Hagrid in CoS/General Impressions

[Nicole L.]

> Spoiler space, just in case...
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Lilac said:
> 
> Gail, that was my first thought at that scene,
> because I couldn't understand why Hagrid was getting
> such a long, drawn-out standing ovation.  
> 
> There's also a video interview with Robbie Coltrane
> (or is it Coltraine?) somewhere on the WB site that
> has him talking about being signed up for 5 movies,
> or something like that.  Does anyone know where that
> interview is, because I can't seem to find it.

I'm back from a brief HP hiatus!  Didn't want to have
the film spoiled for me before I got a chance to see
it, you know.  :)

Gail and Lilac, you have convinced me.  I thought the
ovation scene was a bit odd but it now makes sense to
me.  I am convinced that Dumbledore is going to die
but I wasn't quite sure if I thought he would be the
one to die in the fifth book.  Now I am convinced that
it is Hagrid and not Dumbledore who's going to go in
book 5.  Taken in this light, the applause scene makes
absolute sense to me now.  I also understand that
Hagrid is a particular favorite character for Rowling
and since she has often described the book 5 death as
"horrible", the idea of Hagrid's demise seems to fit
the bill.

On that topic, I don't particularly like the
Columbus/Kloves foreshadowing.  I smiled at the Ron
and Hermione thing but it was so blatantly obvious. 
My dad, who's never read the books, said to me, "Is
there something going on between those two?" and my
brother's fiancee, who also has never read the books,
asked me if there is a romance between Ron and
Hermione in book 3.  I thought the scene was cute but
I'm also a bit disappointed by it as it really takes
away from the pivotal Ron/Hermione fight and Ron's
jealousy in book 4.  Still, though, the Ron/Hermione
shipper in me had to do a happy dance at that scene. 
:)  And if Hagrid is the one to die in book 5, I'll be
ticked at the movie makers for having tipped me off. 
As much as I like to speculate and wonder, I don't
want to know the plot or events of the books before I
have a chance to read them.

> 
> On the standing ovation again...I think Hagrid is a
> very lovable character for children, and the fact
> that he was released from Azkaban, came back to
> Hogwarts and is now cleared of charges was a huge
> point Kloves/Columbus wanted to make.  Big, loveable
> furry Hagrid is back, kiddies!  Of course, Gail and
> I are assuming that kiddies are the target audience
> (in which case, WB needs to do a little more market
> research and perhaps consult us...).
> 

Amen to that.  They must be complete morons if they
haven't noticed just how popular HP is with older
(meaning more than 12 years of age) people.  Of the
hundreds of people standing in line waiting to enter
the theater when I went to see the movie, many were
adults without children.  (Yes, I did say hundreds. 
The theater I saw it in has 30 screens and the
particular room in which I saw the movie holds 450
people--at least 250 of them must have been lined up
already when I arrived 45 minutes before the beginning
of the movie.)  I want an HP T-shirt/sweatshirt in the
worst way and I have not been able to find any because
WB only manufactures them in kids' sizes.  I am
seriously contemplating buying the iron on transfers
for ink jet printers and making my own.  Might I add
that my husband thought I was insane when I mentioned
this to him.  :)

Overall, I have to admit that I was disappointed in
the movie.  I just didn't think it translated to the
screen as well as SS/PS.  The effects were better this
time and the Quidditch scene was breathtaking, as
opposed to the first movie.  I was disappointed in
Ron's wimpiness (which seems to be a popular topic of
conversation around here :) ) and I very much missed
the presence of the twins and their show of friendship
towards Harry when almost everyone else was turning
their backs on him.  I love the Weasleys and hope to
see more/better characterization of them in future
movies.  

As for the Harry side of things, I know there was the
library scene where everyone was giving Harry the cold
shoulder but I still don't think the film did a good
job of showing the isolation Harry felt.

I liked Dobby very much.  I agree with whoever said he
was much less annoying than he is in the books and I'm
sorry I can't remember your name!  :)  

I thought Kenneth Branagh, Jason Isaacs, and Christian
Colson (did I spell that correctly?) were marvelous,
although I have to say that I don't like Lucius
starting on "Avada Kedavra" at his final meeting with
Harry.  Um, wouldn't it really be a big problem for
Lucius and the master plan he seems to have if he were
to kill Harry?  This scene simply doesn't make any
sense.

There were a lot of good points to the film but I just
didn't feel the same wonder and excitement when I was
watching it that I felt with SS/PS.  I think Columbus
has done a fair job but I'd like to jump on the "Thank
Goodness PoA Has a New Director" bandwagon.  I would
*really* be upset if that one were to be slaughtered
as it's my favorite book of the series.

~Nicole, who is definitely going to go see the film a
second time because she was tired and anxious about
the film pleasing the people she was with the first
time she saw it and so didn't really enjoy it as much
as she might have.  

=====
*****************************************************************
      "You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed.  
        "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name.  
  But we're not stupid--we know we're called Gred and Forge." 

      Chapter 12, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
*****************************************************************

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