Adults who may have been turned off by the more kid-friendly elements of the first two Potter films should sit up and cheer; this fourth installment of Harry's adventures at the magic school of Hogwarts is more mature and darker than its immediate predecessor. This year, Hogwarts is hosting the Tri Wizard festival, and there may be a plot afoot to off Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) during the proceedings. Hermione (Emma Watson) finds a man worthy of her in competing Russian Quidditch champion Viktor Krum (Stanislav Ivaneski), to the chagrin of Ron Weaselly (Rupert Grint) who, though growing into a fine, shaggy orange-haired figure of a lad, is still not quite mature enough to ask Hermione to the Yule ball. Krum's teacher may be involved in the dastardly get-Harry plot, which involves writhing snake tattoos, skull clouds, death-eaters, tournaments with live dragons, a submersible schooner, and a competing school of poised and beautiful girls run by Maxime (Frances de la Tour), who shares a romantic past with gamekeeper Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane). All the other favorites of the series are back as well, including Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, and Gary Oldman, with Timothy Spall as the odious Wormtail, while a new addition to the A-list thespian roster is Ralph Fiennes. Director Mike Newell takes plenty of time to explore character development, but the story still gallops along at a breathless pace, with memorably intense moments involving fire-spewing dragons, dark magical rites, and near-drownings at the hands of slimy mer-people, all of which may prove too much for the youngest of viewers. Everyone else is advised to hold on tight.
| CleanFlicks Parental Advice |
| General |
- Contains some frightening scenes that may be too intense for younger viewers (Many creatures and dark people who may be frightening.)
- Contains some jump scenes (A unknown figure passes infront of the camera. A hedge maze suddenly closed on a character.)
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| Language |
- D-word (1)
- H-word (8)
- some imitative phrases ("Bloody," "Bloody hell," "Haven't the foggiest," "Merlin's beard," "Blimey," "Shut up," "You idiot," "Wicked," "That's rubbish," "Old codger," "The hell he is," "You know bloody well what," "Piss off," "A right nasty piece of)
- non-religious references to Deity (1 "Oh my God")
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| Sex/Non-Graphic Nudity |
- some sexuality (Camera focuses on clothed butts of girls. A man slides his hand down presumably on a woman's butt while dancing (we don't see) and she then pulls it back up on her back.)
- some non-explicit nudity (Harry is assumed nude in a large bath as he tries to figure out a spell. A ghost girl tries to look through the bubbles at Harry, and she talks about another cute boy in the bath before.)
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| Violence |
- some non-graphic violence (There is magical combat between various characters and creatures throughout the movie. All is without gore.)
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| Drugs/Alcohol |
- Drinking (Some characters drink briefly. One character is made to look like an alcoholic (continually drinking from a flask) however later we learn that it's not alcohol.)
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