Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (SPOILERS)

[Gemini Cricket]

I saw HPATOOTP tonight. I loved it.
I think it ranks second for me with Azkaban being first.
Imelda Staunton is wonderful in this film. Sweetly evil.
The Weasley Twins' rebellion scene is fantastic. Well done.
I really have no big complaints about this film. They skipped over the business with Sirius' mom's portrait and the whole statue thing in the Ministry but I liked it.
What bugged me with the story (which is from the book) is that they never really explained the archway very well and what it was or why Black is now dead because he fell into it. Or maybe they did explain it and I don't remember... I don't know.
One thing I kept thinking was how amazing it would be to be on the set when they shot the Trelanwey's expulsion scene... Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton and Michael Gambon on set all at the same time. What heaven that would be.

And the Weasley twins were cute cute cute. Rupert Grint is a cutie too.


I teared up a couple of times during this one, too. When Sirius called Harry "James" it made me all misty eyed.

[wendybeth]

I think we ought to put a spoiler warning on this thread, so we don't spill anything that others may want to discover on their own. I'm going to go ahead, so if anyone objects just let me know and I'll change it back.

[lashbear]

I agree. (now guess with which ones)

I missed the Madame Puddifoots, St Mungos & especially seeing nevilles parents now, shame about losing the cameo by Lockhart, I thought there was insufficient stand-alone reason given for the centaurs to be so brutal with Umbridge (unless you knew about fienze teaching divination etc from the book), and unless they introduce Weazleys Wizard Wheezes in the next movie, looks like Fered & George won't get their shop in Diagon Alley. Nowhere did Harry reference giving them to money to start up the business (or did he mention it in the last one? now I'm unsure)

I think as it's becoming less of a childrens story and more of an adult movie they could afford to fil more detail and wind it out to 3 hours (or even more, after all, they did it with Gone With The Wand, oops, Wind.)

Loved all the special effects and the music. Dudders is also getting hunkier (in a beary way) and the weasley twins really make me want to go tame my dragon (if you've seen the SNL Hapy Potter spoof, you'll know what I mean).

Speaking of which:

SNL Harry Potter Spoof starring Lindsay Lohan

Go here to find all 5 parts of OOTP Behind The Magic

[wendybeth]

Okay, now anyone who ventures in here is warned.


GC- they changed the curse from a vague, red-light stunner to an Avada Kedavra curse, and had him die before he even fell through, thereby effectively removing any hope that he may have somehow survived. No need to explain the veil now- he's dead. One of several plot changes that I am not especially happy with. Another that bothered me was the scene after Harry brings Dudders home- no mention of Aunt Petunia's curious knowledge of wizard stuff, or her prior contact with Dumbledore. ("Remember my last, Petunia!") Still, I liked the movie and will probably see it again tomorrow.

[Morrigoon]

It left SO MUCH out, and changed so much!

Personally, I would rather a longer movie that follows the book more closely.

Those items aside, however, and taken on its own (without comparison to the book), I liked it. Thought it was a very enjoyable film.

[lashbear]

....and a hitchhiking Nargle will follow you home !

I'm still in love with Luna Lovegood and (yes, it's true) Umbridge.

In fact, Umbridge may rank right up there with the classic Disney Villainesses !!

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

they changed the curse from a vague, red-light stunner to an Avada Kedavra curse, and had him die before he even fell through, thereby effectively removing any hope that he may have somehow survived. No need to explain the veil now- he's dead.

Yes, much more definitely dead in the movie.

But then why does Luna, immediately after consoling Harry about Sirius' death, go on to say that things have a way of coming back to you in completely unexpected ways?? She was purportedly talking about her shoes and stuff ... but in film language, that was clear foreshadowing about a potential return of Sirius Black in some form.

Was that bit in the book??


* * * * *

With no offense meant to those who are miffed about the things left out from the 870-page book, I find one of the strengths of this movie is that it doesn't slavishly transpose the novel. Like the other great Potter film (Prisoner of Azkaban), it is a very cinematic adaptation.

Speakling as someone who only vaguely remembers the book, there were no unclear motivations. Hagrid's line about the Ministry restricting the Centaurs' range was quite sufficient to make sense of their hostility toward Umbridge. This or that other thing may have been omitted, even some stuff that would have taken merely seconds of screen time to include .... but I can't fault the filmmakers for a tightly-paced piece of work where everything made complete sense on its own terms.

They managed to put lots of stuff from the book in the background (so familiar readers could spot it and smile, while not bogging down the proceedings with unnecessary detail.)


In fact, I just advised a friend who's planning on reading Order of the Phoenix before seeing Movie 5 NOT TO. It seems all the people I've known who are most familiar with the book are most displeased with the movie. (Instead, I advised him to, if anything, read the prior book as a lead in the current movie ... and, as I am doing, to read OotP after seeing the film.


At 870-pages, I likely won't finish it before I have to start in on Deathly Hollows in less than a week. But re-familiarizing myself with the novel after having seen the film is a way for me to thoroughly enjoy both.

[Gemini Cricket]

I forgot to say that I loved Luna. The casting of Potter characters have been spot on.

I haven't felt this way since the first movie, but everything in this film is exactly like how I envisioned it in my head. The Ministry, the room the Army practiced in, Umbridge... So very cool.

[flippyshark]

Okay, dumb geeknerd question. If your home had a "Room of Requirement," (a room which magically provides exactly what you need at any given time), what would yours contain?

Today, mine would feature a Dole Whip dispenser, a shark tank and maybe a perfect recreation of CBGB's, with Television, Talking Heads, and the Ramones playing.

[wendybeth]

I'm thinking Flippy and I would be sharing a room.

Of course, Blondie would be there as well.