OoTP MOVIE!

[Guest]

[savage727]

My wife and I saw this one yesterday and overall we both loved it.  I too did think the movie was slow in several parts.  The big thing that surprised me was the large number of children that I saw in the theater who were very restless and non attentive throughtout most of the film.  I saw at least 50 young children ranging in age from 5 to 10 or 12 years old all with their parents who just did not get it.  I honestly do not think this movie is for a younger audience from what I witnessed.  I never saw this happen in any of the other Potter films.    

I loved Luna and Umbridge as well!   

[Geek Boy]

My wife and I saw this one yesterday and overall we both loved it.  I too did think the movie was slow in several parts.  The big thing that surprised me was the large number of children that I saw in the theater who were very restless and non attentive throughtout most of the film.  I saw at least 50 young children ranging in age from 5 to 10 or 12 years old all with their parents who just did not get it.  I honestly do not think this movie is for a younger audience from what I witnessed.  I never saw this happen in any of the other Potter films.   

I think that's just modern day kids in general - very short attention spans.  They're brought up on a diet of TV and video games from the earliest possible age as a method of keeping them quiet.  Something has to give further down the line...

That's why the British 'government' want to introduce 5 minute 'info burst' lessons to keep them interested.  Seems that 5 minutes is about as long as British kids can concentrate these days...

I'm going to see the film tomorrow afternoon and I cannot wait.  Over 18's theatre so no kids 

[Kelly]

I saw it at the Imax today.  WOW!  It's great on such a big sceen!  I wish I had seen more of Tonks and the rest of the Order, but other than that I thought they did a good job of making cuts for time.  Luna and Umbridge were terrific!  Even though it was shorter than I would have liked, I think this one tops POA as my favorite so far.  I didn't think it was as scary as POA with the werewolf and all that.  I may take my 8 year old soon since she was very upset at not being able to go with me.

[Geek Boy]

Brilliant.  Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!  Quite sad in overall tone, you really did feel for some of the characters, very moving at times.  And although I've championed Prunella Scales from the start, Imelda Staunton was superb as Umbridge.  Fluffy on the outside, evil on the inside!  Very surprised they left the detention torture sequences in.  Writing that gets etched in to the back of the hand is the stuff of horror movies not a 12A.  Doesn't really drive the plot either, just gives an insight into the psycopathic & pathologic nature of Umbridge and there's plenty of that on show throughout the movie anyway.  I also thought the scenes between Harry and Sirius were a little over sentimental and again, didn't really do anything to drive the story so perhaps it could have been trimmed a little.  But overall I think they've done an excellent job of translating a heavy book into an exciting and fast paced movie.  Can't wait for the hi-def DVD's!

I think the opening sequence could have done with a bit of change (is that really Harry Melling?  He's changed a lot).  Maybe if they'd had a brief recap of events from Goblet and then gone on with the Ministry trying to discredit Harry and have him excluded from Hogwarts, it may have served things a little better for people not familiar with the books or the films.  It's been quite a gap since Goblet and I daresay we won't see HBP until Xmas 2008.  In fact, I'm sure they may well be thinking about filming the last two back to back seeing as the younger cast members are ageing so quickly.

And was it just me or did Moody's broom sound like Sebulba's pod racer from Star Wars Episode 1?

[potter]

I'm going to watch it tonight at 7.30 with my dad really looking forward to it.

[Sharon]

SPOILERS (sort of)


Oh dear I think I am out on a limb here  .  I thought it was a fantastic film but a poor adaptation of the book.  Too many bits were left out ie the real danger Voldemort poses (Mrs Weasley/Boggart, kids getting hurt in Dept of Mystery's etc) and other bits were squeezed in because it seems they are essential to book 7 (Kreacher, giants, centaurs).  Grawp and the centaurs could easily have been skipped and more time given to developing Sirius' depression or the young Marauders.

I am basing a lot of this on Boggys reaction to the film (which he loved by the way) as he has never read a book.  He had no idea why it was tragic that Sirius dies, to him he was just a bit player.  He had no idea whatsoever that Harry felt guilty over the death and I think that is very important in shaping how he is in HBP. 

I did love the film I just wish some of the real peril which you feel in the book had been translated onto the screen.  This was 12a and could easily have been a bit darker - although saying that I wish the bit in the prophecy room had had a few more candles 

I honestly do not think this movie is for a younger audience from what I witnessed. 

Unfortunately this won't stop the idiot parents in the UK taking their 2 year olds to see it just because they can 

But on a happier note if Imelda does get an Oscar nomination it will be well deserved 

[Morningangel-Iola]

I saw it today and thought it was great. Although would like more Tonks. Think they did great with the casting Luna was perfect as were Umbridge and Bellatrix. I wanted to see it before DH comes out and whoever snuffs it snuffs it. I'm hopefully going to see it again next week though

[gimli]

Spoiler don't read it you haven't seen the film


Am I right in thinking that in the book sirius falls through the arch as he is fighting and as in the film he gets  killed by belltrix and then fall through as he is dieing. As i thought that was critical to the point that sirius is lost and no one knows where the archway/vail leads, so to kill him was so wrong. and luna saying tha lost things have a way of finding their way back to us was suposed to be about sirius but how can he be bellatrix used the killing curse on him


my head hurts after watching the film it was good but i was disappointed

[kbmum]

JK has worked with the screenwriters and directors for all of the movies, changing things they either got wrong or left out.  She has said that when someone in the HP world is dead, they are truly dead and can't come back.  Maybe it doesn't matter that the movie shows Sirius being killed by Avada Kedavra, since in the book, he died by falling through the Veil.  Either way, he's dead.

Well, I think this is the most depressing post I've ever written!

[gimli]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

say it isn't so i am really hoping to see him again so if harry lives he can live happily ever after (fairy tail ending of course)

[Roz]

Brilliant.  Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!  Quite sad in overall tone, you really did feel for some of the characters, very moving at times.  And although I've championed Prunella Scales from the start, Imelda Staunton was superb as Umbridge. 

I quite agree. I do love Prunella Scales, does she have an edgy evil side? I can't remember seeing it before.

Fluffy on the outside, evil on the inside!  Very surprised they left the detention torture sequences in.  Writing that gets etched in to the back of the hand is the stuff of horror movies not a 12A. 

Yeah, it really surprised me that she extended the torture to lots of school kids, not just Harry!

I think the opening sequence could have done with a bit of change (is that really Harry Melling?  He's changed a lot).

I'll always remember that I was abroad when OOTP came out and Mark called me and said "oh, you won't believe it - Dudley's a THUG" - and he really was in this! I'm normally very good at picking up characteristics in people and recognising them but I really didn't recognise Melling!