The Movie - may contain spoilers

[Fantasia]

.......which brings to mind the 'group hug' scene shortly after Buckbeak was supposedly executed. Notice, she went for Ron, then Harry went for her.... ;D

Luckily, I was not plaugued with thoughts of "Daniel's so hot" during the movie, so I could take the time to watch it. Kidding. I did think Fred and George got alot cuter....and taller....yay. ;D

[guinevere]

I saw it not once, but twice yesterday. I finish work at 2 so I went right after that and then went again with my mate at 7:30. we saw it at a multi=plex (16 theaters and it was playing on 4 screens) and the entire day was totally sold out.

so......

I thought it was good...not great, but good.
1.) I didn*t like the fact that so many important things were left out...
we didn*t get the "he*s at hogwarts" thingie--where we thought he was going after harry but really wanted peter p.
2.)no mention of who played in the quidditch game--wasn*t this the first time we were introduced to cedric?
and slytherin was supposed to play, but draco*s "injury" kept them out--his injury wasn*t as played up as it was in the book..
3.)the buckbeak thing--it was choppy. we went from his attack on draco to hagrid saying he would be executed..no help from ron or hermoine--I didn*t get the feeling that anyone really cared that he was being beheaded.
4.) the sirius/harry relationship--there was no really feeling there..
5.) the sirius /james relationship--no mention of the best friend stuff nor of the "foursome". did lupin ever mention that he was indeed a great friend of james? I thought he sounded as tho he had a crush on lily..
6.) no mention of why the whomping willow or shrieking shack were built or planted..
7.) the map--it was never brought up WHO made the map--who "mooney, prongs, etc." were.
8.) the quidditch cup--that was a very important part of the book for me personally...and there was no mention of it nor of the house cup.
9.) how could harry leave privet drive without hedwig?--and where was his broom?
10) the stag--if you didn*t read the book, would that have made sense?
11) the hermoine/ron fight over the cat--remember they didn*t speak for quite some time


yes, it was a good movie, but I liked movie #2 better..

guin

[RainFrost]

Eh. My rating. ;D Don't take me wrong. It was a good movie, it really was. Gorgeous graphics (loved how you really got the feeling of Scottland with the landscape). I enjoyed how they expanded Hogwarts itself and the characters. But...I could go on for about twenty minutes on the things I did not like and where I think they messed up (And I did, on the ride home from the movies). I'm not going to bore you with that though now that I have gotten it out of my system. But hey, that's just me. I'm the kind who wants it to stay utterly true to the book.

There was one thing I'm really "iffy" about: Ron and Hermoine. I really hope they contacted Rowling about this because they are so building it up for those two to hook up and I'm not sure if that will really happen in the books. It seems like it is alot more obvious in the movies. I mean, come-on. Always bickering like an old married couple and Hermoine clinging to him quite often. There were other things but I can't remember. *Mutters.* Blasted memory.

Any who....for the record. Thank-you to whoever bothered and kept on reading my post. Ta-da!
Right....bye-bye.

[Simply Panda]

i personally loved it. I liked it much better then the first 2. I mean... i liked the first 2 because it was harry potter, i liked this one because it was a great movie.
This movie was definitly made for people who have read the books... as it did leave out some stuff. But I don't really mind that so much... of course there are parts that I would have loved to see (quidditch cup and talk of the marauders and pigwidgen... i love that end scene on the train in the books... and what not) but it's okay.
The kids have really grown into their characters, they were all amazing!
It's totally Ron and Hermione all the way! I think it's completely obvious in the books!
I was also really impressed with Gary Oldman and David Thewlis. I thought they did an awesome job. They (specially thewlis) didn't look like how I imagined, but they acted exactly as I imagined they would, and that's more important than looks!
I thought the Warewolf was cool! I mean, it was different but I liked that it looked more human. Who ever said a warewolf had to be exactly like a wolf on 2 legs.
The Dementors were AWESOME! ewww... their mouths... ick.
Oh, i also liked all of the time symbolism... it was everywhere.
Sirius as snuffles looked great!
Thanx Alfonso! this movie was sooooooooooo good! 5 stars out of 5, 2 thumbs up and a standing ovation!

*** Side note: If you get a chance to see it at the IMAX dooooooooo it! It was soooo awesome! Specially in Seattle... quality...

[Ritsu]

4.) the sirius/harry relationship--there was no really feeling there..
5.) the sirius /james relationship--no mention of the best friend stuff nor of the "foursome". did lupin ever mention that he was indeed a great friend of james? I thought he sounded as tho he had a crush on lily..
6.) no mention of why the whomping willow or shrieking shack were built or planted..
7.) the map--it was never brought up WHO made the map--who "mooney, prongs, etc." were.
guin

I AM GOING TO KILL SOMEONE DEAD. I SURE AM.

IT'S MY DAMNED FAVOURITE BOOK AND HE RUINED IT. Those details are crucial, dammit!!! Ergh!! Gosh, I'm so disappointed at the whole thing. I defended Cuaron because I thought he'd bring in a new perspective, but HE FRIGGIN' CUT THE WHOLE EMOTION OF THE BOOK ITSELF. Dammit!

[guinevere]

I definitely agree with that...that movie had no emotion..

even hagrid didn*t seem as upset over buckbeak as he should have.

I know this movie was 20 minutes shorter than the first two....why not include some of the important stuff--or was the scriptwriter concentrating on sensationalism...

oh, yeah, and why no mention of the reason they became animagi--and why that nasty fight with lupin/wearwolf and sirius/dog?

no, this certainly wasn*t my favourite of the 3

[Ritsu]

I haven't seen it yet because well, this is Portugal, of course, but damn... one of the reasons I love that book, apart from Sirius... well no, Sirius is part of another reason, is that it's the most emotional one. Or maybe it's the one with the kind of emotion that I like. Grief, loss, dark memories, troubled pasts.. all brought up.. and in the end the little possibility of a better future. And now he comes and cuts all of it. I mean... he just ruined the best piece of work JKR has written, since OoTP seems more like a piece of fanfic than a book itself.

This is probably lame, but I think that I'll cry when I see the movie. Because it's such a loss, he had so many things he could do to make it good. Geez.

Just tell me one think: Gary Oldman wasn't a disappointment, was it? I mean, he tried to make an effort to be emotive?

[moira]

yes, Gary Oldman did a good job as Sirius. Definitely not a dissapointment.

As for the other things left out of the movie...I agree with you guys up to a point. I agree that I would have loved to see all of that in there. I think out of all of that though, what would have been most important to explain was the history of the marauders map, because that goes into the history of the foursome.

Oh, and guin, to answer question number 10, my friend hasn't read the books and saw it with me, and that was something she didn't understand. I had to explain it to her.

Now, I've read quite a few articles about why Cuaron did what he did, (for U.S. people, purchase this week's Entertainment magazine with Harry on the front cover), and basically, he wanted a bit of creative license with this. He wanted to get the main key points across, and cut everything else out that wasn't absolutely crucial. It may be a beloved scene, but not crucial to the story as a whole (not saying that I'm defending that, it's just what I read). From seeing the other two movies, I went to this one prepared that I wasn't going to like some of the adjustments that would inevitably be made, so personally, the movie wasn't a huge disappointment. Yes, all those points you guys have brought up were issues I brought up myself, but I asked myself if the main points were reached, and I answered yes to that. So to give artist kudo points to Cuaron, I think he did a good job. Directing was much better, the visuals were more crisp and inventive (I love how the movie begins), and the acting was much better.

To answer Rain's question, it is most definitely Ron and Hermione. In one interview I watched a while ago about the 5th book, a reporter asked about Harry and Hermione, and JK Rowling's response was: "Harry and Hermione? No, Ron and Hermoine." Besides, they're like opposites attract, always sniveling with each other.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. I loved the performances, I loved the new Dumbledore, I loved David Thewlis and Gary Oldman, and I thought the graphics were amazing, and much more realistic, particularly the Monster Book of Monsters, Buckbeak, and the whole time-turning-back bit where Harry and Hermoine watched their counter parts.

I think the third one was better than the other 2. And let's face it, for the 4th movie, we HAVE to accept that a load of stuff will be cut out and changed around.

[guinevere]

I didn*t like the different Hogwarts, either. I liked hagrids house backing on to the dark forest (and where was the dark forest this time?--the woods looked like some sort of state park)--and I liked the whomping willow on the grounds..not outside the grounds--
since when was the opening to the common room right on the stairs where everyone could see it?

main points..--what exactly were those supposed to be?
I think one of the main points was the foursome and harry finding out about the closeness of the group--and then meeting and establishing some sort of relationship with sirius (in a very short time)...another main point was the quidditch cup--it was a win over malfoy and a very important part of the book...I didn*t like the protrayal of malfoy--he was like some sort of whiney baby--

nah, I still like #2 best//

[Rue]

Okay, a bunch of stuff:

1. I didn't see Malfoy as very whiney. The times he whined were a) when he was making fun of Harry and b) using his injury to soak up as much attention and stuff as he could, both of which were present in the book. There was also the scene in Hogsmeade, but who wouldn't be freaked out if they were getting beaten up by an invisible person? Every time he whined I thought of a justifiable reason for it, reasons that were actually present in the book as well.

2. I agree with Guin about the change of the Hogwarts grounds- there were too many sharp hills and jutting rocks, and I didn't like the placement of Hagrid's house. But on the other hand, I adored the lake. It wasn't how I imagined it at all, since I saw it as much closer to the castle and more calm and serene. But I still loved the shots of Daniel Radcliffe and Buckbeak flying over it- that was good camera work. And, yeah, I was a bit preocuppied with noticing how hot Daniel Radcliffe is now, but I still really loved the scenery and the camera angles and everything in that scene.

3. I was also dissapointed in the werewolf, not because I thought it looked unrealistic but because it differed so so much from my image of a werewolf. It looked too human and lanky and stuff... I thought the transformation would be more complete. I also didn't really like the way David Thewlis played Remus at all... the scenes with him and Harry didn't have much emotion, and he seemed too quick to anger, instead of the understanding and responsible Lupin from the books. But I loved Gary Oldman as Sirius. He looked exactly as I had imagined Sirius, and I saw tons of emotion in his scenes with Harry, especially right when he told Harry he was his Godfather. He was perfect.

4. Despite my few objections, I really loved the movie. I also only really liked the first two movies because of my love of Harry Potter, and with this movie I could love it just for itself. I thought their acting skills had improved tremendously. And even when the movie differed a lot from the book, I didn't mind, because it still worked. It was still funny and exciting and good. There were definitely parts I'd change if I could, but some other things in the movie were amazing, like how life-like Buckbeak looked. I'm sort of becoming more and more incoherent 'cause I'm tired, but I really liked the movie and don't feel at all like Cuaron butchered it or anything of the sort. I was really pleased.

[Simply Panda]

No emotion??? wha-what? I felt it chalk full of emotion. I was nearly in tears for multiple parts.

I dunno... I just think you all expect too much sometimes. I mean... the movies, and everyone involved can not possibly cater to the needs of every single Harry Potter fan, can they?

I liked that Alfonso took some liberties with it... I thought it made it a better movie!!! Like how LOTR is so wonderful... a lot of that is because they didn't stick exactly to the books.

Even J.K. Rowling said this was her favourite movie so far!!! They must have done something right?

Sorry, I'm kinda being a little defensive... it's late, and I just care so much cause I'm a freak... it's bed time!

[gabi]

See, I loved Lupin. I thought he was perfect. Rue, when you say that he seemed quick to anger, are you talking about the scene after he finds Harry and Snape in the hallway with the map? Because I think the anger there was justified, and just how Lupin would have reacted. Harry was endangering himself, and I think Lupin reacted as a concerned parent would. I also really liked the werewolf because it was more human. Yes, it is a monster, but it's still Lupin underneath there. And it was a lot less cartoonish than it could have been, and that made me happy.

Side note to Tasiaboo: I know what you mean about Fred and George. I have a friend who looks exactly like them but with black hair. ;D

As for the stuff that was cut... it makes me wonder about what will be important in future books. Like, I always thought stuff like the Mauraders and Harry's Patronus being a stag and the history were really important, but if they're not so crucial that they were cut, does that mean I should look at something different for future reference?

I dunno. I still really liked the movie. Best of the three, in my opinion. I'm going to see it again soon, too.

[Ritsu]

Panda, said:

I dunno... I just think you all expect too much sometimes. I mean... the movies, and everyone involved can not possibly cater to the needs of every single Harry Potter fan, can they?

We all expect too much sometimes? Not cater the needs of every HP fan?

Omg.

Look, don't you think the book is essentialy about the Marauders, and all the relations Lupin, Sirius and James used to have, and how the tragedy affected them all? Isn't it about Harry finding out more about his father and his past? We're not asking too much, we're asking for the real deal of the book.

[guinevere]

definitely!!!

THAT was the the whole theme of the third book!--and we got none of it.

[Rikku]

Actually we did see Cedric, in the only quidditch match, they were playing hufflepuff, and he was the opposing seeker, you know, the one who froze and fell back going after the snitch.

And another thing, when Malfoy was pining over his "injury", who was the girl going, "oh you poor thing", Pansy maybe?

And the chronology was messed up, he gets the firebolt at the end?? What's up with that?

I also agree about the map, they should have gone into more detail about its origins.

And, did you also notice how it was shorter than the other 2?

Also, I thought Rediculous (sp?) would be pronounced like the word, not re-di-ku-lous.

I didn't like this movie as well as the other two. I really hope they don't royally screw up the 4th one, as it is my favourite book.