My two oldest sons (10 and 7) and I went to see the new Potter flick yesterday and we quite enjoyed it. My wife stayed home with my youngest (5), as there was some sense that perhaps the film might be too scary in parts. In truth, I don’t think that there was anything that would especially have gotten to him, although since a lot of the movie was narrative and not action, the more likely problem would have been him getting fidgety and bored rather than scared (although I will say that there are portions that might disturb some five year-olds–it just depends on the child).
This was a worthy addition to the Potter franchise and I found it quite enjoyable. The movie did feel at times like parts of the book had been chopped out and/or that some elements were under-explained but had to be in the film to fit the basic plot (Hagrid and the giant being an example, as well as a more complete explanation of the Order itself and the Black house). I had already read the book, but I don’t remember enough of it to fully say what was left out or under-explained at this point.
The woman who played Dolores Jane Umbridge was certainly sufficiently annoying (as she should have been) that one really wished that Dumbledore’s Army would have blasted her, and blasted her good, when she blasted her way into the Room of Requirement.
The scenes in the Ministry’s Department of Mysteries were quite good–including the finale wherein Dumbledore confronts Voldemort.
Ceratinly worth the matinée price.