Raising Boys

Harry Potter, Triwizard Tournament, Mad-eye Moody….. November 22, 2005

My son Dylan happened to read the great big sign on the roadside near the Ayala Center in Cebu City that said “Now showing: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” while we were on our way to meet with a friend from Australia over the weekend.

My husband and I had initially considered going by ourselves to watch the movie but because Dylan already knew it was showing, we decided to bring him along as well. Since Lennon is only 2, and his capacity to sit still through a 2 1/2-hour movie suspect, we thought it best to leave him at home.

Having read the printed version of this Harry Potter film, I went into the moviehouse not really expecting much. But I was pleasantly surprised. The film was great and I consider it the best among the Harry Potter films. Needless to say, the special effects were spectacular.
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Star Wars III (Sith happens) May 22, 2005

Dylan wants to watch the third episode of Star Wars, “in the moviehouse and not in DVD”, so his dad and I went to check it out first to see if it was acceptable viewing material for a six-year-old boy.

Aside from some bad acting and the rat in the moviehouse, I’d say it would do for a young boy. I’m sure my son would find it awesome, special effects and all. I was probably already biased about the acting even before I went inside the cinema, having read a review somewhere that said it stank.

Coming inside the moviehouse at the most inopportune time, a scene or two before Anakin Skywalker aligned himself with the dark side, did not help either. I kept wondering why it was so easy to turn someone who had grown up in the good side of the force and the skepticism stayed even after I watched it from the start and realized that his fear of Padme (Natalie Portman) dying was what caused him to betray the Jedi order.

My son keeps bugging me about watching the movie already. I guess when I sit through that again, I’d watch out for the political message that George Lucas supposedly embedded in his movie.

For a review on the scientific complexities involving a war in the stars, click here.