HELP! Is Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows ok for kids?? - Page 2

[Smokering]

I think the actors' comic timing improved. :p But also, I think jokes can be funnier when things are otherwise really dark. Like in the final episode of Deep Space Nine (or was it the penultimate episode?), when the characters all collapsed into hysterical giggles at some lame joke just before they were about to go guns-a-blazing to their deaths. I guess the question is: would a seven-year-old kid be more likely to remember the Polyjuiced Harry "Harry walk" in the Ministry and George sticking a toothbrush in his ear, or an old woman turning into a vicious snake and Bellatrix carving "mudblood" into Hermione's arm? The latter made a bigger impression on me, when I think back on the movie (whereas when I think of, say, Goblet of Fire, I remember the graveyard scene and the Yule Ball pretty equally). But yeah, I guess it depends on the kid.

And yes, that Harry/Ginny kiss was a letdown! I can usually live quite happily without seeing displays of fiery passion on the silver screen, but that was SO not how the kiss was written in the book! They've really neutered (er, speyed?) Ginny in the movies, and it annoys me. I thought her relationship with Harry in the books made sense psychologically, but in the films it just seems to come out of nowhere. She looks blank and vaguely nervous most of the time, and just stands around awkwardly in the background, which is not the same thing as character development...

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Smokering 

I guess the question is: would a seven-year-old kid be more likely to remember the Polyjuiced Harry "Harry walk" in the Ministry and George sticking a toothbrush in his ear, or an old woman turning into a vicious snake and Bellatrix carving "mudblood" into Hermione's arm? The latter made a bigger impression on me, when I think back on the movie (whereas when I think of, say, Goblet of Fire, I remember the graveyard scene and the Yule Ball pretty equally). But yeah, I guess it depends on the kid.

And yes, that Harry/Ginny kiss was a letdown! I can usually live quite happily without seeing displays of fiery passion on the silver screen, but that was SO not how the kiss was written in the book! They've really neutered (er, speyed?) Ginny in the movies, and it annoys me. I thought her relationship with Harry in the books made sense psychologically, but in the films it just seems to come out of nowhere. She looks blank and vaguely nervous most of the time, and just stands around awkwardly in the background, which is not the same thing as character development...

I don't even remember seeing George stick a toothbrush in his ear. When was that? I don't think my kids would remember the "mudblood" thing at all...but Harry writing lines into his own hand in OotP made an impression. Honestly, despite the fairly convincing screams of agony, I found the torture of Hermione kind of lacking in impact compared to a lot of other HP stuff. I guess that's the part that throws me a little about DH being considered so dark. Most of this we've seen before, in one form or another. Yes - the snake coming out of Bathilda Bagshot (is that the right name?) was gross and creepy, but I don't think it had any more impact than Harry witnessing the attack on Arthur Weasley in OotP. I didn't think Nagini was any more scary than the basilisk or the acromantula or the graveyard scene or the Dementors flocking on Harry and Sirius. With the possible exception of the first one, these movies have all been loaded with dark, scary, creepy stuff.

I'm the same way about Ginny and Ginny/Harry. I don't know if it's the actress they chose for Ginny or the screenplays or the direction or what, but it just doesn't work. I have no interest in seeing onscreen sex...but that kiss was supposed to have fire!

[DaughterOfKali]

My son saw it when he was almost 8.  Nothing was too scary for him in this one but he was bored during a lot of it.  He didn't understand a good deal of the movie but liked the special effects. 

[Smokering]

The toothbrush thing was during the kiss! George snuck around the kitchen brushing his teeth, then stuck the toothbrush in his ear and flamboyantly picked up a cup of coffee (or something) and settled in to watch. It was great. :p Very "George" to figure out a way to gross people out with his injury.

Yeah, a lot of the individual scary bits on Deathly Hallows were kind of rehashes - although I still think the Bathilda Bagshot scene, with the flies and everything, reached a new height of creepy - so it was the cumulative effect that made it seem so dark to me. They did quite a nice job of framing the kids so they looked very alone, like when they entered Grimmauld Place. And just the way they relentlessly focused on the three of them, alone, no supporting cast, for long stretches of time... it certainly had a lot more focus than some of the previous films, which is impressive given that it was half a story! PoA maybe tried to convey a "mood" to the same extent, but I thought it was a bit more obvious and cheesy in that film (all the shots of the Whomping Willow and stuff).

There's a lot of hate for Bonnie whatsername who plays Ginny on various fanboards, but I blame the direction and writing. I like her - she looks like a Weasley, and I like how her face is mature enough that you can picture her being older. I've seen her being animated and funny in interviews, so I don't think she's constitutionally incapable of it, you know? It just seems like the filmmakers all took a very weird direction with her character. It's a shame, because I doubt the films will be remade any time soon, if ever!

[BugMacGee]

My 7 year old was dying to see it but I said no.  I'm not sure if she would "get" it enough to keep her interested.  (we've read halfway through O of the P and she's bored with it alot of the time)  I don't think it kept my 34 year old sister interested!

My overall impression though was that she could handle the violence and nudity, with some explanation, but she bores easily.  Maybe I'll take her to see part 2.

PS, we're going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2 weeks.  She's super excited about that!

[kittywitty]

I would love to go to that!

And am I the only one that did not notice the nudity at all until I saw the movie 3 times? Like, really, I did not notice it. My kids usually say "ew gross" with any sort of kissing and looked away anyway, but I didn't notice.

[Viola]

I don't remember the nudity.  I remember so little of it even though it hasn't been that long since I've seen it.  There were disturbing scenes, but what I mostly remember was there was some nice scenery, and a lot of dialogue between Harry and Hermione or Ron.  I didn't take my 7 year old, but I think she would have been bored, honestly.  It was a bit tedious to me.

[annethcz]

FWIW, we took our kids (at the time they were ages 6-10) to see the movie on opening night and they enjoyed it.  They'd seen the previous movies (at home on DVD).  We've also read the books as a family.  My kids aren't particularily sensitive. 

I just asked my 6yo what she remembered most about the movie and she answered that she liked all of the polyjuice Harrys in their underwear.  That was the big takeaway scene for her.