Family friendly movies vs harry potter & shrek! (1 Viewer)

[Malcolm R]

Obviously not to be confused with Joel Coen of the Coen Brothers (i.e. "Fargo," "The Man Who Wasn't There," "Miller's Crossing," etc.).

 

[Steve Schaffer]

My best freind is one of those who won't go see a Harry Potter film because the witchcraft is offensive to her religious beliefs. She and her church praise LOTR to the heavens, though. I have yet to figure this out as there is a wizard and magic going on all over LOTR but no mention whatever of anything remotely Christian, while the witches in Harry Potter celebrate Christmas, yet HP is a no-no and LOTR is praised. They seem not to find anything wrong with Shrek either.

I happen to be very fond of both series, though so far the HP films haven't approached the artistry of Jackson's LOTR trilogy.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Steve,

That may be due to the fact that Tolkein was a devout Catholic.

 

[TheBat]

from what i have heard.. is that harry potter glorify witchcraft.. unlike lotr when its good vs evil.

joel cohen co-wrote toy story.
JACOB

 

[Dennis Pagoulatos]

Sorry I'm still stuck on the "weird boner for Garfield" line.

I think we just handed a sleazy "producer" in the San Fernando valley an idea on a silver platter.

-Dennis

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Jacob,

If LOTR depicts "good vs. evil", then what is the conflict in Harry Potter? "Shirts vs. skins"?

 

[Ricardo C]

Jacob, portraying something is not the same as glorifying it. Saving Private Ryan isn't about violence any more than the HP books/films are about witchcraft. Forest, tress, you know the rest


Tolkien generally gets a pass because his wizards are envoys from "above" (hence they're compared to angels instead of witches), and their use of magic is very understated (Gandalf spends much more time using his sword than reciting incantations, for instance). Tolkien himself said his wizards were more "wise men" than sorcerers, when answering Christian critics of his works.

I don't understand why Harry Potter is so heavily attacked. So what if a kid tries to say "alohomora" to see what happens? Is it any different from kids who read "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" and look deep inside their closets... Just in case? (I did do that when I was a kid, btw :b) I don't think there's witchcraft recruitment posses going 'round trying to indoctrinate Harry Potter fans :p)

 

[TheBat]

I have no idea really. I am not really bothered by the witchcraft in harry potter. I do know that other people are. which is fine with me.

JACOB

 

[Malcolm R]

 

[LanieParker]

I personally did not feel that Shrek 2 was a kid movie at all. I think the studio made it more for adults. I thought it was funny and quite humorous, but not appropriate for kids.

Harry Potter 3, again was great for an older audience but not for younger kids. Too many adult themes in these new movies that are being marketed toward younger children.

I'm not bothered by the witchcraft or wizardry in Harry Potter. I thought there were scenes in the movie that were too scary for a younger child to view. My problem with Shrek were all the adult themes and sexual overtones and some of the language.

As for Garfield, I wouldn't waste my money on that piece of crap if it was the only kids film available.

 

[Ernest Rister]

"Too many adult themes in these new movies that are being marketed toward younger children."

Most of the classic Disney films are too frightening for very young children. Even something as benign as "The Three Little Pigs" scares some pre-school kids silly. Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi - forget about it.

That's why the Harry Potter films and the Disney films are not *children's films*, they are *family films*, meaning everyone can enjoy them (aside from toddlers and pre-schoolers).

 

[Kevin Grey]

Sometimes it seems like we can be oversensitive. It obviously varies depending on the child but I know that when I was growing up I loved scary movies or movies with scary elements. I'm not talking slasher pics or other R-rated fare but movies like Poltergeist, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Jaws, and others were among my favorites. Hell even an adventure movie like Raiders of the Lost Ark would freak me out during some parts. Its all part of the fun.

Sure the dementors in Harry Potter are kind of scary- they're supposed to be. How are we going to root for our heroes if we don't feel like they are in peril?

 

[Ernest Rister]

/
You remember your reactions to movies when you were three and four years old? Salud.

My little 4 yr. old niece is having "wolf nightmares" thanks to me, and my attempt to "broaden her horizons" from The Wiggles and Barney with The Three Little Pigs.

 

[D. Scott MacDonald]

?????

What should I do as an alternative - let them watch whatever they want?

For the record, my kids love HP and Shrek, but I won't take them anywhere near Garfield from what I've seen in the previews.

 

[Malcolm R]

Perhaps you should show her An American Werewolf in London so she can see that "The Three Little Pigs" really isn't *that* scary.

I know the perfect actor who should have been cast as Jon Arbuckle, but I can't for the life of me think of his name. He's mostly a supporting character actor on television. But he looks and acts just like I'd expect Jon to act. Breckin Meyer is not even close.

EDIT: I think his name is Fred Stoller. He played Cousin Gerard on "Everybody Loves Raymond" and has made other guest appearances on "Friends" and "Seinfeld."

 

[Kevin Grey]

Not so much- the movies I'm referring to were out when I was anywhere from 6-9. I do remember the first time I watched Jaws- I was five and I remember my second time seeing Star Wars in theater (around age 3-4) and seeing Superman when I was 3 but concrete movie memories really didn't start until I was five.

 

[Ricardo C]

I used to be terrified by that scene in Snow White when we get our first look at the witch. Holy crap. I had to look away during that shot :b

As for who would make a good Jon Arbuckle... A younger Daniel Stern would do just fine. Hell, at his current age he would still do fine.

 

[Ernest Rister]

"Perhaps you should show her An American Werewolf in London so she can see that "The Three Little Pigs" really isn't *that* scary."

ROFLMAO -- that's the funniest thing I've read on HTF in a long time.

NIECE
Da woolf is sca-ree.

EVIL UNCLE
Oh, you think that's scary? This movie is called, "The Exorcist". X - OR - CIST. It's about what happens to little girls who don't do what their mommy and daddy tell them. Let's watch...

 

[Rob Gardiner]

I was born in 72. I must have seen Snow White in 76 and Pinocchio in 78. Both scared the shazbot out of me. (Queen's transformation into witch & Pinocchio's transformation into donkey.)

I think young kids should experience fear and sadness (Bambi). Otherwise, how will they deal with these emotions as they get older?

I also remember seeing the TV commercials for STAR WARS before it was released, and being totally unimpressed.

 

[Ernest Rister]

"I think young kids should experience fear and sadness (Bambi). Otherwise, how will they deal with these emotions as they get older?"

I agree they should -- fear of pain keeps kids away from sharp knives, bared teeth, and hot ovens -- but perhaps three - to - four years old is a bit young to see a mother killed, off-screen or otherwise (as seen in Bambi and Nemo).

I always found it curious how in American society, the death of Simba's father -- on screen, no less - caused none of the trauma that led the death of Bambi's mother to be voted the "saddest moment in screen history". Maybe its because the dad saved Simba from the on-screen villains, while the death of Bambi's mother took place off-screen, from off-screen villains, and therefore was more powerful to young people because they had to create that scene in their minds.