Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (SPOILERS)

[innerSpaceman]

Yeah, much of what Cherny says is right. First off, this is a horrible book ... and perhaps I'm just amazed they fished as good a movie out of this as they did.

Yes, the main trio was at its absolute worst. There was really nothing to it this time out. That's the story, sorry. The filmmakers didn't write it. Despite that, with so very little to do, Rupert Grint comes off the best he has in the entire series. And I think there's enough Harry and Hermoine to match up with any of the entries.

But yes, there were simply too many characters for any of them to shine too brightly or have enough business. Certainly Ron Weasely suffered in this regard, while room was given for Umbridge and Lovegood to be featured more prominently. This was, in fact, the shortest of all the films to date (heheh, clocking in at 2 hours 18 minutes!)

I don't think the movie was individual scenes any more than the rest of them (save film 3). That's all the books ever were. This one, alas, goes back to the same format as the first two ... blah, blah, school, blah - and a big wizarding "contest" for Harry at the end. Rowling's a crappy writer, but I've always excused it for being "juevenile fiction."


Perhaps the magic Cherny was missing was the lack of happy ... but I think the world of wizarding was well portrayed in the story and in the visuals. It wasn't chummy or sweet, but that's this story. Yeah, not my favorite book .... but miles better than the one which followed it (and I'm almost terrified to read the last one, considering the trend of suckitude).


Anyway, I'm anxious to see it again, perhaps with clearer eyes. I'm probably going to see it in Imax 3-D this weekend. Harry's masturbation scenes should be a revelation in that format.

[xharryb]

Originally Posted by LSPoorEeyorick

BTW, iSm, the kids were 16 when this was shot-- just a year older than they're supposed to be. I didn't think they looked too old; I thought that they well-represented what can only be expressed by behavior and complexity of each new novel: these are no longer children. They're nearly adults.

Exactly what I was gonna come point out. 5th year, as they refer to it, is the equivilent of sophomore year in American high school. That puts the age of the characters at 15/16, and the actors (the main trio anyway) were all 16-17 during filming. I'd say they're just right for the films. With film 6 already in the scripting/casting stages, I'd think there's a good chance they can get all 7 filmed by the time the trio hits 20/21ish. Which is way better than most "teen" films and TV shows manage when casting a single film, let alone a series of 7.

I don't get to see this movie until Saturday though, so I can't offer any other opinions at this time.

[innerSpaceman]

No, no, I'm not complaining about the main trio. Their ages seem right (and I'm glad Emma and Rupert, as I said, seem to have passed nicely through what I consider their awkward-looking stage in Goblet of Fire).

But Neville, omg, he looks old. And who's the Irish kid, the one who's no longer a kid? And the Twins, lordy they look like old men. Sorry, just one boy's opinion.


While we're at it, hurry up and film before Maggie Smith dies! Alan Rickman's not getting any younger either. (Young Snape, however, was a doll. Let's have a spin-off with Beatrix LaStrange going back in time to James Potter / Snape-era Hogwarts and reeking havoc!)

[xharryb]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

While we're at it, hurry up and film before Maggie Smith dies! Alan Rickman's not getting any younger either.

Don't even speak such things! I can't possibly imagine the series without those two!

[flippyshark]

My feelings on the movie - It was a mercifully brief summary of a book I didn't like. It was more fun than I thought it would be, largely thanks to Imelda Staunton's frightening performance as Dick Cheney, um, I mean Delores Umbridge.

I'm curious how this will play to those who didn't read the book. The entire Cho storyline is down to one major scene and a couple of brief appearances. Now, in the book, that subplot was pure torture, so I don't mind it being shortened, but given it's treatment here, it seems like an irrelevance. (I didn't mind Cho being used as a shorthand stand-in for another character, though. It saved time.)

I really hope that last book is ravishing, because I agree with those who found volumes five and six tedious. (Half Blood Prince was a slight improvement, but still felt like marking time to me.)

[figment1986]

Tonks was done nicely, though they dropped part of the story with her...

The visual effects were nice, but maybe over done... (how many Sfxs companies did they need, ILM, Movie, and some other british company...)

Sure, they chopped the story to the main story line ignoring 99% of the extraneous facts, but they probably only did it because 95% of them are not in the next movies... or they will revisit them in the next movie if needed.

Yes it did feel chopped up, perhaps they filmed more and those scenes will appear in a cut next holiday season? if not, well... it was done well, but too many Sfxs needed for transitions!

It was not entirely bad, just could use more improvements like fill in some missing scenes as stated before, and did anyone notice..

Spoiler:

when they focused on the black family tree that they kept the camera on "Regulus A. Black" or did I imagine it?

thats all..

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by flippyshark

I'm curious how this will play to those who didn't read the book.

zapppop is the only person I know in the whole wide world who doesn't read the books, but loves the movies.

In an important way, he is experiencing the films in a manner which no one else I know can. (Or rather no one else I know who will is following the film series). I'm anxious to get his reaction to the movie, and we're going to see it together Friday night (somewhere behind the Orange Curtain, if anyone would care to join).


I'm glad my first time was at the Chinese in Hollywood. It was an unimportant but neet touch to have Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint's recently imprinted hand, feet and wand prints on prominent display before the film.

[figment1986]

My sister hasn't read or herd the books on tape (yet) and follows the movies and likes them, haven't got her opinion on the latest movie yet.

[libraryvixen]

So much to say, so little time.

Spoiler:

I would have loved to see Ron do the horsey "clip clop" noise around Umbridge and have her freak out. Also... what of the DA coins? The ones that announce the time and date of the DA meetings?

I loved young Snape. I wish they would have shown young Lily as well.

Spoiler:

Cho got a bad rap. They didn't really show her again after the Umbridge sadistic quill writing incident. I really wanted to see their date at Madame Puddifoot's.

Also, in the book, Sirius was hit by a red beam from Bellatrix's wand. There was no A.K curse tacked onto it. Neville was the one who dropped Harry's prophecy, but I'm glad that Lucius was the one who was butter fingers.

[xharryb]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

zapppop is the only person I know in the whole wide world who doesn't read the books, but loves the movies.

I actually haven't read any of the books yet. I didn't get interested in the series until watching the first couple of films on DVD. But as the series has progressed I've gotten more and more interested. Film 4 was actually the first one I went out and saw in theaters (though 3 has recently earned the title as my favorite thus far). I have plans to see 5 on Saturday, and I'll offer my thoughts from a nonreader at that time.