Harry Potter and the ASDFGHJKL;AJDSGJKJFHKASJHAK, pt. 2

[sexyscholar]

mightyafrodite and I went to see it on Sunday so we could have the "HP Squee Team" viewing. And boy oh boy, did I squee.

But also, after seeing it a second time, I had (nearly) cohesive thoughts about it.



This started out a comment to something else, but it started to go a lot longer than I'd anticipated.

I've been reading a lot of "OMG YOU LEFT OUT [insert the subplot of your choice here], HOW COULD YOOOOOOOOOU?!"

Admittedly, I thought I was going to be one of them, and while there are a couple of small bits I would have liked to have seen, I think that OotP is, by far, the best film adaptation of the books yet.

Naturally, it's not completely accurate to the book. It couldn't possibly be. At 38 chapters, OotP is the longest (and most convoluted) of the books. That being said, I think they did well with getting the best story they could into 2.5 hours.

They cut the "Weasley is our King" subplot, which devastated me for not seeing Rupert in a Quidditch uniform my own personal reasons. But when I was watching the movie, I honestly didn't miss it. When it comes to the crux of the story, and transferring it to film, it wasn't needed. It is a reward for the fans of Book!Ron. It would have been a bonus to see it, but it didn't kill me not to.

I was kind of miffed that there was no mention of the fact that Ron, Hermione and Draco are all selected as Prefects, but it would really have been one of those "oh, by the way" sort of things, and I eventually accepted that it was probably better left out altogether.

It would have been nice to include the scene where Hermione blackmails Rita Skeeter into writing a positive article and it gets published in the Quibbler (I think). Umbridge bans it, and thus feeds right into that theory that kids have that if something is forbidden, it must be good. It helps gather much-needed support for Harry and would help explain why there were so many students there to meet at the Hog's Head for the DA sign-up. If the movie-goer isn't a reader of the books, it might seem kind of out of the blue that they showed at all, considering that a lot of them were treating Harry like he was syphilis.

I would have liked to have seen more done with Snape's Worst Memory. That scene does so much in the way of helping to explain why Snape has so much hate for Harry. I think they could expounded on that a bit.

I think my only other issue with this movie was that the adults were pretty much non-existent, when so much of the book involves the elder characters. And for being HP and the Order of the Phoenix, we didn't see very much of the Order. That was a bit of a letdown. More Shaklebolt, Moody and Lupin in the next movie, plz.

It was unfortunate that they left out the CAPSLOCK OF RAGE scene when Dumbledore is explaining the Prophecy and why he was shutting Harry out. I think DanRad could've nailed that.

Again, kudos to Michael Goldenberg for not turning Ron into some mopey, rubber-faced idiot.

Ron was finally Ron: funny, awkward and scared -- but still the first person to stand beside (not behind) his friends and do what's right. I cringe at the previous characterisations of Ron, and I hope that Steve Kloves took some notes. Steve, this is how Movie!Ron should be. WEASLEY IS KING.

And plz to stop giving Hermione all of his lines, kthnx.

I was really pleased to see other actors getting more face time than just the Golden Trio; particularly Matthew Lewis, who continues to impress me. I think he's got a lot of potential as an actor, and it was a pleasure to see more of him on-screen. I'm really hoping for a major showdown between Neville and Bellatrix in the final book, so I can watch it in the film version. :p

All in all, I think this was a great movie, and I'm looking forward to Yates' interpretation of HBP. I just pray that Kloves took notes from Goldenberg. Siriusly.

...

*tears up again*

These are all personal opinions/ramblings, and I probably add to them here and there as I think about them. I think I'll see it at least one more time, though.

Comments

[myaddictionx.livejournal.com]

which devastated me for not seeing Rupert in a Quidditch uniform

SRSLY.
When you mentioned that, I got
an amazing mental image
^_^


I was also a bit sad to not
see the brains in the ministry
and see one go after Ron
I mean, he's amazing and all
but I really wanted to see the brains

And there really was not enough adults
well, except the death eaters
of course


And Lucius looked totally molestable for him being a crazy, raving murderer and Voldie's pet.

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of glad they didn't do it. Because Rupert already looked SO GOOD in that movie, I don't know if my heart could have handled him in a Quidditch uniform straddling a broom. *mind wanders*

I was also a bit sad to not see the brains in the ministry and see one go after Ron

I mentioned that to my friend as we were standing in the parking lot talking about the movie. I think that, ultimately, was another one of those "oh, by the way" things. But it definitely would have been great to see.

'Specially from a R/D fandom point-of-view.

Cuz you know. Then Ron would have scars. And Draco will get scars from Sectumsempra in HBP. And then they'll both have scars. And that would be hot. Yeth.

Dude. Lucius in leather? There's a fangirl/boy doing the costume design, and I thank them so much. XD

[myaddictionx.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but still. I mean, he would've been attacked by knowledge!
In a way..

haha

Yes, scars are hot. Haha
'Specially when they're on guys like Draco and Ron

Omg, Lucius and leather.
I usually don't go for stuff like that
but...

Holy Jeebus, that'd be amazing.
Even my mom thinks Lucius is hot
ahaha

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

Even my mom thinks Lucius is hot

My mom's always had a little thing for the twins. When I got the poster book, she was like, "Are those twins still in it?"

And she recently saw the Details magazine with Dan on the cover. She asked me who it was, and when I told her, she went,"That's Harry Potter?! Damn!"

LOLZ.

[myaddictionx.livejournal.com]

The twins looked way better with the long hair.

And she recently saw the Details magazine with Dan on the cover. She asked me who it was, and when I told her, she went,"That's Harry Potter?! Damn!"

My mom thinks Dan is ugly as can be. She says it's because of his eyebrows.

But she thinks Rupert's cute. Hahaha

[crwilley.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Lucius doesn't usually do much for me, but his outfit from the Ministry? Yeah.

[hope-h87.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you that this is definately the best of the HP movies, by far. I especially love the way they brought Luna alive. This film has made me love that character.

I still think Ron was played down a little, but his characterization was far better than any of the first four and for that I am grateful.

Thank you Micheal Goldenberg!

[thiscantbesoy.livejournal.com]

OK, OK. But you can't tell me you didn't want to punch someone when you saw the "special effect" that was Sirius's face superimposed over the fire, instead of having his face be formed by the embers.

The special effects in this movie were way, way off.

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

I did wonder why they did it that way instead of the ember-face like in GoF, but I was most likely too googly-eyed over Ron in that particular scene to care at that moment. :p

[single-path.livejournal.com]

Okay, so they DID become Prefects that year. I was thinking that they did, but when it wasn't mentioned, I figured I got the wrong book.

I also agree that Dan would have done a great job with the tantrum.

But I noticed that they toned down a lot of the tenser scenes in the movie. The scene where Trelawny gets kicked out of the school was toned down. In the book she was in hysterics. Screaming and crying. But not in the movie. I think that it was still good, but I noticed it was toned down. As was the exit of the twins. Maybe they thought it'd be too much emotion for the audience to handle. Maybe they just didn't have enough of a budget(what with all the cg they needed) Dunno. Have the ask the screenwriters about their choices.