[HPFGU-Movie] Age limits for movies

[nostrebor at runbox.com]

One time dd was at her dad's when I picked her up from work & she was
watching Shrek (he bought it on dvd). I didn't like the movie because of the
swearing in it.
Recently she asked me what it means when someone raises their middle finger.
One of the girls she knows from drama class (approx 12 year old) did that to
someone. I basically told her it was not nice, that it was rude, and an
immature way of expressing her feelings because she didn't know the words to
use.

One movie review I subscribe to is ScreenIt, www.screenit.com.

Here's what ScreenIt said for HPIII:
THIS WEEK'S NEW MOVIE REVIEWS FOR JUNE 4TH:

"HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN"
(2004) (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson) (PG)
Adventure:  A young wizard (Radcliffe) must contend with news that a
murderer has escaped from prison and is coming after him.  The kids are
older and there's a new director behind the scene at Hogwarts in this third
installment of the wildly popular books about wizardry and such by author
J.K. Rowling.  There's a new visual look and feel to the film -- which has
both good and bad points depending on how you viewed the first
installments -- and it's decidedly more grown-up than the previous entries.
The tone and themes are more in tune with teen angst than the more childish
and whimsical shenanigans found in the earlier efforts.  The result is an
effort that occasionally feels at war with itself, as there are moments and
material straight from the first two films, along with the to-be-expected
return of characters and their rote interaction with each other. At other
times, however, the film feels completely new and fresh.  Visually appealing
(with terrific production values) but rather boring in the first half, the
film does get better as it progresses. Even so, the directorial dichotomy -- 
appeasing the fans with regurgitated moments and appealing to others with
the decidedly new and improved look and feel -- results in a mixed bag of
cinematic offerings.  Moodier, deeper and darker than its more whimsical and
adventurous predecessors, the film has its moments and makes one hope that
the transition over to the new approach will be complete next time around.
The PG rating comes from brief profanity (a few minor expletives) and
various scenes - often accompanied by ominous or suspenseful music - that
might be unsettling, suspenseful or downright frightening to kids.  That
includes characters seeing and interacting with various menacing looking
beings and monsters, close calls with menacing characters, supernatural
events and various locales that appear foreboding, dangerous or simply
scary.
(National Release)


Jodi