movie reaction - spoilers - tons of them

[susanmcgee48176]

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Do not read if you don't want spoilers


Well, respectfully to those who cared that Bellatrix Lestrange used 
the AK curse...obviously Sirius IS dead, or JKR would not have 
approved him dying before he goes through the veil....I, too, don't 
really care...Bellatrix killed Sirius, period.

Also, do not take anyone who hasn't read the books to see this movie.
It would be totally incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't read the 
book. One of the reviews (NY Times? Salon?) said it was a good visual 
accompaniment to the book.

Also, I totally disagree with those who think that the child actors 
have improved. Not really. Harry's words.....You're weak. I pity 
you...were practically said in a monotone! 

On the other hand, it's unfair to compare them with the adult actors 
who are the cream of the crop. (And my nine year old son tells me 
that they are better than me! -- good point!)

Alan Rickman was absolutely spectacular in this movie, and I hope 
they're paying him for what he's worth. Imelda Staunton was horribly 
effective.

(BTW, in the book there was at least one other student who Umbridge 
had cutting his hand (Seamus? or Dean..I think Seamus). 

I found the scenes of Umbridge torturing the students horrible. Very 
effective, but very disturbing.

(BTW again, my 7 year old did fine and said she was not scared. 
However, she's heard the tapes, we've read out loud, she knew Sirius 
would die, and we've watched all the clips online that we could. I 
find that helps.)

The other four 8,9, and 10 year olds loved the movie.

I enjoyed the movie very much, but felt the ending was weak. Why 
didn't they make it three hours? (probably they wanted to make more 
money). 

What was the point of having the Dursleys out of the house to go to 
the hospital instead of being short listed for the best kept lawn 
contest...which was a stitch...

One of the best parts of the film was the development of the 
relationship between Harry and Sirius (much more so than in the 
book)...definitely enhanced by the relationship between Daniel 
Radcliffe and Gary Oldman.

Luna Lovegood was perfect. I liked Grawp much more in the movie than 
I did in the book.

Jason Isaacs was brilliant as the slippery, evil Lucius Malfoy.

Tonks' changing noses was great fun. Kreacher was convincingly foul...
he was left in the movie because JKR said they would need him in Book 
7...otherwise, he could easily have been cut....

The centaurs were SO much better than in book 1.....and it was great 
to see them carry off Umbridge (another loose end...if you didn't 
read the book how would you know how Umbridge was rescued from the 
forest?)

Oh, goodness, did you notice how bureaucratic and swarmy Percy 
Weasley looked in the scene where they try to arrest Dumbledore? 

I thought they went over the edge with Harry being almost off his 
rocker...in the book, he was suffering from adolescent angst and 
hormones...in the movie, it seriously looked as if he was losing his 
mind big time....

I liked the Dumbledore's Army scene...Filch camping out outside the 
door was fun, and the sweets that caused him to break out were great, 
too...

My son mentions that the children were far more effective against the 
Death Eaters in the book than they were in the movie.....why?

And why did Harry give Lucius the prophecy? (after all, why trust 
Lucius not to kill his friends AFTER he gives him the prophecy).

Great picture of the first order of the Phoenix -- nice to see the 
young and whole Alice and Frank Longbottom....but weird to have 
Neville tell Harry about his parents...that whole thing seems 
contrived...

Wonderful stuff with the cats.(I LOVE Mrs. Norris)...Crookshanks 
pouncing on and sabotaging the extendable ear was terrific...

Cho and Harry's kiss was very sweet. VERY cool thing about the 
mistletoe appearing in the Room of Requirement

What I missed most from the book (list probably added to later).

Marietta Edgecombe getting purple pimples saying "sneak"....
(loose end...we never see Harry apologizing to Cho for misjudging her 
in the film...after he found out Umbridge had fed her veritaserum.

Harry "acing" his practical OWL in Defense Against the Dark Arts...

Hagrid being attacked (and loose end - Hagrid says he'll probably be 
sacked but then we hear nothing else about him)..I especially miss 
Professor McGonagall rushing heroically to his defense.....

Why not have Fawkes arrive to absorb an attack? (in the last MoM 
scene) It would have been just as easy to do on the screen?

The swamp.....Filch having to punt the students across....

Fudge saying "do you think you're going to fight us all" to 
Dumbledore...and Dumbledore saying "not unless you make me do it" 
(paraphrases)

Sirius' mother screaming imprecations...

The accoutrements of the Room of Requirement, the pillows and the Foe 
Glass, and all the books about defense -- why didn't they just leave 
that stuff in?

Susan McGee
(If you are interested in a low volume HP listserve, check out Harry 
Potter for Grownups Over 40 by emailing me at SusanGSMcGee at aol.com)