Back from seeing "Prisoner of Azkaban"!
Amazing! I didn't write in my Livejournal in over 2 months. Even more amazing is the fact that I haven't been defriended by everyone. :o)
I finally found the time to watch "Prisoner of Azkaban" - the movie I originally hadn't even wanted to see. I found the first and the second movie rather mediocre: Entertaining while you watched them, but afterwards they left me unsatisfied and had me complaining about a great many things. I decided to watch PoA after finally realizing that Cuaron directed it. (I must have read this information before, but it only sank in two weeks ago. :o)) And I don't regret my decision at all! I only wish Cuaron had also directed the first two movies.
This movie does not give us just one pretty scene after another, no, every scene is important and all the scenes together form a perfect whole.
And behold: There's even symbolism! I loved the time imagery! E.g. the giant clock is a powerful symbol. When Harry and Hermione go on their timetravel, they pass through the intricate clockwork. To me this stands for the intricacies and pitfalls of time-travel.
I hadn't expected to like movie Lupin. He looked not at all like I had imagined him. (I always pictured him as a haggard version of Jeremy Irons.) Strangely enough though movie Lupin grew on me and I could easily understand why he would be liked as a teacher. When I read the book, I will still picture Lupin my way, but I have no problem with Lupin in the movie either.
Oh, and Gary Oldman is great as Sirius. Not sure I liked his dog form though. It didn't look real enough, IMO.
Alan Rickman as Snape is brilliant as always. I would have loved to see him in some more scenes with Lupin, but I accept that Cuaron focused on the most important parts of the book.
I liked the children's actors much better this time around. I had the feeling that their acting was much more mature. (Yes, I know they're growing up. :o) And maybe it also helps to have an excellent director.)
What I loved, loved, LOVED was that finally Harry's world felt *real*. In the first two movies everything was so pretty that it annoyed me at times. In these movies, Harry never had messy hair, the clothing he wore fit quite nicely, Hermione's hair looked always well-styled and Ron never looked as if he couldn't afford his schoolrobes. This has been changed radically. People look real!! Harry's hair is messier, his clothes have stopped fitting, Ron looks as if he doesn't wash his hair every morning, Hermione looks like she focuses on studying and doesn't spend hours in front of the mirror, the bus conductor is allowed to have bad skin, every pupil looks real and not as if there's a film crew around that styles them every five minutes. The Hogwarts express, Hogwarts itself: Nothing is perfect and polished any longer. Instead it feels REAL.
And Draco: He's such a wimp. A bully who has occasionally some charm, but is also a big coward. I actually like movie Draco. :o)
I find myself wishing and hoping for a H/D story that gives us a Draco who's a wimp and coward, but is still likable. I really don't want to read any more stories that show Misunderstood!Draco or ReallyVeryCool!Draco. Should anyone who reads this know a story that shows Coward!Draco, please let me know and send me the link.
I adore the gritty sense of humor! Harry's ride in the knight bus and his arrival in the Leaky Cauldron are just two examples.
Loved the innuendo: Harry reading in bed holding his wand. Harry asking Snape to put away his wand. Sirius and Remus hugging; Snape commenting they act like a married couple. (I freely admit that slash has corrupted my previously innocent brain. I can't even read the first chapter of Order of the Phoenix without seeing subtext everywhere. Ah, Rowling, all these wands and broomsticks *are* phallic symbols, aren't they?)
Many scenes are stunningly beautiful in their cinematography. The clocks, the staircase to Trelawny's tower, the first appearance of the dementor, ...
So is there anything I didn't like?
Well, maybe "Super-Hermione" was a bit much, but I also find I can't really get upset about it. I just accept it in the course of the movie.
Some information is missing: How did Sirius survive in Azkaban? How could he escape? Who are Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs anyway? - But as I know the books I'm not sure how much the lack of this information affects someone who hasn't read the books. But these missing bits didn't hurt the story, I think. (That was rather different in the second movie: Here we would have needed to see some more scenes with Ginny in order to get some clues that she's involved all along.)
Oh well, I will have to think about this movie some more. And then I will definitely watch it again. :o)
I finally found the time to watch "Prisoner of Azkaban" - the movie I originally hadn't even wanted to see. I found the first and the second movie rather mediocre: Entertaining while you watched them, but afterwards they left me unsatisfied and had me complaining about a great many things. I decided to watch PoA after finally realizing that Cuaron directed it. (I must have read this information before, but it only sank in two weeks ago. :o)) And I don't regret my decision at all! I only wish Cuaron had also directed the first two movies.
This movie does not give us just one pretty scene after another, no, every scene is important and all the scenes together form a perfect whole.
And behold: There's even symbolism! I loved the time imagery! E.g. the giant clock is a powerful symbol. When Harry and Hermione go on their timetravel, they pass through the intricate clockwork. To me this stands for the intricacies and pitfalls of time-travel.
I hadn't expected to like movie Lupin. He looked not at all like I had imagined him. (I always pictured him as a haggard version of Jeremy Irons.) Strangely enough though movie Lupin grew on me and I could easily understand why he would be liked as a teacher. When I read the book, I will still picture Lupin my way, but I have no problem with Lupin in the movie either.
Oh, and Gary Oldman is great as Sirius. Not sure I liked his dog form though. It didn't look real enough, IMO.
Alan Rickman as Snape is brilliant as always. I would have loved to see him in some more scenes with Lupin, but I accept that Cuaron focused on the most important parts of the book.
I liked the children's actors much better this time around. I had the feeling that their acting was much more mature. (Yes, I know they're growing up. :o) And maybe it also helps to have an excellent director.)
What I loved, loved, LOVED was that finally Harry's world felt *real*. In the first two movies everything was so pretty that it annoyed me at times. In these movies, Harry never had messy hair, the clothing he wore fit quite nicely, Hermione's hair looked always well-styled and Ron never looked as if he couldn't afford his schoolrobes. This has been changed radically. People look real!! Harry's hair is messier, his clothes have stopped fitting, Ron looks as if he doesn't wash his hair every morning, Hermione looks like she focuses on studying and doesn't spend hours in front of the mirror, the bus conductor is allowed to have bad skin, every pupil looks real and not as if there's a film crew around that styles them every five minutes. The Hogwarts express, Hogwarts itself: Nothing is perfect and polished any longer. Instead it feels REAL.
And Draco: He's such a wimp. A bully who has occasionally some charm, but is also a big coward. I actually like movie Draco. :o)
I find myself wishing and hoping for a H/D story that gives us a Draco who's a wimp and coward, but is still likable. I really don't want to read any more stories that show Misunderstood!Draco or ReallyVeryCool!Draco. Should anyone who reads this know a story that shows Coward!Draco, please let me know and send me the link.
I adore the gritty sense of humor! Harry's ride in the knight bus and his arrival in the Leaky Cauldron are just two examples.
Loved the innuendo: Harry reading in bed holding his wand. Harry asking Snape to put away his wand. Sirius and Remus hugging; Snape commenting they act like a married couple. (I freely admit that slash has corrupted my previously innocent brain. I can't even read the first chapter of Order of the Phoenix without seeing subtext everywhere. Ah, Rowling, all these wands and broomsticks *are* phallic symbols, aren't they?)
Many scenes are stunningly beautiful in their cinematography. The clocks, the staircase to Trelawny's tower, the first appearance of the dementor, ...
So is there anything I didn't like?
Well, maybe "Super-Hermione" was a bit much, but I also find I can't really get upset about it. I just accept it in the course of the movie.
Some information is missing: How did Sirius survive in Azkaban? How could he escape? Who are Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs anyway? - But as I know the books I'm not sure how much the lack of this information affects someone who hasn't read the books. But these missing bits didn't hurt the story, I think. (That was rather different in the second movie: Here we would have needed to see some more scenes with Ginny in order to get some clues that she's involved all along.)
Oh well, I will have to think about this movie some more. And then I will definitely watch it again. :o)