Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (SPOILERS)

[innerSpaceman]

Well, I unabashedly loved it. I think I was just so relieved it had some directorial style, and managed to convey the story while obviously cutting out tons of stuff and changing things a bit.


Wow, the cast is getting big. Everyone in every Potter movie was in this one for at least a moment. Sheesh. On top of that, some great characters were added. Luna Lovegood = fabulous. Imelda Stuanton was, as I expected, perfect as Umbridge. And I want a spinoff series about Beatrix LaStrange!

Um, the Hogwarts kiddies are getting a little long in the tooth, though. It's looking a bit like those old (and alas, current) shows where 28 year-olds are playing high school students. Krikey, how much did Nevelle age! And, yeah, the twins are cute ... for 37-year-olds!


Emma and Rupert are looking mighty cute this time around, from a very gauky stage they were both in for the last film, imo. But, ugh, Daniel Radcliff seems to have long past his prime cuteness. He does a pretty good job as cranky Harry, though ... and I think it's a good thing the script toned down his grumpy prissyness from the book.


This is not you papa's Harry Potter ... the first truly dark and complely non-happy entry of the series. But on those terms, I thought it was a great movie, and it looked wonderful, and had some pinache to the proceedings.


Easily my second favorite Potter film (after the very stylish and decidely happy Prisoner of Azkaban.)


Bravo.



Now, if I can only brave the next book in 10 days. I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. Here's to hope that Rowling pulls off a similar nice surprise.

[Chernabog]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Well, I unabashedly loved it. I think I was just so relieved it had some directorial style, and managed to convey the story while obviously cutting out tons of stuff and changing things a bit.

Wow. Did we see the same movie?

Granted, Book 5 IMHO was the absolute worst of the books. Long and boring; it was the first HP book that was a chore to get through. The ending, especially, felt forced and convoluted.

And that's basically how the movie was. It had good individual SCENES (Imelda Staunton completely stole the show here in every scene she was in) but the movie did not gel. Not at all. The chemistry of the Ron-Hermione-Harry friendship was not there at all. There was no sentiment to this picture. It was moviemaking (and scriptwriting) simply by the numbers. I'm surprised the producers didn't get Chris Columbus back if they wanted such rote directing.

The wonder of the world they are in has lost its wonder in this movie. And I'm not just talking about the fact that it was dark and depressing. The overarching story for book 5 is just.... dull and uninspired. It isn't really a set-up for anything in the same way that the 6th book was.

Spoiler:

Oh and let's not forget the "Ed Wood" style things that happen. One minute they're in a room with Umbridge with lots of people. Next they are inexpliciably alone with Umbridge at night. Next scene they're on their way back from being with Umbridge and it's day again (and was it just me or did it look like they also changed clothes??). Flip-flip-flip. It was like scenes were missing -- and I'm not just talking about scenes from the book, which obviously they have to cut to make the movie into a watchable time period. I'm talking, connecting scenes that would have made the last half-hour of the movie watchable.

How did they know where to go in the Ministry of Magic? How'd they get in with NOBODY there? Again it was like flip-flip-flip connection scenes missing, let's just get right to it. It would be like watching Lord of the Rings and all the people are going from Rohan to Helms Deep in the daytime, and suddently it would cut to the orcs attacking at Helm's Deep at nighttime with nothing in between. It sure sucked all logical sense and the ability of one to follow what was going on. And I *knew* what was happening only because I read the books.

Was it just me or did the Voldemort/Dumbledore fight ACTUALLY have a light-saber noise happen when they were light-sabering???

Totally devolved into a Transformers-style ME SOCKEM DEATH EATER BOOM BOOM mindless CGI battle scene.

If they were going to mention the prophecy, then why didn't they mention a) it was by Trelawney and b) why the f*ck Voldemort needed it to begin with. I mean, if that WAS what V was going after, why did Harry care if it never explained why it was significant?

Oh and why'd they bother explaining about the Thestrals when everyone was going to ride them later in the film, even those that couldn't see them?

Anyway, my favorite of the movies was, oddly, book 4. It had an overarching story in and of itself, it was fun, and the relationships gelled. (My favorite of the books, however, was book 3).

Harry IS adorable though in Order of the Phoenix. All those sweaty Voldemort-dreams were funny... I turned to my friend and said, "wow they really DID up the adult-factor.... what's with all the masturbation scenes???"

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

He does a pretty good job as cranky Harry, though ... and I think it's a good thing the script toned down his grumpy prissyness from the book.

Oh yeah, it's that book.