[HPFGU-Movie] POA/Marauders (was Re: GOF movie opinions)

[Sherry Gomes]

I don't believe anyone should feel the need to apologise for liking POA - 
the numbers certainly indicate that we're far from being alone! :-)

--
Richartd AKA GulPlum, who's beginning to ramble and had better shut up



Sherry:

i absolutely agree with you.  i did not like it, and I don't apologize for
that, so why should people who do like it feel the need to apologize.  Yes,
for me, it was the MWPP primarily, but not only that.  As to why leaving out
the marauders back story bugs people, maybe it's the whole connection with
Harry's father.  The book really gives a feeling of the depth of the bond of
those four friends, and for me, at least, beyond the fact of just really
liking Sirius and Lupin, i loved the way it gave Harry some sense of family.
That's hard to explain.  But I felt closer to James, by reading the history
of the marauders.  I loved the idea of the friends working to learn how to
do something that would help their friend during his werewolf
transformations.  i used to wish that at least one of my friends would learn
Braille, when I was in high school, mild I know compared to becoming an
animagus to help your werewolf friend, but perhaps it's that same kind  of
thing.  friendship is just about the most important thing in the world to
me, and for some reason, the marauders seemed to show the depth of what it
means, even more than the friendship between Harry and his two best friends.
Not till the end of HBP, did I feel that same sense of depth with the trio.

As for the POA movie, well, it bored me.  Ok, I am blind, so all the things
that have been praised about it visually, don't do a thing for me.  But
though I've often been asked how I can enjoy movies, i've been a movie nut
since as far back as I can remember.  I just love them.  i didn't like the
Aunt Marge scene, because first of all, there wasn't enough build up to how
rotten she really was, so Harry's losing control didn't have the same punch.
But then the whole scene went on soooo long and got boring.  I didn't like
the Knight bus with the weird driver or a few of the other things i couldn't
really understand since i couldn't see it.  The boggart scene though funny
didn't really mean much in the movie, because we never saw Snape threaten
Neville's toad.  so why was Snape Neville's greatest fear?  Well, and then
of course, super girl Hermione, and that ridiculous werewolf call and more
taking of the lines that belonged to other characters like Harry and Ron.
In fact, after every movie, I have to go back and read the book to remind
myself why I like Hermione, because the movies make me dislike her.  I admit
that sometimes, it's simple sentiment.  I didn't like them changing Sirius'
last line to be a compliment to Hermione instead of telling Harry he truly
was his father's son.  Oh, and Quidditch.  though I thoroughly sympathize
with JKR about being glad she's not going to write another Quidditch game,
and I've gotten pretty tired of them in the books, too, Quidditch was very
important in POA, winning the house Cup and the Quidditch Cup.  Each
Quidditch game was significant in the story as well--the real dementors, the
fake ones and the final win.  The whole Firebolt plot, while I suppose not
necessary to the story brought some good tension between the trio.  

Oh, and one big one for me, which may not have mattered to sighted people
was the dementors.  In the book, Harry hears his parents when Voldemort
attacks.  He hears his mother begging, hears his father telling her to run.
That was incredibly powerful imagery for me when reading the books.  It made
the dementors frightening, made their effect on Harry very real and
believable for me.  The movie version didn't raise so much as a hair on the
back of my neck and left me thinking, ... gee, is that all?

Sherry