 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Review Date: March 22, 2006
- PG-13
- Genre: Fantasy
- 2005
Common Sense Media says
Excellent, but the PG-13 is accurate.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this film has two deaths (including a really sad one), scary creatures, some romantic yearnings, and edge-of-the-seat scenes. With each film the scariness quotient increases. This movie features fighting dragons, tortured bugs, a scary huge maze, and an underwater horror show. Young kids who don't understand the difference between fantasy and reality should stay clear. So should kids going through an anxious time about unnamed terrors or unwanted separations, as one of the death scenes is upsetting. The action is sometimes rowdy, and camera movements/edits are aggressive, all of which increase the scary effects. One of the deleted scenes featured on the DVD shows teen couples after the Yule Ball getting caught kissing, etc., in carriages -- it's a little more sexual content than you get in the feature film.
What's the story?
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE is the first PG-13 movie in the Harry Potter series, and not for nothing. Harry and friends are 14 now and growing up fast, noticing the opposite sex, and realizing what huge expectations the wizarding world has for them during dangerous times. This year, Hogwarts hosts stars from two other schools -- Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang Institute -- for the Triwizard Tournament. The Tournament contestants are selected by the magical Goblet of Fire; they must fight dragons, spend an hour underwater with merpeople, and find their way out of a maze. In the end Harry faces fear and pain not sanctioned by the Triwizard committee. He's on his own against his true enemy, and his uneasy transition to adult hero figure is palpable.
Is it any good?
When Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) attend the Quidditch World Cup, they witness the full-on effects of sports celebrity: fans cheer and stomp their feet, magical images of the star shimmer over the crowd. The fact that the tournament site is destroyed by Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters hardly brings pause, as the film tends to move from plot point to plot point, ensuring that each beloved character from the novel gets at least a brief moment on screen.
The Tournament extends the movie's thematic interest in celebrity. In due course, H arry is exposed to cheating (by adult coaches who mean for their charges to win) and not a little bit of emotional and physical abuse (he's a wizard and quite ingenious, so perhaps the awful stuff is not so awful to him). That such disturbance makes sense is almost as vexing as the violence per se: whether 14 or 17, the kids are expected to be warriors and survivors, able to undergo pain and work through fear, and especially, to fight back, to inflict pain. A difficult transition on screen or off, it makes the whole growing up thing look pretty unpleasant.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the film's more mature content and who this movie is targeted to. Young kids are going to want to see this -- should the movie have been toned down or is the violent content appropriate given the age of the characters?
For kids who read the book, which plot points got left out that you missed? Why do you think they left out the house elves? What role did they serve in the books?
Cheating is rampant among the teachers and judges involved in the Triwizard competition, but not among the competitors. Why do you think this is?
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
A darker Harry Potter.
This is a little darker than the previous movies. It has a particularlly
ghastly sceen where Voldomort comes out of the caldron. I had to look away. I also didn't like that an innocent got killed. I think the story would have been just as exciting and meaningful if they hadn't killed someone.
I did like the fact that Harry got rewarded for having "moral fiber". And that Harry would choose friendship over winning. That gets an A+.
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Teen, 14 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
Good...except for dragons and Voldemort!
This was a pretty good movie. I am not really a Harry Potter fan but I went with my friends. The only part that might be frightening for younger kids are the dragons and under water creatures, and when Voldemort comes... My friend's 7 year old sister came and got scared at this part.
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Teen, 13 years old
February 19, 2010
AGE
Outstanding, but not for young children.
This is a great movie, but a lot of stuff from the book that I would have liked to see in a movie was left out. In terms of inappropriate content, there is some language: d***, bloody h***, p*** off; some violent and frightening scenes; some s*xual content including some images of a topless mermaid who's hair barely covered the breasts, a ghost girl who gets up close to Harry in the bathtub; a mild reference to h***s*xual relationships, and other mild romantic content.
What other families should know:
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Great movie but for more mature kids!
I think this is my new favortie of the Potter films. I really liked that it was watchabe for people who haven't read the books. We will not be letting our 8 and 10 year old watch the movie in the theater however. (They are seriously disapointed) The maze and graveyard scenes are done really well. Voldermort is icy cold and evil. And "The death" is very emotional. In fact this film really shows the emotional complexity of alot of the chaacters really, really well. In short, its a great film but only you know what your kids can handle!
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Teen, 15 years old
August 29, 2010
AGE
This is one of the only Harry Potter books\movies that I found pretty instresting. I'm a big Twilight fan and I can't say I've ever loved that Harry Potter series but, this one isn't bad and I don't think it sends a bad message either.
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Teen, 14 years old
January 4, 2011
AGE
wonderful movie!
great movie! this movie also follows the fourth book really well; except that it leaves out the house elves, but other then that its almost spot on. the way the characters are defined and story line plot are spectacular! you will be on the edge of your seat the whole time. definatley not a boring movie. might be a little to scary though for kids 11 and under, but other then that, totally appropriate! the only kissing scenes it has is a sweet 30 second kiss between harry and cho and when hermione kisses harry on top of the head.
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Teen, 17 years old
January 4, 2011
AGE
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
This is one of the darker Harry Potter movies, as Harry grows up. Maybe it should be named Harry Potter and the Goblet of Torment, since it caused nothing but trouble. It starts out pretty good, as a magical tournament with promise for the main characters, but ends disappointingly. Special effects amazing, as usual. Good development between characters, and good role models- show that loyalty to friends and honesty is better than power. But there is no shortage of dark, intense scenes. Some of the main characters are almost killed, and 1 good guy is killed in a very tragic scene, which includes a cauldron and some bloody witchcraft to bring the main bad guy back, Voldemort. (Course if they didn't bring Voldemort back, there would be no more movies, right?)Constantly throughout the movie, Harry is being followed and manipulated by one of the professors at Hogwarts, who eventually turns out to be a notorious murderer who impersonated and imprisoned the original professor. Flirting between characters wasn't that bad. Some bad language, and some of the dark scenes were so intense I winced and had to skip past them. Definitely not for those under 13. Die-hard Harry Potter fans will watch this one, and keep on going, but I'm gonna take a breather before watching another Harry Potter movie. Thanx for reading!
What other families should know:
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Teen, 13 years old
February 10, 2010
AGE
good movie that might be to much for SOME 9 year olds.
i still like this movie but i loved it in 4th-5th grade (9-10) Although in fourth grade near the end when Voldomort and wormtail where torturiing Harry (That scene includes scary images of voldomort who does look creepy, and torture of a 14 year old boy includong cutting into his arm with a knife.) it did scare me a little especially when i was watching it alone. But by the time i was 10 i wasn't so scared of it anymore. So i don't recomend this to any kid 8 and under. I do recomend it to SOME 9 year olds who like a good scare and i recomend to all 10 and ups.
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Action Packed Fantasy Adventure
This is an excellent movie for 11 year olds and older. A bit to dark for my 8 year old who has seen all the other movies. I will make him wait a few years before I let him see this.
It has much teen situations that any kid not already going through that will be confused.
But overall it is a great movie
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Kid, 12 years old
August 11, 2010
AGE
Short but good movie
Good movie, but it seems too short when you read an actual book. Ginny looks a bit like my cousin because they both have specks on face. ^^ And Ron and twins Weasley are so funny!
There is a lot of violence at end but the scenes are 10 times more scary in book than in the movie, thanks to God. Wormtail casts spell Avada Kedavra on Cedric Diggory and then he injures Harry with big knife and he cuts his hand.
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy |
| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Director: | Mike Newell |
| Cast: | Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Run time: | 156 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 18, 2005 |
| DVD release date: | March 7, 2006 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images. |
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