I hate to be one of those people that is all like “OMG! I can’t believe they changed so much from the book!” but OMG! I can’t believe they changed so much from the book! And honestly, they didn’t really change much at all, they just left out (what I consider to be) a crucial scene from the book that left the movie totally anti-climactic for me. Heck, Prisoner of Azkaban deviated the most from the book, and that’s my favorite, so I don’t think that’s the issue. I think it’s just that I’d like my big wizard battles where there should be big wizard battles! And yes, reading the book, you’re not really in the midst of the battle because you’re at the top of the tower with Harry, but you know there is a big battle going on downstairs and you just imagine it being huge and wonderful. And they just totally cut it out.
Yeah, the rest of the movie was great, and fun, and definitely one of the funniest Potters to date, but I just can’t get over how anti-climactic it was. Maybe on multiple viewings I’d be able to appreciate it more, but right now I’m a little bugged that it never got my heart pumping the way the final half hour of Order of the Phoenix did.
I thought it was “ok” but not outstanding. I thought Rupert did a great job of acting like a totally besotted goofball and there were some funny parts, but it seemed to be a bridge movie. They never even really explained what/who Grayback was unless you read that poster really quickly. So I enjoyed it and it is always fun to see characters again, but it was not a “holy crap that was amazing” movie.
I’ve never read or watched any “Harry Potterz”…am I a bad person?
Probblez.
It’s been a long time since I read the book, so I have no idea what was left out and what was created for the movie. I agree that the absence of the climactic battle scene was mildly disappointing. However, on the whole, I think they took the worst book in the series and made one of the best movies.
And I loved the scene at the end where they all point their wands to the sky. That was quite moving (and not in the book … I don’t think).
I felt the same way. The movie never had a change of tempo through the whole thing. I wasn’t in the best mindset when I saw it though, so I am definitely going to give it another go.
I really want to see this movie, I’m trying to make my way through the Harry Potter books, but I keep switching back to my Sookie Stackhouse novels.
Thusly my quibbles shall be justified by the Geek Godling Craig of the Socially Adept Nerd Clan.
BTW, I can’t praise Daniel Radcliffe enough for his extremely funny comedic turn as a tweaker.
Derek: Good point about the lack of a change in tempo. That’s exactly what I wanted to say, but wasn’t smart enough to word it like that.
Howard: Yeah, Daniel as a tweaker, and Rupert under the love spell were both genius.
Everyone is complaining about it, but I don’t even remember a fight scene at the end of the book. I just remember them returning from the cave, then Dumbledore’s fall. Hmm.
Wasn’t the best thing about the movie Freddie Stroma, aka the dude Hermione was (for some reason) not feeling cause she wanted Ron (total downgrade)? He has two vids online for underwear modeling, one in which he shows his butt at the end. I hope he becomes famous now and we see more of him.
Oh, and something I found odd about the movie was the way they didn’t explain a lot of things because they figured fans would be watching and would automatically understand. For example, Lavender’s name was not said until Ron broke up with her. And I just could not remember her name. Also, Tonks appears and is just… there, with no introduction.
I deliberately did not read the book to avoid “OMG I can’t believe they changed so much from the book” moments. Upon reflection, there are so many great scenes in this movie, all set up and directed with the greatest care. What comes to mind are:
-SPOILERS-
The wand pointing scene
Hagrid’s spider funeral, what wonderful cinematography
The first Quidditch game that didn’t have me thinking ‘what a silly game’, but conveyed the exhilaration of the sport
Lucius Malfoy’s conflicted performance
Hermione’s look of hurt in the steps of the tower, and the subsequent flinging of birds at Ron
“The smell of freshly mowed grass.. the taste of spearmint toothpaste..”
Dumbledore begging Harry to stop giving him the water
-SPOILERS-
I’ll read the book the first chance I get. There’s bound to be so much more to the story!
Thank you! I was in the theater and when Dumbledore gets off’ed I was like “Don’t cry Coty, there’s an awesome battle coming up…..WHY ARE THEY IN THE WOODS?!”
It was kind of like ‘Dumbledore is dead – Bellatrix gets mad at the Great Hall and Hagrid’s hut – Harry yells at Snape – School is sad – THE END!
Craig: Your memory of the details of the book are much better than mine. I know you missed the battle so when I got home I had to look it up because like like Enrico, I didn’t remember one. You are right it took place over page 597-601. I must have just skimmed it because I was anxious to follow Harry and Snape. I still would like to have had the backstory about Snape and Harry’s parents. I thought they had left out the dragon at Grimgotts but luckily it’s in Deathly Hallows instead so can still have hope.
I thought the movie was fabulous because they managed to balance the light, funny moments with the serious. I agree with vuboq and Dave that the wand pointing was extremely touching.
I had a pitcher of beer while watching so i don’t remember a lot of the movie. I agree though with craig about them dropping so much of the exciting stuff. I’m hoping they’ll make up for it with the last movie. I was REALLY expecting more drama.
I need to go back and read all the books (um, and see this movie), but maybe they’re saving up all that climax for Deathly Hallows.
I was so disappointed in the ending and wtf with adding in the Burrow getting destroyed? I also thought they should have added in the scene with the Minister of Magic and Harry @ xmas.
Never read the books. Was not terribly impressed with the film. Much of the humor seemed forced to me. Perhaps I’d have a better understanding of it if I read the books, but the whole spider death thing seemed totally superfluous. And Hagred was just a big mound of man there, he didn’t seem intergral to the movie at all.
By and large, I thought it was “m’eh”.
HUGS…
I have never read the books and I loved the movie. I thought it was right up there with Prisoner of Azkaban (sp?). The cinematography was beautiful, especially given how washed out the colours were. So many beautiful scenes with slivers of light and backlight conversations.
The movie was funny and serious in a really good balance. And I didn’t need a big wizard battle at the end. By that point it had become about Harry and Dumbledore and anything to take away from that relationship would have taken away from the emotional impact the director was trying to make.
It’s a movie – it will never be like the book. I’ve seen enough adaptations by this point to know that it stop whining about it and take the film in as a film.
The only case I wasn’t able to do that was Into the Wild, in which the details were incredibly important because it was a true story. This was just a movie about horny teenagers and everything beyond that is mostly superfluous.
Polt: If you’d read the books, you’d understand the spider funeral. And why haven’t you read them btw?!?! Get on that, now. They took me a day each, so if we have similar reading paces, you can read em all in a week!
Michelle: My favorite part of the last book was the revelation about Snape’s and Lily’s pasts. I can’t wait to see it in the movie.
I hope Craig stayed up and watched Torchwood tonight. I’m doing my happy dance here. They’re back and they’re gooooood.
Bernd: I watched episode 1 at Dave’s tonight but now that’s just a teaser for me because I can’t see the rest. Waaaaahhh. It was fun to watch with someone else who enjoys it though. (And not be alone in the room with my daughter’s intense eye rolling.)
I saw it a couple days ago and loved it! But I also hadn’t read the book since Book 7 came out so I didn’t remember much of it [I couldn't remember who Ron was dating and then got confused that it was Lavendar because I thought she was Indian -- I think I mixed her up with the Patel girls]. I’d forgotten about the fight, but missed seeing Dumbledore’s funeral. I do think it helped that right before the movie I’d heard that it was awful from someone who had never read the books — and I know quite a few people who follow the movies but not the books, so the movie-makers should be a little cautious about that — so my expectations were nice and low.
(Then after the movie we drove all around the small town we were in trying in vain to find some insecure wireless access because we were on the coast at another family reunion and most people were all Tides! Waves! Beach! Rock climbing! and I was all What?? No Internet Access again?!) (Those the tides *were* really cool.)
Craigalicious!
I was kind of disappointed with this Harry Potter after the tone that was set with the Order of the Phoenix. The movies seemed to be getting more dark, which would eventually lead up to the darkest moment, the battle with Voldemort, but this one came out of left field. The movie seemed to be very light hearted with not a lot happening. The movie was 2.5 hours long and I think that more could have been put into it because if you haven’t read the books then some things just don’t make any sense. Also wtf with them not discussing the other possible Horcruxes or the battle at the end. I waited for that moment and was let down with a whole lot of nothing.
I also read that there won’t be another big battle until the end of the 7th movie, so we all have to wait until that moment.