Have you been to see the Harry Potter Movie?

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What did you think about it? I read that the graphics were not as good as expected, what did you think? Does the movie keep to the book story line?

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), November 21, 2001

Answers

my family think Harry Potter is bad because it uses magic and wizzardry. So, i haven't read any of the books. My brother doesn't see the big deal about it and he is taking his girls to see it and i want to go to but i haven't read any of the books so will i be able to follow what is happening?

But i also want to go see Shallow Hal, i think that would be really funny!

-- teejae (zachdawg@webtv.net), November 21, 2001.


I loved the movie. I took my son to see it. It had good graphics keept to the book to a certian extent. It did not have everything that the book had. To do this though I am sure it would have been a 5 hour movie. I have read all the books and can't wait until the next!

-- Micheale from SE Kansas (mbfrye@totelcsi.net), November 21, 2001.

Absolutely excellent, outstanding and a MUST see. It is 2:32 short minutes and you will be thinking about seeing it again on the way out because you know you must have missed something. It is a movie for he kid in all of us. It stuck VERY close to the storyline. with over 100 million books sold, how could it not?

-- Laura (LauraLeekis@home.com), November 21, 2001.

I've read all the books. My daughter has been carefully saving her change so she can go see it over the Thanksgiving holidays. Her 2nd grade class just finished the 1st book last week. So she is really excited.

I've read some of the "objections" about the books and movie. Personally I found nothing wrong with the books. I'll let you know what we think after we see the movie.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), November 21, 2001.


Yes, the special effects were a bit cartoonish, I admit, and one or two of the names phoned in their performance, but what really bugged me was they cut the bit at the end where Hermione uses her prodigious powers of logic to help save the sorceror's stone. They left Ron's bit with the chessmen in, and Harry's, of course, but skipped over Hermione's. As the mother of a daughter, and a lifelong woman, I can only say, Bah!

-- Julia (charmer24@juno.com), November 21, 2001.


My Son who is 17 is a closet Harry Potter fan. He has all the books, waiting on the next, he read them in paperback then purchased them for himself in hardcover to keep. We haven't had time to see the movie yet. 100% the folks who are against these books have not read them, challenge them as I did. Even our school has accepted these very well written books onto the reading lists, after the school board read them! At first they also said NO. I am just glad to see them reading! Book number one will now not be able to be used for book reports since the movie came out, a great rule! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), November 21, 2001.

I don't see where people think it is evil and satin but my aunt and uncle are big time in their church and say it is bad. My other grandma clipped an article from the newspaper where a preacher defended Harry Potter. He said it lets kids use their imagination and it does have good fighting over evil so it can't be all bad. I would like to get the books and start reading them to see what everyone is talking about. but i thought they were for little kids but you say your 17 yr old likes them and a bunch of adults read it to. Maybe santa will bring the first book to me. hehee lol =:^)~

-- teejae (zachdawg@webtv.net), November 21, 2001.

The movie is great! My 11 year old and I went to see it on opening day. We are both Harry Potter fans - both of us have read the books numerous times. I thought the movie lasted about 90 minutes until I checked my watch and discovered it was 2 1/2 hours! Of course it did have to leave some things out, and I'm agreeing with the poster above who was disappointed that they left Hermione's bit out, but it was still a great movie. My daughter has asked several times each day since we saw the movie, "Mom! When can we go see Harry Potter again?"

I would say, however, that I won't be taking my 4 year old to see it. Too scary for her.

And I've noticed, too, that all the people who are saying that the books and therefore the movie are evil, haven't bothered to read the books or see the movie! PUH-LEASE! The books are wonderful, and so is the movie. If you want to condemn something, at least have the decency to know what you're talking about! Think for yourselves!

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), November 21, 2001.


I dont need to take illegal drugs to know that they are a dangerous. I dont need to be a drunk to to know the dangers of drinking. I dont need to see the movie to know its implications suggesting that using magic and witchcraft is acceptable. The plot alone is not acceptable regardless of how the movie is done.

I am told by those that have read the books that its a very good book from a written standpoint and that it has a very good plot carried through from book one to book four. That sill doesnt make it acceptable in our family.

-- Gary (gws@columbus.rr.com), November 21, 2001.


We haven't seen the movie yet but want too. Both myself and my husband (we are in our 30's) have read the books and we also have the books on CD so that my 5 year old can listen to them.

We hope to see the movie soon.

-- Anita in NC (aholton@mindspring.com), November 21, 2001.



Ya, the Wizard of OZ is evil too eh? I'm sorry but I cannot let religiosity keep me from expanding my mind.

-- Laura (LauraLeekis@home.com), November 21, 2001.

The stories do not promote witchcraft, wizardry, or satanism. The characters do not decide to go out and begin casting spells; they are born with a natural talent, which the school teaches them to use responsibly. There are many books, television shows and movies that I won't let my children view/read, but I read these books before my children "just in case," and was charmed by the series. The entire idea behind the story is friendship, loyalty, and courage. I cannot see how anyone could believe these books are any worse than modern- day TV, or even many classics.

-- melody (RealWorld3D@hotmail.com), November 21, 2001.

that's what i think. I mean my cousin gets to stay in the room while his parents watch some pretty violent movies and they say nothing but he's not dare to watch pokemon, read harry potter, or see the powder puff girls. I just don't get them sometimes. If they don't let him read Harry Potter their are alot of Disney stuff he shouldn't read either. I just think they are being crazy! he couldn't read Peter pan, cinderella, pinnochio, and a whole bunch of other ones. look at bugs bunny...how many times can you fall off a cliff or get hit in the head with an anvil and not be dead?

-- teejae (zachdawg@webtv.net), November 21, 2001.

What some people forget is that this is a story of fantasy; there is no such thing as magic (have you ever seen a fireball come from fingertips?). This story is for people to just forget about the hardships that life can bring us and enjoy themselves for a space of time. Why not let it be just that? All my nephews love the stories. They can't wait to see the movie, but the theater is still too packed to be taking them.

-- Dawn (olsoncln@ecenet.com), November 21, 2001.

In so far as magic and wizardry, it has nothing to do with the real stuff :) Pure fairy tale on that point--but probably what makes it such a good story, seeing as the real stuff is quite boring:)

-- Brendan K Callahan (Grinnell, IA) (sleeping@iowatelecom.net), November 21, 2001.


Teejae,

I thought the Harry Potter books were very good but being a parent myself I won't tell you to go against your parent's wishes in this matter. If you have an opportunity sometime in the future when you are not under your parent's discretion then I certainly recommend reading the books themselves. No film ever made can match the mental imagery that a good book will give you. Read the books first and then maybe late see the movie.

I've read them all and can tell you they do not in anyway teach anything about witchcraft or Satanism. The vast majority of the folks who say that they do haven't actually read the books for themselves but are just parroting something that someone else said. They're actually quite good for someone your age to read because while you're enjoying a really fine story they're teaching you some important lessons about courage in the face of fear, struggling to do what you think is right even in the face of criticism and adversity, thinking for yourself and deciding what is good and evil instead of accepting someone else's word in blind faith, and good triumping over evil. I haven't see the movie yet myself but I fear these things may have gotten lost in the translation.

={(Oak)-

-- Live Oak (live-oak@atlantic.net), November 21, 2001.


well, my brother is my legal guardian and he sees nothing wrong with it but my grandparents do have a lot of say in how i am raised and he don't like what crap they might give him if they saw me with one of the books. But i don't know why i can't read it at home. He is taking his daughters to see it. they live with their mom because they are divorced. He said i could go with them but just don't talk about it to my grandma and my aunt and uncle cause he don't feel like getting into it with them.

-- teejae (zachdawg@webtv.net), November 21, 2001.

I eagerly await book 5 and heard they started on the second movie this past Monday. I read each book the night/day they came out, couldn't put the books down! My husband on the other hand decided on Nov. 1 he would read book one since we were going to see the movie. Well, he read book 1 and then 2,3,4!!! he couldn't put them down!!!

Delightful story!!! eagerly awaiting book 5!

-- westbrook (westbrook_farms@yahoo.com), November 21, 2001.


Don't worry about when you get to see this movie: Gone With The Wind came out in 1939 and I didn't see it until, oh, 1973 or so. Good movies keep well. :)

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), November 21, 2001.

An excellent movie. As far as the books and content, Wizard of OZ, Snow White , Cinderella , Alladin and even the legend of Santa Claus all incorporate enchantment/magic and the stuggle of good and evil and the H. P. series simply takes the standard of childhood fantasy stories to a plateau palletable to todays generation. I really enjoy reading them with my son. It gives us an opportunity to participate in a common discussion level. I only tire of the extent of content review from one book to the next and find myself speed reading past the historical content covered in previous books.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), November 21, 2001.

Harry Potter evil? These are the best books to hit our literary world in years....when was the last time anyone saw kids nationwide drop their Nintendo's in favor of a BOOK? Thank God! Those who find the plot and characters unacceptable....did you also find Snow White to be unacceptable? How about Alladin? How about any fairy tale? Goodness...that's what all of them are, fairy tales, designed to entertain and delight the heart and soul. Our children need more books like these, not LESS. These type of books open up the wonder of a child's imagination, their fascination with the world. Nintendo machines...now I might find a touch of wickedness in those..simply in the fact that they seem to stealing the creativity right out of our childrens minds. Harry Potter evil, good heavens! CJ

-- CJ (cjtinkle@getgoin.net), November 21, 2001.

Harry Potter is ok. You really should read the first two books before seeing it. The movie leaves out specifics inorder to fit the whole plot of the book into the movie. The intra school rivalry is never really explained for instance. The reason for awarding points is still a mystery to me. In any event if you have younger children who have read the books they will enjoy it. For adults it's very watchable. It's 2/3's a great movie, they just dropped the ball to some extent. But none the less go see it.

-- Ed (smikula@bellsouth.com), November 21, 2001.

I think the books are wonderful. I am a 33 yr old mother of two. My 11 year old son also loves them. I have not seen the movie but look forward to seeing it when it is on video. Teejae, If at some point you can read them without causing trouble I would definately recommend them. Read the books before seeing the movie because I feel movies never measure up to books. So much of what the charecters are thinking and feeling is left out of movies. I too know people who are against this series, but these people have not read any of the books and are making snap judgements on what they think to be true. The books do not teach satanism nor do they try to tell children that witchcraft is real. They are just good stories and can take you away from your daily troubles for a while. I grew up reading books like the Wizard of Oz, A Wrinkle in Time, and The Hobbit. Piers Anthony's Xanth series gave me a lot of laughs too. I think what is so wonderful about Harry Potter is that he is a little boy that comes from a bad home life and is able to overcome that and be successful. Happy reading!

-- Colleen (bean@northwoods.net), November 21, 2001.

It's ironic, don't you think, that Harry Potter has turned a whole generation of kids on to reading; and now they've made a movie (with more in the works) and the next generation won't have to read them?

As for witchcraft and wizardry: most kids I know are sophisticated enough to know the difference between reality and fantasy. In our day it was Lord of the Rings. So what!! Let them read, watch, and enjoy. If we're that insecure and threatened about our religious beliefs and philosophies then maybe it's time we looked into our own religions.

Russ

-- (rwhitworth@sprint.ca), November 22, 2001.


Both my daughters have read all 4 Harry Potter books time and time again and can't wait to see the movie. We're going to wait until the lines at the cinemas calm down first. This past weekend I FINALLY sat down and read the first book. I was completly absorbed! I finished it in one day and the next day grabbed book 2. Finished that one last night and grabbed book 3. They are delightful! IMHO these books in no way promote anything evil. On the contrary the author promotes very sound morals and is able to communicate them to children on their own level. She encourages children to believe in themselves and to do what is good and right. Movies never seem as good as the books they're made from, but I am looking forward to seeing this one anyhow. I commend J. K. Rowling for this excellent contribution to children's literature.

-- Nancy in Maine (paintme61@yahoo.com), November 22, 2001.

Excellent books and a great movie. I read all four books and my son who is eleven has read them too. Of course he reads all the time, so we had to discuss if the movie was going to be different than the book. It was to a certain extent (we were both disappointed that Peeves was not present and that Hermione's logic was used), but like others said, it would be five hour movie if everything was used. It has some blood (the chess scene I believe was the worst and I wouldn't recommend taking very young children to it), but no cursing, limited violence (there is some in the quidditch match - good triumphs over evil) and some in the chess match. Overall it is a good movie and we will probably see it again on video. It does promote good over evil, and some parts are pretty funny. I think it is a good example of no matter how huge the evil, the good in the person can overcome it.

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), November 22, 2001.

I haven't seen it yet but I want to. My kids are too young though..might scare them too much. I just read the first book about a month ago when a woman from my tai chi class had raved about how much she enjoyed them. It was certainly well written if a bit simplistic..great for the younger set. I prefer something a little meatier but it was fine reading just the same. The Fire and Ice seris by George R.R. Martin is a great series for us older folks that like fantasy novels. To those who feel that fantasy books involving magic are evil..would they also condemn the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, one of the great writers of our century? He was a devout man with a skill at weaving tales. Those tales involved talking animals, witches, wars...are these treasured classics also evil? Give yer head a shake!

-- Alison in N.S. (aproteau@istar.ca), November 22, 2001.

OK we went to see the movie. It gets a thumbs up from all three of us. I liked all the characters but thought Dumbledore was not quite as mischievous as he seems in the books. I agree that the movie could have ran 15 minutes more to include a few more lines from the book.

I think it's a safe bet we'll buy the video when it comes out. The Library scene did have that "gotcha" in it. :o)

I hope J.K. writes book 5 soon. The paperback (2) charity works are kind of slack. I expected more of a tie in to the 4 books.

I read that some of the elementary schools was trying to band the wearing of the Happy Potter T-Shirts that Big Lots are selling. Sheesh with all the problems in our school systems you'd think they would concentrate on more pressing problems.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), November 22, 2001.


My eight year old INHALED the books. Not because of the magic, but because of the fantasy. He read The Goblet of Fire in two days. Regard to the movie and it's influence -- what kid DOESN'T fantasize? Isn't that what creative play actually is? I'm sure not going to discourage it! My son is an avid reader -- he really enjoyed the Chronicles of Narnia, too, and there are witches in that.

I agree with an earlier poster that anything that gets 10 million kids away from their Nintendos in favor of a book has to be a good thing. The Harry Potter books received a lot of bad press from certain factions early on. If you are in doubt, read it yourself first.

-- Tracy (trimmer31@hotmail.com), November 23, 2001.


Hubby and I went to see it last night. We gave it an OK rating. Not bad, but not great either.

-- debra in ks (windfish@toto.net), November 23, 2001.

My husband and I gathered all the kids from the neighborhood....took everyone to see Harry Potter. Everyone loved it so much we are planning trip No. 2 to go see it again!

-- westbrook (westbrook_farms@yahoo.com), November 25, 2001.

We saw it yesterday and enjoyed it. Not as good as the book, but that's me, I always like the book better. It followed the book but left out quite a few things. Beings it was 2 1/2 hours long I guess they couldn't put everything in. With that being said we like it alot.

-- Anna in Iowa (countryanna54@hotmail.com), November 25, 2001.

re: the good/evil stuff....

CS Lewis, one of the best known and beloved Christian writers of our time wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, which is fantasy, magic, good vs. evil. there is an evil witch, and boy who aspires to align himself with her, evil beasts, etc.

likewise, tolkien isn't usually frowned upon, but he too has wizards and magic.

sorry, but the world is magic, everywhere. ever give birth, or watch a baby be born? how does something THAT BIG come from something SO SMALL?

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), November 25, 2001.


oh, yeah, we loved the movie. my kids and i got to sit in line before tickets went on sale and the whole family went to the first showing. ah, the joys of homeschooling! all of us want to see it again, and it will be one of four movies we have ever purchased in all these years.

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), November 25, 2001.

How did such a question get posted on a countryside forum???? We don't waste our money on hollywood! But thats my opinion. With so much to do around the farm thats entertainment. We played a game with the children tonight-thats fun. But to each his or her own!

-- Suzanne (weir@frontiernet.net), November 25, 2001.

Suzanne (weir@frontiernet.net), November 25, 2001.

I did it :o)

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), November 26, 2001.


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