Harry Potter and Star Wars have two radically different approaches to this
beetnemesis Send a noteboard - 07/04/2010 06:13:25 PM
It's kind of interesting, actually.
Both series started off as being "for kids." Both became wildly successful, to the point where adults read/watched it, as well.
Here's where they diverge.
With the movies, Lucas has always, always, always maintained that they're for kids. The Expanded Universe books and such may have more complex and mature themes, but the movies are always pretty simplistic. Hope, love and peace are good. Hatred, war and black helmets are evil (also: sand).
So what happens? A series that lasts decades, that has obviously vast potential, remains, for lack of a better word... stagnant. The 10-year-olds who loved A New Hope become 16-year-olds that think the Ewoks are kinda dorky, and grow into adults who find the "Oops! I accidentally shot a missile down a hallway into a reactor core, killing the entire enemy army" finale of Phantom Menace... underwhelming, to say the least. They bitch and moan, but Lucas goes "Hey. It's a kids' movie."
Whereas with Harry Potter, the series grew with its readers, to a certain extent. It will never be THAT complex of a plot, but you know your story has matured when you go from wedging a wand up a troll's nose to everyone being paranoid that they'll be murdered in their beds. The 10-year-olds laugh at the booger jokes, then they laugh at the "school dance" jokes when they're 15 or so, and then they laugh at the "I'm an abandoned orphan in a world that wants to murder me" jokes at the end. Er. Well, you see my point.
So, as for if it's "for kids..." I'd still say yes. Kids read what they like, and what they can handle- reading a book series requires more effort than just sitting through an R-rated movie. And while yes, the latter third of HP can get a bit dark, it's still not that overly mature- there are (mostly) clear-cut good guys and bad guys, good wins in the end, and we all learn a valuable lesson about racism, self-sacrifice and Legendary Death Wands.
Basically, any kid who's willing and able to read to the end of a 7-book series, with each more complicated than the last, should be allowed to.
Both series started off as being "for kids." Both became wildly successful, to the point where adults read/watched it, as well.
Here's where they diverge.
With the movies, Lucas has always, always, always maintained that they're for kids. The Expanded Universe books and such may have more complex and mature themes, but the movies are always pretty simplistic. Hope, love and peace are good. Hatred, war and black helmets are evil (also: sand).
So what happens? A series that lasts decades, that has obviously vast potential, remains, for lack of a better word... stagnant. The 10-year-olds who loved A New Hope become 16-year-olds that think the Ewoks are kinda dorky, and grow into adults who find the "Oops! I accidentally shot a missile down a hallway into a reactor core, killing the entire enemy army" finale of Phantom Menace... underwhelming, to say the least. They bitch and moan, but Lucas goes "Hey. It's a kids' movie."
Whereas with Harry Potter, the series grew with its readers, to a certain extent. It will never be THAT complex of a plot, but you know your story has matured when you go from wedging a wand up a troll's nose to everyone being paranoid that they'll be murdered in their beds. The 10-year-olds laugh at the booger jokes, then they laugh at the "school dance" jokes when they're 15 or so, and then they laugh at the "I'm an abandoned orphan in a world that wants to murder me" jokes at the end. Er. Well, you see my point.
So, as for if it's "for kids..." I'd still say yes. Kids read what they like, and what they can handle- reading a book series requires more effort than just sitting through an R-rated movie. And while yes, the latter third of HP can get a bit dark, it's still not that overly mature- there are (mostly) clear-cut good guys and bad guys, good wins in the end, and we all learn a valuable lesson about racism, self-sacrifice and Legendary Death Wands.
Basically, any kid who's willing and able to read to the end of a 7-book series, with each more complicated than the last, should be allowed to.
I amuse myself.
Harry Potter (the entire series)
06/04/2010 11:00:07 PM
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Re: Harry Potter (the entire series)
06/04/2010 11:29:49 PM
- 924 Views
Really?
07/04/2010 05:41:46 PM
- 959 Views
I honestly think it's a combination of the two
07/04/2010 05:55:18 PM
- 848 Views
I'll give you that....
07/04/2010 06:11:27 PM
- 864 Views
It does seem logical that the series gets more teenager-oriented as Harry grows older.
07/04/2010 06:47:57 PM
- 874 Views
Re: Harry Potter (the entire series)
07/04/2010 12:26:22 AM
- 1146 Views
I get where you're coming from
07/04/2010 06:19:13 PM
- 960 Views
That's kind of the point though...
07/04/2010 08:44:26 PM
- 916 Views
This is how I see it too
08/04/2010 12:43:03 AM
- 1027 Views
just a comment about your rich=bad
08/04/2010 02:05:32 AM
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I agree with many of your points.
07/04/2010 12:44:31 AM
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I have to dispute the concept of going "too far."
07/04/2010 06:32:47 AM
- 830 Views
Hm, I don't know.
07/04/2010 11:08:12 AM
- 914 Views
This is a lot like the argument I'm having with Joel on the CMB concerning original sin.
08/04/2010 07:21:39 AM
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Where is this debate? I'd like to read it.
08/04/2010 05:18:38 PM
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I should have put "debate" in quotes. It's about four sentences long.
08/04/2010 10:32:43 PM
- 817 Views
More conversation on Snape.
07/04/2010 06:01:37 PM
- 1125 Views
His death wasn't very spectacular, but he did play an essential role...
07/04/2010 06:45:58 PM
- 1015 Views
Brief comments on Magic, Dumbledore, and The Epilogue.
07/04/2010 07:13:55 AM
- 1170 Views
Re: Brief comments on Magic, Dumbledore, and The Epilogue.
07/04/2010 06:09:20 PM
- 1023 Views
The movies are even worse about this.
07/04/2010 06:15:35 PM
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Death doesn't actually happen in slow-motion fit for the cinema screen.
08/04/2010 07:24:31 AM
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Re: Death doesn't actually happen in slow-motion fit for the cinema screen.
08/04/2010 03:27:09 PM
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Harry Potter and Star Wars have two radically different approaches to this
07/04/2010 06:13:25 PM
- 1078 Views
When my son asked for his own set of Harry Potter books,
07/04/2010 10:26:37 PM
- 921 Views
This is assuming of course...
07/04/2010 11:00:15 PM
- 972 Views
I was most irritated by the ironic names
08/04/2010 05:38:59 AM
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Re: I was most irritated by the ironic names
08/04/2010 10:07:40 PM
- 1285 Views
Exactly - it's not as obvious if you're a kid, then it seems clever and it's fun to decode.
09/04/2010 01:04:11 AM
- 946 Views