This is going to ramble and likely won't make a lick of sense.
A lot of critics are saying it's the best one yet.
Yup. 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Early word has been almost unanimously positive, but people have varied in the way they've praised it. Some saying it is slightly disjointed, but ultimately satisfying. Many saying it is the funniest of the films. Some saying it's the best thing since sliced bread and that it will be one of the 10 films nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars next spring.
It will obviously be an immaculately crafted film, in terms of sound and visuals and acting. I'm of the mind that the Harry Potter film franchise was
perfectly cast.
Hmmm, we have to find someone to play Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Let's get the three fucking cutest young British actors in the world to play them! Perfect.
We have to find someone to play Professor Severus Snape. Let's get the fucking bad guy from Die Hard! Perfect.
We have to find someone to play this obnoxious asshole Gilderoy Lockhart. Let's get fucking Kenneth Branagh! Perfect.
We have to find someone to play the friendly giant named Hagrid. Let's get the guy who played Zukovsky in Goldeneye who has the absolute most spot on voice for the role! Perfect.
You get the point.
Oh wait, we need music? Let's get John Williams to compose one of the greatest pieces of music of his career for this shit.
I feel the movies have been getting better and better with each one
Yes. Each film has improved on its predecessor, if only because of the growth of the story itself and the growth of the young actors. With each chapter has come an increasing and palpable sense of life and death, dread, darkness. Year one it's all about Harry getting his first Nimbus 2000. By year 4 we actually have Harry and Voldemort dueling it out, face to face, wand to wand, in a fucking graveyard. The stories, and the films, have been getting better. Shit is getting serious. And I don't mean Sirius.
Then the maturation of the young actors. The greatest moment of the first 5 films takes place in Phoenix, with the formation of Dumbledore's Army. A group of ultimate bad asses who hide out in a secret room in their school/castle and practice kicking the crap out of each other with their wands so that when they face Voldemort's crew they will be ready. And when they finally face Voldemort's crew in the climactic fight at the Department of Mysteries, were they prepared? You bet your ass they were. They "Stupify! Stupify! Stupified!" the shit out of those mask-wearing baddies.
The maturation of the Hogwarts students and their growing bond and friendship over the years is the true heart of the story. And the actors (not just the big three, but also the actors playing Neville, Ginny, etc.) have grown so wonderfully into their parts.
So yeah, it's the ensemble cast that makes these films a success. It's dangerous taking a beloved book series with a wonderfully fantastic story and transferring it to the big screen. At the end of the day, it's Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson that make this film franchise memorable and captivating.
Am I the only one that thinks Michael Gambon does a fine job playing Dumbledore?
It's weird because I think Richard Harris was missing the playful, almost youthful spirit of Dumbledore
Exactly. Gambon's portrayal is light years ahead of Harris. Harris seemed to be goign through the motions, seemingly uninspired and uninterested in the role he was playing. No fluidity, no light in the eyes, nothing. And he was a (literally) dying man. Can you imagine old Richard Harris pulling off the epic showdown between Voldy and Dumbles at the end of Phoenix? No. It wouldn't have worked. The man couldn't move. Gambon has a bounce in his step.
Yeah, a lot of character moments in that film were way off, especially with Hermione.
I still don't know what scene you're referring to with Dumbledore in Goblet. I can't recall him doing anything weird when Harry's name comes out or in the office. Maybe I repressed whatever it is. And what was off about Hermione in Goblet? I'm curious, and Goblet is playing on ABC Family in like 2 hours and I'll look out for these things.
