THE movie
So, I went to see THE movie last night. Personally, I thought it was the best so far, but there were definite disappointments.
More specifics are under the cut, in case people don't want to be spoiled. ;-)
I thought the way they condensed the beginning worked fairly well, although there were bad points.
1. That crazy storm. Um, WHAT? Dementors don't cause storms!! I kind of understand the swirling clouds, and then the lamps in the tunnel frosting over was a nice touch (although I think they should have flickered out), but when it started to actually rain... that was just too much.
2. The dementors themselves. I'm sorry, but where does it say that they slam Harry against a wall? I was also a little peeved when Dudley went flying, THEN the dementor appeared. I figured they would have done it in such a way that the audience understood that Dudley couldn't see the dementor and Harry could. Like, show Dudley trying to fight something invisible, and then flash to Harry looking at Dudley being attacked by the dementor.
3. The way Harry fought it off. YOU CAN'T STAB A DEMENTOR IN THE EYE!!!! WHAT WAS THAT?!?!? I did think it was a nice effect when Harry directed the patronus with his wand (although I don't think it looked corporeal enough. It was a little to wispy for my taste) but I have to admit that it just doesn't make sense to have to physically direct something like that. If you're being attacked by dementors, there's a good chance you won't have the ability to direct a patronus, it'll have to do all the fighting on its own.
4. I don't really like the way they make all the letters talk. How hard would it really be to show a portion of a letter for the audience to read? And then they could have included more letters, and really gotten the part about Aunt Petunia actually knowing about the wizarding world, which would have really helped show the dynamic of Harry and the Dursleys, with Vernon wanting to toss Harry out but Petunia overruling him.
Okay, so next part: Grimmauld Place.
1. The way they did the appearance of the building was nice, but it made it seem like anybody could just walk up, tap their wand, and the house would appear. Which would be dumb.
2. The extendable ears were okay, but I never imagined them with actual ear shapes on the end. Those are a little bit obvious, you know?
3. I thought they did a pretty nice job with the kitchen scene, and Sirius wanting to tell Harry what was going on and Mrs. Weasley wanting to protect Harry.
4. I thought there should have been a little more tension between the trio because they kept Harry in the dark. It was more like Harry yelled for about 5 seconds, Ron & Hermione were like, "Sorry! ;~;" and then Harry was like, "Oh well! We're friends again! ^_^"
The twins were absolutely fantastic!! :-D
Harry's Trial
1. I thought the Ministry looked really good, although I'm disappointed that they didn't have the visitor badges, because those were pretty cool, especially when they put "Rescue Mission" on.
2. I'm glad they included the bit about the time change of the hearing, and managed to work in Lucius Malfoy talking to Fudge, even if they didn't explain either of those very well.
3. Also, it wasn't very clear that Mrs. Figg was indeed a squib. For all that they explained her in the movie, she could have been just a crazy old muggle that Dumbledore randomly asked to watch over Harry.
Returning to Hogwarts
I admit it. I adored the Thestrals. I thought they looked absolutely perfect.
The introduction to Luna, however, could have been better. For example, if Ginny introduced her instead of Hermione, seeing as Ginny and Luna are in the same year.
Evanna Lynch was Luna. She was so perfect! It was amazing. She managed to carry off the air of slight dottiness without seeming too ditzy or goofy.
Umbridge's character was played well, although I'm really not sure about their casting choice appearance-wise. I just don't think she looked toad-like enough. But Imelda Staunton did a great job.
I think Harry's detention scene was put together well. However, when McGonagall confronts Umbridge about that sort of punishment, I didn't like the way McGonagall ended up stepping down from Umbridge. Because I don't think McGonagall would do that. She's too kick-ass. I really wish they'd put in the scene where Umbridge reviews McGonagall, too, because that's seriously one of her best scenes ever. That and the career advising session.
The way they showed all the "Educational Decrees" was pretty good, but I think they spent too much camera time on it, when it would have been just as easy to show Filch hammering less and just show the proliferation of decrees as the movie went on. And then they'd have had more time for other stuff.
I thought Grawp looked okay, but I kind of figured he'd be balder. And I dunno what all that stuff with the bicycle bell was about. That was just random.
I was MUCH happier with the way they spoke by floo powder this time. Instead of suffocating in ashes, it was closer to the book's description of a person's head literally sitting in the fire. Even though they didn't explain WHY Sirius was using the fire instead of writing a letter.
The DA scenes were pretty good, although I wish they'd had the Room of Requirement in its proper location (across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching Trolls Ballet Dancing) instead of in some random hallway, and it would've been nice if Neville had had to walk by 3 times before discovering it. They never really went over how the DA got its name, either. And I would have been fine with Hermione's jinx on the paper happening. I think that would have been an easy little thing to do. Also, it'd be nice if they stopped messing up the spells that are actually in the books. Making up spells to use for the movie is one thing, but altering spells from the books is another. Levicorpus is definitely nonverbal. And it makes the victim hang upside down by their ankles.
The Occlumency lessons seemed really forcefully shoved in there. And I didn't like the way they did Snape's worst memory either. Entirely apart from the techniques for that, I think the casting, of James Potter, in particular, was all wrong. The kid didn't even look like he had dark hair, and his hair wasn't at all messy. I really wanted to give young Snape a hug, though. Poor kid!
I was pretty excited when they put in my favorite line ever, about Ron having the emotional range of a teaspoon. ^__^
Fred and George's fireworks were nicely done, especially the dragon. I do wish they'd kept in the ones that wrote naughty words. It wouldn't be that hard to keep them PG-13! JKR does that perfectly well in the book, just saying that they spell things like, "POO", which is certainly not vulgar enough to not be in a PG-13 movie.
I'm also glad they kept Harry's coded message to Snape about Sirius being in danger. And Hermione's supposed submission. I kind of wish they'd shown Umbridge later, after the centaurs, when she freaks out just from someone making horse hoof noises.
I don't think they explained very well why they were flying on Thestrals to London, considering it should have been just as easy for them to get brooms. Also, I wish they'd demonstrated the difference between Harry, Neville, and Luna, who can see the Thestrals, and Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, who can't. The ones who can't see them would, obviously, look absolutely terrified at not being able to see what they're sitting on miles above the ground.
I also wish they'd shown more of the Department of Mysteries than just the Hall of Prophecy and the Veil Room. Because that place is pretty cool. And the veil was all wrong. It's supposed to be a tattered piece of black fabric, not some weird swirly fog. Also, Sirius' (non)death was all wrong. For one thing, I'm 95% certain that the book says he gets hit by a jet of red light and then falls through the veil, not that he gets hit with an AK and the veil practically reaches out and sucks him in. And in the book, Harry doesn't immediately know that Sirius is gone. He just thinks he can go around the arch and Sirius will be there.
BUT OMGRACIOUS I GOT SO EXCITED AT LUNA'S LINE NEAR THE END!!!!
First, the fight between Dumbledore and Voldemort. I thought that was well done. Lots of nice special effects with all the magic and everything. And I thought Voldemort's possession of Harry was done well, too.
However, I did get annoyed with the battle before that, in the Hall of Prophecy and all that. I'm sorry, but I don't remember Apparating being equal to flying as some weird smoke-cloud-thing. That bothered me. A lot.
Well, anyway, the end was... meh. I about jumped out my seat with happiness when Luna said her line about things coming back, if not in the way you expect. I was so close to squeeing and flailing for the entire rest of the movie. SIRIUS IS SO NOT DEAD!!!! At the very end, though... Apart from Harry's line being a little too "Ugh, gag me, this is way too sappy!" for my tastes, I just don't think they did a good job of leaving you with any expectation. The end of the book is kind of like, "Ah, it's finished," and yet you get this expectant feeling, you know that something much bigger is coming. The end of the movie was just like, "Okay, it's over now." I wasn't left with any real feeling that something huge is just over the horizon.
And then the credits were boring. (Not that I was paying attention. I was too busy squeeing about Sirius not being dead. ^_~)
So... overall, really different from the books. And in many ways disappointing.
They've finally got the right dynamic between Ron and Hermione!!! :-D They started it okay in movie 2, although that was a bit heavy-handed, and movie 4 wasn't terrible about it, but movie 3, I think, really messed it up. Movie 3 made it seem like there was more potential between Harry and Hermione instead of Ron and Hermione. I seriously blame movie 3 for a lot of the rabid Harry/Hermione shippers out there, who think that even JKR has it wrong putting Ron and Hermione together. But they got it right this time!! It made me so happy!! ^__^
Okay, I think that's about all. I'll probably have a little more when I see it again. Unless I fall asleep, which is possible, considering I'll be seeing it next Sunday, right after Book 7(!!!!!!) comes out.
More specifics are under the cut, in case people don't want to be spoiled. ;-)
I thought the way they condensed the beginning worked fairly well, although there were bad points.
1. That crazy storm. Um, WHAT? Dementors don't cause storms!! I kind of understand the swirling clouds, and then the lamps in the tunnel frosting over was a nice touch (although I think they should have flickered out), but when it started to actually rain... that was just too much.
2. The dementors themselves. I'm sorry, but where does it say that they slam Harry against a wall? I was also a little peeved when Dudley went flying, THEN the dementor appeared. I figured they would have done it in such a way that the audience understood that Dudley couldn't see the dementor and Harry could. Like, show Dudley trying to fight something invisible, and then flash to Harry looking at Dudley being attacked by the dementor.
3. The way Harry fought it off. YOU CAN'T STAB A DEMENTOR IN THE EYE!!!! WHAT WAS THAT?!?!? I did think it was a nice effect when Harry directed the patronus with his wand (although I don't think it looked corporeal enough. It was a little to wispy for my taste) but I have to admit that it just doesn't make sense to have to physically direct something like that. If you're being attacked by dementors, there's a good chance you won't have the ability to direct a patronus, it'll have to do all the fighting on its own.
4. I don't really like the way they make all the letters talk. How hard would it really be to show a portion of a letter for the audience to read? And then they could have included more letters, and really gotten the part about Aunt Petunia actually knowing about the wizarding world, which would have really helped show the dynamic of Harry and the Dursleys, with Vernon wanting to toss Harry out but Petunia overruling him.
Okay, so next part: Grimmauld Place.
1. The way they did the appearance of the building was nice, but it made it seem like anybody could just walk up, tap their wand, and the house would appear. Which would be dumb.
2. The extendable ears were okay, but I never imagined them with actual ear shapes on the end. Those are a little bit obvious, you know?
3. I thought they did a pretty nice job with the kitchen scene, and Sirius wanting to tell Harry what was going on and Mrs. Weasley wanting to protect Harry.
4. I thought there should have been a little more tension between the trio because they kept Harry in the dark. It was more like Harry yelled for about 5 seconds, Ron & Hermione were like, "Sorry! ;~;" and then Harry was like, "Oh well! We're friends again! ^_^"
The twins were absolutely fantastic!! :-D
Harry's Trial
1. I thought the Ministry looked really good, although I'm disappointed that they didn't have the visitor badges, because those were pretty cool, especially when they put "Rescue Mission" on.
2. I'm glad they included the bit about the time change of the hearing, and managed to work in Lucius Malfoy talking to Fudge, even if they didn't explain either of those very well.
3. Also, it wasn't very clear that Mrs. Figg was indeed a squib. For all that they explained her in the movie, she could have been just a crazy old muggle that Dumbledore randomly asked to watch over Harry.
Returning to Hogwarts
I admit it. I adored the Thestrals. I thought they looked absolutely perfect.
The introduction to Luna, however, could have been better. For example, if Ginny introduced her instead of Hermione, seeing as Ginny and Luna are in the same year.
Evanna Lynch was Luna. She was so perfect! It was amazing. She managed to carry off the air of slight dottiness without seeming too ditzy or goofy.
Umbridge's character was played well, although I'm really not sure about their casting choice appearance-wise. I just don't think she looked toad-like enough. But Imelda Staunton did a great job.
I think Harry's detention scene was put together well. However, when McGonagall confronts Umbridge about that sort of punishment, I didn't like the way McGonagall ended up stepping down from Umbridge. Because I don't think McGonagall would do that. She's too kick-ass. I really wish they'd put in the scene where Umbridge reviews McGonagall, too, because that's seriously one of her best scenes ever. That and the career advising session.
The way they showed all the "Educational Decrees" was pretty good, but I think they spent too much camera time on it, when it would have been just as easy to show Filch hammering less and just show the proliferation of decrees as the movie went on. And then they'd have had more time for other stuff.
I thought Grawp looked okay, but I kind of figured he'd be balder. And I dunno what all that stuff with the bicycle bell was about. That was just random.
I was MUCH happier with the way they spoke by floo powder this time. Instead of suffocating in ashes, it was closer to the book's description of a person's head literally sitting in the fire. Even though they didn't explain WHY Sirius was using the fire instead of writing a letter.
The DA scenes were pretty good, although I wish they'd had the Room of Requirement in its proper location (across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching Trolls Ballet Dancing) instead of in some random hallway, and it would've been nice if Neville had had to walk by 3 times before discovering it. They never really went over how the DA got its name, either. And I would have been fine with Hermione's jinx on the paper happening. I think that would have been an easy little thing to do. Also, it'd be nice if they stopped messing up the spells that are actually in the books. Making up spells to use for the movie is one thing, but altering spells from the books is another. Levicorpus is definitely nonverbal. And it makes the victim hang upside down by their ankles.
The Occlumency lessons seemed really forcefully shoved in there. And I didn't like the way they did Snape's worst memory either. Entirely apart from the techniques for that, I think the casting, of James Potter, in particular, was all wrong. The kid didn't even look like he had dark hair, and his hair wasn't at all messy. I really wanted to give young Snape a hug, though. Poor kid!
I was pretty excited when they put in my favorite line ever, about Ron having the emotional range of a teaspoon. ^__^
Fred and George's fireworks were nicely done, especially the dragon. I do wish they'd kept in the ones that wrote naughty words. It wouldn't be that hard to keep them PG-13! JKR does that perfectly well in the book, just saying that they spell things like, "POO", which is certainly not vulgar enough to not be in a PG-13 movie.
I'm also glad they kept Harry's coded message to Snape about Sirius being in danger. And Hermione's supposed submission. I kind of wish they'd shown Umbridge later, after the centaurs, when she freaks out just from someone making horse hoof noises.
I don't think they explained very well why they were flying on Thestrals to London, considering it should have been just as easy for them to get brooms. Also, I wish they'd demonstrated the difference between Harry, Neville, and Luna, who can see the Thestrals, and Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, who can't. The ones who can't see them would, obviously, look absolutely terrified at not being able to see what they're sitting on miles above the ground.
I also wish they'd shown more of the Department of Mysteries than just the Hall of Prophecy and the Veil Room. Because that place is pretty cool. And the veil was all wrong. It's supposed to be a tattered piece of black fabric, not some weird swirly fog. Also, Sirius' (non)death was all wrong. For one thing, I'm 95% certain that the book says he gets hit by a jet of red light and then falls through the veil, not that he gets hit with an AK and the veil practically reaches out and sucks him in. And in the book, Harry doesn't immediately know that Sirius is gone. He just thinks he can go around the arch and Sirius will be there.
BUT OMGRACIOUS I GOT SO EXCITED AT LUNA'S LINE NEAR THE END!!!!
First, the fight between Dumbledore and Voldemort. I thought that was well done. Lots of nice special effects with all the magic and everything. And I thought Voldemort's possession of Harry was done well, too.
However, I did get annoyed with the battle before that, in the Hall of Prophecy and all that. I'm sorry, but I don't remember Apparating being equal to flying as some weird smoke-cloud-thing. That bothered me. A lot.
Well, anyway, the end was... meh. I about jumped out my seat with happiness when Luna said her line about things coming back, if not in the way you expect. I was so close to squeeing and flailing for the entire rest of the movie. SIRIUS IS SO NOT DEAD!!!! At the very end, though... Apart from Harry's line being a little too "Ugh, gag me, this is way too sappy!" for my tastes, I just don't think they did a good job of leaving you with any expectation. The end of the book is kind of like, "Ah, it's finished," and yet you get this expectant feeling, you know that something much bigger is coming. The end of the movie was just like, "Okay, it's over now." I wasn't left with any real feeling that something huge is just over the horizon.
And then the credits were boring. (Not that I was paying attention. I was too busy squeeing about Sirius not being dead. ^_~)
So... overall, really different from the books. And in many ways disappointing.
They've finally got the right dynamic between Ron and Hermione!!! :-D They started it okay in movie 2, although that was a bit heavy-handed, and movie 4 wasn't terrible about it, but movie 3, I think, really messed it up. Movie 3 made it seem like there was more potential between Harry and Hermione instead of Ron and Hermione. I seriously blame movie 3 for a lot of the rabid Harry/Hermione shippers out there, who think that even JKR has it wrong putting Ron and Hermione together. But they got it right this time!! It made me so happy!! ^__^
Okay, I think that's about all. I'll probably have a little more when I see it again. Unless I fall asleep, which is possible, considering I'll be seeing it next Sunday, right after Book 7(!!!!!!) comes out.