Should Christians let their kids see this movie?

Rating: Null/10 (12 November 2001)

This review is mainly intended for Christian parents who are unsure whether they should let their kids go and see this film. There are a number of stories circulating in the Christian community -- almost none of them good -- about Harry Potter books and their author, J.K. Rowling. Many of these stories are unsubstantiated and at least one is outright falsehood (see www.ship-of-fools.com/Myths/index.html) ... but any book or movie that seems to glorify witchcraft and wizardry is bound to cause legitimate concerns among Christian parents. This review concentrates on the movie itself.
The short answer is ... that there isn't a short answer. This movie in itself is comparatively innocuous (that is, "comparative" with the contents of many modern films & TV). The 'dark spiritual' overtones are only slightly nastier than Darth Vader and the 'Force', the theme of the film is good battling against evil, and the overall message of the film is that life at boarding school is great, and working magic is a bit like working with technology or electrical gadgets - lots of fun if you're careful to obey the rules, dangerous if you don't. It also happens to be a very good film, well-made and with several clever technical effects. The actors (especially the children) are also excellent.
On the other hand, the movie inevitably portrays witches and wizards as (mostly) nice people who are slightly superior to ordinary folk; the concept of using magic to solve problems may well capture some young minds; and there's always the problem that if the kids get interested in Harry Potter, they may choose to read all the books ... and everyone I've asked agrees that the books get 'darker' as the series progresses. In other words, you risk starting your kids on a journey whose ending isn't yet known (the last 3 books aren't written) but which can't be considered to focus primarily on what is good, holy, pure, right and honourable. [Mind you, the same could be said of many other authors ...]
So in conclusion: if you are strongly opposed to *any* influence of witchcraft or wizardry in your home, then don't let your kids see this movie. However, there's worse stuff on TV and in many books, so if you let them look at that type of thing, you're being inconsistent. Make your own judgement based on how imaginative you kids are and whether they are old enough to discern the differences between the film and real life.