Trashing the films - SS/PS & CoS

[Diana]

I've read a lot of posts and critic reviews ripping SS/PS and CoS to 
shreds after PoA came out.  It amazes me, frankly, as I still love 
watching these two movies.  

I enjoyed all three movies and will continue to watch them again and 
again.  I have posted in the past that there are two short scenes 
that bug me in CoS and one scene in SS/PS, but I can easily overlook 
those scenes because I enjoy the movies regardless of my personal 
opinion on those specific scenes.    

Poor Chris Columbus has really taken a beating in the press and, 
well, basically, everywhere for his "slavish devotion" to the books 
and his "golden-hued" & "Disneyfied" image of Hogwarts.  But I like 
the first two movies the way they are.  They are a great 
introduction to the wizarding world of Harry Potter and sparkle each 
in their own way.  

PoA was also a great film, and after my initial shock at the shake-
up of past locations and appearances in the first two films, I've 
come to enjoy and appreciate the third film as much as the first 
two.  

Was every single detail exactly perfect in all the movies according 
my personal vision?  No, of course not, but then I didn't make these 
movies.  I'm watching other peoples' visions up on the screen.  I've 
accepted that and have enjoyed watching other people's 
interpretations of the books.  

If we all had our way, the books would come to life and act 
themselves out in every detail in a 30-hour movie.  There are scenes 
in the book which I would love to see enacted in a movie by the 
actors I've come to accept as the characters (Radcliffe as Harry, 
Watson as Hermione, Grint as Ron, Smith as McGonagall, etc.) 
complete with top-notch special effects, but I know that is not 
going to happen because it's just not realistic.  Besides, I've been 
pleasantly surprised, occasionally astounded, by creative choices 
Chris Columbus, Cuaron and screen-writer Kloves made in the movies 
that I would never even have considered.  

I'm also sure that, unless a banjo-playing monkey comes in to fight 
the dragon on Harry's behalf, I'll most likely like Mike Newell's 
vision of GoF as well.  After all, it's all Harry Potter in the 
end.... :)

Diana L.
dianasdolls