Trials and dilemmas

“It was boring,” my seven-year old said.

“I like Harry Potter 3 better,” my 11-year old said.

“What about you, Reggie, did you like the movie?” I asked my 16-year old.

He nodded.

I personally enjoyed it. Although, I’ll admit that I didn’t have that same feeling of satisfaction when I first saw Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

I read three movie reviews of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire before I actually found the time to watch it this weekend. The film stayed close to the book, although there were a few parts that didn’t make it to the movie. I didn’t mind it though because the film captured the essence of the story. Sometimes filmmakers have to sacrifice some parts of a novel for brevity. Otherwise, we’d be sitting at a four-hour long film.

Boy, these young actors have grown! Daniel Radcliffe has become more handsome. Emma Watson is very pretty. Rupert Grint is not that bad, either. And it was very interesting to see some characters come to life for the first time. Cho Chang’s beauty is very simple and charming. Mad Eye Moody is magical. And Ralph Fiennes, although we can’t recognize him, gave a fine performance as Lord Voldemort.

The special effects is outstanding. It’s amazing to see the three trials happen on the big screen. The scene at the graveyard is not that too harsh for the kids. I got emotional towards the end of that scene. I don’t know if it’s just me. But I got misty eyed when I watched Harry broke down when he brought Cedric back from the graveyard. It could also be the acting. These youngsters have matured not only physically, but professionally as well.

In my opinion, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has the best storyline of the series so far. In this book Harry was faced with different trials in the Triwizard Tournament, which could signify the trials we face in life. He was faced with dilemmas in the last two trials but he rose to the occasions and he showed his “moral fibre.” We also witness the characters grow up as they experience the pangs of adolescence. To Harry, stealing an egg from a dragon was an achievable task, but asking Cho to the dance was excruciatingly painful. I can relate. I could easily solve a trigonometric equation in high school but I was clueless at how to make a boy notice me.

I guess this is the reason that the Harry Potter series is a success. The theme is universal. Teenagers can relate to the characters, and parents as well because they have been through that phase. At the same time, I think this is also the reason why my two younger kids didn’t enjoy The Goblet of Fire as much as Reggie and I did. This installment is geared towards a more mature audience

Note: I have noticed recently that the movie rating is more lenient here in Canada. In the U.S. this movie is rated PG 13, here in Canada it is PG. I also noticed that there are movies Rated R in the U.S. that are rated only 14A or 18A here. Or it probably varies in the different provinces and territories.