CoS - My Take (spoilers)

[vincentjh]

> The thing that we all have to remember here, I think, is that this 
movie is 
> primarily targeted for kiddies, not HP4G members who know these 
books 
> backwards forwards inside and out.  The acting is for kiddies.  
Ron's stupid 
> facial expressions are for kiddies.  The long scene in the flying 
car is for 
> kiddies...etc.

It's understandable that the first two movies are targeted for 
kiddies. (The 10-yr-old boy sitting next to me fell asleep by the 
time they got to the forbidden forest, though.) But the danger of 
marketing it primarily towards kiddies is that they risk the 
possibility of turning away older audience.As the later books get 
darker and darker, HP movies would need to become more like 
action/adventure movies. I wonder how they are going to convince 
adults and teens (that is, the general movie-going public) to come 
see them once HP movies have been established as kid's films. 

Oh, I forgot. The boys are cute and Emma's getting prettier and 
prettier. Sooner or later we'll have a HP boy band out there. So 
maybe they can still attract teenagers. Make it into another 10 
Things I Hate About You.... 
 
> I was particularly disappointed with Snape in the movie.  I felt 
that 
> Rickman was directed incorrectly for the character...in the film, 
Snape came 
> across as somebody different as portrayed in the books.  Should 
have been a 
> whole lot nastier.  

I am disappointed at Snape, too. It's OK he doesn't get much screen 
time. Snape is not a major player in CoS anyway. But the Snape in CoS 
is much more, should I say, cartoonish than the Snape in SS/PS. I had 
trouble believing that they're the same person. Now it can't be 
Rickman's fault. So I blame it on the director.

> -Gail B. who's going to read CoS tonight, envisioning the actors 
and scenery 
> from the movie playing to the script of her imagination.

That's a good idea! I want to see Branagh & Rupert act out the scene 
outside the chamber after Harry rescued Ginny. Branagh/Lockhart 
losing his mind is too funny to miss.

Speaking of Branagh, I can't think of a better person to be Lockhart. 
Yes. He's a little too old. But he balances the delicate line between 
being cartoonish and being believable so well you just have to think 
he's Lockhart himself.

The adult actors in CoS are all very well-casted. Loved Branagh. 
Loved Issacs even more. The voice. The eyes. The way he touches 
people/things with his cane instead of his hand. Brilliant! Coulson 
and Herderson are both good, too. The Weaslies look like they've been 
husband and wife forever. 

So far, the casting department has done better than I could expect. 
(And I love the opportunity to get to see some fine British actors.)
Hopefully they'd keep it up in PoA. 

-VJH