[HPFGU-Movie] Re: Just Saw it. It was bad(? or !)

[Gail Bohacek]

Bboy Wrote:

>I don't want some Harry Potter Hollywood fanfiction version of Harry
>Potter. I want THE Harry Potter story, the WHOLE Harry Potter story,
>and I want it developed in more detail. That can only be done with
>more time. I will agree with you in that this extra time has to be
>well spent. But I will not agree with you in that this story could be
>told in the limited time frame without some major sacrifices somewhere.
>
>That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Good points, but may I add my two cents worth?  Don't know if it merits a 
spoiler space, but I'm going to do it any way, just in case...

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Time: I think we can all agree we'd love to have more.  I don't think any of 
the characters are as developed as much as any of us would like them to be.

Talent is there...my god!  Branaugh is a wonderful actor!

Special effects, that's no problem.

Costumes, props, sets...all wonderful...when can I move in?

My biggest gripe about the film is this: if it isn't done correctly, then 
what's the point?

Let me clarify:  Okay, I make no secrets that Snape is my favorite 
character...and I have a crush on Rickman...and I know that Rickman can play 
the "bad guy"...I've seen him do it before.  But in the movie, Snape comes 
across so ho-hum.  What I like most about the character of Snape is the 
tension and conflict he causes by his behavior.  It could be an *incredible* 
role for a dramatic actor.  But yesterday, I didn't even see one sneer!  My 
favorite scene in CoS the book, the dueling scene, was such a disappointment 
in CoS the movie because the conflict between Snape and Lockhart had been 
watered down to the point that Snape seemed like a totally different 
character...barely recognizable.

Another example:  Moaning Myrtle.  I'm telling you something that I don't 
like to admit, but out of all the characters in Potter-world, I can identify 
most with Moaning Myrtle.  I was the depressed Goth-girl who'd go crying in 
the bathroom at Jr. High, okay?  But in the movie, I didn't "feel" that 
anguish, that heart-breaking sorrow that one gets when one reaches puberty, 
when you feel so out of place and that nobody likes you.  In the movie, M.M. 
came across rather annoying, shifting from one extreme emotion to the other 
in a sing-songy sort of voice.  It was like a cartoon.  It was not 
believable.

Now, I blame the directing, in part.  I think Chris Columbus could have done 
a much better job.  I'd wager that anyone of us here at HP4G could have done 
a just as good a job, if not better.  I feel like writing Warner Brothers 
and asking them if they'd like to have us come on as consultants for the 
next movies (now that's an idea!)

But then again, I'm going to bring up a point that I made before, that the 
movies are directed towards children...that they've watered down the 
contents of the book so that children can sit through them. Car chases.  
Scary monsters.  Like you said, Bboy, we want the whole Harry Potter story.  
But it needs to be done in such a way that it appeals to us adults as well.  
I want drama!  So much of the tension that's built up in the books is not 
going to be there by the time we get to GoF.

I'm hoping that by the time they start filming GoF it won't degrade into a 
musical comedy.

Maybe I'm being too hard, but that's my feelings on the matter.

-Gail B.

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