My comments on CoS (long!)

[Richelle Votaw]

Since Alora so generously said:

> Let us know more later about how you liked the movie!

It is my solemn responsibility to give my long awaited (ha!) comments on CoS.  I've now watched it twice, taking notes the second time. I expect this will be rather long. :)

1. First things first, I liked the way the film started, coming down through the clouds and into the window of Harry's room.   

2. Harry's expression when Uncle Vernon yelled his name after all Hedwig's racket.  Perfect. 

3. Harry's hesitation before entering when he sees Aunt Petunia working on the pudding.  Like he really wasn't in the mood to get in more trouble than he was already in.

4. Dudley's deliberate bumping into Harry when he walked past.  Nice touch, very in character for Dudley.

5. Harry's brilliantly delivered "I'll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I don't exist." Exquisite.

6. The entire Dobby scene in Harry's bedroom.  I really didn't expect to like him.  I didn't like him in the book.  But he was so much better than certain other CGI characters it was believable.  I loved the lamp part, where Dobby's hitting himself with it and Harry's trying to wrestle it away from him.  Very realistic.  And the wardrobe door coming open while Harry's talking to Uncle Vernon.  Everything was good.  Except for Harry's lunge at Dobby before he runs from the room, it was quite a bit high!

7. Uncle Vernon's "I'm so sorry.  It's my nephew . . .  he's disturbed . . . "  Great delivery there.

8. The pure irony that the locks Uncle Vernon put on Harry's door to keep him in the room were what kept him from getting inside in time to stop Harry from escaping.

9. The Burrow.  Everything about it.  Harry's fascination with everything was well done, even though only a short time was devoted to it.  Loved Arthur Weasley, especially when he finally noticed Harry.  Ginny's reaction to Harry's "Hello."  And Harry's "What did I do?"  The only thing I didn't like was Molly's "Only one place we can find all of this . . . Diagon Alley."  Sounds like a commercial for Diagon Alley.

10. Hermione's "Harry!"  "Hagrid!" in Diagon Alley.  Ugh.  It made me really want Harry to say "Hermione!  So pleased you remembered my name!"

11. If everyone was so worried about Harry, as Hermione said, why were they all in Flourish and Blotts waiting to see Lockhart?  (To borrow a quote from Ron in SS/PS "They need to sort out their priorities!")

12. Harry's expressions during the Lockhart "speech" in Flourish & Blotts were priceless.

13. Draco's swift change from big bad bully to silent, meek little boy when Lucious appeared was perfect.

14. Ugh, Hermione's "Fear of a name increases the fear of the thing itself" line was awful.   Since when is Hermione a substitute for Dumbledore?  If she'd have been there when he said it, sure, but she wasn't.

15. The Whomping Willow was great, not as I pictured it, but well done still.  I liked Ron's "My wand!  Look at my wand!"  And Harry's "Be thankful it's not your neck."  I also love it when the car throws them out.  Along with the luggage.

16. I actually think they could've done without the Herbology class at all.  There was no point at all in Neville fainting, to me this scene was the worst in the movie.  No one's fault in particular, it just didn't flow, it didn't fit, it wasn't right.  As much as I want the movies true to the books, I'd have been perfectly happy with it left out.  After Mrs. Norris was petrified and Dumbledore says something about a mandrake potion, Harry could've simply asked "What's a mandrake?" To which Hermione could've promptly responded with an explanation.

17. I loved Colin, he was so cute.  Not enough of him, but he was cute.

18. If it's so easy to immobilize Cornish Pixies, why didn't Hermione do it in the first place?  I did like Neville's "Why is it always me?" line.

19. Mudblood conversation--it was okay once Hermione got past the explanation and Hagrid had his turn.  Robbie Coltrane was great there, as always.

20. What happened to Ron's detention?  They could've at least mentioned it in passing.

21. The bludger.  Amazing how after Harry caught the Snitch no teacher could think to get rid of the Bludger, but Hermione could.

22. This is through no fault of Maggie Smith's, I'm crazy about her and McGonagall, but what an awful line. "I think he's been petrified."  Duh.

23. The entire dueling club scene was great, spell problems aside (expelliarmus, etc.), Snape was great.  I loved it when he shoved Malfoy back out into the duel.

24. Hagrid rushing into Dumbledore's office. It would've been perfect if they'd left in the deleted scene (which according to the BBFC is all of 52 seconds).

25. Wingardium Leviosa--I loved Harry's "Ron, maybe I should do it."

26. Draco's "I didn't know you could read!" to Goyle/Harry was perfect.

27. Harry/Goyle's "You're wrong!" to Malfoy's Dumbledore comment, followed by "Harry Potter." (as the worst thing that ever happened to Hogwart's.)

28. The flashback/diary scene, except for the end, with Harry's "Hagrid" scream.

29. Hagrid walking up behind the trio in time to hear "mad and hairy."

30. Fred's (or George's) comment about the Hufflepuff team being scared that Harry would petrify them.

31. The scene in Hagrid's hut, especially Dumbledore looking right "through" the cloak at Ron and Harry.

32. Ron's "Follow the butterflies" line was priceless.

33. The spider scene, I especially liked Harry's "What!?" to Ron as he continues to interrupt in the middle of his conversation with Aragog.  I also loved Harry's ever polite, though nervous "Well, thank you, we'll just go."

34. I loved Ron's line "If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him!"

35. Amusing--Harry's reasoning that Nearly Headless Nick couldn't die again, since he's a ghost.  No kidding.

36. Harry and Ron running straight to the 2nd floor corridor (where the teachers were supposed to be going).  How typical. :)

37. Snape's "Your moment has come at last" and McGonagall's "That's settled . . . your skills, after all, are legend." Those comments to Lockhart were wonderfully delivered.

38. Ron's desperate "Ginny!" was well done.

39. Also amusing was Lockhart's comment to Harry in his office "My dear boy, use your common sense!" (How many times have I thought that about my own students?!)

40. Moaning Myrtle's "Hello, Harry." in the bathroom.  Loved it.

41. Lockhart must not be too bright, after Snape's comment about Ron's wand in the Dueling Club he still tries to cast a memory charm with it.

42. I loved Lockhart's entire (too short!) scene after his memory was lost.  "Odd sort of place, isn't it?  Do you live here?"

43. Harry had his wand in his left hand when he entered the chamber. He's right handed.  

44. Riddle.  I loved Riddle.  Well, at least he was appealing to look at.  

45. The Basilisk was awesome.  However, don't snakes smell with their tongues?  Shouldn't the Basilisk have been able to smell Harry rather than turn away to follow the sound of the rock? I'm no snake expert, though.

46. Just a note, how in the world did Harry get down off the top of the statue of Slytherin, holding both the sword and the fang and being poisoned by the venom from the Basilisk?

47. I loved Harry's "Thanks" to Fawkes.  Understatement of the year, but I loved it.  It was a very natural thing for a 12 year old to say.  (none of this mushy "I would've died if it weren't for you" stuff, just a plain and simple "Thanks.")  I also loved Harry's line "It's over.  It's just a memory."

48. Lockhart's priceless delivery of the line "Amazing, this is just like magic!" as they fly out of the chamber.  (Which I might add, I simply assumed the order in which they held onto each other was by size.  Lockhart first, then Ron, Harry, and Ginny last.

49. Harry and Ron's expressions in Dumbledore's office were great.  They looked like they'd just been caught stealing candy, not saving the school. :)

50. Why did Ron send Errol to Azkaban?  Why was Errol even there?  What about the school owls?  It doesn't make sense (not to mention it's not in the book, but that's beside the point.)

51. Kind of comical, a sword sharp enough to kill a 60 foot Basilisk with a single stab, yet Harry easily handles it by the blade.  Interesting (i.e. bad directing!).

52. The hug/no hug part.  Ron saved it, that's all I'll say.

53. Hermione's "Oh, no!" when exams were canceled, very in character.

54. The applause for Hagrid.  Ugh.  Let me just say, this is Harry Potter, not a Walt Disney fairy tale!  I did like the part where Crabbe got caught up in it and started to applaud, only to have Draco grab him and shove him back down into his seat.  Still, I could've thought of a number of ways to end it better!

55. Going out the window to end it.  Nice touch, since it started that way (going in a window)

Just a few last comments about the actors, Daniel Radcliffe never ceases to amaze me, he was absolutely incredible.  I can see problems in SS/PS, even though I thought he did great, but here he was brilliant.  Rupert is incredible, especially considering what he had to work with.  Emma, well, it's not her fault what lines they gave her!

Richelle


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