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I have to say Pam is 100% correct – read the books. There is sooooo much in the books that is cut out. Just even some normal kid interactions. But as 2 major example, they cut out the house elves (with the exception of Creature) from the last 2 movies. And they never really explained that the map with the 4 names on it referred to HP’s dad and his 3 friends: Lupin, Sirius and Wormtail. You can sort of figure it out but it’s much more clear in the books. Plus there are lots of little clues that never make it into the movie.
My personal opinion is that the book is always better than the movies. Except Princess Bride – I haven’t ever seen a movie so true to the book and the casting was fantastic. And, ok, LOTR was pretty darn good. But I still love the books – and Peter Jackson did have to leave out Tom Bombadil.
I have to say ddvm that I really missed Tom Bombidil in the LOTR movies too! He was a great charachter.
Bombadil was an interesting character, but really unnecessary to the plot and outcome of the story. I’m not surprised he was left out of the movies. All his presence would accomplish is making the Ring look less evil than it is, because it had no effect on him. It would be too hard to explain that he is beyond the influence of the Ring because he really isn’t “Of The World.” And what would be the point to a movie to put that divergence in it?
Sorry, but I’ve taught LOTR books in a college course twice. And I started my writing career writing screenplays. Rule one to writing a screenplay: It if doesn’t progress the plot of the story (main character desires something and goes about getting it) then you need to cut it out. Bombadil was a distraction, albeit a fun and clever one, but not essential to that basic goal (get rid of/destroy the Ring).
So, I’m slightly worried that I’m going to read the Harry Potter books and find all sorts of cute but unnecessary tricks and characters in them and be frustrated by the divergences to the plot.
Maebnus3 wrote:The longer the books are, the less detail they can keep due to time.
Have to agree there! I have all the books and in the bookcase they give me a chuckle. Each one they come out with looks to be twice the size as the one before it 😆
They do leave out some cool details but I can live with it. But I always suggest reading the books… just do it!
I have a doctors appointment on Monday (and it’s a drive to get there so I’ll go up to family who live there on Sunday). We’ll wind up seeing the movie either Sunday or Monday. Looking forward to it… and thanks for not adding spoilers here! Still getting use to the fact that ppl respect each other on this message board (as compared to others, that is).
*pokes HP book towards emerald* Come on, come on emerald! Just one itsy-bitsy little book! *poke, poke*
*poke*
But sometimes the diverenges in the plot can be fun! I totally agree that leaving Bombadil out of LOTR made sense – in fact, a group of friends and I figured he would be even before the movie came out. But, when I read the books, it’s one of my favorite parts! And he was important because that’s where the other hobbits got their weapons (although it wasn’t a big poing). And, true, alot of the things they leave out of HP don’t really advance the plot (ie: the quiddich matches in some of the books) but I think they add depth to the world of HP. Not everything in Harry’s life is about Voldemort nor should it be.
I confess to loving even bad scifi movies because I enjoy the background stuff. How the world looks and the technology of it. Anyone seen Kurt Russell’s Soldier? (I think that’s the name). I know it’s not the greatest movie but I really enjoy the view of the world then and have watched it several times. And that’s the great thing about books – they flesh out the background!
lol, Pam
They are all on my reading list, but I have to get through the book I’m reading first. It’s “Blood Assassin” by Margaret Atwood. It’s a little boring, so it’s taking a while. And it’s huge! She always comes up with good endings that mess with the reader’s mind, so I want to finish it to see if she does it again and how.
I also have the second Harry Dresden book on my reading list.
I did get to see the movie this morning. Of course I always think they just rush thru the book and end the movie way to quick. The only thing that bugged me was we had to have this couple sit behind us who talked thruout the movie. I always get into fights with these people but it only took one well placed “I’m gonna kick your *bleepin* butt if you don’t shut up” look and they got the picture. I don’t understand why people think its ok to talk thru movies.
I’ve seen the movie twice on two consecutive nights, and despite all the stuff they left out and the fact that most of the people I know ended up hating it, I thought it was an excellent film. The acting is much better than in the previous ones and they kept everything neat and to the point. It was exciting and the special effects were pretty.
And one thing about seeing it twice is that it’s allowed me to appreciate things like the stuffed armadillo in the Gryffindor common room and the boxes of Cheeri Owls on the breakfast tables in the Grand Hall.
All in all, I can’t find anything bad to say about it. (And this is epic, since I’ve disliked most of the other HP movies!)
Chessapeaka wrote:I’ve seen the movie twice on two consecutive nights, and despite all the stuff they left out and the fact that most of the people I know ended up hating it, I thought it was an excellent film. The acting is much better than in the previous ones and they kept everything neat and to the point. It was exciting and the special effects were pretty.
And one thing about seeing it twice is that it’s allowed me to appreciate things like the stuffed armadillo in the Gryffindor common room and the boxes of Cheeri Owls on the breakfast tables in the Grand Hall.
All in all, I can’t find anything bad to say about it. (And this is epic, since I’ve disliked most of the other HP movies!)
I missed that stuff the first time! I’m going again this afternoon with some friends – I’ll have to keep my eyes open!
Arlla wrote:…but I hate…HATE…the current Dumbledore they have….He absolutely ruins it for me. He’s such a TERRIBLE Dumbledore!!! >_<
He’s improving. But you are right, he simply doesn’t have the presence needed for the part. He kinda falls flat. Richard Harris is a really tough act to follow and he really gave us our image of Dumbledore in that first movie.
Unfortunately he dared to go and die on us before the series was completed. Darn him!
I would have liked for Ian McKellan to have taken over the part, he has the presence, but he was tied up with the Lord of the Rings and X-Men. *sigh*
Anyway, this poor actor has some tough shoes to fill. He is getting better, his performance was better in this movie than it was in the other two.
Kyrin
I loved the movie also! Luna was my favorite character in this movie. I read the first four books, but I haven’t read the others.
Even though I enjoyed the movie for the most part, there was a mother with two little girls sitting next to me. I think the youngest was probably about four or five. She couldn’t keep quiet during the first half of the movie. She kept on talking to her mommy, and her mom was trying to tell her to be quiet, but of course that only lasted for about 10 seconds. Not only that, but the kids started fighting over the popcorn, and they switched seats a few times, and they traveled under the seats in search for candy, and then they finally settled down in one seat together. By that time Dumbledore and Voldemort were at it, and the movie was almost over.
I really wanted to tell her that she shouldn’t bring her children unless she can controll them, but being the nice and quiet person I am, I just sat there trying to tune the kids out.
I think I will see it again, and pray that there are no little kids in it who are out of controll!
Haha-sorry for the little rant! 😀
Quote:He’s improving. But you are right, he simply doesn’t have the presence needed for the part. He kinda falls flat. Richard Harris is a really tough act to follow and he really gave us our image of Dumbledore in that first movie.
Unfortunately he dared to go and die on us before the series was completed. Darn him!
I would have liked for Ian McKellan to have taken over the part, he has the presence, but he was tied up with the Lord of the Rings and X-Men. *sigh*
Anyway, this poor actor has some tough shoes to fill. He is getting better, his performance was better in this movie than it was in the other two.
Kyrin
Ian McKellan would probably have been able to pull it off, but I wouldn’t be able to think of him as someone who isn’t Gandalf, particularly in a wizardy part. That would be hard to get around. I think the current Dumbledore would have been much better if he wore the half-moon glasses more often and wasn’t so temperamental–it would also help if he had a more peircing, open sort of gaze. You know? Throughout this last movie his eyes were always narrowed.
But maybe that’s just me.
I think they’ve missed a lot of the humor that makes up Dumbledore’s personality, even from the very beginning. Things like being addicted to odd candies, having a perfect map of the london underground for a birthmark, and giving strange but hilarious speeches on the first day of school are what I think of when I think of Dumbledore. Yet they left much of that out. He’s supposed to seem rather harsh in book five because that’s how Harry views him at the time. But he’s still kind to others.
My main problem with the movies are that they were done too early. I think stories like this need time to gel before they are put into another medium. Things need to be drawn many times before someone finally gets the right look. The entire series has been rushed for the purpose of making the most money and I think it shows.
I would help but I am just to tired to get out of bed today~
Engaged to a WeaselI don’t get the whole need to text message someone during a movie. For the second time this summer (1st time during Live Free and Die Hard) I was sitting by someone who just HAD to text message during the movie. I find that very distracting. And the guy started doing it again just before the climatic scene in the Department of Mysteries which is a very dark scene. So I very politely asked him to close the phone as it was distracting. He actually apologized and did – after another minute. But why do it in the first place? A lit up screen in a dark theater is very obvious. 👿
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