So because I am a big dork, I broke out my Harry Potter costume yesterday afternoon and went and saw it at my local theatre. I can tell I've grown since I wore it last in 2004. But still, it's pretty awesome. :-)
So at the movie, because I am still interested in trying to figure out why I don't like this movie as much... (Part of me thinks it's because it's one of my favorite books in the series... The other is Prisoner of Azkaban... I liked movies 1, 2 and 4. Not 3. Hmm...) So I took a note-pad and scribbled comments to the movie, providing my own commentary if-you-will, to the action on the screen. I came up with 18 pages of scribbled, slanty notes on my 5 x 8 inch note pad. The following are my comments. I've corrected only the spelling. Some of the comments are written as if I hadn't read the book before the movie. The stuff in parenthesis is my added comments for clarification. () The stuff in brackets [] obviously are added words to help the sentence make more sense.
If you haven't read the book or seen the movie yet, all friendly disclaimers apply. Spoilers and strong opinions follow bellow. Venture with caution.
Harry and the Order of the Phoenix
Valdemort? (A trivia question in the pre-show commercials had Harry Potter related question with this spelling. Ug.)
Nice intro theme arrangement.
Where the heck is this park? Why is it so far away [from everything]?
Is Dudley skinnier?
[Harry has] David Tennant hair!
Run Forrest! Run!
Is this a shed or what? A Subway tunnel?
Whoa... Dementor re-design.
Wasn't Harry on the ground [when attacked by Dementors]? (The book doesn't say, just that the Dementor did have its hand around Harry's throat. OotP P.18)
Stabbing with wand does not work. (Except for trolls perhaps.)
Creepy robot Mrs. Figg.
How.../Who is she? (The movie never explains how Mrs. Figg knows about Harry, the Order, Voldemort, Cedirc or the Dementors.)
WTF? Owl? (When I first-first saw it, I thought it would be Pigwidgeon. It wasn't P. 26 says the owl "swooped gracefully out". No crashing.)
Dumb letter.
Where's the Howler? (P. 40 "Remember my last...")
No row between Harry and Vernon? (Chapter 2.)
Omg, stupid dress. (Petunia's dress was horrid. It made me chuckle.)
Harry's room is clean.... Huh? (Harry's room is ALWAYS described in some sort of disarray in the books...
Lens-less glasses.
Key inside the door, what?
Tonks-- Where's her signature line? ("Wotcher, Harry!" P. 47)
Tonks than Nymphadora? (In the movie, Moody called her Tonks and THEN Nymphadora. Huh? Oh! And why isn't Lupin with the rescue team???)
How can she change her hair? (The movie never explains that Tonks is a Metamorphmagus. P. 52.)
Where did those brooms come from?
What happened to flying high? (P. 36)
Should reinstate the theme from "Mr. Longbottom Flies" or something. (As they zoom down the Thames.)
No secret keeper? (P. 58)
Awkward Mrs. Weasley hug.
Eww... Stuffed House Elves.
No S.P.E.W.?
Stupid Emma acting. ("You must tell us everything." Bad phrasing. So awkward and cheesy.)
Double stripes? (Actually triple.... Both Ron had Hermione were wearing striped shirts and the walls had vertical stripes on them.)
Ah! Apparition!
Yay! Extendable Ears!
Stupid Crookshanks.
No Dung Bombs?
No "Hello" to Lupin?
How can Tonks do that? [Change her face.] (Again, the movie never explains how Tonks can change her appearance.)
[What's up with the] Green light filter in the London Tube?
Phone box? No mannequins? (Okay, so it was a phone box. I forgot. P. 125.)
No badge? (The visitor's badges... P. 126.)
"Heil Fudge!"
What is Lucious doing there [at the Ministry]? (P. 134)
Truth will what? (What ever Mr. Weasley said that muggles say... :-P)
No drawing up a chair? (P. 139)
Who WAS behind the Dementor attack??? The movie never said! (It was Umbridge. P. 747.)
Black lipstick?
No "He got off" dance? (P.156.)
Different dog? (Sirius's dog form changed from the 3rd movie.)
Stupid dog jokes. "Barking."
Furry coat? LOL
No photo from Moody? Sirius instead? (P. 173)
Sirius is not handsome. (This makes me sad.)
Harry is depressed and no one helps him.
No prefect badges for Ron, Hermione or Draco? (P. 161)
What's [that plant] Neville's holding? (It's a "Mimbulus mimbletonia." P. 186)
Can't Neville see thestrals too? (He can. P. 445)
Yay! The Quibbler!
Fake eater, Hermione. (Emma was trying to act like she was in the middle of a meal and taking another bite.)
Ah! I hate Umbridge!
Harry's Theme (aka Hedwig's theme): 1. Every other accompanying music: 3000.
Why don't the Weasley Twins stand up for Harry? (When Seamus confronted him. They were just sitting there looking guilty! This argument originally took place in the boy's dormitory. P. 217)
I hate teachers like Umbridge. (The ones who want to be your "pal.")
No books from Flourish and Blotts? (The bought their DADA books there in the book. P. 240)
Stop laughing! (Directed at Umbridge.)
Creepy manic smile. (During "This is a lie"-part.)
Have some tea with that sugar.
Smash those [annoying] plates!
Umbridge is a sicko.
Hand well done. (Aka "I must not tell lies")
WTF? Deep down, children deserve to be punished??!
What? No Canary Creams?
Thestrals and just Luna? What?
Awww! Look a baby thestral!
I love Luna's hair.
Luna curl continuity. (The curls in Luna's bangs changed from one shot to another.)
Who's the punk rocker Gryffindor? (Look to next to Hermione, in the Great Hall scene after Harry shouts at Ron. There's a kid with awesome longish hair.)
Well done on the steps. (Umbridge and McGonnagall "on-upping" each other on the stairs, and then McGonnagall stepping down to show her support of Dumbledore.)
Percy?! Where did he come from?
Double Divination? (Gryffindors and Slytherins.)
Snape = Awesome. (When Umbridge is questioning him.)
Hogwarts music class?
LOL, nice blue nails Trelawney
Well played Emma Thompson!
Isn't it around Christmas when Trelawney gets kicked out? (Okay, it's not. It's after. P. 595)
Awww... McGonnagall is comforting Trelawney.
Rock on Dumbledore!
No Firenze?
Inconsistance in Floo-talking. (From the 4th movie to the 5th. In the 4th Sirius's face was made of ash and coal, in the 5th it was part of the flames.)
"Voldemort is on the move." (I can't hear any variation of this line without thinking "Aslan is on the move..." It always makes me kind of laugh a little.)
No monitoring of the Floo network?
Hidden Mickey/Hidden Death Eater mask. (In the snow. It's like the "Hidden Mickey.")
Yay! Umbridge toad reference!
No one overhears them? (In the Hogshead pub.)
Hermione is not very organized.
LOL! Ghetto Dean [Thomas].
Is that Colin Creevy? (No, it was someone named Nigel... Wait! The kid from the 4th movie who brought Ron his dress robes! Ha! I win!)
"He's really back?" (Stupid question.)
"Join our pirate crew!" (Everyone signing up for the DA reminded me of this exchange from PotC: 2
Gibbs: [In Tortuga signing sailors up] And what makes you think you're worthy to crew the Black Pearl?
Very old Man: Truth be told, I've never sailed a day in me life. I think I should get out and see the world while I'm still young.
Gibbs: You'll do, make your mark. Next!
Skinny Man: My wife ran off with my dog and I'm drunk for a month and I don't give a ass rat's if I live or die.
Gibbs: Perfect, next!
Haha! :-)
Just go and marry Umbridge, Filtch...
No Quidditch? Why not? (I know *why* there was no Quidditch... It was banned by order No. 24 without prior approval. The movie never explains why.)
That's not really how you get into the Room of Requirement. (P. 386)
No Dobby? No Winky?
Clockwork dummy? Huh?
Haha... Tip-toe Filtch.
Bread and butter spells? Huh?
Yay for betting on Ron!
Neville is cute.
LOL... "Expelliarmus" *fly buzz*
It's like the Purple Heart. (The Inquisitorial Squad badges.)
Levicorpus? WTF? (Harry see's James use this in Snape's memory, but he doesn't USE it until the 6th book... Right? And this jinx lifts you up by your ankle. HBP P. 240. Wingardium Leviosa is more of the spell they were showing the movie.)
Haha! Cleaning closet!
A Christmas tree in the Room of Requirement?
No coins for meeting... (P. 398)
Oooh... Ginny looking at Harry....
But it was Pettigrew who killd Cedric with Voldemort's wand!
AWKWARD SCREEN KISS! AHH!
When ever do we see Cho crying???
No Madam Puddifoot's? (P. 558)
Where did the snake come from? It looks like a boa constrictor. (I *know* where it comes from, but it wasn't prominent in the 4th movie.)
Why is Phineus blasted out of the family tree?
Occulmency in the middle of the night. How fun.
Snape does not wear pajamas.
Memories are hard to follow.
Gloomy Christmas.
No St. Mungos.
No Pigwidgeon? SAD!
Harry has Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder.
No pocket-knife/gift from Sirius?
I think the tapestry should move.
No Regulus Black?
Oooh! Pirates of the Caribbean music chords after the tapestry room!
Way to ditch Cho, Harry.... (Hagrid returned.)
LOL... Puzzle windows...
No Madam Maxine?
Zombie Bellatrix Lestrange ala Edward Scissorhands.
Eww... The Dark Mark...
Stupid Percy.
LOL! Seamus's tie is short.
Haha! Killer rabbit of DOOM! (In reference to Luna's Patronus... We decided it was like the rabbit from Monty Python.)
What happened to Marietta? No "SNEAK" pimples?
Stupid Percy.
I wish Filch would fall off that ladder.
"Umbridge's Youth" (AKA the Inquisitorial Squad.)
Stupid Cho. I wouldn't talk to you either.
"I'll get you!" (as Snape chases Harry around his office after Harry sees Snape's memory.)
Ahh! Too much pink!
Cool fireworks, but Gandalf's are better.
No little swamp left in the window?
No one around Harry helps him when he begins to collapse?
Haha, Ron has a tartan sweater.
Snape makes me laugh.
Bongos for Centaurs? (Bongos were used in the music played when the Centaurs came out in the Forbidden Forrest.)
Sad epic music on the thestral flight to London? How about urgent and adventurous?
No rescue mission tags?
No shop dummies? (I keep thinking there's shop dummies.... WHERE ARE THERE SHOP DUMMIES? [edit] At St. Mungo's... Silly me...)
No crazy door place? No brains? No Time-turners?
Why doesn't Ginny have her wand lit in the Department of Mysteries?
Yay! No more "kkk" Death Eaters!
Creeppy Bella.... :-)
"Accio Prophecy!" anyone? (Der...)
Ahhh! No Levicorpus! Not yet!
Sirius Black. Killed by drapery.
Yes! A good punch to the face!
"Olympic medal ninja wandage."
Oooh! Manic Luscious!
Nice laugh, Bella!
James? Huh? (Nice slip Sirius.)
There's got to be a better way to show Sirius's death...
What? Voldemort is saying Bellatrix's line! (P. 810)
I want Bella's costume.
Voldemort has a speech impediment because he has no nose.
Ooooh... A Basilisk of fire!
The glass breaking [in the Ministry] is rather Matrix-like.
Harry looks crazed and constipated. (When Voldemort starts to posses him.)
Why is he not in pain? (Harry didn't look like it hurt very much to be possessed by Voldemort.)
Is that a black eye? (It looked like Harry had a black eye in a couple shots and then it was gone.)
Why is Voldemort's wand white? (Because it's made of Yew... Which is white... I didn't know this... I had always pictured it as a normal brown.)
No heroic music after the "win" at the Ministry? (This movie needs more exciting music.)
Harry is not angry enough. He's not wrecking Dumbledore's stuff?
No 2-way mirrors? (P. 858)
Oh! Look! Harry's Theme, finally!
Luna is a sweetheart.
I want those sneakers.
I kind of like Ginny's last outfit.
Okay... Kind of epic at the end... Needs more... (Referring to the music.)
Stupid credits. Boring to watch and no stinger afterwards. Lame.
Okay, so I totally realize that all of that was very anal. I guess I'm a bigger purist than I thought. All the pages referenced are from the American version of the 5th book, first edition.
I think I'm the only one who doesn't like this movie.
5 comments:
Just a couple of things...
Dementor attack is in an underpass, it's in the name of that song.
I think the things they didn't explain and only referenced (Tonks, Percy, mimbulus, Figg) was in there to please book readers-we know what it is without any introduction, and it's not essential to the basic plot that runs from book to book. Interesting, yeah, but not all *that* important.
And have you listened to the soundtrack? It's really, really good. I've got it memorized by now, so I can pick it out in the movie no problem...it may not be that noticeable if you don't know it at all.
Oh, and in movie one it's never said that Dumbledore gave the invisibility cloak to Harry, which goes along with the dementor attack not being explained. Nor is there a mountain troll/potion riddle leading up to the Sorceror's Stone. (No massive tour of the dept. of Mysteries...)
1. If I only saw the movies, I would be so confused by the presence of Percy etc.
2. Movie 1 never talks about each teacher's protection of the Stone, aside from Dumbledore's, so no potions riddle and no troll to get past is alright. The presence of Dementors changed the whole sentencing of the trial. Two lines. Two lines in Umbridge's office, right after she slapped Harry. That's all. And the mystery could have been solved.
3. I'd prefer they dropped the Mimbulous to put in something more relevant... Like Neville seeing the thestrals. Or at least be consistent.
4. Okay, so it's an underpass... But wasn't it an alleyway in the book?
5. The music did nothing for me. I got shivers during all the other movies. Nothing during this one. I feel cheated, but I don't know by who.
Sarah my darling.
Thou art cheated by thy own analness. Seriously.
Lighten up my dear.
The movies are an entirely different beast than the books.
Accept them as such and I think you'll be a lot happier.
:D
PS. I think 'Peter Pan' has ruined the effect of Lucius Malfoy for me. Every time he walks on screen I feel the need to purr and whisper, "seeeexxxxyyy!" If the Death Eater uniform included big piratey hats with feathers....I might just have to fight for the other side.
:D :D
Love you!
Rae
Myself during Harry Potter 3:
-Is that a Nazgul?
-Seriously, that's a freaking Ringwraith.
-It's not a Nazgul? What the heck!?
-*yawn* Credits? ...Oh, did I fall asleep?
Rachel V. -I feel cheated from a good quality, music score that evokes a strong emotion and shows connection throughout the film.
Isaac, Dementors and Nazgul are described in very similar terms, so it's not surprising that their film design is comparable to the Nazgul.
Personally, I've always pictured Dementors as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come from Muppet Christmas Carol.
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