[HPFGU-Movie] Re: Oscars, HP Directors!

Sat Mar 2 20:28:28 UTC 2002

Susanne Wrote:----------------------------------------
That may be true, but I have to admit I *enjoyed* the Harry
Potter movie a lot more than I did LoTR.

LoTR was just a little too dark and angsty, with hardly a
moment to relax in there.

So I'm probably one of the few people who won't go see LoTR
again, while I'd gladly watch HP a few more times.
--------------------------------

     Actually, I happen to believe that HP was a MUCH more enjoyable movie, along with you, but also a MUCH better movie as well! Here's why, in a short version:
    1- I'm sorry to be the one to point it out to all the fanatical LOTR fans, but about 45 minutes of the movie was travelling of some sort. Introducing the Hobbits, walking along the mountains, etc..
    2- Yes, I know it was written that way, but the movie explains nothing about the plot. NOTHING, We as viewers see essentially a 3 hour promotional video for the ring. ring this, ring that. We see no storyline at all. I had one person trying to tell me that the story was the storyline of the group of warriors (sorry, the name slips my toungue at the moment), and how they form to protect the ring but how the ring breaks this group up. Now, just as a for instance of the LACK of communciation and any worthy plotline in the movie. 'cept for the setup of the rings, The warrior(forgive me, i forget his name, but he was head of the clan of warriors who were decimated protecting the borders), HATED and LOATHED the idea of using the hobbits to protect the ring. Then, they climb the mountains, and without AN explination he is suddenly playing with the Hobbits and teaching them to fight. Then, on the other side of the mountain he suddenly hates them again. And there is NO communication to explain anything at all.    
                3-There is a seriously large lack of a storyline here. Maybe it's because of the way I was taught, but as I was lead to understand it, a story consists of three parts, without which it is not complete.The three parts being: A beginning(or buildup), a climax, and an ending. As I said before, this movie felt like a 3 hour promotional video for the ring, all buildup. No climax, no ending. The way the movie was filmed, it should then have been released as they were tlaking about releasing HP 4- that is, one movie a month for three months. 
           I know a lot of LOTR fans will probably want to flame me for this post; I sincerely hope that you can at least send an intelligent response back through HPGFU-Movie instead of feeling the need to flame my email address. Also, I would wish that anyone wishing to respond to this letter also stop for a moment and try to take a very objective viewpoint. The reason I say this is because a lot of you have read the novels and are fans of the book, and as such have a tendency to defend the movie without thought as to the validity of what a detractor such as myself might say. One should also remember and consider well the point that I never read the books and have no intention of doing so, as Tolkien's writing style puts me to sleep(I tried to read the hobbit about 15 times. Each time, i'd get about 5 pages in and fall asleep). I'd honestly love to love the movie, but I can't say that I do.
    Onto the reasons I like Harry Potter's movie better:
   1- It is a complete story. See abov,e but this has a buildup, a climax, and an ending. I feel walking out of the movie that I actually saw a movie that I could enjoy, and that had at least some sense of completion.
        2) For those fans of LotR, I know the story was supposed to be one long novel. see reason 3 above before throwing out the prior HP reason. This movie was also much better, in my opinion, of setting up the Harry Potter world to the viewer. Once again, I had not read the novels when I saw the movie(although I haven't stopped reading them since, now onto my 4th time straight and the first with the british versions). But I was able to understand the setup, see most of the hints that the movie dropped, and enjoy my experience. All, while walking away wanting more- because they told a story with a lot of buildup for 70% of the movie, offhand, climax and ending the movie for about  25% of the movie, and left enough questions unanswered so as to leave us wanting more at the end of the movie(the remaining 5% of the flick). That is how a setup movie should be done, IMO. And I know as I stated above, they were meant to be one novel/film. Well, if so, they should have been released as such. 

Well, I do hope I haven't pissed off too many people, though I am interested to see how others disagree with that. Onto My next subject: The Director of the HP Films:
  While I do say I like the outcome of the HP films, and Chris Columbus did a fantastic job in my opinion(the acting by the kids was understandably stiff though forgiveable- for an example, see the scene when LV's disemboidied figure flows through Radcliffe and he falls. Stiffest fall I've ever seen in my life), there is one person who's version I'd much more desire to see: Rob Reiner. I know not many of the active list members have given him a chance from what they've said in the posts so far, but here is why:

   1- If you've seen Stand By Me, you know he can do kids films, so much so that he really captured the essence of being a kid in this film. It has a carefree attitude, and displays perfectly how they go about their actions. This was also a film adaptation of a Steven King novel, though since I haven't read the novel I really can't say that it was faithful or not. However, all the interviews on the subject point to it being very faithful, as even Steven King himself was on the set from what I understand(interviews on the special edition dvd).
  2- The Princess Bride. For doing this movie alone he should have won any contest to do HP. The only reason i would accept his not being the director would be if he didn't want to do it. This movie not only perfectly captures the essence of the novel(Trust me, go pick up Goldman's book if you've never read it before;You'll be amazed at how faithful the movie was to the book. I honestly don't think they missed out on anything at all! Even the spirit of the film was perfect!). It also captures the essence of a Fantasy Film- Action, Monsters, Love, Romance, even injecting humour into the equation. I admit to the fact that the other directors are compelling, but none in my opinion nearly as intriguing as Rob Reiner. He has a great sense of humour, and the three key abilities that everyone seems to point to: the ability to direct kids, be faithful to the novel, and to do a fantasy film!

Well, have a good day!

-Vin

"Vizzini: Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vizzini: You only think I guessed wrong - that's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha-ha, you fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is "Never get involved in a land war in Asia", but only slightly less famous is this: "Never go in against a Sicilian, when *death* is on the line!". Hahahahahah!
[Vizzini falls over dead]"
                        Vizzini from the Princess Bride, thanks to IMDB.com for the quote

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