poll, quidditch, Hermione, LotR, Hagrid's "dark side"

[Elizabeth Dalton]

I voted for the ending dialogue with Dumbledore, but only because you left out
the scene I really wanted: when Harry rants at Ron and Hermione about why he's
going after the Stone.

The business about losing 150 points is a close third. Most of the other items
didn't matter nearly as much to me. Much as I love Hermione, I don't think the
Potions puzzle would have worked on screen.

Generally, I wanted more Dumbledore twinkle, more Snape nastiness, and more
Neville cowering. (Skip Seamus.) And for everyone to avoid Voldemort's name who
should. Some of this could have been done in a couple of very short scenes or
scene modifications, as I've posted previously. That being said, I did enjoy the
film, and I hope to see it a second time soon.

Adana wrote:
> I also couldn't stand the cheesy body-squashing special effects in the 
> Quidditch scenes.

I think they should have saved that for later movies. I don't think the game got
that violent until Malfoy joined the Slytherin team, at least. I'd rather have
had some of Lee Jordan's commentary. But I suppose they wanted action.

Emma's Hermione: I remember that after reading only the first two books, I
really didn't like what Rowling had done with Hermione's character in the first
book. I thought she was really grating, and it bugged me that a female author
had succumbed to the "bright, obnoxious token female" cliche. (Never mind that I
was one!) So I can't really complain about Emma Watson's portrayal of Hermione
in the first movie. But I hope to see better in future films, just as Hermione
improved in the books.

Mahoney wrote:
> Indeed, it *is* rather more fashionable to effuse about a 'grown-up,' 
> pseudo-art-house flick than an engaging, wonderful, but 'kiddie' 
> flick, isn't it?

Err... "pseudo-art-house flick"? Granted your point about "grown-up" vs.
"kiddie", but LotR is a fantasy film, and I would think probably will still be
ineligible for all the same awards the SS/PS is. Are the critics actually
treating this as a "serious" film??

I'm going to see it, mind, and I've taken the trouble to re-read the trilogy and
most of the Silmarillion while waiting, but it's hard to believe this film is
really going to flatten SS/PS. Then again, what do I know? I rarely even bother
going to see movies in the theatre, and I don't watch that many more of them at
home. (Except anime.) And I almost never read movie reviews.

Later, Mahoney also wrote:
> "But I didn't want to undermine the dark side of him, because he is a 
> giant, and giants are unpredictable, as you know."
...

> So far, imho, we've seen very little of Hagrid's 'dark side' 
> or 'unpredictable' nature in the books...

Well, it might be due to some secret info that Rowling gave Coltrane, but I
think his behavior toward the Dursleys would count for enough. They're clearly
terrified of him (and rightly so-- not that they don't deserve it.)

Elizabeth