A lot of times these days, I'll find myself in some summer-event movie — say, "Pirates Of The Caribbean" — and think, "Gee, I really would have loved this when I was 12." Tastes obviously change as you grow older, for better and for worse, but to try and hang onto your 12-year-old tastes forever means you end up in a state of arrested development. Not to mention that it's also rather embarrassing to be into action figures when you're an adult (See "The Forty-Year-Old Virgin.").

Still, there are times when I feel maybe I've lost something, some ability to make that leap of imagination and really give in to those fantasy worlds of Narnia or Gotham City. Then, I'll see the latest installment in the "Harry Potter" series and realize, nah, it's not me, all those other films really do suck, and it's "Potter" that leaves me feeling 12 again.

The series isn't just an adult tale patronizingly dumbed down for kids — like "Pirates" or "Spiderman" — but a tale that is about childhood and the loss of it, even as it moves into realms of high fantasy. Unlike the competition, it has real emotions. This may be why author J.K. Rowling's novels, on which the films were based, inspired so many adults to start reading children's books again. They awaken something lost.