Harry Potter Discussion and Appreciation Thread

[Anubis]

I was shocked to find out that the film was made in as little as four months. And some interview in the UK with Emma Watson said that she "Did not enjoy spending all of her time in a blue scree, it felt pointless"

[elhSG1]

Saw it Saturday at the IMAX, which by the way was truely a great experience, and I loved it, definately darker than the first 2 movies. I agree with everyone else, the actors definately are good, hopefully they'll be able to keep using these ones, it would be so hard to get used to other actors.

[Greesha]

this one was the only harry potter movie i've seen, but i've read all the books. i liked the special effects and being able to see the setting and everything, but i agree that a lot of stuff was lost in translation. i mean, obviously they can't show them going to the same classes every day like they do in the book, that would get boring, but still. i got this sense that i wouldn't have understood the movie if i hadn't read the book.

[ShadowMaat]

They left out all the bickering between Ron & Hermione, they left out Crookshanks's role in things and the fact that he's smarter than the average cat, they left out the fact that Harry could hear his mother begging Voldemort to spare him (which I would have thought was kind of important), they skipped the winning of the House Cup! And Oliver Wood's last year, dammit! And what about the fact that Sirius was SO big a threat that he was on the Muggle news?? I know they had to pare things down, but I think that some of what was lost was important and the movie itself didn't really give you time to pause and reflect. There was no sense of buildup, no accumulation of suspense, just zip-zip-zip through the whole movie.

I agree with Greesha, if I hadn't read the book I'd probably have been lost. As it was, I had the nagging sense through the whole movie that I was missing important things.

[petzke_42]

I didn't read the books, and I got it fine...but I'm a LITTLE (read: a lot) smarter than the average person .

(Although, why was Cerious Black all menacing on the poster if he wasn't guilty?)

(excuse the spelling of his name, didn't read the book)

[David]

I have yet to read the book, though I wouldn't consider myself lost, but dissapointed. I didn't feel like there was an ending. No Baselisk to stick it to. In fact, I the "ending" was in act four and then replayed again in act five from a distance. I didn't expect it to end with Harry on a broom

Out of the three films it is my least favorite.

[Jafana]

I didn't read the books, and I got it fine...but I'm a LITTLE (read: a lot) smarter than the average person .

(Although, why was Cerious Black all menacing on the poster if he wasn't guilty?)

(excuse the spelling of his name, didn't read the book)

by the time that that photo was taken, the dementors had had a little feed on him, not to mention the fact that he knew he was innocent, and he also knew exactly where he was going to be put (ie. Azkaban)
you would look pretty menacing in those shots too, if you were in that kind of a situation.

As for getting the movie if you havent read the books: if you've seen the other movies then you're probably ok with getting most of the storyline of this movie. It was actually a really good film if you can convieniently forget about everything else that happens. It follows the main plot really well.
however, what i think that people are upset about is that there are a lot of sub-plots that were left out, stuff that will be important to know the background of in later films because they become quite large plots in the books.

one little niggle question: was it this book that hermione finds out how badly the house elves are treated? or is that the fifth book? Coz i remember so goes crazy over the knitting of hats and things to try to free the house elves of the school.

[ShadowMaat]

Fourth book sees the introduction of SPEW- Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare or whatever it is. It continues on into the fifth book.

I've been re-reading the books to refamiliarize myself with what's happening. It's only reaffirming what I said earlier about Azkaban being my fave book but least fave movie...

[Shipperahoy]

Well I love the book and I liked the movie but I actually think I would have liked the movie better if I hadn't read the book because then I wouldn't have noticed the massive amount ot stuff that was cut out. I read somewhere that they aren't going to have the Dursely's in the Goblet of Fire movie. Say what? I'm dying to see on screen the scene where the Weasely's pop out of the fireplace into the Dursely's living room. I can't wait to see how they do the Quidditch World Cup though.

[ShadowMaat]

Bloody stupid forum swallowing my frelling posts...

AS I WAS SAYING... How can you possibly leave out the Dursleys?? I know we hate them, but as we learn in Order of the Phoenix, they're actually quite vital to the over-all storyline.

I heard on another board that they may leave out the bit about Ireland winning the World Cup. I dunno how true that is because frankly it boggles my mind that they could even CONSIDER not including it. I mean, come on! Ireland!! WORLD CUP!! This is important stuff!

I have a very bad feeling about the rest of the movies. I think that the "paring down" is going to get worse and that certain small-but-eventually-vital plot elements are going to continue to get dropped. *sigh* I know the movies can't be exactly like the books and I know they can't include everything, but... some things should be included and so far I'm not confident that they've been doing a good job of that.

[Shipperahoy]

I nkow what you mean. The guy who plays Vernon Dursely was really disapointed. It just seems like something that shouldn't be cut out. I realize, of course, that if they didn't cut some stuff they'd have about a 6 hour movie but some of the stuff they cut I really enjoy. But I believe that they just started filming on Goblet of Fire so maybe there's still hope that they'll put it in. I mean where would the movie start? Just the Weasely's and Harry off to the World Cup with no explanation as to how Harry got there?

[ShadowMaat]

They'll start it off in the woods with Harry & co. getting lost and the Dark Mark appearing. No Dursleys, no World Cup, no leprechauns and veela... *sigh*

[Shipperahoy]

Yeah, they could just turn it into a short film while they're at it. Still they movies are pretty enjoyable to me. I just think I would like them a whole lot better if I didn't know what was missing. Besides my son loves them. And he's only a little over 2 1/2 which I thought was too young but my friend convinced me to go with her and her 4 year old and he sat through all of the Prisoner of Azkaban at the theatre. And now every time a commercial comes on even if he's in another room he recognized it just from the sound and he'll run in screaming "Harry Potter, Harry Potter!". I bought him the Chamber of Secrets yesterday and he wants to keep watching it over and over again. Especially the flying car scene.

[Bagpuss]

I've read all the views and reviews here,and it seems that the film is well worth seeing,but far from the detail of the book.

The "Gatelets" want to go to the cinema,as they're both keen to see Harry and Co. in action....so we'll give it a whirl !

Left to me,we'd just buy the DVD,whenever it comes out,as I hate going to cinemas....too noisy,IMO. I don't enjoy being deafened by the incidental music....and I can do without my son's constant questions too !

[Jonas]

They were thinking about splitting up "Goblet" into 2 movies, ala "Kill Bill", but according to Entertainment Weekly, Alfonzo Curzon convinced screen writer Steve Kloves not to do it. Shame on him!