Scary scenes: Willow (spoiler) vs HP Deathly Hallows 1?

[Ronja]

This post contains (fairly small) plot spoilers about "Willow" (1988).

We have reserved tickets at a movie theater to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" part 1 (for 3rd January afternoon). We just watched "Willow" at home as a sort of test or training especially for the 9-year old. She literally ran away crying and screaming when the evil queen transformed the hero, heroine and their troops into pigs. It took quite some calming to get her to come back and watch the rest. She said that the troll that was magicked into a "red blob" that turned into a (very ugly) sort of dragon was also yucky but that the pig transformation scene was the very worst.

Those who have seen HP 7/1 - does it contain gory or yucky scenes that one would not expect at all based on the book? We need to decide in a few days now, together with the kids, if we are going to the theater or if we will wait for the DVD.

Thanks!

[tattuchu]

It's a pretty grim film. It may be disturbing for your youngest if she's that sensitive. Nothing in the film that wasn't in the book. But seeing it onscreen might be a bit of a shock.
Yes, there are several somewhat gory scenes. Nothing too terrible. But again, if she's that sensitive...not sure how she'll react to it

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I wouldn't take a 9 yo to see it. Better at home where you can take a break if needs be.

[Ronja]

Naturally I managed to forget some background from my question.

Harry Potter specific:

I have read all the HP books aloud to the kids (because I read in English and M in Swedish, as the kids have wished). We started when Younger Daughter was nearly six and Elder Daughter already eight, and by the time YD was 7.5 years old we had finished book 6. That's when I really put my foot down, and flatly refused to "read about an all-out war to a seven-year old". YD tried all the tricks she could think of, and when they did not work, she dug up HP 1 and read it herself - and then 2, 3, and maybe even started on 4 before summer came - ED read each book as soon as YD had finished it. On YD's eighth birthday our reading aloud moved on to book 7.

They saw Quidditch games, the Great Hall and a few other select Hogwarts scenes from the first two DVDs a few times when YD was 5-7. If memory serves, they saw the first movie at home, with both parents, when YD was 7 and ED 9, and they have since seen all movies, including nr 6 - but all at home, and the first and often also the second time with at least one parent. Nowadays they watch them together (without parents) or even alone, and especially ED has lost count of how many times she has seen them (she loves to watch her favorite films again and again when she is ill).


Movies / DVDs specific:

Our biggest argument today, when we were choosing a film to watch with the whole family and finally ended up with Willow, was that both girls kept asking for a movie that was based on a book they already knew. They both used the rather convincing argument that if they know the book, the movie is not as scary. M and I kept insisting that there are loads of good movies that are not based on any book at all, and we will not agree to never watch such movies with the kids - that would be too boring for us. It was *quite* a discussion.