Surprised nobody has posted on Harry.

Saw the new film, loved it. No big review here, but Cuaron has brought life, magic, and dark whimsy to the third movie. The screen is constantly alive with some breathtakingly beautiful imagery, and Hogwarts is transformed into a place you'd swear must be real. The actors, too, have bonded in a way that has brought their roles to life - all of them, you can even feel it in the bit players. Readers of the books will find the movie crammed with details from the novel - keep your eyes open!

For readers, the plot is easy to follow although liberties have been taken and much omitted to reach a reasonable screen time. None of the changes alter the story or the mar the sensibilites of the novel and mythos. Non-readers, however, may find certain plot twists in the final third hard to take in - they come fast, largely reveaeld by exposition delivered at a clip. The revelations of the novel were predictable, but one or two pertinent details fail to show up in the movie (at least, until late).

As it happens, I only read the books last year, and still have not seen the second movie. But I'm eager for the sixth book, and the fourth movie.

Haven't read any of the books, but my 5 year old daughter and myself have seen all three installments and I would agree that this one is the best yet.

Loved the film (and, yes, I've read all the books - twice)

Only had one complaint. Cuaron changed the layout, look and geography of the the Potter world quite significantly (Hagrid's hut used to be outside Hogwarts gate and backed up to the enchanted forest - now it halfway down a mountain without). Trouble is I really liked Cuaron's interpretation. It was just different.

The Knight Bus and Buckbeak were awesome and the Whomping Willow was a real scene stealer - even if they were really short scenes.

Jim

I saw it Friday night in a packed house. The review printed in the local paper (not by a local critic) began by saying, "Everything they screwed up in the first two Harry Potter movies has been fixed in this one." Well, I don't think the first two were screwed up -- I especially liked the second one. However, I really liked this new one as well. Indeed, you can easily see that the kids are growing up in this one. I don't think I would have noticed that Dumbledore was played by a different actor had I not known it.

The hippogriff was well-done; I found myself wondering if they used a puppet in some scenes (and if so, which ones). The music fit the tone of this film quite well, while still keeping continuity with the other two movies.

I did think they made it quite clear on the screen where the relationship between Ron and Hermione is going. I don't believe it is so obvious in the books to the same degree until at least Goblet of Fire (though it isn't all that hidden either).

Anyone know who is directing Goblet of Fire?

BTW -- If you go, stay for the credits. There are no additional scenes, but the credits themselves are worth watching.

Qapla'

SSB

Goblet of Fire is being directed by Mike Newell (FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL).

I'm surprised no one commented on Ella Enchanted! Got a giant fetish going now.

The latest Potter installment is a fine movie. Bit confusing if you're not into it.

HP has given birth to one of the scariest sites on the internet - some middle-aged fella has a site devoted to a countdown to Hermoine's 18th birthday, with lotsa loving photos of her.

Can you say "restraining order?"

"...but Cuaron has brought life, magic, and dark whimsy to the third movie. "

Anyone know why Columbus wasn't on board for this one? Haven't seen the movie yet, but plan to.

"...but Cuaron has brought life, magic, and dark whimsy to the third movie. "

Anyone know why Columbus wasn't on board for this one? Haven't seen the movie yet, but plan to.
According to an article in the new "Entertainment Weekly", Columbus was just plain "burnt out" (his own words). The feeling from the article is that it was completely his decision and that the studio was sorry to see him go. Cuaron's focus seems to be a little more toward the characters and a little less toward the effects.

The characters' lives and situations grow more complex -- more adult, for lack of a better word -- as the books progress. There are some fairly dark things going on in Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix as situations that begin to develop after (arguably) the end of Sourcerer's Stone truly start to snowball noticeably in Goblet. These coorespond with the progression in age of the kids.

Even after having read the books (and thus being two installments ahead of those who've only seen the films), there's still little of the overall story's end I think I can confidently predict.

Qapla'

SSB

HP has given birth to one of the scariest sites on the internet - some middle-aged fella has a site devoted to a countdown to Hermoine's 18th birthday, with lotsa loving photos of her.
Can you say "restraining order?"

A couple of years ago a coworker told me some guy had a similar site dedicated to the Mary Kate and Ashley O. I wonder if it's the same guy.

Anyone know why Columbus wasn't on board for this one?

Story I read said partway into the second flick, Columbus told Warner Brothers they had to bring on additional directors because of all the work going into trying to maintain a production schedule of approximately one-a-year, necessitated by the WB desire to keep the same kids acting in the roles for the whole series (which could be interesting when the movies catch up to Rowling). Columbus is staying on as a producer for the series, from what I read on the AP entertainment wire.

Columbus is staying on as a producer for the series, ...
Columbus is not on board in any official capacity for 'Goblet'.
IIRC he's producing 'The Fantastic Four'.

HP has given birth to one of the scariest sites on the internet - some middle-aged fella has a site devoted to a countdown to Hermoine's 18th birthday, with lotsa loving photos of her. Can you say "restraining order?"
A couple of years ago a coworker told me some guy had a similar site dedicated to the Mary Kate and Ashley O. I wonder if it's the same guy.
I vaguely remember a lot of Natalie Portman countdown to legal posts on usenet a while back.
I doubt it's the same guy(s). I'm sure there's a similar Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, "insert your own au courant teen celebrity here" site.
Yup ... creepy.

Just saw it with the boys and I agree 100% w/Dreamer and Zorro's remarks as the lovefest continues. Beautiful movie, wonderfully magical and enchanting. Yes, the best yet, the tone is so much better than the previous two. A lovely thing.

As far as Columbus not being "on board", all I can say is thank God. I can't stand the man's work, beginning with "Mrs. Doubtfire". Lawrence Kasdan is right up there, too.

im still of 2 minds about the 3rd film. but that aside, i heard an interview with terry gilliam last year, who was one of the shortlisted directors for the first film (and rowlings personal choice). he hated columbus's finished film. seeing the 3rd one i understand what he meant by the first installment "having no magic"

on the other hand, i think columbus's by-the-numbers interpretation was neccessary to set up the world of hogwarts for the movie audiences and establish the franchise. now that its established, its open to a bit more artistic interpretation, which might have hurt the box office of the initial films (gilliam's visions not exactly setting the world on fire at the box office).

and its very very hard to challenge columbus's casting decisions. having read the books, all of them, more times than i care to admit, (ok, ok, listened to the unabridged audio books while sculpting), i cannot imagine better actors for their parts. (i read the first one before seeing the film and was just blown away by the casting and how perfectly the cast fit their roles)

things i did like about this film are that much of the action was moved out of the castle far more than in the first 2, and that our characters are allowed to act and dress much more like real schoolkids. they have far greater depth and dimension this time out. what i didnt like is that a few neccessary expainations are abandon for the sake of running time, while other scenes are added for reasons of emotional depth, and at times the plot is muddled because of that.

no matter what, goblet of fire is currently filming, and while wb didnt want columbus to depart, the addition of new directors for further installments will keep the series from becomming stale and "cookie-cutter"

i cannot imagine better actors for their parts. (i read the first one before seeing the film and was just blown away by the casting and how perfectly the cast fit their roles)
Couldn't agree more. That was exactly what I did as well, and I had the same reaction. It's as if these people are the characters from the books.

Qapla'

SSB

Oh, yeah, the casting on this series has been PERFECT. Heck, when I first read the books (before the movies ever appeared) I was unconsciously using Alan Rickman as my template for Snape, something I never realized until the first film came out. Maggie Smith, too, is perfect, and the kids are absolutely spot-on.

The LOTR movies are the second-best cast in my opinion (still have a hard time with Agent Elrond), but the casting for the Harry Potter films is the best I've ever seen.

And hey, who can argue with Kenneth Branaugh playing an entirely self-absorbed famous guy?

Yes, the casting is perfect. I'm glad they are making the difficult effort of filming without breaks to keep the younger cast members - if only the last two books come out in time! Yet, I'd hate to rush Rowling and ruin the novels. Razor is right about keeping it fresh with new directors.

I also have to agree with the complaints about Columbus, a director whose work I've never cared for (at best). It surprised me, actually, that the first Potter film was as good as it was, given the choice of director. Columbus's career has had moments of light charm (Only the Lonely, Adventures in Babysitting were cute, mildly funny, kinda charming - but I hated Doubtfire and let's not mention Home Alone 2), but the man is unable to forge an empathy with his characters to make them genuine. It's never his focus.

Got no problem with Kasdan, though. At worst, he's had two that were merely disappointing (okay, one was horribly wrong). OTOH, I loved The Accidental Tourist and enjoyed Silverado, Body Heat, Grand Canyon and his Raiders script.

agreed about chris columbus... but again even directors with limitad talents can make good films if they simply do their source materiel by the numbers (im thinking of sam raimi's spiderman). the first 2 films were so good because they were slavishly faithful to their source materiel.

the first 2 films were so good because they were slavishly faithful to their source materiel.

I thought that was the problem with the first two. I remember when the first one came out I complained that the story didn't really start until halfway through the movie. Someone told me that was how it was in the book. My reaction to that is: THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE CHANGED IT.

When the choice is between being faithful to the source material and making a good movie, you should always choose the latter.

Prob'ly you already know but if you haven't heard yet, J.K Rowling has announced the title of book 6.


Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

No word on release date, but having the title out hopefully means it's not far off.

well i wandered over to jkr's website, and the answer as to the release date of book 6, was essentially "not anytime soon". she also states that the "half bllod prince" refers to neither harry or valdemort...

theres a interesting bit of trivia over there. apparently jkr was asked to play lily potter in the first film, but declined. (too bad. who better to play harry's mother than harry's mother.)

Does anyone know a code to reach the deleted scenes on disc two of the first movie? That "tour of Hogwarts" and Diagon Alley, etc, in order to find extras is frustrating. I just want to see what else was filmed without the waste of time.

Just use your wand!

Oh. Okay. Thanks.







It will be the most action it's seen in a while.

well i wandered over to jkr's website, and the answer as to the release date of book 6, was essentially "not anytime soon". she also states that the "half bllod prince" refers to neither harry or valdemort...

theres a interesting bit of trivia over there. apparently jkr was asked to play lily potter in the first film, but declined. (too bad. who better to play harry's mother than harry's mother.)

I saw her on a newshow recently, her life is a pretty remarkable story itsownself.

Man, talk about a ex-husband who must kick himself in the posterior on a daily basis!

It will be the most action it's seen in a while.
Goodnight, folks!

Qapla'

SSB

Late post I know, but saw it. Wasn't that great, but better than the first 2. I must be a bit slow, but that scene in the "screaming shack" where one minute S. Black was going to kill Potter (we were lead to believe) and Lupin had to hold him back was very bloody confusing. I realise it was the twist in the whole thing, but thought it could have been done a bit better. My 2 Bobs worth.

i agree, the screenplay is confusing, probably the biggest drawback of this film. thats my greatest concern about the future films. the plots get very complex, and cramming those into 2 1/2 hours without gutting them will be very diffucult indeed.

I liked the new Potter film too. Not everyone I spoke with would agree, however.

I liked the new Potter film too. Not everyone I spoke with would agree, however.
Those people must die!!!

Heh.

Qapla'

SSB

My SO and I saw the new HP movie this weekend and both agree its the best one yet. Personally, I loved the quality of the light throughout the movie - a little digital manipulation a la Oh Brother, I suspect. I really hate rain, but it was perfectly done. Harry's hippogryph ride gave me goosebumps, a truly beautiful sequence.

We both also agreed that the movie felt more adult and less like the "guilty pleasure" of sitting in on a kid's film. I think a lot of that is owed to how well the film flowed and grew as opposed to how the other films (especially the first) felt dutifull to the books yet ultimately a bit pieced. As a kid's film, I also felt there was way more this time of substance for parents to discuss with their kids than with the previous films.

Question and POSSIBLE SPOILER: My SO and I felt the film seemed short. I wondered if that sense came from the time travel aspect to the film, ya know covering the same material/plot from a different vantage point. Anyone else?

John O.

I hear the next book will be done in TWO parts!

Apparently Ralph Fiennes has been cast as Valdemort sp?
The films have been pretty formulaic with new cast members invariably revealed to be a ne'er do characters lasting but one film.
I strongly suspect Ralph Fiennes plays an evil character.

finnes will be a good valdemort.

as to the new characters not sticking around, oldman is reprising his roles as sirius in the next one, and all the new characters, except aunt marge, from book 3 return in major roles in the 5th book

It's the emperor again - the Emperor in Empire looks nothing like Ian McDiarmid, and the Voldemort glimpsed in Sorceror's stone looks nothing like Fiennes. No matter, Fiennes is a fine choice.

Also cast is Brendan Gleeson as "Madeye" Moody.

I think it would be pretty easy to paste a CGI Fiennes onto Ian Hart's head if WB/Rowling/Columbus want to pull a Lucas.
The original trilogy has been altered so that it is now McDiarmid :( in ESB on the DVDs.

Well, let's just hope the people involved in the Harry Potter series value their creations more than Lucas does his own.

Anyone got pictures of the actress playing Harry's "girlfriend" in the next movie?

nope... like a lot of the kids in the cast, shes a newcomer. according to the imdb, this is her first professional credit

Getting back to the subject line of "Harry Potter growing up".

Here is some new information taken from the scifi news website at:
http://www.scifi.com/sfw/current/news.html

J K Rowlings has an interview that reveals 2 questions that no one has ever asked her about Voldemort and Harry Potter. The quote below leads me to think that the lifeforce of Harry Potter is intertwined with Voldemorts. We did hear and read that Dumbledore tell Harry that Harry can speak parseltongue and has greater than average power due to having some of Voldemort's power. R

Read and speculate:

Rowling Teases New Potter

http://www.scifi.com/sfw/graphics/H.gifarry Potter author J.K. Rowling offered up hints to future novels while answering children's questions at the Edinburgh Book Festival on Aug. 15, her official Web site (http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/news_view.cfm?id=80) reported. "Well, I don't think it is giving too much away to say that [Harry] will survive to book seven, mainly because I do not want to be strangled by you lot, but I am not going to say whether he grows any older than that, because I have never said that. You are good at putting me on the spot!"

Rowling, who is currently writing the sixth volume in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, talked about the new books in an elliptical way. "I thought that I would give you something though, rather than get to the end of today and think that I have not given you a lot. There are two questions that I have never been asked, but that I should have been asked, if you know what I mean. If you want to speculate on anything, you should speculate on these two things, which will point you in the right direction. The first question that I have never been asked—it has probably been asked in a chatroom, but no one has ever asked me—is, 'Why didn't Voldemort die?' Not 'Why did Harry live?' but, 'Why didn't Voldemort die?' The killing curse rebounded, so he should have died. Why didn't he? At the end of Goblet of Fire he says that one or more of the steps that he took enabled him to survive. You should be wondering what he did to make sure that he did not die. I will put it that way. I don't think that it is guessable. It may be—someone could guess it—but you should be asking yourself that question, particularly now that you know about the prophecy. I'd better stop there, or I will really incriminate myself."

Rowling added, "The other question that I am surprised no one has asked me since [Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix] came out—I thought that people would—is why Dumbledore did not kill or try to kill Voldemort in the scene in the ministry? I know that I am giving a lot away to people who have not read the book. Although Dumbledore gives a kind of reason to Voldemort, it is not the real reason. When I mentioned that question to my husband—I told Neil [Murray] that I was going to mention it to you—he said that it was because Voldemort knows that there are two more books to come. As you can see, we are on the same literary wavelength. [Laughs.] That is not the answer; Dumbledore knows something slightly more profound than that. If you want to wonder about anything, I would advise you to concentrate on those two questions. That might take you a little bit further."