Anyone going to see Harry Potter Tonight?

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

agreed

I enjoyed the movie. Great visually, of course, and there were a lot of funny scenes. Alan Rickman is genius as Snape... he is able to seem incredibly pissed off without overdoing it. He's subtle. "Obviously" was somehow one of the best moments in the film, and just his expression when Umbridge gave her speech at the beginning

I want to see this film again I do think they could have made a bit more out of Sirius's death... the emotional impact on Harry wasn't really shown. The mirror scene should have been included. Beyond that I'm not sweatin' any of the stuff left out... the Order wasn't explained fantastically but at least the general idea was given.

I agree with all of this. Alan Rickman as Snape = one of the best casting decisions ever for a film, hands down.

And as for Sirius's death, the emotional impact was little to none, which isn't what I was expecting at all. Kind of disappointing, given his importance to Harry and all.

And the actress who played Luna was so cute and brilliantly played her role. Loved her.

 

[LMP]

Most of the casting for this series has been perfect:

Maggie Smith as McGonagle
Alan Rickman as Snape
Gary Oldman as Sirius
Emma Thompson as Trelawney

Too bad most of them have about 20 minutes of screen time combined. It was probably intentional.

I'm really excited for HBP, that one actually has the potential to challenge Azkaban as the best movie. The cave scene at the end actually scared me, books rarely scare me.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

At the same time, I'm glad they didn't dwell on Sirius' death too much. Though I doubt many people went in not knowing about it, there is something about the abrupt death that Harry is forced to move right past.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Most of the casting for this series has been perfect:

Maggie Smith as McGonagle
Alan Rickman as Snape
Gary Oldman as Sirius
Emma Thompson as Trelawney

Too bad most of them have about 20 minutes of screen time combined. It was probably intentional.

I'm really excited for HBP, that one actually has the potential to challenge Azkaban as the best movie. The cave scene at the end actually scared me, books rarely scare me.

Though it was my least favorite movie (and book), don't forget Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart. And Robbie Coltrane, who pretty much is Hagrid. Ditto for the young lady playing Luna Lovegood. And the twins. So yeah, casting is the most consistent of any book adaptation I've ever seen.

 

[LMP]

You're right, I did forget about Branagh and even Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy.

 

[Teta040]

I second on Snape casting. Too bad Rickman gives no interviews, on Snape, anyway. Whio do we still have to cast?

--Slughorn
--Scrimgeour
--Fenrir Greyback
--Narcissa Malfoy
--Lavender Brown
**Romilda Vane?
**Cormac McLaggen?
**Katie Bell? (All of these three I hope will get in, esp Katie Bell)
Merope Gaunt
--The orpanage director who gets drunk on gin and gives Dumbledore Tom's childhood background. I predict we will see no Hepzibah Smith, no Morfin or Marvolo or Ogden. But we may get a flashback of Merope in labor staggering up to the door of the orphanage begging to be let in, and a close-up shot of her tortured face in childbirth, and then a brief scene of "I hope he looks like his poppa":, and dies.
--The 11 yr old child Tom Riddle. The actor who played Riddle in COS might be too old to play the teen Riddle now--hopefully not.

For 7:
Aberforth Dumbledore
Regulus Black
(and of course any character she pops in!)

Utoo, thanks for that cover posting! I hadn't seen the back cover image before. I can't even begin to THINK what this represents. The spectatoes might be Death Eaters, but the circle of pillars? the sunset? I give up! And it looks like Harry is trying to call something to him, or suspend something, while Voldemort is trying to keep it away. We look at the cover of HBP and now know EXACTLY what that was all about. I can't even begin to guess on this one....

 

[Utoo]

At the same time, I'm glad they didn't dwell on Sirius' death too much. Though I doubt many people went in not knowing about it, there is something about the abrupt death that Harry is forced to move right past.

I kind of agree, mainly because I wasn't super-phased by his death in the book when I read it. My wife was a few pages ahead of me during the battle scene (we get two copies of the books, of course!) and I glanced at her page & read "DUMBLEDORE!!!!" It's from when Dumbledore appears in the fight scene, but I thought it might be someone shouting his name as Dumbledore is killed------so expecting Dumbledore's death and getting Sirius'....I wasn't as upset as I should've been.

Utoo, thanks for that cover posting! I hadn't seen the back cover image before. I can't even begin to THINK what this represents. The spectatoes might be Death Eaters, but the circle of pillars? the sunset? I give up! And it looks like Harry is trying to call something to him, or suspend something, while Voldemort is trying to keep it away. We look at the cover of HBP and now know EXACTLY what that was all about. I can't even begin to guess on this one....

No problem. In one of the older HP threads here, U2girl had posted a really high-mag version of it that allows all kinds of detail to be seen. And knowing that Mary Grandpre puts all kinds of details and hints in her pictures, I've overanalyzed it. If you look closely, there are curtains on either end of the picture----the "curtains are closing" on the HP series. However, if you look closely, the curtain next to Harry is tied shut, while the one next to Voldemort is untied and starting to close--------perhaps indicating that Voldie dies while Harry lives.... I'm coming up with whatever theories I can to keep Harry alive!

 

[corianderstem]

Just got home from seeing it. I liked it! I'd forgotten most of it. I'd better browse through book 6 before Saturday so I can at least have some reminders of what happened.

 

[lil_witch]

so, it looks like I'm the only one who did not enjoy it. Maybe that's because my friends kept asking me "what did he just say??" (we went to see it in Cambridge while there for a 3 weeks English course) and "who is this?" which got me quite mad, but I felt like it was a bas synthesis of the whole book. I was hugely disappointed with how they showed Sirius's death and at the end it was like Harry didn't feel any emotion, just happily chatting with his mates

 

[U2Girl416]

I saw it again this past Saturday. we met the 'Weasley' twins before the show (I posted pics in my journal if anyone's interested). I enjoyed the movie a bit more than the first time but after rereading book 5 before the movie, it was still a little letdown that it was a shorter movie and bunches of stuff were cut out. even with it being a 2+ hour movie, some of it felt rushed. I'll still buy the dvd, but I prefer the book over the movie.

almost done with refreshing myself on book 6 in preparation for the last book Saturday I'll have to try super hard this weekend to avoid spoilers of ANY kind since I won't get to start reading until Monday.

 

[redhotswami]

so, it looks like I'm the only one who did not enjoy it. Maybe that's because my friends kept asking me "what did he just say??" (we went to see it in Cambridge while there for a 3 weeks English course) and "who is this?" which got me quite mad, but I felt like it was a bas synthesis of the whole book. I was hugely disappointed with how they showed Sirius's death and at the end it was like Harry didn't feel any emotion, just happily chatting with his mates

nope. there are definitely others who didn't like it throughout this thread. myself included. among other elements i felt were overlooked, i also thought the death scene was rushed.

 

[FitzChivalry]

Well, I LOVED it!

After the horror that was Goblet of Fire (rushed, edited/hacked to bits, bad acting . . .), I wasn't really expecting much.

I've now seen Order twice and would definitely see it a 3rd time! I love how dark it was. I thought they struck the perfect balance of keeping in what they needed for their story and going with it. Of course everyone has favorite bits from the books that we wish could be put in (for me it would be when McGonagall tells off Umbridge during her Transfiguration class), but it just can't be done with a book that's over 800 pages.

And this is why I specifically did not re-read the book before seeing the movie. I re-read the entire series for the 2nd time late last year and I felt that was recent enough. I wanted to enjoy the movie and not be constantly comparing it to the book and griping about what was left out.

I'm not a purist. I'm all for directors to go with their artistic vision and not have to make EXACT replicas of the books. (As long as it's executed right, unlike Mike Newell and GOF. )

Loved Luna. Loved Bellatrix. Loved Cho! (I so wished her and Harry could've worked it out. I'm not a fan of the Harry - Ginny romance. Boooo! Too easy. Too pat. )

And as much as I despise Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, he gave his least god-awful bad-acting performance in this film. So, in its own way, I guess that's a positive.

I was just smiling and beaming after the first time I saw Order last Thursday and I turned to my friends and said, "I really liked it! Thank God! It was sooooooo much better than Goblet of Fire!"

 

[redhotswami]

I didn't reread the book before the movie either. I usually don't, for the same reason.

I guess I really wished there was more focus on the death scene. It is a pivotal moment in the book, and I think it was rushed and overlooked. Plus, like I said earlier, I don't even know if the non-reading fans really know what the Order of the Phoenix is...there wasn't much explanation. And then Padfoot?? That wasn't even mentioned in the previous movies.

That being said though, I think the director did have a great vision. The casting was stellar! The pallatte, the tone, the energy, the atmosphere, I thought that was all right on point.

 

[AtomicBono]

guys the end is so cool in 3D

 

[FitzChivalry]

guys the end is so cool in 3D

Ummm, some of it was really cool in 3D. The D.A. riding the thestrals looked awesome, and the D.A. standing in the aisles of the Hall of Prophecies was cool. All of the prophecies falling and smashing was pretty cool as well.

But I couldn't completely see in focus, and so when the action picked up, things got blurry. I never really got a good, clear view of Bellatrix. I just got the vague sensation that she looked really fabulous. By the time the signal to take off the 3D glasses came on, I was glad. And my eyes were hurting a bit.

Maybe I'm just old.

I hope the 3D in OOTP isn't the same 3D that is going to be used for U2 - Vertigo 3D. If so, I seriously may lose my cookies during the "Vertigo" light show.

 

[AtomicBono]

yeah it did get a little crazy when stuff was moving fast, plus the glasses aren't terribly comfortable for me since i have to wear them over my regular glasses

but the glass scene was AWESOME, and just the architecture and just the added depth when people were just standing around was great. however I have a feeling it isnt the same technology as U2 3D since U2 3D was filmed specially to be 3D and I believe reviews said it isn't too hard on the eyes? I dunno.

 

[LMP]

Something being filmed in 3D is completely different than something being formatted for 3D viewing, I think.

It just makes me excited for when James Cameron's Avatar comes out in its fully-3D, action-packed glory.

This is great, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR8gZYhGDzo

 

[joyfulgirl]

I saw it yesterday and enjoyed it. But I'm a casual HP fan. I don't read the books, and I watch the movies in my usual ADD way with these kinds of movies. Which means I still don't know what the Order of the Phoenix is, lol, but I don't care either. It all goes in one ear and out the other and I mostly enjoy the films for the visuals and as a bonding experience with a friend who's really into them. But my head is always all over the place because I rarely get truly absorbed in fantasy movies, which means I turned to my friend and said, "Did he just die?" when Sirius died, lol. I'm hopeless. But I enjoyed it much more than the last one.