"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005) Movie Review for Parents
About.com Rating
MPAA Rating: PG-13, for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images
Genre: Fantasy
Runtime:approx. 157 minutes
Guide Review of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
Life is never boring in Harry Potter?s (Daniel Radcliffe) magical world, but this year at Hogwarts brings an all new variety of surprises. Professor Dumbledore begins the year with an announcement that the school will be hosting the famous Triwizard Tournament.
Of course the competing schools, the beefy boys of Durmstrang's and the alluring girls of Beauxbaton, add a little bit of interest and intrigue to the new year. One student from each of the three schools will be chosen to compete in the prestigious tournament, but there is a catch ? the student must be at least 17 to enter.
Students who desire to prove themselves the champion of young magicians are invited to write their names on a piece of paper and toss it into the Goblet of Fire. When the moment arrives for the three competitors to be chosen, the Goblet names one student from each school, but it surprisingly spits out a 4th contender. You guessed it, ?Harry Potter.?
Not knowing why he was chosen or who was behind it, 14 year-old Harry must fight his way through the terrifying challenges of the competition amidst a whole other host of issues such as scary dreams and girl problems. Harry plays to survive, maybe to win, and often to come to the aid of others, all the while not realizing there is more at stake than the ?eternal glory? of winning the cup.
As Harry and his friends mature, the plot thickens, the loyalty of different characters becomes more apparent, and Harry?s arch nemesis Voldemort (RALPH FIENNES) grows more powerful and evil. The fourth movie in the series has not lost anything under the new director, Mike Newell. The film evokes emotions ranging from hilarity to distressingly sad, and the special effects live up to the story content, leaving even fans who read the books and already know the ending on the edge of their seats.
Note to Parents on "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
Harry Potter the movie, like the book, is scary in a dark and evil way. Many scenes in the movie depict intensely dark situations. In one scene, a boy dies and is shown several times as students cry over his lifeless body. Harry is put into several perilous situations during the tournament, as are the other contending students, and in addition to the scariness of fighting dragons and freak mermaids, the movie also contains a couple of incidents where a teacher is twisted and cruel to a spider, discomforting several students.
Now in the throws of the teenage years, characters begin to delve into elements of boy-girl relations, such as who to ask to the Yule Ball and how to deal with feelings of jealousy. In one scene, a forward girl ghost hits on an uncomfortable bathing boy. Also, some mild profanity is used by students.
The following contains some of the most prominent examples of possibly scary or offensive content in the movie:
Violence(Extreme)
-Many scenes are violent and scary. In one scene, a boy is shown being murdered by magic and then lying dead on the ground with his eyes open. Other scenes involve Death Eaters, a large spider, fire breathing dragons, and freakish mermaids.
-Weapons shown include fire, wands, knives, and tridents.
Sex/Nudity(Low)
-In one scene, a girl ghost laments that the bubbles are preventing her from seeing more of a boy who is bathing.
Profanity(Low)
-Words such as "God," "hell," and "damn" are used.
Alcohol/Drugs(Low)
-Professor Moody is constantly drinking out of a flask.
Bad/Disrespectful Behavior(High)
-As usual, Lucius Malfoy mocks and taunts Harry.
-Many students are shown in one scene wearing "Potter Stinks" buttons and mocking him as he passes.
Scary Scenes (High)
-See scenes listed under "Violence."
-Harry's recurring nightmare is frightening/unsettling.
-Voldemort is at first depicted as a freaky worm-like being.
Sad/Distressing Scenes (High)
-A professor uses magic to control and torture a spider, some students are horrified.
-Students are upset over the death of a classmate.
MPAA Rating: PG-13, for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images
Genre: Fantasy
Runtime:approx. 157 minutes
Guide Review of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
Life is never boring in Harry Potter?s (Daniel Radcliffe) magical world, but this year at Hogwarts brings an all new variety of surprises. Professor Dumbledore begins the year with an announcement that the school will be hosting the famous Triwizard Tournament.
Of course the competing schools, the beefy boys of Durmstrang's and the alluring girls of Beauxbaton, add a little bit of interest and intrigue to the new year. One student from each of the three schools will be chosen to compete in the prestigious tournament, but there is a catch ? the student must be at least 17 to enter.
Students who desire to prove themselves the champion of young magicians are invited to write their names on a piece of paper and toss it into the Goblet of Fire. When the moment arrives for the three competitors to be chosen, the Goblet names one student from each school, but it surprisingly spits out a 4th contender. You guessed it, ?Harry Potter.?
Not knowing why he was chosen or who was behind it, 14 year-old Harry must fight his way through the terrifying challenges of the competition amidst a whole other host of issues such as scary dreams and girl problems. Harry plays to survive, maybe to win, and often to come to the aid of others, all the while not realizing there is more at stake than the ?eternal glory? of winning the cup.
As Harry and his friends mature, the plot thickens, the loyalty of different characters becomes more apparent, and Harry?s arch nemesis Voldemort (RALPH FIENNES) grows more powerful and evil. The fourth movie in the series has not lost anything under the new director, Mike Newell. The film evokes emotions ranging from hilarity to distressingly sad, and the special effects live up to the story content, leaving even fans who read the books and already know the ending on the edge of their seats.
Note to Parents on "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
Harry Potter the movie, like the book, is scary in a dark and evil way. Many scenes in the movie depict intensely dark situations. In one scene, a boy dies and is shown several times as students cry over his lifeless body. Harry is put into several perilous situations during the tournament, as are the other contending students, and in addition to the scariness of fighting dragons and freak mermaids, the movie also contains a couple of incidents where a teacher is twisted and cruel to a spider, discomforting several students.
Now in the throws of the teenage years, characters begin to delve into elements of boy-girl relations, such as who to ask to the Yule Ball and how to deal with feelings of jealousy. In one scene, a forward girl ghost hits on an uncomfortable bathing boy. Also, some mild profanity is used by students.
Content Overview of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
The following contains some of the most prominent examples of possibly scary or offensive content in the movie:
Violence(Extreme)
-Many scenes are violent and scary. In one scene, a boy is shown being murdered by magic and then lying dead on the ground with his eyes open. Other scenes involve Death Eaters, a large spider, fire breathing dragons, and freakish mermaids.
-Weapons shown include fire, wands, knives, and tridents.
Sex/Nudity(Low)
-In one scene, a girl ghost laments that the bubbles are preventing her from seeing more of a boy who is bathing.
Profanity(Low)
-Words such as "God," "hell," and "damn" are used.
Alcohol/Drugs(Low)
-Professor Moody is constantly drinking out of a flask.
Bad/Disrespectful Behavior(High)
-As usual, Lucius Malfoy mocks and taunts Harry.
-Many students are shown in one scene wearing "Potter Stinks" buttons and mocking him as he passes.
Scary Scenes (High)
-See scenes listed under "Violence."
-Harry's recurring nightmare is frightening/unsettling.
-Voldemort is at first depicted as a freaky worm-like being.
Sad/Distressing Scenes (High)
-A professor uses magic to control and torture a spider, some students are horrified.
-Students are upset over the death of a classmate.