harry potter!

[dee106]

saw the new harry potter movie today, it was good, but i liked the second one better, this movie wasn't as kid  friendly, the story was more intense. more for the older kids. there wasn't much done with the supporting actors, it was basically the three and the big guy. they did a good job with the professor look a like.

[angelsmom10]

I though is wasn't scheduled out till June 5th .  DD just talked about it at dinner and said she planned on seeing it the 1st day it came out even if she had to go by herself.  (I have not gotten into it yet, but rest of the family can't live without it.)

[campingboaters]

It's in limited release right now.   We're due to get it June 4th as well here near Philadelphia.  Still trying to decide if I can take my very wise 6YO DD.  She loved the previous movies, but if this one is "darker"... I don't know.  We'll see Shrek 2 first!

[dee106]

I went to the world premiere here in new york city, got to meet the actors, and saw a few others. It was nice, it was at radio city music hall.

[angelsmom10]

It's in limited release right now. We're due to get it June 4th as well here near Philadelphia. Still trying to decide if I can take my very wise 6YO DD. She loved the previous movies, but if this one is "darker"... I don't know. We'll see Shrek 2 first!

Several of DD's friends saw Shrek 2 over the weekend and they highly recommend it... greater then Shrek 1.  Several of the local radio shows have also mentioned that it is fantastic.

[Acts 2:38 girl]

but if this one is "darker

LOL!! Of course it's darker - it's about witchcraft!!
 
sorry - sorry , I'm from the opposite side of the soapbox when it comes to Harry Potter. I remember watching the "Smurfs" to TV as a kid, and able to recognise the occultic symbols and spells cast as a teenager. It really gave me a boost towards the "darker" side of things as a teen.
Just something to think about.
 
no offense guys, just a friendly-feeling remark, and I actually did LOL!

[tlhdoc]

We saw Shrek 2 and it was OK.  The kids loved it.

[NightOwl]

LOL!! Of course it's darker - it's about witchcraft!!
 
sorry - sorry , I'm from the opposite side of the soapbox when it comes to Harry Potter. I remember watching the "Smurfs" to TV as a kid, and able to recognise the occultic symbols and spells cast as a teenager. It really gave me a boost towards the "darker" side of things as a teen.
Just something to think about.
 
no offense guys, just a friendly-feeling remark, and I actually did LOL!

Andi, just in case your kids ever get into the Harry Potter books or movies despite your misgivings, I had  also heard remarks about it being about witchcraft and such.  My granddaughter and at least  her 3 best friends all got into it when it first came out and have loved it ever since . It has clearly not led them toward any "dark side"  They are now 16 and are really wholesome and  very good kids and not at all interested in the occult or spiritualism or devil-worship  or any of those things.  It is very obvious to anyone who sees them that they "live in the light."

 None of them look the least bit Goth or  "witchly"  They dont even wear any makeup--let alone black lipstick and white face paint.  They are all devoted  to their schoolwork and art and sports and friendships  AND THEIR FAMILIES . (They havent discovered boys yet  thank goodness So it doesnt seem to have done them any harm.  Of course, they all 4 come from very  careful, close-knit families who are aware of almost their every move and that often  helps keep kids from going astray.

So, if Harry Potter does somehow  sneak into your kids' lives, dont be too upset,  just stay close to them and explain things and make sure they know the difference between  reality and imagination/fiction, "let's pretend" stories of high adventure.

[Acts 2:38 girl]

I hear you Nightowl, I'm just super-sensitive about those kinds of things! Not sensitive like, emotionally sensitive, or anything. Just spiritually sentitive! I don't get offended or anything (this was just a quick giggle and post ) , but I try to keep everything that even "gives an appearence of evil" out of our kids lives! Overprotective? Oh yeah!!! They will make thier own descisions as they grow older. I did actually see the 1st movie to see what the big deal all us Christians were making about it was. I can see how kids like it - although some parts were maybe to scary for our age kids. I liked how the kids stuck together, etc, but to much made me say "Naaa"
 
This was the first year my oldest son saw "The Wizard of Oz" and he's almost 9!! He was OK with it, but youngest son was freaked out! I've gotta say, even at my age (no comments!) that music for Ms. Gulch even sets me up!!

[NightOwl]

Yeah, Andi, I sure agree with you that  the important thing about all of this is to know everything our young kids are doing, reading, and thinking, and then when they get older  they remember the way they were taught.  Spiritual guidance takes time but it is worth it and pays off all the rest of their lives. (And ours) :S

Speaking of  movies that scare kids--my little brother was four when we went to see "Snow White" and the witch scared him so badly that  he could not sleep for a night or two because he had nightmares.  Right after that, an elderly couple moved into  our neighborhood.  The wife was tall and thin,  with long white hair--kind of stringy.  You can guess that the first time Ed saw her on the street, he yelled "Mama--THE WITCH!" and ran behind Mama's skirt.  Boy, was that ever embarrassing for my poor mother, trying to explain to the lady.

And to top it all off, later on one day, "the witch"  was having a cup of tea with my mother  and I took a pretty enamel flower and tried to jam it into her head--only thing is,  it was a drapery "hold-back" and had a big pin on the end of it.  I think this must have  convinced her  that the Payne kidse were dangerous.

[Acts 2:38 girl]

LOL!!!  Did you really??!!!  Did she put her hair up after that??!!  

[Miss-Teri]

I am a strong Christian, but a big fan of the Fantasy genre as well.  I love my fantasy books, and I loved the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars movies.  While I liked the Harry Potter books, I haven't been that big of a fan of the movies so far - I think it's those ghosts running around with their heads cut off.   Being a ghost is one thing, but making it clear why they died kind of bugs me (didn't like that part of the Caspar movie either).

Anyway, the way I look at it is it's fantasy; imagination.  Just like when we played superheroes, etc, as kids.  It's not witchcraft, anti-God, etc, if we're just watching it for the entertainment value and not thinking the entire time, "There really are wiccans out there that practice witchcraft, etc, etc."  Making up people in our minds that can do superhuman things has always been a fun part of childhood.  Inside, we know only God can do that, but it's just fun to pretend.

And, I'm with you on the over-protective mom thing!  Lol, I won't let my 14 and 15 year old daughters watch some PG13 movies, and they're over thirteen!  Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever let them watch stuff, lol!  And my ten-year-old son doesn't get to take the LOTR movies into his room to watch them.  He got to watch them at the theator, but due to the violence, I don't want him watching them over and over.  

Anyway, sounds like fun getting to see the premiere with the actors.  My son would have loved that!  We'll probably go see the movie before vacation.  I don't usually like really "dark" movies though (I even hate Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - sicko guy putting kids through the machine!   )

The Snow White thing is hysterical!    Your poor mom!

[wiininkwe]

Andi, just curious, how do you feel about CS Lewis and 'the Witch, the Lion and the Wardrobe'?  I loved that collection and urged my children to read it, still read it myself sometimes.  
T

[Acts 2:38 girl]

That is so funny Toni.  For the longest time I couldn't understand why a Christian would write fantasy stories about witches!!  Finally, just like the HP movie, I decided to see what it was all about, since I like the other books CS Lewis writes (Screwtape letters, etc) I just rented it the other day and I liked it!  Now (of course) I have to read the books because they are always better than the movie!  Plus I'd rather read a good book than watch a video.

[wiininkwe]

Andi, I read the chronicles of Narnia right along wit my kids, and we would talk about the things that were happening.  My kids understood right away that the 'moral of the story' was that we do the right thing because it's the right thing to do, and even if it's hard, uncomfortable, unpopular, dangerous and no fun at all, it's still the right thing to do.  My kids still remember the stories very well, and so do I, still reading whenever the chance arises.  I think that CS Lweis, a very good Christian, wrote about fantasy matters because children have very abstract minds and fantasy actually makes sense to them.   I'm not trying to change your mind about Harry Potter, but to me, there are very many similiarities in the fact that even tho there are witches and spells and ugly trolls, the same message is there.  Do the right thing, follow the good path and good will overcome evil.
And you're right, the books are sooooo much better than the movie.  
T