Favorite / Best Harry Potter movie so far? v3 NOW WITH POLLING GOODNESS!!!

[xhanax315]

Originally Posted by Deevo

Can't agree with that, I much preferred the understated dignity of Elizabeth Spriggs.

Me too. You can't change the Fat Lady.

Originally Posted by Deevo

Again I disagree, it was over the top and way too drawn out, and the less said about Lenny Henry the better.

Right. I think the Knight Bus was one of the worst parts of the film. It really aggrevated me.

Originally Posted by Deevo

Score one for the great bat.

Indeed.

Originally Posted by Deevo

He did a good job with what he had to work with but they could have given him more.

Yes, I do believe he did a good job, could've been better though.

Originally Posted by Deevo

Mine too, by far the best to date.

Couldn't agree more.

Originally Posted by Deevo

Sorry but I just cringe every time. It's the only HP film I can't sit through.

Me too. I can't stand watching it. Every time there's a Potter marathon, I conviently skip this movie.

[Pearl_Took]

Originally Posted by xhanax315

Me too. You can't change the Fat Lady.

Whyever not? She's an utterly minor character, not remotely important to the story. In fact, she is hardly a character at all: she is background furniture and nothing more.

Right. I think the Knight Bus was one of the worst parts of the film. It really aggrevated me.

I loved it. I love it in the book, it's wonderfully funny, and it was very well done in the film -- just hilarious. And the visuals are wonderful.

And, um, didn't JKR like it too? She seemed to react to PoA very favourably.

[Electricfeel]

Nobody likes the poor shrunken heads. I admit that in the interviews on the dvd they were really, really annoying. However in the movie I thought it was pretty funny, and when you think about it how many lines did the head have? It was a interesting touch for that scene really..

[MasterOfDeath]

Originally Posted by Pearl_Took

Whyever not? She's an utterly minor character, not remotely important to the story. In fact, she is hardly a character at all: she is background furniture and nothing more.



I loved it. I love it in the book, it's wonderfully funny, and it was very well done in the film -- just hilarious. And the visuals are wonderful.

And, um, didn't JKR like it too? She seemed to react to PoA very favourably.

Even 'background furniture' (as you call it ) can change the entire look of a room.

[Pearl_Took]

Originally Posted by MasterOfDeath

Even 'background furniture' (as you call it ) can change the entire look of a room.

But why on earth would that matter? Do we know what the Fat Lady actually looked like, or what colour her frame was? -- no. So ... who cares? Elizabeth Spriggs, Dawn French, it's all good.

The look of a major character is important. The Fat Lady???? -- nah.

I can honestly never understand fans nitpicking about such minor details.

I'll never forget someone on the Tolkien boards complaining about the length of Gandalf's SLEEVES in the films.

Not surprisingly, other posters told her to get a life.

[MasterOfDeath]

Originally Posted by Pearl_Took

But why on earth would that matter? Do we know what the Fat Lady actually looked like, or what colour her frame was? -- no. So ... who cares? Elizabeth Spriggs, Dawn French, it's all good.

The look of a major character is important. The Fat Lady???? -- nah.

I can honestly never understand fans nitpicking about such minor details.

I'll never forget someone on the Tolkien boards complaining about the length of Gandalf's SLEEVES in the films.

Not surprisingly, other posters told her to get a life.

That's harsh. (maybe the HP fandom is more tolerant! )

Isn't that the point of an internet forum? To discuss items of interest in films or books? Just because you overlooked the character in the books doesn't mean everyone else in the fandom did too..what's great about the HP books are the details and the little seemingly insignificant background decor of the world. It just brings out the magic of the world and I suppose some fans would have liked to see that translated to the screen.

To be honest, I prefer Dawn French's portrayal of the character in POA as well. I think she is more akin to the character from book, but I respect if another fan interpreted the character in a different way. I find it very interesting to hear different points of view of this story and its characters.

[Deevo]

Originally Posted by Pearl_Took

Whyever not? She's an utterly minor character, not remotely important to the story. In fact, she is hardly a character at all: she is background furniture and nothing more.

Exactly, all the more reason for her role not to be hijacked by an over the top performance as it was in the film.

I loved it. I love it in the book, it's wonderfully funny, and it was very well done in the film -- just hilarious. And the visuals are wonderful.

To each their own, personally I feel it could have been done as effectively in half the time without the silly cartoonish one liners. In fact there are many aspects of POA that felt cartoonish to me but this isn't the place to discuss this.

And, um, didn't JKR like it too? She seemed to react to PoA very favourably.

True, but then Jo likes the Bay City Rollers too.

[MasterOfDeath]

Originally Posted by Deevo

Exactly, all the more reason for her role not to be hijacked by an over the top performance as it was in the film.


To each their own, personally I feel it could have been done as effectively in half the time without the silly cartoonish one liners. In fact there are many aspects of POA that felt cartoonish to me but this isn't the place to discuss this.


True, but then Jo likes the Bay City Rollers too.

You know, that is a good point. I don't remember dwelling on the fat lady from PS/SS at all when I first saw the movie (before reading the books), while when I first saw POA (again before reading the books) I remember dwelling alot on the Fat Lady. So I suppose if someone has the philosophy that the film should ruthlessly focus on the main story and truncate everything that even remotely deters from that focus, than the first fat lady would be the better character for that narrative. I happen to disagree to an extent. I felt the fat lady in POA was TOO over the top even if she was more along the lines of the canon character for me. They could have toned her down a wee bit IMO. Ultimately though, lending personality to background characters and props just help make the film experience more interesting and feel alive. Not everything has to follow the one basic plot. As long as it is not too extreme which Dawn French's performance might be...

Speaking of which, I heard that the woman who portrayed the fat lady in SS/PS passed away recently. My deepest sympathies go out to her family. Rest in peace even if some fans preferred Dawn French.

[Pearl_Took]

Originally Posted by MasterOfDeath

That's harsh. (maybe the HP fandom is more tolerant! )

The LotR movie debates could certainly get very heated. But the HP fandom has its volatile side in other places.

Just because you overlooked the character in the books doesn't mean everyone else in the fandom did too..

My comments hardly amount to 'overlooking' the Fat Lady. My point is that she is hardly a character at all. So I really don't care whether it's Elizabeth Spriggs or Dawn French ... either is fine.

what's great about the HP books are the details and the little seemingly insignificant background decor of the world. It just brings out the magic of the world and I suppose some fans would have liked to see that translated to the screen.

The HP fans do get all of that translated to the screen, MoD. And they still complain.

Originally Posted by MasterOfDeath

You know, that is a good point. I don't remember dwelling on the fat lady from PS/SS at all when I first saw the movie (before reading the books), while when I first saw POA (again before reading the books) I remember dwelling alot on the Fat Lady. So I suppose if someone has the philosophy that the film should ruthlessly focus on the main story and truncate everything that even remotely deters from that focus, than the first fat lady would be the better character for that narrative.

But my point was that it really doesn't matter either way. I like both Elizabeth Spriggs and Dawn French as the Fat Lady.

Speaking of which, I heard that the woman who portrayed the fat lady in SS/PS passed away recently. My deepest sympathies go out to her family. Rest in peace even if some fans preferred Dawn French.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Spriggs

[lilyrose]

Originally Posted by Pearl_Took

The HP fans do get all of that translated to the screen, MoD. And they still complain.

Oh yes. That is something that will never stop. Even if we get a masterpiece, we will find something or the other to complain about. Sometimes, I think all this analysis never lets me watch a movie in peace Still, I just cant resist it

I'm very interested to know which film fans who havent read the HP Books like. My parents who have not read the books, like PS. And why?

"Its the only one I really understood" my Mum says

But she, like many liked OOTP's climax

[Pearl_Took]

Originally Posted by lilyrose

Oh yes. That is something that will never stop. Even if we get a masterpiece, we will find something or the other to complain about. Sometimes, I think all this analysis never lets me watch a movie in peace Still, I just cant resist it

All fandoms are the same!

I'm very interested to know which film fans who havent read the HP Books like. My parents who have not read the books, like PS. And why?

"Its the only one I really understood" my Mum says

Now that I think is true ... that the HP films are very much geared to those who have read and know the books. And yet they are very popular with audiences, nonetheless. So they must be doing a good job overall.

But she, like many liked OOTP's climax

Good to know. It rocked.

[jp5]

I really don't understand why many of you HATE PoA.
It's the only movie I have seen/heard JKR expressing she's really happy with the product.
It's the last movie she is in the interviews and those stuff, cause i think she mus have hated gof.
PoA is just amazing, everything was soooo great. It had a solid story, it had a great peacing, and it CAPTURED the feeling of the book¡¡
It gave a lot of personality to EVERYTHING¡... And Everyone.
I'm really looking forward to HBP topping it, OotP almost made it.

[Ydoomrotsala]

PoA is great, and it's close, but I have to say that when it comes down to it, I really enjoyed GoF more than any of the others. Maybe it's because there was a dragon. I love dragons. :-P

[MrSleepyHead]

Originally Posted by xhanax315

I think the Knight Bus was one of the worst parts of the film. It really aggrevated me.

I feel the same. The Knight Bus ride in the book is humorous, but also a time for Harry to learn about the current events in the Wizarding world. The film used this scene purely for entertainment - its aspect of information was very much overlooked.

Originally Posted by MasterOfDeath

I felt the fat lady in POA was TOO over the top even if she was more along the lines of the canon character for me. They could have toned her down a wee bit IMO.

I agree. Her scene in PoA was humorous, but I found it sporadic and deviating too much from the surrounding scenes and their mood.

I found the Fat Lady in SS/PS too mechanical, though. A compromise between the two would be perfect, however. The most irking aspect of the PoA Fat Lady, though, was her dress. It was a little too pale for how I imagined it.

Originally Posted by jp5

I really don't understand why many of you HATE PoA.
It's the only movie I have seen/heard JKR expressing she's really happy with the product.
It's the last movie she is in the interviews and those stuff, cause i think she mus have hated gof.

I do not believe JKR's approval dictates the fancies of all Harry Potter fans.

Originally Posted by lilyrose

I'm very interested to know which film fans who havent read the HP Books like. My parents who have not read the books, like PS. And why?

"Its the only one I really understood" my Mum say

This is true of most non-fans I have interrogated. SS/PS and CoS are the two that are most easily understood by those individuals I know. Even as a book fanatic, GoF and OotP clearly stuck out to me as confusing films, especially if one had not read the books.

I believe this is linked to the reason I dislike GoF and OotP. Since they are so confusing for the general audience, it also suggests important aspects of the book are excluded. Thus, I dislike the, as I see it, unwise snipping of the story's prongs and unsuccessful adaptation.

Since I found GoF and OotP lacking in simple cinematic/adaptive aspects, and, to me, PoA lacks its "Harry Potter-ness" and is too much of a stand-alone film, SS/PS and CoS are my top two films. I also enjoy their innocence, playfulness, and excessive magical feel.

[Electricfeel]

Originally Posted by lilyrose

Oh yes. That is something that will never stop. Even if we get a masterpiece, we will find something or the other to complain about. Sometimes, I think all this analysis never lets me watch a movie in peace Still, I just cant resist it

I'm very interested to know which film fans who havent read the HP Books like. My parents who have not read the books, like PS. And why?

"Its the only one I really understood" my Mum says

But she, like many liked OOTP's climax

Lol, same with my parents. They get lost in anything that doesn't have a straightforward plot though...

I feel the same. The Knight Bus ride in the book is humorous, but also a time for Harry to learn about the current events in the Wizarding world. The film used this scene purely for entertainment - its aspect of information was very much overlooked.

I think the scene did exactly what you said it didn't- it was humerous but it also how Harry found out about Sirius Black and the start of him being shown as a threat which I thought was done really well.

[Deevo]

Originally Posted by jp5

I really don't understand why many of you HATE PoA.

Hate is such an absolute assesment, let's just say I find it inadequate in comparison with the other films in the series.

It's the only movie I have seen/heard JKR expressing she's really happy with the product.

As someone else has said above, Jo's approval doesn't determine what I enjoy in a film.

It's the last movie she is in the interviews and those stuff, cause i think she mus have hated gof.

PoA is just amazing, everything was soooo great. It had a solid story, it had a great peacing, and it CAPTURED the feeling of the book¡¡
It gave a lot of personality to EVERYTHING¡... And Everyone.
I'm really looking forward to HBP topping it, OotP almost made it.

To each their own I guess, personally I would have preferred POA if it had more story and less WB cartoon elements. I have high hopes for HBP but after the manipulations of WB with the release dates I am beginning to wonder. I hope I'm wrong.

[meesha1971]

Originally Posted by Deevo

I feel the opposite actually, POA was a low point in the films for me. Had GOF not gone some way to redeeming the series I would have given up on the films at that point. In a way I'm glad I didn't because OOTP was my favourite to date. Well paced, stuck to the story and didn't have and ridiculous cartoon moments and drastically out of character performances.

I agree. POA was such a huge disappointment to me. Not only were the characters and storyline butchered beyond belief, the entire movie has a childish, comical approach that does not match the dark tone of the book at all. Dementors flying around and trying to suck people's faces off - that wasn't scary at all. People laughed when they were supposed to be frightened. The talking head in the Knight Bus was a comical farce that was beyond annoying. The Whomping Willow attacking birds was pointless and added to the childish, cartoonish feel of the movie. The Fat Lady was way too over the top - she's supposed to be dignified with a sarcastic, witty humor. Hermione suddenly developing super-human strength so she could pick Harry up off the ground and toss him into the Whomping Willow - completely over the top and unbelievable. I could go on and on. POA is definitely the worst film of the series, IMO.

Originally Posted by Pearl_Took

But why on earth would that matter? Do we know what the Fat Lady actually looked like, or what colour her frame was? -- no. So ... who cares? Elizabeth Spriggs, Dawn French, it's all good.

The look of a major character is important. The Fat Lady???? -- nah.

I can honestly never understand fans nitpicking about such minor details.

I'll never forget someone on the Tolkien boards complaining about the length of Gandalf's SLEEVES in the films.

Not surprisingly, other posters told her to get a life.

Well, I agree that the length of the sleeves in a costume is irrelevant. But details with characterization are significant regardless of whether it is a minor character or not. The Fat Lady is supposed to be dignified with a sarcastic, witty humor. That fit with the darker tone of the book. The fact that they went so over the top with the Fat Lady in POA added to the childish, comical feel of the movie. It was supposed to be dark and more mature with frightening moments. But that did not come through at all. It was like watching an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. Of course, I love Bugs Bunny - don't get me wrong there - but that was not the appropriate tone for POA.

Originally Posted by MrSleepyHead

I feel the same. The Knight Bus ride in the book is humorous, but also a time for Harry to learn about the current events in the Wizarding world. The film used this scene purely for entertainment - its aspect of information was very much overlooked.

Exactly! The effects were good in regards to how the bus moved and such, but it was just way too over the top. And that talking head - ugh. The concept of that was ok, but Cuaron took something that could have been mature with dark humor and made it childish and comical.

I agree. Her scene in PoA was humorous, but I found it sporadic and deviating too much from the surrounding scenes and their mood.

Agreed.

I found the Fat Lady in SS/PS too mechanical, though. A compromise between the two would be perfect, however. The most irking aspect of the PoA Fat Lady, though, was her dress. It was a little too pale for how I imagined it.

That's a good point. The first two movies lacked the Fat Lady's sarcastic wit, but POA went too far in the opposite direction and made her cartoonish.

I do not believe JKR's approval dictates the fancies of all Harry Potter fans.

But does she really approve? I've always found it interesting how Jo disassociated herself from the movies with POA. She gushed about the first two and was extremely complimentary. But it was different with POA. Her body language and tone were distant and she was quick to point out that she had nothing to do with it. There was a "I didn't do it! Blame Cuaron!" undertone to her comments and her compliments were backhanded.

This is true of most non-fans I have interrogated. SS/PS and CoS are the two that are most easily understood by those individuals I know. Even as a book fanatic, GoF and OotP clearly stuck out to me as confusing films, especially if one had not read the books.

I believe this is linked to the reason I dislike GoF and OotP. Since they are so confusing for the general audience, it also suggests important aspects of the book are excluded. Thus, I dislike the, as I see it, unwise snipping of the story's prongs and unsuccessful adaptation.

Since I found GoF and OotP lacking in simple cinematic/adaptive aspects, and, to me, PoA lacks its "Harry Potter-ness" and is too much of a stand-alone film, SS/PS and CoS are my top two films. I also enjoy their innocence, playfulness, and excessive magical feel.

I agree for the most part - though I think OOTP was a huge improvement and less confusing overall. There are still problems with it though so PS/SS remains my favorite. That was the best adaption thus far.

Originally Posted by Deevo

Hate is such an absolute assesment, let's just say I find it inadequate in comparison with the other films in the series.

Hate is not strong enough for me. There are just no words strong enough to show how much I hate that film. The only good things about it was the cinematography and music - but pretty pictures set to nice music with no substance do not make a good film.

To each their own I guess, personally I would have preferred POA if it had more story and less WB cartoon elements. I have high hopes for HBP but after the manipulations of WB with the release dates I am beginning to wonder. I hope I'm wrong.

I agree. POA is just too childish and comical. The characterization and story was butchered to the point that it doesn't even fit with the story as a whole. Cuaron failed to establish the more mature, darker tone that Jo set in the book and gave us a cartoonish farce that told the story of Hermione Granger, super witch extraordinaire.

I'm remaining cautiously optimistic about HBP. Yates did a good job with OOTP overall and I have liked most of what I've seen for HBP. But there are some things there that cause concern for me so I'm not getting my hopes up.

[Deevo]

Originally Posted by jp5

It's the last movie she is in the interviews and those stuff, cause i think she mus have hated gof.

Originally Posted by meesha1971

But does she really approve? I've always found it interesting how Jo disassociated herself from the movies with POA. She gushed about the first two and was extremely complimentary. But it was different with POA. Her body language and tone were distant and she was quick to point out that she had nothing to do with it. There was a "I didn't do it! Blame Cuaron!" undertone to her comments and her compliments were backhanded.

That's actually an interesting point, Jo's departure or distancing of herself from the movies may well be more significant than was maybe originally apparent. Of course she isn't going to publically criticise them, she has after all got a contract with WB and if nothing else politeness dictates she keeps her comments positive but that she has actually refrained from active involvement in the DVD releases of GOF and OOTP may well indicate something of a parting of the ways with WB.

I wonder just how much editorial and writing influence she now has over the films.

[meesha1971]

Originally Posted by Deevo

That's actually an interesting point, Jo's departure or distancing of herself from the movies may well be more significant than was maybe originally apparent. Of course she isn't going to publically criticise them, she has after all got a contract with WB and if nothing else politeness dictates she keeps her comments positive but that she has actually refrained from active involvement in the DVD releases of GOF and OOTP may well indicate something of a parting of the ways with WB.

That was definitely the impression that I got - particularly regarding POA. She seemed more positive about GOF, but it's more difficult to determine there because her husband was sick when it came out so she didn't go to the premiere and give interviews like she usually does. But she was very quick to disassociate herself from POA. She was polite about it, but there was a definite distance there with her tone and body language and she didn't gush about it the way she did with the first two movies.

I wonder just how much editorial and writing influence she now has over the films.

It seems to me that she took a much more active role with OOTP than she did with POA or GOF. Yates and Heyman both commented about how valuable Jo's input was and how willing she was to help - such as sending them the Black family tree so they could include it in the set for Grimmauld Place. And she visited the set of OOTP at least once during filming and talked to the trio about their characters - she even let something slip to Dan about DH when she told him she was having trouble with Dumbledore. And she's talked quite a bit about HBP - sitting in with the cast for readings of the script and such. She talked about that when she revealed Dumbledore was gay - she had told Yates about that during one of the script readings because they were going to have Dumbledore talk about a girl and she corrected them. And that fits when you think about it - Yates has demonstrated an understanding of the characters and the story in a way that we haven't seen since Columbus. So it makes sense that Jo has become interested again and is more involved. And now that the books are finished, she can be more open in discussions and more active with her involvement in the films because she doesn't have to worry about spoilers now.

[Yoana]

Originally Posted by meesha1971

That was definitely the impression that I got - particularly regarding POA. She seemed more positive about GOF, but it's more difficult to determine there because her husband was sick when it came out so she didn't go to the premiere and give interviews like she usually does. But she was very quick to disassociate herself from POA. She was polite about it, but there was a definite distance there with her tone and body language and she didn't gush about it the way she did with the first two movies.

I'd really appreciate some quotes to illustrate this account of her attitude tiwards PoA. As far as I know, she was very ahppy with a number of things about it, like saying that the Dementors were "superb", there was "a lot of humour", and others; here are some quotes:

Jo on PoA I loved watching that part of the film, I loved watching the time turner sequence. There was just enough humor in it, just enough nearness is ... Dumbledore's comment when they come back is just perfect. ... I think all three of them [three main cast members] give their best performance to date. ... Alfonso had good intuition about what would and wouldn't work. ... I thought the shrunken head was very funny, I really liked that. It was all done really well, and it was a really funny idea. I mean, I've said to Steve Kloves many times "******, I wish I could've written them up." You know? ... I think in this case, the book and the director were really made for each other. There's a unity about the film, there's a consistency..its tone, its feeling, that's very, very enjoyable for me - and that's not a very easy thing, for the author of the original material. I'm completely happy, what more can I say? ... I think he's done exactly what I hoped he would do. He's put a lot of humor in there, and I think it's fantastic. ... And the dementors for me were about depression, and not just sadness. I think Alfonso's really done a great job on that, in showing what that can feel like and the circumstance in which you become vulnerable to that.

Sources:
http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/...104-poadvd.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/...vie-book_x.htm