Harry Potter. (No spoilers)

[Wildcard Ky]

I went and saw Phoenix tonight.

If you're one of the people that thought the book was too long, and not JKR's best piece of work (I'm in that group), you'll probably like the movie.

It's just a hair under 2 hours, so they had to cut a ton from the book. If you haven't read the book, there's a lot of things in the movie that you won't get.

It's very dark, and does the book justice as far as the tone of the movie versus the tone of the book.

As one who thought the book was too long, I was pretty pleased with the movie.

 

[sereneone4u]

It came out tonight? lol

I thought it was not due out for another couple weeks. Too funny.

How are you?

 

[lucylove2b01]

I loved the movie....except for the two girls behind me. One of which squealed like a goat when Sirius (sp?) came on screen...and then continued to breath heavily until the next scene. It really sounded like she was getting off. And then they would laugh at the most serious parts...ugh....ruined the movie...missed many parts....however....it was still worth the money and the crowd to see cutie Harry Potter.

 

[Wildcard Ky]

It came out tonight? lol

I thought it was not due out for another couple weeks. Too funny.

How are you?

That would be the last book. It's due out next Saturday.

I've been doing well. Keeping busy in the summer and all that.

 

[rammage]

huh no wonder why no one wants to hang out today, lol i heard it was good though too

 

[elsol]

I thought the movie was a good interpretation of the book.

Not as good as movie 3, which I thought was the best 'movie'.
Not as good an interpretation as movie 4 from a book -> movie transition view.

I agree it is not her best book, 4 is still best IMO. Five had more character depth which did not play well after the heavy action in Four.

There were a few things cut that were important to the overall character development arch which I thought were a bad idea to cut from the movie and I have to 'forgive' the director for.

There was also one major disappointment which I have to ding the director for... it's not a criticism of the books but of a particular movement that was played out very well in Movie 3 and 4 which this director seems to have completely dropped. (R & H).

 

[S-Des]

I loved it! There was a good balance of fun and tension (although leaning heavily to the tension). There were a number of moments that caused spontaneous clapping from the audience. The effects were flawless (especially the battle at the end). The acting wasn't bad considering you're still leaning on three kids who aren't really actors. The bad/stupid people made you want to see them fall, which kept me deeply involved to the end. Some of the actors were under-used (especially Helena Bonham Carter, who was brilliant with what she was given), and I'm really looking forward to seeing where the characters go in the last two installments. This makes my decision about reading the books vs waiting for the movies even harder. By the time the final book becomes a movie, we're going to know all the important stuff, so it'll probably be anti-climactic. I was avoiding the books because I'm enjoying it unfold before my eyes, but I can't imagine waiting for 2-3 years to find out how it ends.

Two thumbs way up. This was my favorite so far. My only criticism is Cho's disappearance from the movie. Without giving spoilers, I can't believe it was left unresolved like that. Has anyone read the book, and was it left hanging the same way?

 

[angelicminx]

I haven't seen the movie yet, and it doesn't look like I get to see it this weekend. *Sigh* I have read the book and I loved it. Once I had it in hand (I pre-ordered and received it long after it hit the shelves ) it took me 10 hours to read it cover to cover. I didn't even stop to fix dinner, lol. The next book... yawn... it took me 2 years to finish it.

 

[Guest]

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[S-Des]

The duel scenes and fx were amazing!

Something I hadn't really considered . . . if you thought the practice scenes were cool, imagine the fact that they did the stunts with children, so no stuntmen, and maximum safety requirements. The scenes at the end really gave me chills. It made you understand how the Death Eaters could have been so feared. The final duel made me feel almost like I did during Yoda's first fight. The Director did a great job of making you feel how much power they weilded.

 

[Chantilyvamp]

Holy hell almighty. I met this lady on the plane and i was talking to her in the airport, she thought kiddie was really cute and well behaved. Hubby says shes famous I was tired and didnt get it. Now i find out i've been sitting there talking to Professor Sprout!

I knew he was right somewhere along the line cos this kid came up and said thank you for your autograph to her. And dumbass me didnt ask for an autograph out of politeness since i hadnt realised who she was before. Well technically I still didnt know till tonight who she was...we just knew she played a witch and i went to searching for hogwarts teachers.

 

[JamesSD]

I saw it in I-max 3-D which was pretty sweet.

Overall I enjoyed it a lot. It's a great film, and captured the tone well.

That said, the main kids were looking REALLY old. Daniel Radcliffe looked about 18, and Rupert didn't look much younger. Emma was the most believable as a 15 year old, but a lot of 15 year old girls look like they're 18, not to mention the fact that she's a rather petite young woman.

Ok, time for some "blasphemy": I'm glad they cut the Quiddich out. The rules of quiddich are ridiciulous... JK Rowling clearly knows very little about sports or game design. Basically, the entire rest of the game exists to give the fans something to watch as the seekers chase the golden snitch, which determines the ENTIRE OUTCOME of the game, except in a blowout. It's just silly.

So yeah, good movie

 

[elsol]

Ok, time for some "blasphemy": I'm glad they cut the Quiddich out. The rules of quiddich are ridiciulous... JK Rowling clearly knows very little about sports or game design. Basically, the entire rest of the game exists to give the fans something to watch as the seekers chase the golden snitch, which determines the ENTIRE OUTCOME of the game, except in a blowout. It's just silly.

Why create a game that makes sense to the 'real' world in a book of a fantastical world? I thought it a deft touch to illustrate how very different wizards and witches are.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Ok, time for some "blasphemy": I'm glad they cut the Quiddich out. The rules of quiddich are ridiciulous... JK Rowling clearly knows very little about sports or game design. Basically, the entire rest of the game exists to give the fans something to watch as the seekers chase the golden snitch, which determines the ENTIRE OUTCOME of the game, except in a blowout. It's just silly.

I have made the same complaint many a times. Worst game I have ever seen.

And Radcliff doesnt look like the people I graduated school with. I was twice his size when I was that age, along with half of my class. We were huge. So I have no problems seeing those half-pint people as the ages that they are playing, rather than the ages that they are.

 

[S-Des]

I have made the same complaint many a times. Worst game I have ever seen.

And Radcliff doesnt look like the people I graduated school with. I was twice his size when I was that age, along with half of my class. We were huge. So I have no problems seeing those half-pint people as the ages that they are playing, rather than the ages that they are.

He is tiny. Look at him standing next to Neville! I saw the clip from The Tonight Show when the guy from Ratatouille was poking fun at the movie (saying everyone who "hates America" has a movie they can go see ). Him sitting next to Radcliffe looked almost like Hagrid doing so. Watson is really tiny as well. She's exceptionally cute, but looks more like a child than girls much younger than her (remember Anna Kornikova at that age?).

As for Quidditch, I think the game is stupid as well. Not only because the Snitch negates the entire game, but the rules are completely convoluted. The school went into a complete panic because a couple of kids got petrified, and was ready to close because Ginny was kidnapped, but kids cheap shotting each other at a height of hundreds of feet in the air doesn't concern them? In fact, intentionally trying to hurt your opponent doesn't seem to be discouraged at all. If she was shooting for the aerial equivalent of rugby, she missed badly.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

He is tiny. Look at him standing next to Neville! I saw the clip from The Tonight Show when the guy from Ratatouille was poking fun at the movie (saying everyone who "hates America" has a movie they can go see ). Him sitting next to Radcliffe looked almost like Hagrid doing so. Watson is really tiny as well. She's exceptionally cute, but looks more like a child than girls much younger than her (remember Anna Kornikova at that age?).

As for Quidditch, I think the game is stupid as well. Not only because the Snitch negates the entire game, but the rules are completely convoluted. The school went into a complete panic because a couple of kids got petrified, and was ready to close because Ginny was kidnapped, but kids cheap shotting each other at a height of hundreds of feet in the air doesn't concern them? In fact, intentionally trying to hurt your opponent doesn't seem to be discouraged at all. If she was shooting for the aerial equivalent of rugby, she missed badly.

All she would need to do is talk to a sports enthusiast and rework it a little to make it believable. A reduction of points for the snitch to somewhere between six and ten, and you've got a more reasonable game. Raise the points for other activities and it becomes even better. But she took the ridiculous route and made it, well, ridiculous...

AndI haven't seen the movie yet so I have no idea what you are talking about

 

[S-Des]

All she would need to do is talk to a sports enthusiast and rework it a little to make it believable. A reduction of points for the snitch to somewhere between six and ten, and you've got a more reasonable game. Raise the points for other activities and it becomes even better. But she took the ridiculous route and made it, well, ridiculous...

AndI haven't seen the movie yet so I have no idea what you are talking about

The kids being petrified (and Ginny) were from the second one. As for Neville, if you didn't notice it on commercial, he stands a full 6" taller than Harry (and is much bigger as well). I keep hearing about how "old" the kids look, but I don't see it. I've been teaching kids for 15 years now and see plenty that look older than any of the ones on this movie. On the other hand, Ginny still looks really young, so it is creepy to know that she and Harry are supposed to become an item. I'm hoping they figure out a way to age her quite a bit in the next one, or that is really going to creep me out. *shudder*

 

[TheeGoatPig]

The kids being petrified (and Ginny) were from the second one. As for Neville, if you didn't notice it on commercial, he stands a full 6" taller than Harry (and is much bigger as well). I keep hearing about how "old" the kids look, but I don't see it. I've been teaching kids for 15 years now and see plenty that look older than any of the ones on this movie. On the other hand, Ginny still looks really young, so it is creepy to know that she and Harry are supposed to become an item. I'm hoping they figure out a way to age her quite a bit in the next one, or that is really going to creep me out. *shudder*

I haven't seen many ads.

I'm surprised they have kept so much of the cast intact over so many movies. But they could always switch her out for a new actress

 

[TheGreatRaja]

actually I found the movie to be pretty good

 

[sereneone4u]

I have four teenagers...hence, lots of teens at the house. Remember, they all bloom at different stages....my son's are all within three years of each other...two are over six feet and one is about 5'8' still....one of the tall ones still looks boyish in features and the other one looks like he is in his late teens, early twenties.

I enjoyed the movie...saw it last night....but I thought the battle should have been longer...also the battle more splendourous in which they fought the deatheaters...it was more suspenseful in the book, I think. I feel they should have added another thirty minutes or so to flesh it out better.

 

[Guest]

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[JamesSD]

See, I thought the battle sequence was wonderful as is. It wasn't too long, wasn't too short, was just right.

I agree with TheeGoatPig in that had she tweaked the point system a little, the game of Quiddich would at least makes some sense. From a story standpoint she wanted to make Harry's seeker position extremely important, but as such she more or less nullified the rest of the game. The lack of coherant rules regarding cheating is also questionable, but more forgivable.

I'll admit I'm underqualified to judge the ages of teenagers. I work on a college campus and see plenty of 18+ young adults, and my apartment complex has a bunch in the 8 and under set, but as for kids 8-17 or so, I pretty much never see them.

 

[CharleyH]

I went and saw Phoenix tonight.

If you're one of the people that thought the book was too long, and not JKR's best piece of work (I'm in that group), you'll probably like the movie.

It's just a hair under 2 hours, so they had to cut a ton from the book. If you haven't read the book, there's a lot of things in the movie that you won't get.

It's very dark, and does the book justice as far as the tone of the movie versus the tone of the book.

As one who thought the book was too long, I was pretty pleased with the movie.

Never read any book (started but it was way too simple for me to be interested). I have seen the films, though and this last one WAS THE BEST. I did not walk out going WOW or anything, but it was the best of the bunch in my eyes: Narrative/action/ character/ intrigue.

This last one, though? It did make me think of the Star Wars trilogy. Is Harry Potter but a mirror of his possibly BAD father? Just a query.

 

[angelicminx]

Well, having seen the movie now, I thought I would revive this thread.

I didn't like it. I think they left out too many important details and made it too hard for people who hadn't read the book to understand what was going on.

I'm taking my daughter to see it next weekend, so I'll give it another chance. I'll also buy the DVD, simply because I have the other ones.

 

[S-Des]

Well, having seen the movie now, I thought I would revive this thread.

I didn't like it. I think they left out too many important details and made it too hard for people who hadn't read the book to understand what was going on.

I'm taking my daughter to see it next weekend, so I'll give it another chance. I'll also buy the DVD, simply because I have the other ones.

That's interesting. I've never read any of the books, but didn't have a problem following the movie. It may be that it's kind of up my alley (I'm such a sci-fi geek). I loved it so much, I'm going to buy the last three books, so I can finish it off now.

Charley, I agree. The angle with Voldemort & Harry is painfully obvious (even without reading the books). He couldn't be more of a father figure if he actually had an affair with Lilly Potter (would Harry even be half the wizard he is if not for absorbing some of Voldemort's power?). Every choice Harry has made, has been poitned out (ad nauseum) to be one that could have taken him down Riddle's path. At least I'm fairly confident JK isn't going to sell us a schlockey "bad turning good" twist. You don't suppose she'd have the guts to make Harry turn bad and become "Emperor Palpatine" of the magical world?