my initial feelings on the film
I was surprised and delighted to discover that OotP opened a day earlier than expected here, so my eldest and youngest sons accompanied me to the first session at 9.30am yesterday. I was shocked to find the cinema FULL, but then remembered it was school holidays. ;~P
First impression - I liked it! (Certainly more than GoF!) And I'm really looking forward to seeing it on IMAX this Saturday!
OotP was my favourite book of the series (so far), so I was a wee bit concerned how it would translate to the big screen. Well, I have to say my initial reaction was not "Argh! That sucked!", which is a very good thing. I didn't fall madly in love with it, as I did with PoA (and desperately wanted Cuaron to direct OotP), but I do think I liked it! Yes, I was disappointed with what was left out, not so much stuff like Quidditch (which I knew had been cut), but things I had seen clips of that had obviously been filmed and then edited out since. I saw a clip of Harry congratulating Ron on becoming a Prefect that is no longer there. McGonagall in the wheelchair after beign attacked by Umbridge. Young Lily and James. And there were a few other bits like that, that I can't think of right now.
I bought the game for my kids at the start of the holidays and was delighted with Mrs Black's screaming portrait in that (though sadly you don't see her, she's just behind the curtain), so I expected her to be in the film and was sad she wasn't. That said, I liked the portrayal of Grimmauld Place. It was perhaps a little more cramped than I'd originally envisioned, but I know my imagination is tempered by the sort of space we're used to having in our houses here in Aus, and that's what those old London houses are like!
I was delighted to see Padfoot at the train station! ( so glad they used a real dog this time, even if it wasn't the sort of 'bearish' dog described in the books and that I'd imagined!!) But I don't like the thing about an animagus losing his clothes in the transformation. When Pettigrew transformed from Scabbers in the Shrieking Shack, he was fully clothed. They should have stuck with that.
ABERFORTH AND THE GOAT in the Hogshead!!!!!!!! The cinema was FULL and I was the only person who laughed. I thought it was completely hysterical and a definite nod at we obsessives. I laughed loudly (and alone!), and heard the little boy behind me ask him mum what was funny and her answer 'I don't know' and thought, "OMG! I am the only book fan here!!"
I need to see it again, but did Sirius and Remus have an arm around each other when Harry arrived at Grimmauld Plc? Cos I thought I caught a glimpse of that and had a little squee for all the puppy fangirls. ;~)
I'm probably in the minority here, but I really liked the way they did the veil! I loved that it was a creepy sort of see-through thing. And I have to say I liked they way they made sure the audience knew Sirius had been Avada Kedavra'd before he fell through. It saved having to explain WTF the veil was, and clarified that he was actually dead. The silence with the slow-mo visuals of Remus holding Harry back etc. I wasn't so sure of. Yes, it was poignant and made sure the audience realised that this was a BIG thing that had happened. But, as my 10yo son pointed out as soon as the film finished, that's exactly what they did with Frodo and Gandalf in LOTR. :~\
Luna was ABSOLUTE and TOTAL PERFECTION. If I hadn't read the books I would be a total Harry/Luna shipper right now.
Grawp was much less annoying and WTF than he was for me in the book.
Umbridge, was fantastic. Her only flaw was that she was too good looking for Ron's toad comment to make much sense, except in a random derogatory way. I LOVED the small scene with her and the twins and the little boy she'd been torturing. That made her look even more vile and sadistic than when she was inflicting it on Harry, which is saying something.
Filch and the Room of Requirement. Much love!!!
Did not like that Umbridge and co were able to blast their way in. (and sniggered that she used 'girlpower' Hermy's spell from PoA!)
I missed capslock!Harry, though I really liked Depressed!Harry and thought it was appropriate considering the end of GoF. I missed seeing him trash Dumbledore's office, yet thought they covered that info quite well.
I was initially shocked that it was Lucius who dropped the Prophecy, but in hindsight - and I'm assuming this is why they did it! - that will work well as the explanation for Voldemort's anger at Lucius in the next film, and why he therefore gives Draco the impossible task of killing Dumbledore.
Did anyone else notice how powerful Ginny was? All her spells were kickass, which I suspect was deliberate.
Alan Rickman's Snape. So perfect. "Ob. viously" = me - puddle of squeee.
Was it sick of me to want to see Dudley throw up?
I'm sure I'll be able to say much more about it after my 2nd viewing on Sat!
First impression - I liked it! (Certainly more than GoF!) And I'm really looking forward to seeing it on IMAX this Saturday!
OotP was my favourite book of the series (so far), so I was a wee bit concerned how it would translate to the big screen. Well, I have to say my initial reaction was not "Argh! That sucked!", which is a very good thing. I didn't fall madly in love with it, as I did with PoA (and desperately wanted Cuaron to direct OotP), but I do think I liked it! Yes, I was disappointed with what was left out, not so much stuff like Quidditch (which I knew had been cut), but things I had seen clips of that had obviously been filmed and then edited out since. I saw a clip of Harry congratulating Ron on becoming a Prefect that is no longer there. McGonagall in the wheelchair after beign attacked by Umbridge. Young Lily and James. And there were a few other bits like that, that I can't think of right now.
I bought the game for my kids at the start of the holidays and was delighted with Mrs Black's screaming portrait in that (though sadly you don't see her, she's just behind the curtain), so I expected her to be in the film and was sad she wasn't. That said, I liked the portrayal of Grimmauld Place. It was perhaps a little more cramped than I'd originally envisioned, but I know my imagination is tempered by the sort of space we're used to having in our houses here in Aus, and that's what those old London houses are like!
I was delighted to see Padfoot at the train station! ( so glad they used a real dog this time, even if it wasn't the sort of 'bearish' dog described in the books and that I'd imagined!!) But I don't like the thing about an animagus losing his clothes in the transformation. When Pettigrew transformed from Scabbers in the Shrieking Shack, he was fully clothed. They should have stuck with that.
ABERFORTH AND THE GOAT in the Hogshead!!!!!!!! The cinema was FULL and I was the only person who laughed. I thought it was completely hysterical and a definite nod at we obsessives. I laughed loudly (and alone!), and heard the little boy behind me ask him mum what was funny and her answer 'I don't know' and thought, "OMG! I am the only book fan here!!"
I need to see it again, but did Sirius and Remus have an arm around each other when Harry arrived at Grimmauld Plc? Cos I thought I caught a glimpse of that and had a little squee for all the puppy fangirls. ;~)
I'm probably in the minority here, but I really liked the way they did the veil! I loved that it was a creepy sort of see-through thing. And I have to say I liked they way they made sure the audience knew Sirius had been Avada Kedavra'd before he fell through. It saved having to explain WTF the veil was, and clarified that he was actually dead. The silence with the slow-mo visuals of Remus holding Harry back etc. I wasn't so sure of. Yes, it was poignant and made sure the audience realised that this was a BIG thing that had happened. But, as my 10yo son pointed out as soon as the film finished, that's exactly what they did with Frodo and Gandalf in LOTR. :~\
Luna was ABSOLUTE and TOTAL PERFECTION. If I hadn't read the books I would be a total Harry/Luna shipper right now.
Grawp was much less annoying and WTF than he was for me in the book.
Umbridge, was fantastic. Her only flaw was that she was too good looking for Ron's toad comment to make much sense, except in a random derogatory way. I LOVED the small scene with her and the twins and the little boy she'd been torturing. That made her look even more vile and sadistic than when she was inflicting it on Harry, which is saying something.
Filch and the Room of Requirement. Much love!!!
Did not like that Umbridge and co were able to blast their way in. (and sniggered that she used 'girlpower' Hermy's spell from PoA!)
I missed capslock!Harry, though I really liked Depressed!Harry and thought it was appropriate considering the end of GoF. I missed seeing him trash Dumbledore's office, yet thought they covered that info quite well.
I was initially shocked that it was Lucius who dropped the Prophecy, but in hindsight - and I'm assuming this is why they did it! - that will work well as the explanation for Voldemort's anger at Lucius in the next film, and why he therefore gives Draco the impossible task of killing Dumbledore.
Did anyone else notice how powerful Ginny was? All her spells were kickass, which I suspect was deliberate.
Alan Rickman's Snape. So perfect. "Ob. viously" = me - puddle of squeee.
Was it sick of me to want to see Dudley throw up?
I'm sure I'll be able to say much more about it after my 2nd viewing on Sat!