"Fight back, you coward!"
Gee, can we guess what I saw yesterday?? XD Here's my thoughts on the movie:
Oh, SPOILERS behind the cut, so beware all who don't wish to be spoiled!
Okie donkie, before I get to my thoughts on the movie, let me just start by saying I haven't read the books. So I'm not basing this off of any knowledge from the novels. I did go in knowing some of what was going to happen (just b/c I don't read the books doesn't mean I don't go out and find information! ;) ), but all of my opinions are purely based on what I saw onscreen.
First, I absolutely loved it. As a continuation of the story, it was great and definitely a move forward...as an individual film in the series, not my favorite. I think it will take a lot for any that remain to top Prisoner of Azkaban, which of course IS my favorite of the series.
Things I liked:
- More Draco. I have always loved Draco, even if he is a spoiled, whining little shithead. There's just something about him that makes me like him. And he was such a poor tortured boy this whole movie. Just wanted to get up and hug him.
- The 'romantic comedy' feel that was there for the first half of the movie. I know a lot probably aren't going to like it (from what I can tell of those who have read the book, it's not exactly how it's supposed to be?), but I think it lightened up the movie enough that when it got to the darker (and sadder) stuff, it wasn't completely overdone (which was something about the last movie I really...found depressing. It was all so dark and emo).
- Speaking of emo, I'm GLAD Harry seems to have lost that quality this movie. I know in the last one, he was being possessed by Voldemort a lot and whatsuch, but still...he's allowed to be happy and smile and not look so 'oh, woes me, my life is so dark and dismal).
- Luna is pure love, and Lupin, even for what little time he was in the movie, was awesomepops.
Things that bothered me:
- Lack of Neville. Again, I haven't read the books, so idk how it's SUPPOSED to be, but I love Neville so much and I wish there could've been more of him. I got more Draco just to have less Neville. PFFT!
- Again, as it seems with every movie (and I'm assuming it's like it in the books), there were such similarities to things Tolkien put in his books (and thus were in the LOtR movies). The dead-like guys in the water? I mean, helllloooo, Dead Marshes anybody!? If it wasn't SO DAMN SIMILAIR , I wouldn't get so frustrated about it, but it was just like there was a minor tweak from what Tolkien used to make it just slightly different. I am a LOtR fan at heart, so though it could be considered a 'homage', it still feels sorta like a cheat.
- Did Aragog seem A LOT smaller than he used to?? Wasn't he GIANORMOUS in Chamber of Secrets?! This time around, he seems to have shrunk down QUITE A BIT. Maybe it was just the perspective, but yeah...he seemed a wee bit small.
- Okay, the Weasley house catches on fire, and then what?! It was never brought up again afterwards...I think that is something significant enough to at least get another mention...I know there's two more movies to come, so there's the possibility of the thread being brought up again, but dude...I'd have liked a little more. Some kind of continuity, you know??
I did cry (and DAMN, I mean CRRRRY) when Dumbledore died, even though I knew all along that it was coming (and who was going to do it). I expect I'll cry more when the other movies come out (and let me say now i'm a little more pissed it's being split up into two more movies...I get WHY they're doing it...ane yet that doesn't make me any happier about it!)...
In all, excellent continuation to the story (as a mere fan of the movies alone...which I think, right now, is the best choice. I know how it feels to be cheated out of some things when being such a HUGE fan of books before the movies). I have already ordered the soundtrack, so you know I must've approved enough! XP
~Pip
Oh, SPOILERS behind the cut, so beware all who don't wish to be spoiled!
Okie donkie, before I get to my thoughts on the movie, let me just start by saying I haven't read the books. So I'm not basing this off of any knowledge from the novels. I did go in knowing some of what was going to happen (just b/c I don't read the books doesn't mean I don't go out and find information! ;) ), but all of my opinions are purely based on what I saw onscreen.
First, I absolutely loved it. As a continuation of the story, it was great and definitely a move forward...as an individual film in the series, not my favorite. I think it will take a lot for any that remain to top Prisoner of Azkaban, which of course IS my favorite of the series.
Things I liked:
- More Draco. I have always loved Draco, even if he is a spoiled, whining little shithead. There's just something about him that makes me like him. And he was such a poor tortured boy this whole movie. Just wanted to get up and hug him.
- The 'romantic comedy' feel that was there for the first half of the movie. I know a lot probably aren't going to like it (from what I can tell of those who have read the book, it's not exactly how it's supposed to be?), but I think it lightened up the movie enough that when it got to the darker (and sadder) stuff, it wasn't completely overdone (which was something about the last movie I really...found depressing. It was all so dark and emo).
- Speaking of emo, I'm GLAD Harry seems to have lost that quality this movie. I know in the last one, he was being possessed by Voldemort a lot and whatsuch, but still...he's allowed to be happy and smile and not look so 'oh, woes me, my life is so dark and dismal).
- Luna is pure love, and Lupin, even for what little time he was in the movie, was awesomepops.
Things that bothered me:
- Lack of Neville. Again, I haven't read the books, so idk how it's SUPPOSED to be, but I love Neville so much and I wish there could've been more of him. I got more Draco just to have less Neville. PFFT!
- Again, as it seems with every movie (and I'm assuming it's like it in the books), there were such similarities to things Tolkien put in his books (and thus were in the LOtR movies). The dead-like guys in the water? I mean, helllloooo, Dead Marshes anybody!? If it wasn't SO DAMN SIMILAIR , I wouldn't get so frustrated about it, but it was just like there was a minor tweak from what Tolkien used to make it just slightly different. I am a LOtR fan at heart, so though it could be considered a 'homage', it still feels sorta like a cheat.
- Did Aragog seem A LOT smaller than he used to?? Wasn't he GIANORMOUS in Chamber of Secrets?! This time around, he seems to have shrunk down QUITE A BIT. Maybe it was just the perspective, but yeah...he seemed a wee bit small.
- Okay, the Weasley house catches on fire, and then what?! It was never brought up again afterwards...I think that is something significant enough to at least get another mention...I know there's two more movies to come, so there's the possibility of the thread being brought up again, but dude...I'd have liked a little more. Some kind of continuity, you know??
I did cry (and DAMN, I mean CRRRRY) when Dumbledore died, even though I knew all along that it was coming (and who was going to do it). I expect I'll cry more when the other movies come out (and let me say now i'm a little more pissed it's being split up into two more movies...I get WHY they're doing it...ane yet that doesn't make me any happier about it!)...
In all, excellent continuation to the story (as a mere fan of the movies alone...which I think, right now, is the best choice. I know how it feels to be cheated out of some things when being such a HUGE fan of books before the movies). I have already ordered the soundtrack, so you know I must've approved enough! XP
~Pip