I am a big fan of Harry Potter. I have read all the books and own the first three movies. But we will not be buying the 4th movie “Goblet of Fire”, because of the PG-13 rating. My children are under age 13 and we have made it a policy to not watch PG-13 movies. The reason is simple. If the ratings board feels that the movie is only appropriate for children over the age of 13 then I definitely don’t want my younger children watching the movie. I feel the ratings board is too lenient as is.
After watching “Goblet of Fire” I can understand why it received the rating it did. It is definitely more appropriate for adults and older children. “The Goblet of Fire” contains more intense scenes than any of the other movies. The movie has a dark feel, especially at the end when Lord Voldemort comes alive and the Death Eaters return.
As an adult I enjoyed the movie. Harry is unexpectedly forced to participate in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, where he battles dragons, spends time in the nearby lake, and puzzles through a giant labyrinth. Two other schools bring their champions to Hogwarts to compete and we get a taste of the rest of the wizarding world. There are moments of light-heartedness interspersed that break up the drama, like when a student is turned into a ferret. But most of the film has a darkness that the other three movies did not contain. What’s interesting is that I didn’t feel like the book was that dark, but on screen the sinister elements are maximized.
The characters have definitely developed and more conflict between them is demonstrated. For the first time a love element is introduced as the characters attend the Yule Ball. I was disappointed at how much of the book was left out of the movie, especially the Quidditch World Championships, but they couldn’t really make the movie any longer. Overall it was a great movie if you are over the age of 13.
This is definitely a movie that as a parent you will want to watch first and decide whether or not your children can handle the dark and intense scenes. I know mine can’t.