not take it seriously or they will ruin their mental health. You should tell your children or siblings who watch the Harry Potter movies that Voldemort only wants to kill Harry... or something like that. If only they could make 2 kinds of movies for each Harry Potter movie... like one for teenagers and adults with adult themes and one for children without adult themes and they make Voldemort less scarier for children.

My children are 10 and 6 and it's just a matter of what they consider scary as to how the movie will affect them.

When Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith came out Zachary, who was 5 at the time was okay with going but Alexander was too scared. So Zachary and I went first and then we took Alexander.

Same with King Kong; Zachary was loving that movie but Alexander had his face hidden through most of it.

I do believe age is a factor to an extent, but again, it all boils down to education and parental envolvement.

I will admit I have made a few mistakes with my children and movies. Alexander has seen 'Ghost of Mars' and 'The Ring' and both of those movies gave him nightmares for months.

Then again, the Rugrats movie had him convinced that the big bad wolf lived in his toy box and refused to sleep in the same room with that box until it was moved out...into his little brother's room. He was fine after that.

i think that, while kids could handle the movie, it might be aimed at an older audience. it's true that the plot is becoming much darker and scarier, and it only makes sense that it might not have been meant for younger children, and that it might appeal more to older ones.

well i hope it is fine to watch because i dont want to miss out on it!! But i do remember when i came out of the movies fresh from seeing GoF, i saw all of these little kids, like 5 and under coming out as well, most of them were crying or just looking plain scared. I saw a group of girls around 10yrs old calling their parents crying. If that movie was supposedly scary enough to make three quaters of the children in the cinemea cry than i would like to know how scary OotP is supposed to be.

You know what tickled me? There was an article about OotP in 'Empire' magazine a month or so ago (it's a film magazine in the UK) where they made some quip about this film being "Much darker" than the others. They then went on to say that the film-makers always say that the latest film is 'darker' than the last one, and if they films keep on getting 'darker', by the time the audience gets to see the seventh one, they won't be able to see the screen at all

I really don't think there's anything to worry about. Though I am very excited about the new film, I have a horrible sinking feeling that they've turned Bellatrix into a slightly cartoonish character - in other words, toning it down. I really hope they haven't. The thing is that they can't do certain things in the movies, such as the Sectumsempra spell, without making it look daft if they try and do it for a PG audience. I mean come on, if you're going to do it, do it properly. Let's face it, the vast majority of fans these days would get into a PG-13 film, and I don't think it could ever be above that. No matter how violent it gets - not when horror films are pulling 15 certificates.

What was the topic again?! Oh yeah....well, no, I guess not then. HP isn't for kids anymore. At least, the *movies* are not for kids anymore (No, I'm not bitter, and no I'm not starting again )

yes i do agree, there is so many things that happen like sirius' death and the DA, Harry's fight with Bellatrix , Dumbledore's fight with voldy, and of course Umbridge making harry use his own blood to write in detention.

I don't know why movie makers are so squeamish about putting scenes like those described in OotP in their movies... To me, kids see a lot more gruesome things at home watching cartoons these days... Not to mention the news! Ultimately, the parent need to decide what is appropriate for their kids and what is not. Movies should be made according to the vision of the author, not based on what is "acceptable" to some censor...

Ok, rant off...

Ok, i agree with several things in this thread..first of all, i agree that JKR and the movie makers are growing with the audience...as the kids age, they add a little more and a little more, and i also agree with the fact that the parent should just monitor the kids television/book reading anyway...and cartoons are far more gruesome nowadays..
As for Harry Potter being ok or not ok for kids? Well it has never been a cinderella or little bo peep story from the beginning has it? So if parents object, do what you can to keep them from it, and don't bother the rest of society who chooses to raise their kids their way....and that is all i have to say on that subject...lol.

In Bahrain,GoF was PG 13.If GoF is like this,most probably,OotP will be PG 15.What scenes are there which really disturbes the children?.Not the kissing scene,it's really common in all the films(Even animated ones) then what about the detention scenes?No,it doesn't really disturbes their mind!!

I dunno:s if young children have read the book then would they be scared?? They will know what is going to happen!! It should be a 12A (if you are under 12 you have to be accompanied by an adult)

I think that if the kid can read the OotP, then he/she should be able to see the movie. To tell the truth a book like OotP isn't really a book that an average 10-year-old would read. Yes there were some, like me who read OotP when it first came out in Australia and I was 11 or maybe even 10, who read OotP at a young age.
It also depends on the child's ability to seperate real world from HP world. If you know the child would believe that everything in HP is real then I think it would be best to let them not see the movie.
The first two books I think were quite wholesome and sweet, but now everything's got much darker and the characters have matured resulting in the books doing the same.

well...maybe a little. i personaly like the set they did for the first movie but the all the sudden..in the forth on..we see all this new stuff (i mean besides the great hall being decorated for the yule ball)the rest is ok though. ill get back to u after i see the fith one

I wonder if they put in when Harry tries to torture Bellatix, I'll be a bit (but not completely) surpised if they have it in there. It's clear that OotP will be PG-13. I was so happy when GoF was because they were able to do the Voldermort rebirth sceen like it should of been done.

mmmmmmm......... If last of the Mochons should have been a PG-13 instead of and R, its over twenty years old, Then i think order of the pheonix is a G, obvoisly this is not the case. lOTM is incredibly gory, But i think that OOTP should have beeen PG if it was left unchanged, but since ~sarcasim~ Holly wood thinks that big action seens make a movie cool and that charecter development makes a movie cool~sacasim~ they will probly cut out interesting stuff, not that action isn't interesting, and make the depart ment of mysteries this huge seen that takes a fourth of the movie or more. urge i hate hollywood sometimes!! I just think that a movie can rarly live up to the book. (sigh)

At the beginning it was all for children who had a fantasy of doing magic but now it is more like a scary and a dark kinda thing[/size]

At the beginning it was all for children who had a fantasy of doing magic but now it is more like a scary and a dark kinda thing

D'oh, I was about to comment on this referring to the new movie but its really about Goblet of Fire. I understand why the media made it that way since there is essentially torture in it...but, in my opinion, nothing worse than Star Wars or something like that.

As for the new movie, it'll be action packed no doubt (at least in the beginning and end) with plot twists and strange things happening in the middle. I wouldn't be surprised if they gave it a PG-13 rating as well.

Although this may disturb some of you, i totally agree with age limits- the movies have become rather dark for young kids or early teenagers to watch them...Like GoF for example, the whole scene in the beginning with the Death Eaters and in the end the graveyard scene...well, not exactly what a kid should see. Some of them tend to try to make true what they see on tv/cinema...So, yes, a PG-13 is a good age limit...and probably it is what they are going to use. Or maybe PG-15, i have the faint idea that in Greece the age limit for GoF was 15, but i'm not quite sure...

reading the parts and watching it are completly diffrent things.some of you may disagree about the age limit, tho you are probably not 6 years old. I mean seriously, when I went to the theater for the first 2 movies the little kids screamed at Voldemort's 2 faces, Aragog and the Basilisk. so oviously even thos age limits arent good enough.besides for thos that can handle the "Scarry parts" you can still get into the movies your not old enough for as long as your parents are with you.

They raly wanto stop kids to wach the new movie?
They cant do that ... that is going to be more cruel than any image i the movie
I know a lot of kids , that watch a lot of japanese manga and anime, and that is not light cartoons, there are a lot of scenes with blood and that kind of evil things. Also most part of them have games at home, for ps2 or ... i mean video games like devill may cry and war games... so what is the problem in watch Hp?? They just have to know what is fiction and what is reality, and i realy think that kids today are preaty smart and they know all that.
Is it better to watch some kids cartoon where they show that you can jump from a cliff and no one die, they just get flat and than pump them self back , dont you think that they know what is fiction??

Well, i have heard of many stories about kids who jumped off their balcony because they thought they would survive. Or more recently, two or more (i'm not quite sure) kids died trying to depict Sadam's being hunged (i don't know the exact english word...). I don't think that kids are able to tell reality from fiction, psychologists have proved that with certain experiments. Youngsters eg, can not understand that their hand is actually their hand and not someone else's. Being able to discern one thing from another is based on critical thought which starts to develop around the age of 11-12 i think. So, it is mostly a parental issue but for those parents who may not pay attention to this kind of things, an age limit is crucial. That's what i believe.

I agree. Some kids can't tell whats fiction and whats not...or maybe they really want what they see on TV or in the movies to be real that they go to great lengths to try and make it so. I remember as a kid, maybe 5 years old, I lost my watch and searched everywhere hoping Superman would come by and use his x-ray vision to help me. I also remember hearing about some kids drowning because they wanted to visit Spongebob in the ocean. Its not just Harry Potter, its everything, even real things. In my opinion, if you don't want your kids reading it or watching it, then don't let them. Don't force your ideals down someone else's throat, you know?