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See I LIKED the fact they didn't explain everything. To me that was what made the first two drag. They were trying to fit way too much in. The new director just let it flow togetther and if there were some non-essential loose ends, well that was why the book was written first, so go read it! I really liked the time turner sequence. I thought the bus sequence went on a bit long, but the dialogue was necessary for essential explanation of what happens later.
I wonder if Voldemort coming back will be a prologue for the next book. Besides he's not totally "back" yet til the whole scene with the portkey at the triwizard tournament.
While the visuals weren't always as rich in this one, I think that the fact that the first two were allows the whole thing to be a bit moodier in feel. You don't have to show Christmas at hogwarts because we've already seen it. Overall I liked it much better than the first two and am extremely glad they changed directors. And yes, I liked this Dumbledore just fine.
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The visuals weren't as rich in this one? I think the opposite is true. Howgarts was simply stunning.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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The colors were more washed out IMO though I think the purpose was to set the mood which it did beautifully. You didn't see the huge dining scenes. You didn't see nearly as much of the awe-inspiringness IMO.
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I overall did like the movie, specially the fact that Alfonso Cuaron directed it. However, there was SOMETHING missing from it. I dodn't really know, but by the end of the movie, I was like, "What?! Thats it?!" I don't know whats missing in the movie, but I know something WAS missing.
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The only thing I didn't like was the ending - too brutal in my mind. I didn't imagine Lupin and Sirius that way, but the actors were very good so I didn't mind. I SO hope Malkovitch is really to play Voldemort. He can seem so evil sometimes ! I hope we will see the good sides of Snape on the next movies (I too think he is the one who warned Dumbledore that James and Lily were in danger, which was very noble).
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You are right, Banna, you didn't see as much of it. But I much preferred what we *did* get to see.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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I personally loved the movie so much I went back to see it that night (I went to the midnight showing 1st, so I managed to see it twice in 24 hours) (That also means that I watched HP twice as long as I slept on that day!)
But an interesting thing happened @ my school...half of the people loved it, and half hated it. The people that hated it seemes pissed at its differences from the book.
Also, my favorite part was the dementors because they werer awesome. I guess in the book they didn't fly. They glided. But if in the movie, they only glided, they would have been a lot less terrifying.
Also, did anyone else notice this?: In the Leaky Cauldron, the wizard who was stirring his coffee with magic...he was reading Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time! How freaking cool!
Also also...the director was mexican right? I read somewhere that he added a bunch of Mexican culture to the movie. 1. The shrunken heads on the bus and in the pubs. 2. In Hogsmeade's candy shop, there were those little candy skulls that are used in the Mexican Day of the Dead. How cool!
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I'm actually reasonably sure that the guy reading A Brief History of Time was the director himself. While I don't have the faintest idea what he looks like, it'd be exactly what I'd expect.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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About Snape: A friend and I have a theory that he was actually in love with Lily, which would explain what made him so loyal to helping them but also so bitter towards them (especially James). Lily was always kind to him, and among everyone else being so awful to him, that had to be pretty attractive.
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hansenj, that makes a lot of sense. A *lot*. No wonder Snape can't stand Harry -- not only does he remind Snape of Harry's horrible (to Snape) father, but he also reminds Snape of what could have been if she hadn't gone with the jerk Potter.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote: quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think a big part of that was because when they were sucking away happiness it looked too much like the soul was being sucked away. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But, that's what's happening.
I have to disagree. When dementors are anywhere near you, your happiness gets sucked away, but your soul isn't sucked away until/unless they administer the dementor's kiss, something that wasn't explained much in the movie. And you couldn't understand that simply by watching the movie because none of the dementors actually had its mouth (hole, whatever) near Sirius's when he almost lost his soul. But there is a very distinct difference and I was disappointed that that difference was ignored. If they had simply not explained it I would be perfectly okay with that. But it seemed to me that the director went out of his way to blur that line.
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I liked how much grayer and darker the movie was. It looked a lot more English this time around.
Posts: 2258 | Registered: Aug 2003
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My mother is absolutely convinced that Snape was in love with Lily. She also thinks he's going to die and confess to Harry with his last breath that he loved Harry's mother and...blah. This is a result of reading too many books by Rafael Sabatini and P.C. Wren. I despise Snape, and it's all his fault that Sirius died, and I hate him. I hate, hate, hate him, and the more I read about him the more I dislike him, especially because now I have to feel sorry for him for having a wretched upbringing and school experience.
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What they made it seem like in the film is that Lupin may have had a thing for Lily, the way he spoke about her. But of course we all know that's not true! Otherwise it'd slowly change into "As the Cauldron Turns" or something.
I think Snape just hates Harry cause he hated James and Harry reminds Snape of James and of all those traumatic things that happened to him during his adolescence. And of course simply because he was teased, et cetera, in school gives him no right to humiliate anyone else so....I hate Snape too. Alan Rickman, however, plays him with a little more dignaty than the character in the book. A little less greasy.
Posts: 51 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I’m too tired to go into all the tiny idiosyncrasies that bothered me about the transformation from book to movie. What really sticks out in my mind is the positive anyway. We have seen the true Harry Potter for the first time in this film. The first two movies still moved me, but this is what I always imagined and I can’t help but chalk it up to the new director. I also loved this new Dumbledore. Also with the kids’ maturity came better acting skills which helped, with the exception of that one Harry crying scene as mentioned earlier (horrid! Almost ruined the moment) I’m not quite sure how to express what I’m feeling… I enjoyed the first two in the ‘I’m not sorry I saw the movie’ kinda way, but this movie had the same effect on me as the books, that same kind of unexplainable enchantment.
I got very downtrodden today when I had to explain half the movie to my very uninterested parents. I get so upset when they don’t feel all that I feel about movies/books.
And in my moment of weakness when I morph back into a girl, I must say that I have a very inappropriate crush on Ron. Posts: 6 | Registered: May 2004
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I also think Snape was in love with Lily. I had a theory about that reading the first 3 or 4 books. I also think he hated James because, like I said before- He was an arrogant git He had a lot of money, why else does Harry have so much gold? His father was loaded! He was an excellent Quiddich player. He teased Snape all day from the very start like Malfoy teases Harry. Oddly, Snape=Harry. Malfoy=James.
To me, Snape was a nerdy, skinny, pale, greasyheaded awkward kid with an interest in the dark arts who worked hard at his studies like Hermione did. He got teased by Black and James and their crew because they were more powerful and popular. He got mixed in with the wrong crowd, had misgivings, so he switched sides and became a spy at great personal risk, a double agent of sorts. But, James isn't completely a bad guy in this. He did save Snape's life, something, which, much to my irratation is not addressed in the movie. This probably made Snape hate him more because now he had to be in dept to a man he dispised. He finds out about Voldermort's plans to kill Lily and James, tells Dumbledore. James, with advice from Black gets Pettigrew as their secret keeper. Pettigrew, as we know spills the beans. Snape's effort to save James life, thus making things equal is thwarted. Enter Harry Potter at school, looks just like his dad, plays Quidditch. But like Snape he grows up poor, gets teased all the time, doesn't really have that much privelege. Snape still hates him... Furthermore, Snape, prepared to be in his double agent role cannot get to close to the boy anyway. Yet, he still tries to save his life all through the first book. Snape is a fascinating and mysterious fellow. There is more to him that meets the eye. What other reasons make him so horrible to Harry?
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Snape is actually Harry's real father, a surprise twist that explains why everyone who sees Harry is compelled to tel him how much he looks like James. Won't see it coming, will he? Ha!
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Another cool theory (not very relevant, and would be more appropriate in a thread about the fifth book, but anyway), the Sorting Hat's song in the fifth book talked about unity between the houses being important and as I recall mentioned a past when the houses weren't so divided. Well, my friends and I noticed that it's interesting to imagine which house each of the four friends could have been in. It seems unlikely that they would have all come from Gryffindor, and when you think about it, it makes sense that one could be from each house. James- Gryffindor (just makes sense), Lupin- Ravenclaw (he's certainly smart enough), Pettigrew- Hufflepuff (he's clearly not smart or brave enough to be in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor), and Sirius- Slytherin (dark wizards do run in his family. Just something to ponder... Posts: 1635 | Registered: Aug 2002
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Huh. Someone I know on another board, who I am fairly certain you do not know, came up with essentially that same theory, hansenj.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I thought of that...although we don't know for sure what house Pettigrew was in (I find it very difficult to believe it was Gryffindor, but who knows?), we do know about the other three:
quote: Sirius Riddle: What houses were Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter and Remus Lupin in? Everyone tells me they were all Gryffindor, but I won't believe it unless I hear it from Ms. Rowling herself! JK Rowling says: This is JK herself saying that they were indeed in Gryffindor!
For the longest time, Slytherin (sp?) has been portrayed as just downright evil, and Griffindor as good. But it seems to me that they aren't divided along moral lines, they are divided according to the students' strengths and weaknesses.
We've seen a little bit of how good can come from Slytherin from Snape, but that is only a partly true. He was first a follower of Voldemort, and then switched sides.
I wonder if we'll see some more goodness come out of Slytherin, and some evil come out of Griffindor.
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I would assume Pettigrew would be in Gryffindor as well. I think people seem to really hang out with their houses more than anybody else. Keeping in my mind the Old Potter/New Potter, Pettigrew would clearly be akin to Neville, who is a sort of hanger-on that is in Gryffindor. Don't they do a bit more with the other houses in 4? I have only read 4 once (when it came out) but I remember Cho being a big character and she isn't Gryffindor and whatsisname...the person OFFICIALLY chosen for the Tri-wizard...he was Ravenclaw, wasn't he?
It would be nice if they did more to explore other houses, but then JK's giant books would become even more deadly if dropped from a building.
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I guess I'm the only one here who doesn't like the new Dumbledore. He seems dim-witted to me. Harris always seemed like he knew something he wasn't letting on about; which I think is very important to the character.
I liked the change in mood, especially the weather, but I didn't like the fact that Hagrid's house was clearly in a different location. I also didn't like the lake. Isn't this the same lake where the Weasely's tickle the Giant Squid? It seems that Hogwarts has actually CHANGED, as opposed to merely having more about it revealed.
iirc, Harry's first patronus was just a wisp of mist that didn't take a real form. That could have solved the problem of showing the patronus, without showing the stag and "giving it away." Except of course, they never told us about the stag.
I also REALLY dislike the clock. It was mechanical, not magical. When does it point to "mortal peril" or some such? The clock was a waste of time and footage, they could have used that time to explain some of the things they left out. I thought Hermione popping into classes was "foreshadowing" enough for the time thing.
Yes, Harry's crying was really bad. And especially since he wasn't visible, they could have dubbed it from someone who could cry well.
And how about that cut to Harry and Hermione flying on Buckbeak? That was just amateur. (But Buckbeak flying was sensational)
And Sirius, Harry and Hermione yelling with delight as they flew away? I felt like yelling: "Hey, your life is in danger! You're not supposed to be seen. Shut up and be sneaky, will you?"
What else? The Bus. I just wanted one mailbox to pull up its skirt and jump out of the way.
Didn't someone witness the Dementor attempting to do the kiss to Harry? or was that in another book? I didn't like the dementors. They should have used the "Blair Witch" technique of not showing them to us, to make them more scary.
The general consensus seems to be that the movie was great, but left a lot out. I agree, they left a lot out, and the movie could afford to be quite a bit longer.
For all my criticism: Yes, I liked the movie. But it isn't my favorite.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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In the fifth book she does a lot more to show characters from other houses with D.A.
quote: Snape is actually Harry's real father, a surprise twist that explains why everyone who sees Harry is compelled to tel him how much he looks like James. Won't see it coming, will he? Ha!
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Could someone please explain this clock thing to me? I must have completely missed it. My mom did too, though my dad said something about thinking they were always about to be hit by a pendulum.
Posts: 1547 | Registered: Jan 2004
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Also - In the previous movies there was a clear distinction between the Hogwarts grounds and the forbidden forest. In this movie it seems the forest IS the grounds. That doesn't feel right to me. Hogwarts needs a nice campus so we could feel the comfort of an Alma Mater. The change in tone would have been more effective if it were familiar landscapes that had suddenly become threatening.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Yeah, I thought they were going to get hit by the pendulum too. I kept thinking of "The Pit and the Pendulum."
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Oh, and the lake... Isn't that the same lake that the 1st years cross in a boat? This one was some icky little forest pond. You could have walked around it. Considering that the lake comes in again in "Goblet of Fire" this lake must be a different lake.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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I took my kiddos to see it today. In my opinion, the movie is the reason you should really read the books. I did enjoy the scenery - some of it was absolutely beautiful. But for some reason, none of the movies, including this one, have drawn me in. But my kids really did enjoy it, though they were left with a lot of questions since the movie didn't explain things well enough.
quote: Sirius Riddle: What houses were Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter and Remus Lupin in? Everyone tells me they were all Gryffindor, but I won't believe it unless I hear it from Ms. Rowling herself! JK Rowling says: This is JK herself saying that they were indeed in Gryffindor!
*sigh* Well, there goes that theory...
I saw the movie for a second time with my family last night, and I must say I enjoyed it even more. I was worried that the second viewing would be disappointing because I'd notice more things that were wrong. It turns out though, that since I already knew what they were going to leave out, I could focus on enjoying the movie alone. I know everyone has already said this, but it really is a good adaptation of the book. It's rather impossible to pick up all the intricacies and emotional tensions from a book in a film, and I think they did a wonderful job of capturing the magical world. Great fun.
And yes, I have an unexplainable crush on Harry and Ron as well. I'm a dirty old woman!
Posts: 1635 | Registered: Aug 2002
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Ok, here's my true problem with this movie - I ended up with both kids sleeping in my room last night! Operaetta was afraid of "the werewolf guy" and Boy Opera said "everytime I close my eyes I see dementers." Dang those special effects!
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Am I the only one here who didn't like it? I thought it was boring.
It was great, though, when all the eight to ten-year-old girls sitting in the two rows in front of us (wearing schoolgirl uniforms) clapped when Hermione punched Draco.
Posts: 2149 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I liked the clock! I thought it was a great visual presence. I also like the music at the beginning and end of the time-turner sequence.
My favorite new parts of Hatrack: the bridge, Hagrid's pumpkin patch, and most of all, Lupin's office! That place was cooooool!
I also liked the fact that many of the scarier scenes had humorous bits. It worked well in the theater I was in -- the woman a few seats over shrieked at each startling or scary bit, and I giggled. The friend I went with thought it was great.
Oh, and she hasn't read the books, but didn't really seem bothered by the origin-of-the-map question. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I loved the clock too rivka...(but, minor spoiler. In one scene, they show Harry standing directly behind the clock and looking out onto the courtyard. In following scenes, they show the clock as a mess of gears and mechanisms with NO WHERE to stand near the window...Hm....)
My favorite FAVORITE musical addition by the beloved John Williams was when Harry flew over the water on Buckbeak the first time. It was just beautiful!!
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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I too like the clock, and if someone can give me old clock or watch gears I'd be stupidly happy.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Oh, yeah, I loved the music! I didn't bother to get the soundtracks from the first two, but I will be getting this one!
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:I liked the clock! I thought it was a great visual presence.
This director was very good at how he discreetly sneaked in those foreshadowing. The opening scenes with the Whomping Willow and the big clock sequences. Because I had already read the book I noticed those points the first time I saw it. Very well done.
I also loved the music in this one (the Buckbeak sequence too!) but it's not surprising because I always love John Williams' music.
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As the Cauldron Turns!![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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The boy is freaking adorable!
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was when Harry flew over the water on Buckbeak the first time. It was just beautiful!!
