What mistakes in the films can you just not overlook?

[LilyEvans13060]

Something else I have thought of since originally posting:

While watching Half Blood Prince, I was very bothered by the scene in the cave. After Dumbledore drinks the potion and Harry is pretty much carrying him out of there, I was upset they left out the scene where Harry tells him not to worry and Dumbledore says, "I'm not worried Harry. I am with you."

This line in the book speaks volumes. It is one of those scenes that I physically couldn't breathe and had to stop reading because I was crying so hard. Dumbledore's trust and faith in a 16 year old at this point says everything about Harry's character and the relationship between these two great wizards. I was miserable when it was not in the movie.

However, yesterday I discovered deleted scenes on youtube, and they did in fact film this scene and then chose to leave it out. I'm not sure when I was angrier - when I thought they hadn't filmed it at all, or finding out they filmed it but then didn't think it was important enough to include! But I didn't like the portrayal on film either. It wasn't what I imagined, as Dumbledore was only limping, and Harry was barely holding him up. And the actor was completely unloving in the way he said it. I like my own visualizations

[BrianTung]

Originally Posted by Nielo

I completely agree with you. I think Michael Gambon is a great actor, but this just wasn't like the Dumbledore in the books at all. He's supposed to be this calm, gentle guy, who hardly ever gets angry, let alone push his favourite student into a wall.

I didn't particularly like Gambon's portrayal in GoF. I thought it was fine in PoA, but in GoF he just comes off as semi-deranged. And the denouement in the dorms is just awkward. "Never liked these curtains. Set them on fire in my fourth year--by accident, of course." Uhh yeah, that was subtle. It would have been less awkward, I suppose, if they had cut to Harry looking amused.

By comparison, the corresponding scene in OotP is much better. In fact, I think Gambon as Dumbledore worked just fine in the final four movies.

[SilverDoe_]

Not sure, because I've become quite good at just appreciating the films for what they are. The absence of Peeves did annoy me initially, but not so much now (never really liked him that much to be honest).

[LordGrindelwald]

The most glaring mistake is the mirror shard. There's no explanation for how Harry possibly has a mirror shard in his suitcase that belongs to Aberforth, and since it saves his life in malfoy's Manor, it's both confusing and a deux ex machina.

This could have easily been patched up if the mirror shard had been one of the items bequeathed to Harry in Dumbledore's will. The audience could then infer that Dumbledore took it from his brother Aberforth.

[HedwigOwl]

Originally Posted by LordGrindelwald

The most glaring mistake is the mirror shard. There's no explanation for how Harry possibly has a mirror shard in his suitcase that belongs to Aberforth, and since it saves his life in malfoy's Manor, it's both confusing and a deux ex machina.

This could have easily been patched up if the mirror shard had been one of the items bequeathed to Harry in Dumbledore's will. The audience could then infer that Dumbledore took it from his brother Aberforth.

Not everything in the books is ever explained in the movie. And if the film makers aren't careful, things like this happen. It didn't really bother me as a book-reader of course; and my sister who has never read the books, didn't question its presence because of Aberforth's explanation....go figure. So I think it worked just fine for the non-book-reading audience.

[Firecrab]

Originally Posted by tru0001

Come to think of it, remember how in Book 1 and Film 1 it was so explicit that incantations and hand movements are important but in the later films they throw wands around smacking each other and throwing explosives at each other... really defeats the purpose of the "swish and flick" scene. If it wasn't for that Halloween Charm's class, Hermione wouldn't be friends with Harry and Ron

I think it depends on the scene, OOP was on ABC last night and at the end in the battle at the Ministry you can definitely see some flicking and swishing. Voldermort Vs Double D shows Voldy doing some swishing when they are magic wrestling which creates those little explosions around and in the double duel of Lucius/Dolohov vs Black/Potter you definitely see some different styles of casting. And there is a whole lot of swishing when Black disarms Lucius.

[GryffindorL]

I don't know if you can count this as a 'mistake' but I've noticed that in every movie the Hogwarts Express passes the same place...

[MerryLore]

Originally Posted by GryffindorL

I don't know if you can count this as a 'mistake' but I've noticed that in every movie the Hogwarts Express passes the same place...

Well, unless were talking about Grimmauld Place, places usually don't move, even in the wizarding world, short of natural disaster or demolition.

But, then again, we are talking about HP.....I could be wrong.

[RosieWildsmith]

Originally Posted by AccioMiracle

OH. Also. The Knight Bus. Anyone else feel that this was one of the dumbest things they've ever seen? It was painful to watch. The disembodied head hanging from the mirror, trying to be funny.....Harry's face slamming against the back window over and over.....the way the bus shrank until it was no more than a few inches wide....it was like something from a cartoon for young children. It felt completely out of place with the story, the movie, and the feel of Harry Potter as a whole.

Yeah, the Knight Bus scene was pretty dumb. When I was watching it recently with my other half, we were both like "I'd throw that talking head out of the window my first day on the job."

And I've never really thought about it before, but now that you guys mention it, that scene where DD pushes Harry did actually seem very jarring to me at the time. I didn't understand why Dumbledore would act that way with Harry.

[blknight7]

Originally Posted by RosieWildsmith

Yeah, the Knight Bus scene was pretty dumb. When I was watching it recently with my other half, we were both like "I'd throw that talking head out of the window my first day on the job."

And I've never really thought about it before, but now that you guys mention it, that scene where DD pushes Harry did actually seem very jarring to me at the time. I didn't understand why Dumbledore would act that way with Harry.

Though, at the same time, the Knight Bus as it is in the book, is no better, forcing hedges and farmhouses to apparently 'leap out of the way'.

[Slartibartfast]

The talking head in the Knight Bus was really silly and unnecessary, but i liked the scene itself. I always enjoyed the Knight Bus. The concept and the hilarity of it.

[LordGrindelwald]

Originally Posted by HedwigOwl

Not everything in the books is ever explained in the movie. And if the film makers aren't careful, things like this happen. It didn't really bother me as a book-reader of course; and my sister who has never read the books, didn't question its presence because of Aberforth's explanation....go figure. So I think it worked just fine for the non-book-reading audience.

A lot of things in the book that aren't explained don't really require explanation, because a simpler explanation can be inferred (why Harry survived in the forest - elder wand allegiance). However, there's no way to account for how/why Harry would have a piece of Aberforth's mirror.

It's a small enough detail that many non-book-readers wouldn't think about it (especially as the 2 films are separated by half a year), but it's still a pretty sloppy mistake.

[SadiraSnape]

I don't remember in the movie, but I know in the books Sirius gave him the mirror, and he (Sirius) had the mated mirror so they could communicate. I do remember in DH2 that Aberforth said he bought the mated mirror from Mundungus, who obviously stole it from #12 after Sirius died...

Harry's is broken because he just sort of flung it into his trunk and never opened it.

[Lonnie]

I guess it's not really a 'mistake' in most people's eyes; it's just a shortening of what was in the book, but I think the mermaid song for the second task in GoF was very important to Harry being the last one to come back from the lake.

The entire reason he stayed down there instead of rescuing Ron and finishing the task first was because of the line 'too late, it's gone; it won't come back'.

And while I'm on the topic of that movie,
the Triwizard Tournament would've been canceled had that dragon actually broken free amirite?

[eddie330]

Yeah, you would have thought so. And who cleaned up after the dragon's roof rampage? For some reason I can just see Filch glueing the shingles back on muttering "Bloody Dragon, mucking up the castle.."

[blknight7]

Originally Posted by Lonnie

I guess it's not really a 'mistake' in most people's eyes; it's just a shortening of what was in the book, but I think the mermaid song for the second task in GoF was very important to Harry being the last one to come back from the lake.

The entire reason he stayed down there instead of rescuing Ron and finishing the task first was because of the line 'too late, it's gone; it won't come back'.

And while I'm on the topic of that movie,
the Triwizard Tournament would've been canceled had that dragon actually broken free amirite?

If I remember correctly, one of the reasons the Triwizard Tournament was canceled was because of a manticore or cockatrice that got loose and attacked the judges. A dragon nearly killing the headmasters and professors would likely have put a dent in the event...

[coppertop1]

Originally Posted by blknight7

If I remember correctly, one of the reasons the Triwizard Tournament was canceled was because of a manticore or cockatrice that got loose and attacked the judges. A dragon nearly killing the headmasters and professors would likely have put a dent in the event...

I hated that first task scene, too. Harry got by in the book because he was a good flyer, and used it, in the book it was pure luck! Totally missing the point

Also, Hermione in COS knowing about "Mudblood" How would she know? It makes more sense that Ron and Hagrid would understand.

[blknight7]

Originally Posted by coppertop1

I hated that first task scene, too. Harry got by in the book because he was a good flyer, and used it, in the book it was pure luck! Totally missing the point

Also, Hermione in COS knowing about "Mudblood" How would she know? It makes more sense that Ron and Hagrid would understand.

In the book she doesn't know. Well, she knows it something bad by the reaction of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and by the fact Ron tries to hex Malfoy. But in the movie, one could assume she read it somewhere. It's pretty well established in the HP universe that Hermione reads. A lot. That she stumbled upon the word somewhere and discerned the meaning somehow isn't surprising.

Though, at the same time, in the stories, her reading isn't all-encompassing. For example, it isn't until her 7th year that she learns about the Tales of Beedle the Bard. Granted, they are seen as children's stories, so she may not have read them, but one would think she would have heard or read about them.

[ajna]

[quote]

Originally Posted by coppertop1

I hated that first task scene, too. Harry got by in the book because he was a good flyer, and used it, in the book it was pure luck! Totally missing the point

/QUOTE]

Hmmm, I had no impression that Harry's success in the task was pure luck. I thought it showed his flying prowess quite well. He is using skill in extreme circumstances. How is that not showing he is a good flyer?

[mrfutterman]

Originally Posted by coppertop1

Also, Hermione in COS knowing about "Mudblood" How would she know? It makes more sense that Ron and Hagrid would understand.

Dramatically/emotionally, it is better that Hermione should be the one who Explains (to the audience) what this means, as she is the one who is the object of bigotry.

As for how she knows, well it is established that she reads a lot.

You may dislike this very minor change, but it is not a mistake.