I thought the movie was…OK. As good as movies generally are, when they are smack dab in the middle of a series. Harry was extraordinarily whiny in the book so I was pleased to have a lot of that cut out of the movie…but they also cut out a lot of things I was looking forward to or thought were vital. In a way it makes me wonder if it isn’t narrowing down Book 7 a bit too much. Ah well, only a few more weeks before we find out.
I think they totally skimped out on the Order of the Phoenix. Tonks got very little screen time and even less dialogue but they sure made her a hottie. Same with Luna, although they gave her some good screen time. But I think they missed on showing how much the other kids made fun of her. And I really missed the part where Harry gives her newspaper the private interview.
I find the glasses thing of Harry’s to be positively charming - waking up and immediately reaching for glasses. It’s one of the few times I’ve seen a realistic depiction of full-time glasses wearing. Usually people just put them on in movies or TV to look good. Real glasses wearers - like myself and my SO - do reach for them first thing as soon as they awaken.
The Howler to Petunia should have been kept in.
They did what they could. The movie was what, two hours long? I think if they had made it even 2.5, it would have made a difference. They completely cut out Kreacher’s role, and made him just a weird, silly little elf, and they cut out Luna’s lovely comment about the dead being just on the other side of the veil. I thought that was important.
Other than that I am waiting for Book 7 and anxiously waiting for the next two movies, however last I checked imdb says they will not be done until 2010. Do you know how old Ron Harry and Hermoine will look by then?
We did like crazy Bellatrix, though. She did a good job.
They missed a lot of the jokes also. I certainly don’t think it was the best of the bunch. I still think that was the first one, which had a clear story arc, defined ending, and was the most eye-opening since it was all new to us.
That shouldn’t be a problem. The last film will probably release summer 2010, so filming will be done a good bit before that. The oldest of the main group of kid actors is Tom Felton born 9/22/87 (Draco), he will turn 22 turning the filming while playing a 17/18 year old. The youngest is Emma Watson born 4/15/90 (Hermione) who will have just turned 20 when the last one comes out.
Something I found interesting, Daniel Radcliffe and Matthew Lewis (Harry and Neville) were born in the last week of July on the same year, nearly the same birthdays as their characters.
Book 1: When they run off to save Hermione from the troll they have no intention of fighting the troll. The troll just happened to be there when they found Hermione. They only wanted to go get her from the bathroom since everyone was supposed to go to their dormitories. The prefects were escorting the rest of the students and the teachers had gone off to find the troll.
Also in Book 1 they DO go to adults first about the stone. They try to convince MacGonagall (acting headmistress since Dumbledore was gone) that Snape is trying to steal it. Only when MacGonagal doesn’t believe them do they decide to take matters into their own hands.
Book 2: They were with a teacher when they go to face the basilisk. They were with Lockhart. Not the best teacher for the job but he was a teacher. Correct me if I’m wrong but once Lockhart screws them over and the falling rocks conveniently separate Ron and Harry, doesn’t Ron go back for help?
Book 5: Been a while since I read the book so perhaps I’m just remembering it from the movie, but Harry does tip off Snape about Sirius being tortured. In the book when he pokes his head through the fire to Grimmauld place Kreacher tells him that all the Order members are gone. His desire to fight for the Order and to save his only family member drive him to go to the Ministry. He doesn’t want to put his friends in danger and tries to keep them from going but they won’t take no for an answer.
Oh, I liked the old face in the fire. It seemed to use the embers, and had a 3D spatial presence.
In this movie, it looked like someone just pointed a movie camera at the fire.
I liked the kitty plates, though.
However, the thestrals did’t look that good to me. They were dark and in to many shadows. And, I thought the giant sucked. If we can make a giant in “Honey I Blew Up the Kids” using camera tricks, why do we need to create a whole CGI thing for two scenes? They could have gotten Malkovich to play him and just do what they did for Hagrid, only bigger.
Oh, and thanks to others for explaining Grumpy. It definitely jumped out at me in the movie how much they focussed on him without him having any bearing on the plot – so, it would seem to make sense that he’s going to do something in the future.
The only one that really looks old to me now is Hermoine. And that’s mostly because everyone keeps telling me how old she looks, so I can’t help but be a little biased, even though I don’t mean/want to be.
I’ve read all the books before seeing their movies, so I consider the movies as kind of a supplement to the books. It has always been my hope that when they make the movies, they film a number of scenes that are in the book, but don’t include them in the theatrical release. (Especially true for the later, longer books.) As it stands now, so many elements of the last two movies seem rushed or glossed over; not just scenes, but characters and subplots as well. So many excellent actors basically made just cameos here. If they were filming additional scenes, future DVD viewers will have the option to see a more comprehensive version of the Potterverse.
Then again, I’m very good at kidding myself.
Most of the points I’ll make have already been made, but gimme a break, I have two young kids and will see maybe 2 movies in the theater this year:
First, they missed a chance to give the series more of an emotional heft, by choosing to delete a number of scenes. Chief among these are seeing Neville with his parents in St Mungo’s, the attack on Arthur Weasley, and the Nearly Headless Nick scene mentioned by Shodan. It would be nice to be reminded that even in this fantasy world, the stakes are high and the danger is real.
Second, whomever it was that mentioned Aunt Petunia’s sundress looking pretty hot, I have to say I agree. Saffron Burrows is a very lucky woman. Then again, if you want a proper gauge on my tastes, as I was watching Bellatrix, I remember thinking to myself: I’d hit that. Something about her mouth.
Finally, in the book the Department of Mysteries conclusion was an unvarnished mess. I had to read that segment three times before I could figure out what the hell was going on. These scenes were done very well, and I don’t recall the line “Get away from my godson!” in the book. Now THAT’S the way to end a movie.
It’s in the movie, too…Harry says “Padfoot is being attacke int he place where IT is” while he is in Umbrage’s office and Snape stops by to tell her he has no more vertaiserum left. Snape has to feign ignorance so he doesn’t get tied up with Umbrage, and I beleive he does tell the rest of the Order in the books. Or at least he checks on it in some way or another.
In the book: Harry and friends are caught in Umbridge’s office. Umbridge calls in Snape to ask him for more Veritaserum. Snape says that he gave her some already, surely she didn’t use it all? I have poisons if you want but they won’t help you get the truth out of him (dialogue line is identical in book and movie). Umbridge tells Snape that he’s not being very helpful and says he can get lost. Harry yells “He’s got Padfoot in the place where it’s hidden.” Snape pretends not to understand and leaves. (It is important to note that at this point Harry doesn’t know whether or not Snape understood him, and believes that Snape did not get the hint. As I said before.)
According to Dumbledore, Snape, upon leaving Umbridge’s office, contacts Sirius, realises that Harry is working under false assumptions, learns that Harry et al. disappeared in the Forbidden Forest, and goes looking for them in the forest, without success.
Book 2: Saying “they have Lockhart with them” doesn’t do anything to help your cause, both Harry and Ron believe Lockhard to be useless and a fraud. Once the rockfall separates them, no, Ron doesn’t go for help (though he wouldn’t know how to get back up the pipe at this point), he stays behind moving rocks to make a wriggle space so that he can go help Harry.
Book 5: read my post above. Sure, Harry tells his friends that he wants to go by himself, but if anything that’s even more dumb. When you’re on a rescue mission, you take as many people with you as possible and warn as many people as possible so that help can be on the way. I’m sorry, but this reminds me of too many dumb horror movies where a phone call to 911 could make the next hour of your life so much easier. I realize of course that the way J.K. Rowling wrote it is much more dramatic and suspenseful, but in real life, at least send an owl to someone like Mrs. Weasley or Tonks or Moody or Lupin!
Just wanted to say that I watched GOF last night. I did like Gambon’s final scene where they celebrate and remember Cedric. He did that just right–hit just the right notes as AD. So, he can do it…
I posted about Petunia’s sundress–I thought it was hideous and she looked fake tanned, and trying too hard to look young, IMO (I didn’t post that, but I thought it!).
What book is it that Hermione asks Harry if he doesn’t have “a saving people thingie?” (I think that’s an exact quote). I can’t think of the lines that come after that–is it book 5 or prior to that?
Finally saw the movie tonight, and picked up book 7 on the way home from the theater. It’s a Harry Potter weekend.
More screen time for Tonks!
Now to the question: In the very opening scene, when we’re descending on the playground where Harry is waiting on the swing, you can hear a weatherman saying “It’s going to be hot – 35 degrees predicted, that’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit.” Do UK broadcast weathermen still give Fahrenheit temps, or was that dubbed in for us 'Merkins? (It would be easy enough to do.)
Saw it yesterday and really enjoyed it. But I have a question, that is probably from the book. Luna mentions that the flying skeleton horses ( I am horrible at remembering the names of these things) can only be seen by those who have experienced death in their lives. Then why couldn’t Neville, who’s parents were killed by Bellatrix, see them?
For one thing, Neville’s parents are still alive, having been merely tortured into insanity by Bellatrix. They live at St. Mungo’s hospital.
Also, only those who have personally seen death can see Thestrels. Luna apparently witnessed the death of her mother, and Harry watched Cedric die. Even if Neville’s parents had been killed, he presumably wouldn’t have been around to witness it, and therefore wouldn’t be able to see the Thestrels anyway.
Just saw the movie this weekend. I’m another poster that hasn’t read any of the books yet. Mostly for the reasons that we’re seeing here. There has never really been a movie that was even close to being as good as the original source material. Unless it was a terrible book in the first place.
I liked the movie for the most part. I did agree that it seemed like there was hardly any character interaction. Everyone seemed to be more of a prop than a meaninful part of the story. In my opinion I think the Harry Potter universe shares the same weakness as the Wheel of Time universe. Way too many characters to have them all be major players. So you end up with a bunch of people that don’t do a whole lot but that you have to show because they’ll have their one dramatic moment at some point that you’ll need to show.
Maybe someone has answered this, but given the success of the books and the previouse movies, why haven’t they given this the same treatment as the Lord of the Rings trilogy? Filming more than one at a time? Daniel Radcliff looked way too old to me in the first 15 minutes of the film. At the rate they’re going, it’ll be 2012 by the time the last one comes out. There are two more books, right? So why not just film them all and be done with it?
I don’t know the answer, but I would hazard to guess that filming seven movies would be far more onerous on everyone’s time than the LotR trilogy. This is even more pronounced given the fact the Daniel Radcliffe would be in 90% of the scenes, unlike LotR where no one character, even Frodo, got maybe more than 50%. Also, LotR us supposed to take place over a much shorter time frame. Harry Potter does take place over 7 years after all. And Radcliffe is only just about to turn 18, I think in OotP he is 15-16, so it isn’t a huge difference.