SPOILERS - Changes in POA

[icecubecat14]

did the changes like (hagrids hut) and the womphing willow bother u?

i think both deserved a change .

it would have been much more boring if it was the same because hagrids hut and womphing willow were both right next to hogwarts so it made hogwarts look really small. :eyebrows:

[Allan2]

they didnt rly bother me
the thing that did was the new entrance to the gryffindor common room
i wonder wut the thestrals will look like in OotP

[Barbara Kennedy]

POA Film Discussion thread (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=27297)
This is the place for this discussion, I believe.

[Nightswimmer]

I loved the changes they made to the locations of Hagrid's hut and the Whompng Willow. I only wish the first two movies could have had the ley out this way. I don't like to picture hogwarts as this castle sitting out in the middle of a flat green field, which is the impression i got sometimes from the first two films, esp. with the Whomping Willow beign so near the castle. Now when I read the books I am trying to let Cuaron's vision of the grounds take over in my mind. That is the only thing that bothers me about film adaptations. If they don't "get it right" according to your own imagination, you are sometimes stuck with their version of things in your head while you read and it is sometime hard to put them aside and visualize things for yourself.

[daniel4hp]

POA Film Discussion thread (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=27297)
This is the place for this discussion, I believe.
I think this is a broad enough topic to warrent its own thread.

Here's a list of several changes that you may wish to discuss:
Changes to Hogwarts Castle
- Different Appearance
- Gryffindor Common Room Entrance
- The Clock Tower Courtyard
Changes to Hogwarts Grounds
- New Hagrid's Hut
- New Whomping Willow
Other Changes
- Costume Changes
- New Dumbledore (appearance and character, not Gambon's acting)
Note that this thread is not to discuss changes in mood, tone, or directorial style, except where these things directly relate to changes such as those mentioned above.

Here's some questions to consider as well:
Do you think that it was a good idea for PoA to change things established in the previous films?
Do you think the changes above improved the film or not? If so, in what way?
Do you feel a need to explain away the changes in terms of plot, or do you just accept them as changes made for artistic reasons? If you have explanations, what are they?

[dafyd]

yes mum! (wow - that almost sounds like one of my A2 exam questions i had last week!)

i thought the change to hagrid's hut was necessary for the film, and will certainly work well in the future. the lake, though, should be just outside it - not in the middle of the forest. hmm...

michael gambon as dumbledore was very good, and i might have liked him better than richard harris had he been there from the beginning - unfortunately, i know associate dumbledore with harris, even when i read the books, so gambon will always be 'the replacement' - i know he'll do a good job though!

[hermione_g_004]

I didn't like the changes...especially the firebolt one...everyone kept telling me to be quiet in the theater cause i kept yelling, "hey, that did not happen!" but yet i loved the movie anyway...they should have added more though...they took out way too much! and being the shortest movie, they probably could of added something else!

[hawk1245]

I don't see why you have to worry about the changes, if you think about them long enough you can almost ALWAYS find an explanation, and it's a MAGICAL place, so things probably do movie and change, just try not to think about it oo much, and you will enjoy the films, just say to yourself "this place is magical" and don't get tied in the details, and you will completley forget about them! :) And they didn't CHANGE anything, they just added on. In the part with buckbeak, you can see that the castles and cathedrals used in the first two were kept in the same place as part of the design.

[RemusLupinFan]

Do you think that it was a good idea for PoA to change things established in the previous films?

Yes I think it was a good idea, because nothing was changed so drastically that it was unrecognizable from the first two films.

Do you think the changes above improved the film or not? If so, in what way?

I didn't mind the changes made to Hogwarts castle. Frankly I didn't notice much of a change in this area. I really liked the addition of the clocktower, it enhanced the Time-Turner sequence. The change in Hagrid's hut also didn't bother me. In the way of other changes, I thought the costumes were great. I think they looked better than the previous ones.

Do you feel a need to explain away the changes in terms of plot, or do you just accept them as changes made for artistic reasons? If you have explanations, what are they?

Not really, I just accept the artistic reasons these changes were made. In a way, some of the changes gave the movie a refreshing appearance without altering the Hogwarts we knew and loved from SS and CoS.

[Potter13]

I liked the changes that were made. I think that the castle looked older and more used. In the first two movies, everything was flat and bright green. The one in PoA seemed to be more dark and gloomy like I would picture a castle that has been around for a long time and has had kids playing pranks and practicing spells in it. The one in the first two movies looked like it had no wear and tear.

[Silkeng]

Changes to Hogwarts Castle
- Different Appearance
- Gryffindor Common Room Entrance
- The Clock Tower Courtyard
Changes to Hogwarts Grounds
- New Hagrid's Hut
- New Whomping Willow
Other Changes
- Costume Changes
- New Dumbledore (appearance and character, not Gambon's acting)

The Castle changes mostly made sense, I didn't like one, the Teachers table split in half and Dumbledore using that stand. It didn't really seem necessary to me. Nor the location of the Gryffindor common room, not really well hidden if it is in the middle of the stairs.

The grounds, all looked great, the tree was smaller I am not sure why, but it had its own personality that was great.

I liked their new robes it was more realistic how kids would wear them and take them off sometimes looking relaxed.

A change that may not be a change? the heavset black boy? a new gryffindor for no reason who had lines?? :huh:

All in all I loved the movie, took a bit of getting used to the children growing up but the third time I saw it was the greatest because the changes didn't matter.

[NerfHerder]

I also thought that the heavyset black kid was out of place. I thought that they were trying too hard to be racially-inclusive, especially since they gave the new kid two lines.

But if they were trying to be racially fair, couldn't they have added Cho for a second or two? Just a fleeting/flirty glance in the hall would have sufficed.

[hawk1245]

Just to let people know, Hogwarts was changed in COS from what it was in PS ya know. Where a 50 wall was turned into a viaduct (also visible in POA on the buckbeak scene), the Whomping Willow popped up in a place that was empty before, and the quidditch stadium movied closer to the castle, also the greenhouse were not were not there in PS, at least not in the same place as in PS. So POA hasen't done anything that COS didn't really. Again, I just say "It's magic, not enjoy the movie" and it dosen't destract me. By the by, the part secion of the table that is removed in POA was removable in the first two, you can see the seams.

[Legnar]

I believe I liked all the changes, apart from the dementors flying, and the patronus....it was pretty different.

[fawkes5]

I like the changes in PoA. To me it's not such a stretch to believe that, in a school where staircases can switch around and people in pictures can visit other frames, a lot of things could happen.

What I have to think about is whether I liked all that wandless magic. I have noticed that in the books JK always takes great pains for the wizards and witches to use their wands even when they're performing small bits of magic. Plus we have had all these discussions (on this forum) on how Harry's being able to do wandless magic may play out in the future books. So it was a bit of a shock for me to see so many of them doing wandless magic so nonchalantly in the movie!

[daniel4hp]

A change that may not be a change? the heavset black boy? a new gryffindor for no reason who had lines??
Are you talking about the one who, in Divination, explained the Grim? I thought that was Dean. I don't remember what the Dean in the first two looked like, but its understandable that they may have needed to change him for some reason. If it is Dean, I'm perfectly fine with the change. He seems fine to me.

[Thuldorn]

My biggest disappointment was Lupin using a simple immobulus spell to freeze the whomping willow. Frankly I wish the movie had been longer and more faithful to the book.

[tarnole]

Architecturally the changes don't bother me. If I remember correctly POA was filmed using a different castle location, so it makes sense that some of the landscape would be changed. It did feel a bit more constricted. I like Hagrid's new hut. And the location at the bottom of the hill gives a lot of opportunity for interesting camera work. In my mind, the grounds were flat, so the hillyness is a bit of a departure.

I don't like the location of the Common room entrance - it does seem to be way to out in the open.

The clock tower and the courtyard with the statuary is attractive, though I don't recall JKR describing a clock tower in any of the books.

As for the smaller willow, it was 'damaged' by Harry and Ron running into it, so maybe Snape and Filch had to prune it...

Cheers, K

[RubberSoul]

Are you talking about the one who, in Divination, explained the Grim? I thought that was Dean. I don't remember what the Dean in the first two looked like, but its understandable that they may have needed to change him for some reason. If it is Dean, I'm perfectly fine with the change. He seems fine to me.
I can't be sure, but I'm nearly positive I saw the Dean from the first two movies in there somewhere. This kid cropped up from nowhere. I think he sneaks in through the open window or something to deliver ominous lines.

I think the best possible change in the movie was Hagrid's cabin. In the first two movies, it was a hop away from the school, and it was situated on a perfectly manicured lawn. It was wilder this way, and it fit in more with Hagrid's personality, if that makes any sense. And the ravens were a stroke of genius.

[dumbleedore]

Are you talking about the one who, in Divination, explained the Grim? I thought that was Dean. I don't remember what the Dean in the first two looked like, but its understandable that they may have needed to change him for some reason. If it is Dean, I'm perfectly fine with the change. He seems fine to me.
Actually- from what I understood, that was Lee Jordan- I believe near the end a student called him Lee.

Aoife Diggle (???) who plays Dean was still there.

[hawk1245]

Dean is in the film, same guy as before. His name is Alfred "Alfie" Enoch, he has had one line in each movie so far. I don'y know who the "grim" kids is though.

[icecubecat14]

Actually- from what I understood, that was Lee Jordan- I believe near the end a student called him Lee.

Aoife Diggle (???) who plays Dean was still there.

If that was lee jordon he must've ate a bit too much between movies...

[Momsafantoo]

Individually, I don't think any of the changes would have bothered me. But to have changed SO MUCH all in one big swipe bothered me throughout the entire movie. And I'm still grumpy about it, LOL!

And I personally hated the kids being more relaxed with their clothing. I've never been to a fancy boarding school anywhere, but I'm pretty sure that nobody, even the last year students, get away with that kind of sloppy dress.

[muggledeedee]

Actually- from what I understood, that was Lee Jordan- I believe near the end a student called him Lee.

Aoife Diggle (???) who plays Dean was still there.

Lee Jordan is 2 yrs ahead - he is in the same class with the twins so he would not be in Divination with Ron & Harry. This is some newcomer to the class? Not a character out of the book as far as I can tell.

Changes for the better:
+Hagrid's hut - far enough removed from the castle but still visible from the castle
+Costume changes were good - nice to see them in regular clothes instead of robes all the time
+New Dumbledore - much more what I pictured from the books. Not that Richard Harris wasn't a good Dumbledore, but too somber - In PoA it really shows the how Dumbley is child-like, more fun-loving and almost acts a little ditsy, just as I saw him in the books

Changes for the worse:
+what were they thinking withe the Gryff common room right on the staircase? It is supposed to be hidden at the end of a hallway...sheesh
+It seemed a little too gloomy - didn't like the courtyard or castle entrance
+The Whomping Willow was supposed to be right on the grounds. I pictured it much closer to the school (easy access for Lupin as a student - he was the reason it was planted there) I did liek the look of it though - and the humor centered around it

Overall I wasn't too pleased with the setting...Maybe I am too blinded by the first 2 films to see this one as it's own movie - Anyone else feel that way?

[Lady Zoey]

I think this has yet to be mentioned, In the movie, Sirius has tattoos on his chest and fingers, in the books he doesn't. I thought maybe they were marks from Azkaban, but then wouldn't people notice this, and be on his case, then it occurred to me that Jo had said something to Cuaron about him doing something with the movie she hadn't mentioned. Maybe the rune scribes on Sirius mean something, or I could be completly wrong...
:shrug:

[curlz]

Personally I loved the courtyard and the clock tower. It was much more... I don't know what the word is, It made it seem more magical and gave it a touch of it's own. I think that courtyard is more belivable as the place where Snape took Quidditch Through The Ages from Harry in the fisrt book.
I liked the new Dumbledore much better than the other one because he just seemed more how I imagined him in the books.
The new layout was easier to believe and I loved how the Ravens? flew away when the executioner was dismissed from the grounds.
The new Whomping Willow was, just different.

I didn't like the missing plot though, We didn't learn about Moony,Padfoot, Prongs and wormtail, Or about Crookshanks and his incredible intelligence. I didn't like the abscence of normal everyday things, thought I throughly enjoyed the scene where Neville, Harry, Ron and someone else are eating those lollies in the dorm, that was great!

[rotsiepots]

And I personally hated the kids being more relaxed with their clothing. I've never been to a fancy boarding school anywhere, but I'm pretty sure that nobody, even the last year students, get away with that kind of sloppy dress.
Actually, the uniforms were an invention of the films. The books don't differentiate between houses by robes, either. They all just wear black robes with Muggle clothes underneath (see any of the covers to the books).

[Bouncing_Ferret]

Do you think that it was a good idea for PoA to change things established in the previous films?
Do you think the changes above improved the film or not? If so, in what way?
Do you feel a need to explain away the changes in terms of plot, or do you just accept them as changes made for artistic reasons? If you have explanations, what are they?

1. I didn't especially like all the changing around of stuff in PoA - Hogwarts in PS/SS and CoS was really just as I had pictured it, so I didn't feel that there was really any need for changes to be made.

2. Having said that, some of the changes to the set and so forth, after they had sunk in, I didn't mind so much. It seems more realistic for Hagrid's cabin to be farther away from the castle - it makes it a bit more rustic and Hagrid-like. The courtyard was lovely - it really captured that old, gloomy castle feeling! The clocktower was interesting - quite cool, I think, and it definitely added to the visual aspects of the film. I'm not sure if this counts, but I really liked the door to the castle being shut once the alarm about Sirius was raised - all those bolts slamming into place, it made the atmosphere so lovely and sinister.

3. I do usually like to explain away changes and so forth, but in this case, I'm just letting the art flow over me. If I get too confused about plot/set changes, I can always go read the books, right? :D

[sanchou]

Ron was on his feet. As the dog sprang back towards them, he pushed Harry aside; the dog's jaws fastened instead around Ron's outstretched arm. Harry lunged at it and seized a handul of the brute's hair, but it was dragging Ron away as easily as if he were a rag-doll-

'No, Harry!' Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper; Ron, however, spoke to Black.
'If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us, too!' he said fiercely, though the effort of standing up had drained him of still more colour, and he swayed slghthy as he spoke.
Something flickered in Black's shadowed eyes.
'Lie down,' he said quietly to Ron. 'You will damage that leg even more.'
'Did you hear me?' Ron said weakly, though he was chlinging painfully to Harry to stay upright. 'you'll have to kill all three of us!'

From PoA

I can understand the director and screenwriter didn want to add plots to represent Hermione's loyalty and courage because everyone have their favorite, but they should have Ron do sth. except crying in the whomping willow, Shrieking Shack scene. And I have to say many minor roles in PoA didn't act as themselves in the books, they may be not heroes, but the isn't clowns either.

[Momsafantoo]

Actually, the uniforms were an invention of the films. The books don't differentiate between houses by robes, either. They all just wear black robes with Muggle clothes underneath (see any of the covers to the books).

Well, I don't see that it matters one way or the other how the books do it, in this instance. In the case of the film, they've got them in uniforms. Even if they had TOTALLY changed the uniforms from the first two movies, they shouldn't have been allowed to walk around all sloppy like that, some of them in robes, others not.

[dafyd]

And I personally hated the kids being more relaxed with their clothing. I've never been to a fancy boarding school anywhere, but I'm pretty sure that nobody, even the last year students, get away with that kind of sloppy dress.I have a lot of friends who do go to 'fancy boarding schools' - they can wear pretty much whatever they want, except during the school day (7.30 to 6.30), when they have to wear uniform (like any other school, really).

I think the new uniform makes Hogwarts a lot closer to 'normal' British schools - their uniform is almost the same as ours (for ickle kids, anyway).

[doadpadfoot]

those changes really didn't bother me too much! the ones that really bothered me were the info on the marauder's backround, the quidditch cup, and the fact that everything was so rushed in the movie! one moment, you're getting off the hogwarts express, and when you blink, the gang are watching buckbeak get executed! oh yeah! another "change" was the firebolt at the end!!!!!!!!! he's supposed to get it before he was on good terms with sirius! aaarrrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!!!! :grumble:

[daniel4hp]

oh yeah! another "change" was the firebolt at the end!!!!!!!!! he's supposed to get it before he was on good terms with sirius! aaarrrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!!!!
It seems that this change bothers you considerably. Although certainly this was a change from the order of things in the book, I'm afraid I cannot understand what would be so bothersome about this change. For me, I just accept that it would have broken up the flow of the film if they had placed it in the middle, and since they didn't want a second Quidditch match, there was no need to introduce it before the end. Could you explain why this change, that seems reletively minor to me, bothers you so much (or at least, it appears to bother you)?

[Momsafantoo]

I have a lot of friends who do go to 'fancy boarding schools' - they can wear pretty much whatever they want, except during the school day (7.30 to 6.30), when they have to wear uniform (like any other school, really).



That's what I figured - but kids in the movie were showing up for classes out of robes, ties untied, shirts untucked, etc. Best example I can think of is Hagrid's first class - I don't think Crabbe or Goyle had on their robes at all, ties all askew, top couple of buttons undone, etc. And I'm pretty sure several other students were in similar states in regards to their uniforms, not just the baboons.

[Silkeng]

I wasn't bothered by the robes at all, since they weren't anything like the way the book explained robes. I was glad to see them a lil sloppy because in SS and CoS they were always perfectly tailored, or the sloppiness looked planned.

It would have helped to have the Marauders Map explained. The only time this bothered me is when Lupin called it a map, and Harry didn't even flinch as to how he knew! lol

The heavset black boy still upsets me, he was nowhere near the twins so he couldn't be Lee Jordan. Dean was also there and it was the same actor as the first two movies. A new person just distracted me when they gave him lines. Overall loved the movie and can't wait for the dvd.

[rotsiepots]

Well, I don't see that it matters one way or the other how the books do it, in this instance. In the case of the film, they've got them in uniforms. Even if they had TOTALLY changed the uniforms from the first two movies, they shouldn't have been allowed to walk around all sloppy like that, some of them in robes, others not.

As someone who's attended a boarding school, I can assure you that that's how people wear their uniforms.

You should be a Hogwarts Prefect. ;)

[jasper]

Do you think that it was a good idea for PoA to change things established in the previous films?
Do you think the changes above improved the film or not? If so, in what way?
Do you feel a need to explain away the changes in terms of plot, or do you just accept them as changes made for artistic reasons? If you have explanations, what are they?

1. I think subsequent films should be free to make changes. If the next director is constrained by the previous films, then the director's options are too limited. To me, The point of each of the films is to be an adaptation of a book. The films don't need to remain/become a cohesive unit together.

2.Changes to Hogwarts Castle
- Different Appearance
- Gryffindor Common Room Entrance
- The Clock Tower Courtyard
Changes to Hogwarts Grounds
- New Hagrid's Hut
- New Whomping Willow
Other Changes
- Costume Changes
- New Dumbledore (appearance and character, not Gambon's acting)

These specific changes, none of which are plot changes, are harmless. And the look of the movie was great, so, while I think "improvement" might not be the word I"d choose, I think they were fitting.

3. If I was going to explain it in terms of plot, then: Hogwarts isn't quite as cute and dreamy as it was. But we're supposed to be seeing it through Harry's eyes, and those eyes are gaining maturity.


People are also discussing changes that this film made when adapting the book, and I think that's a bit off topic for this thread. There are plenty of changes of that nature, certainly. But just looking for changes from the previous film to this one, I don't think there is anything jarringly disruptive.

[jennifern]

The film don't need to remain/become a cohesive unit together.

This is where I really disagree..... I can see making changes from the books to the movies because movies are totally different and are in a sense an adaptation of the books. However, as the books remain a cohesive unit that tells a story, the movies should as well. JK Rowling doesn't jump all over the place, changing backgrounds and settings and such when writing the book..... the books flows, as it should. The movies should as well, people should be able to watch the whole series (hopefully 1-6) and be able to see a flow as things progress and not be jarred out of "the reality of Hogwarts" by changing scenery and sets.

[jasper]

But why? I guess I just don't really get why that's a "should."

It would be asking Cuaron to direct a Columbus film and then Mike Newell has to direct a 4th Columbus film. By the time book 6 or 7 got to film it would all be pretty flat, wouldn't it?

I think that is an unreasonable expectation. . . and unnecessary. Viewers are going to have the jarring back-to-reality experience of changing the DVD, so that "reality of Hogwarts" is on shaky ground as it is.

I hadn't seen CoS in a while, kind of because it annoys me, so I wasn't in for a big jolt seeing PoA. But after seeing PoA I wanted to see CoS again to compare things. It's just interesting, not troubling, to see changes.

(oh, and doesn't JKR introduce changes as she goes along? Haven't there been any continuity issues?)

[daniel4hp]

This is where I really disagree..... I can see making changes from the books to the movies because movies are totally different and are in a sense an adaptation of the books. However, as the books remain a cohesive unit that tells a story, the movies should as well. JK Rowling doesn't jump all over the place, changing backgrounds and settings and such when writing the book..... the books flows, as it should. The movies should as well, people should be able to watch the whole series (hopefully 1-6) and be able to see a flow as things progress and not be jarred out of "the reality of Hogwarts" by changing scenery and sets.
I see your point, but to me, each film should be a separate adaptation of that book. Enough unity should be maintained so that people only familiar with the films can follow the progression of the story, but I don't think that each movie has to flow perfectly from the one before. This is not, and cannot be, The Lord of the Rings. I don't think its fair to constrain subsequent directors by limitting them to what the previous director did. They should have the artistic freedom to make changes, and in my opinion, that's okay. The movies don't have to be a series with perfect continuity.

[Moontrimmer]

The changes didn't bother me too much. I rather liked the new scenery, and didn't mind the new location of Hagrid's hut. The thing that bothered me though was Hogwarts. I did not like the dark, drab, feel it had to it. Someone once described Hogwarts as almost like another character in the book. And the new look was rather uncharacteristic of it. Durmanstrang is supposed to be dark and drab, not Hogwarts.

[feshnie]

I like the changes Alfonso made.
-Hagrid's hut
-The Whomping Willow
-The entrance to Griffindor tower
-The fat lady
-Their new robes. (Looks cool on Dan)
and also the new stuff.
-Divination class
-The Marauders Map
-Hogsmeade
-The Shrieking Shack
-Dementors. (Really scary)

[Da_Chinkster]

To me the changes made are all minor and not realy important. Alfonso is just putting his feel to the film as he portrays the scenes. However I thought the changes made were pretty good especially the whomping willow

[snape_sinclaire]

I noticed Sir Cadogon (sp?) was missing, but an actor was cast for the role. Maybe he'll be in a deleted scene(s) in the DVD.

[icecubecat14]

he was in it but in the portraits in the backgrounds

[snape_sinclaire]

he was? oh...attention must have been somewhere else. Maybe I could use this as an excuse to watch the movie again ;)

[harripottrfreek]

Okay, this is how I personally feel about the changes made in the movie. I don't think they were entirely good nor bad. It's just like yeah I imagined in my head what I thought everything would look like and how everything would be and when the first two movies came out I adjusted somewhat to those visions. Hogwarts was exactly how I imagined it and everything seem perfect. The Harry Potter world was becoming more of a reality because it was on screen. Now I am older and just don't really know what to think of the changes made in PoA.

For one I really don't care for the changes in Hogwarts. I hated the new appearance because it didn't seem like it was Hogwarts anymore. Like they had moved to a whole new castle and kept the name. It was as if the magic was gone. The Gryffindor Common Room placement also bothered me because it shouldn't be where everyone can easily have access to it. Putting it right off the stairs was kind of stupid I thought. I mean the stairs didn't even seem right in the fact that they weren't moving while everyone was waiting to get into the common room (when the lady was singing and when Sirius Black came into play) and it just seemed off to me. The whole clock things bugged me after awhile...I mean it just didn't fit and was like hey we installed a new clock isn't cool. I mean what was the real purpose of putting it there...except to hint in the movie about time of course.

I did like, however, the changes of Hagrid's Hut and the Whomping Willow...those were more how I expected them to be from just reading the books. I think that they should have been like that from the beginning, but whatever. It was hard to just get used to it though. I mean you were already introduced to the places and elements of everything and now all of a sudden Hagrid lives down and hill and the Whomping Willow is surrounded by rocks and stuff. It was hard to get used to, but after thinking about it, I think it was a good change. I also liked how the tree had a little more personality, but I think it wasted screen time tha could have been devoted to other scenes. But still was nice to see.

The changes in costume were not that big of a deal to me...actually I think they suited the characters age more. The original costumes were good because they seemed to match the characters in age and style. In this movie we see the characters style outside of Hogwarts clothes and their uniforms compliment that. I think it was a good change over all and brought a little more to the characters.

I didn't care for Dumbledore at all. I hated his beard and his hair and his dress. I mean everything about him just seemed wrong. It didn't fit. The way he spoke was not how I ever imagined Dumbledore doing so. I think that was the main thing I couldn't stand. I didn't care for Dumbledore at all.

[comeoutandplay]

it seemed to me that there were two dean's and two Goyle's. that was annoying. there was the same person who played Goyle in the first two movie but the new slytherin boy seemed to be more friendly with malfoy and had a (slightly) bigger part. also there was a ghost in the Gryffindor common room, that i think was nearly headless nick, only COMPLETELY different costume and actor, of course.

[jasper]

After seeing it a second time, I was a little troubled by the sheer number of portraits and magical paintings. I don't remember that sea of motion from the other films.

And I agree that changing the location of the Griffindor common room to right in the middle of everything doesn't fit the books. But having it there put it in the middle of all those other magical paintings. That way we got to have all the paintings reacting to Sirius's attack on the Fat Lady. The crying baby got annoying. The giraffe that walked through the back ground of about ten pictures at a time bothered me-- did the Fat Lady push it out of it's frame when she hid there? Anyway, I think folks in charge of magical paintings just got carried away with it this time.

[VoldemortX]

The things that bothered me in PoA (the movie) were all the huggings and hand holdings... I mean no where Jk Rowling mentioned those things in the books... and I think Cuaron spoiled some stuff that were supposed to happen in book 6 and 7...

[myongja]

The thing that bothered me in PoA was in the middle of the courtyard. I can't remember if it was a fountain or just a centerpiece but if you look at the statues that are on it they are of eagles with snakes in their mouths. Now I had read that Alfonso left little hints of his heritage around and the symbol on the Mexican flag is of an eagle holding a snake in its mouth, but knowing the history of the Harry Potter series I think that he should've known better than to put that in there. I mean come on, just picture it... One of the first things that the students see when they are heading into Hogwarts is these statues in the center of the courtyard of Eagles with Snakes in their mouthes. Since the Ravenclaw mascot is an Eagle and the Slytherin mascot is a snake I can't see the Slytherins being to happy about this. I know that Lucius Malfoy would deffinately throw a huge fuss after Draco told him and have it removed. This detail really buggs me and in the middle of the movie when I noticed it I was like, okay i know that you are proud of your heritage, but this is taking it too far. He could've picked some other way of adding his own personal touch.