Thoughts on SS, the Centaur

[ameliagoldfeesh]

A while back on OT-Chatter  Amber ? wrote: 
> I remember that before the HP movie came out, some people were
>worried about it changing their mental image of the books. Or that 
>everyone wouldn't be able to think of Harry without imagining Daniel.
>I thought about it today and came to the realization that the movie 
>has changed very little about what is in my mental mind when I read 
>the books.

For me the film didn't detract anything from the book. It only
enhanced it for me.  Take Hagrid for instance.  In reading him in the 
books I began to not like him as much, he started to annoy me by his 
childishness and bumbling.  The main list would call it his total
lack of Toughness.  I had lost sight of his sweetness of character
and the movie brought it back for me.  

Another character I liked seeing was Hermoine.  I thought Emma Watson 
did a great job in portraying the know-it-allness of the character.  
After seeing her play H I saw why Harry and Ron found her a pest
before the Troll incident. I had emphasized with her enough that in 
reading her I didn't see why two boys would be so put off by her.

The only other way the film has influenced me is now in reading the 
book I can hear Harris as Dumbledore and Rickman as Snape- neither of 
which I would consider a bad trade off at all. :)

John Walton (among others) complained of the "laughable special
effects (e.g. centaur)" in the film.

What do so many people have against the centaur?  Why is the poor 
creature so maligned?  I didn't find the special effects that bad,
I've certainly seen worse in other big budget movies.  To me he didn't
look especially fake-unlike the dying unicorn LV was drinking from. 
Is some of the dislike due to the fact that he wasn't the more
typical "good-looking" centaur as is seen in fantasy such as Xena?

When it comes to directors I thought Chris Columbus did a good job. 
I can imagine far worse directing of Harrry Potter than his.  Besides
of what movies of his I've seen I've like- tho I will point out I
haven't seen any Home Alone movies or Bicentennial Man. (I looked 
forward to Bic. Man until I heard Robin Williams was starring and
then I had the sinking feeling that my view of Asimov's story would be
quite different from the movie.)  However he was involved in some of
my favorites including Adventures in Babysitting and Young Sherlock 
Holmes.

I considered a fantasy casting mention but I caught myself in the
nick of time and refrained. :)

A Goldfeesh

      They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy,
      She inherited a million books and when she died they came to me.
          I can't help it if I'm lucky.
			Dylan, "Idiot Wind"  (the lyrics sound like this in a          
                                      live version)