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I did the ultimate geek thing today, and watched the movie by myself. I won’t talk about spoilers, just feel and stuff..
This seemed, like the last movie, Goblet of Fire, to be the Cliff’s Notes version of the book. Enjoyable enough, but very very truncated. The final battle in the movie seems very rushed, but still amazing looking. I really enjoyed it, because they seem to really have gotten their footing in the world as far as setting goes.
With this one, they’ve returned to the style and feel of Prisoner of Azkaban. Really cool little camera tricks that just add to the magic.
My biggest problem with the movie is this — at the end of Goblet of Fire, Voldemort’s just come back and no one wants to believe it. Harry is branded as a liar, seeking attention, so understandably, he’s a little pissed about it. And to top it all off, people seem to be keeping vital information from him. The problem with this, as it was in the book, is you start to dislike Harry a little bit — he seems a little too cocky, a little too short with people that have already proven themselves to him. In the book, you see Harry’s remorse when he does something like this, so you start to understand where he’s coming from, and you really get it. In the movie, however, there isn’t time for this, so Harry kinda comes off like a prick through the whole movie, and that’s unfortunate.
So really, for me, all this does is reinforce the biggest of the ideas in the book, the really REALLY important stuff, but glosses over a lot of the details that really makes this series work for me. I have a hard time figuring out if I’d actually like these movies if it weren’t for my knowledge of the books. It also reinforces to me that if you like the movies and the world and the characters, you really owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of the books and give them a shot, because there’s just so much great stuff in it. I’ve read the books twice, and have listened to the audiobooks (all of them) at least three or four times, because I drive a lot, and with the audiobooks, you pick up on things that you might normally gloss over when you’re reading.
I can say that, without a doubt, the Harry Potter series is my favorite story of all time. But that’s the books — the movies are entertaining and they look great, and the characters really are as perfect as they can be (except for Dumbledore in Goblet of Fire), but they don’t hold a candle to how deep and rewarding the books are..
Thanks Rob for the awesome review. I am going to see the movie Saturday and thanks for this Orange Lounge for turning me onto Steve Fry. I am listening the Order of the Phoenix right now.
Good shit, there, ain’t it? (The audiobook, not the review. I’m not THAT stuck up.)
Oh, and I’ve heard a lot of people say, “Aw, shit, man, that Harry Potter shit is all kiddie-shit. Shitty McShittyshit.” Yeah, get over yourself. These movies and books are smarter and more thrilling than 99% of the movies out there.
So I went to see the movie a couple of days ago, and the damn power went out! I got to see it yesterday though, and I pretty much agree with Rob. It was very good and had a dark feeling, but missed some parts of the book. Man, the last book comes out in eight days, it’s going to be awesome.
Wait, I just realized. Harry Potter and SOS are ending at the same time. NOOOOO!!!!!!
The Stephen Fry readings are definitely very tempting now that the story is completed and I’m not afraid to start something that won’t be finished. My question for you Rob is were you already into magic type stories and that’s where the love comes from, or is it purely the stories themselves? What other authors and books have you really gotten into and loved and do you have favourite genres or mix it up totally? I’m pretty sure you’ve said before you’re a fan of Chuck Palahniuk right, or am I confusing you with some other Potter fan I know?
- Women sense my power and they seek the life essence.
I totally agree Rob. Some people that I have talk to at work are so naive.
But anyway, going tomorrow nite. Bring the woman. Pre-paid online so hopefully the fucking air conditioner is working this time.
When I was young, I spent days after school and during the summers at my aunt’s house. She was always big on creativity and the big fantasy movies. She took us to see The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Ghostbusters — if I could point at one person that single-handedly spurned my creativity, it was her. I owe her a lot — although I’m sure she’d have been positively horrified to listen to our shows.
Anyway, a lot of my love for Harry Potter has nothing to do with the fantasy, really — what makes it so awesome is that I love the characters, the stories are really smart, the payoffs are so awesome — the way things come up, the way clues are spread throughout. It’s just so well thought out, and like I said before, it’s been the most rewarding series I’ve ever read. The fact that it’s set in school gives you a frame of reference, and although there’s this fantastic setting, you identify with it. And, it helps that it’s in England, which I’ve always had a strange fetish for. Can’t explain it, never could.
I’m really not that much of a reader, I think, although I suppose I read more than most. My favorite book before Harry Potter was The Stand by Stephen King. I love Shakespeare, but don’t make much time for it (on a sidenote, I positively am pissing my pants over the 2 disc Hamlet by Kenneth Branagh that comes out next month — it’s unedited from the text. Most Hamlets are cut to two hours, and I’ve never seen this. I’m super-excited about it). What I have read lately (outside of HP) has been a lot of science stuff, Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking. Gave John Grisham a few tries, but found them to be very pedestrian. I want to start King’s Dark Tower series after HP7. I kinda like Chuck Palahniuk, but haven’t made much time for him, either — being weird just because isn’t my thing. I read like 50 pages of that Haunted book, and he lost me.
My problem with people goes way back, but I’ve also been guilty of dismissing things that on first glance seemed beneath me. I just love the Potter books, and I always will, and it continually puts a smile on my face.
Harry Potter is a legacy of sorts, with me anyway. I’ve gone from loving it to not caring about it, and that happens two weeks after I finish a book, and two weeks before a book is released.
rob wrote:I’m really not that much of a reader, I think, although I suppose I read more than most. My favorite book before Harry Potter was The Stand by Stephen King. I love Shakespeare, but don’t make much time for it (on a sidenote, I positively am pissing my pants over the 2 disc Hamlet by Kenneth Branagh that comes out next month — it’s unedited from the text. Most Hamlets are cut to two hours, and I’ve never seen this. I’m super-excited about it). What I have read lately (outside of HP) has been a lot of science stuff, Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking. Gave John Grisham a few tries, but found them to be very pedestrian. I want to start King’s Dark Tower series after HP7. I kinda like Chuck Palahniuk, but haven’t made much time for him, either — being weird just because isn’t my thing. I read like 50 pages of that Haunted book, and he lost me.I was actually a little scared when I read this part of your post. My favorite book after the HP series is The Stand, and I just started the Dark Tower series. Rob…are you my doppleganger?
I bet you were designed to be the perfect human and one of you is genetic ambrosia and the other is genetic waste and trash.
But don’t worry, you will both go on a great road trip to find your mother and sleep with Kelly Preston and that other (less hot) chick before foiling the mob in Vegas…..
of course Nuthing but love in a non gay way
“NBLIANGW”
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