Yet another COS review

[beccablue42]

I'll try to keep this brief. For the record: I saw the movie (only) 
once. I am an American. I read Fan Fiction. That clarifies some of my 
statements. 


who

would

open

this

and

not

expect

spoiler

space?


Lots of echoing what others have said-- I'm trying to keep it short, 
really. 
Like a movie review I saw this weekend, I will divide this into "hot" 
and "not." Unlike the review, there will be NO complaints about 
length, and NO-- I repeat NO-- Dan-bashing. 

HOT (not literally in the attractiveness sence): 

Lucius Malfoy. Everything about him. Cane. Kicking Dobby. 
Uttering "avad..." no matter who he intended it for. Having long 
blond hair. everything. 

All three lead actors. Quit your griping, and cut these teens some 
slack. Daniel was AMAZING. I thought in the PS/SS, he was the cute 
kid with the glasses and the scar, so you knew who he was. Here, he 
was the troubled kid worried about his own dark side. He was stronger 
and cockier, and, well, Harry. Emma- wow. Always liked her, always 
will. Rupert did the best he could with what little Columbus gave 
him, it seemed to me. He is quite the commedien. 

Ginny in the Burrow. So Cute! And for the record, I don't care what 
article of clothing she was looking for. Now if *Percy* had been 
looking for his jumper, you may have elicited some American titters 
(tries not to fall over at the thought of Percy with morning hair 
*and* a dress). But I am a regular enough lurker on lists to know 
that the clothing in question was a sweater-- I think. *g*

Polyjuice/ Malfoy, "Crabbe" and "Goyle." Malfoy: "You can read?" 
(eyebrow twitch) Brilliant. And our heroes: "S-Scar!" "H-Hair!" 

Dobby. It worked, and I don't believe it. 

Tom Riddle. Ditto. 

The length of the movie. That was three hours? And there was still so 
much story left!

Having all the same actors, down to the guard in the train station. 
Talk about building a consistant world! I love it!

Action sequences/visual effects- bravo! Especially the Chamber- 
creepy. 

NOT:

(Deep, soothing breath)

General awkwardness that brought me back to sixth grade. A whole mess 
of twelve and thirteen-year-old boys, with all the cracking, lisping, 
and long-limbed gangliness that implies. Cute, and true to life, but 
I *know* they made Rupert crack his voice on purpose in the spider 
scene. It got to be a bit much. 

I would have kept the Valentine scene. It clarifies that Ginny still 
likes Harry (as most people assume on their first reading/viewing at 
least that she send the Valentine), and gives her a reason to destroy 
his room in search of the diary. Too much flying car, too little 
Ginny. 

Ahem, pet peeve of mine: Attention all movie directors: Actors should 
NOT give lines in slow motion. Actors should NOT scream either "No!" 
or the friend/loved one's name for an extended period of time, no 
matter how distraught they are. I don't care *who* fell off a cliff 
(Yes, Jackson, I'm talking about you and Frodo's "Gaaandaaalf!!!!!") 
or who has let what hairy creature out of a box. I don't blame Dan. I 
blame Columbus. Harry knows Hagrid is okay, so why, please tell me 
why, does he need to scream: "HAAAAAGRRIIIIIIDD!!!" ? What does 
*that* accomplish? (end of rant)

Characterization thoughts: JKR did not make paper cut-out characters. 
Ron, as many have mentioned, was too one-dimensional. Lockhart could 
have been more. Ginny, too. Give the girl some lines! The character 
Columbus built the most on was, unfortunately, Malfoy. 

Which brings me sadly to Draco Malfoy. I must confess that part of 
this was my fault. I have spent far too much time reading Cassandra 
Claire's work, and I was expecting the suave, polished, and downright 
likable Draco of fanfiction. I thought he seemed whimpy, and greedy 
for a rich kid. Stealing people's presents? Snape had to *push* him 
back into the duel against his rival? And I had a hard time folowing 
some of his lines, as if he was trying to compensate for a lisp of 
some sort. He was just awkward, and that was sad, because I loved him 
in PS/SS, in canon, and yes, especially in fanfic Draco Veritas...

Watching Richard Harris broke my heart. He looked so ill, and I think 
he should not have over-exerted himself with this film, good though 
it was. His performace was superb; his health was not. May he rest in 
peace. 


Will I see it again? Will I buy the DVD? Of course. Do I hope that a 
fresh director can bring us an even better POA? With all my heart. 

Cheers,
Becca