My rambling thoughts on OotP - finally saw it today.

[colebiancardi]

so, I finally trotted down to my local IMAX theater to see OotP today.

if you can see it in IMAX, do so!!  I will be seeing the next two in
IMAX - what a difference it makes.  The theaters are smaller, the
screen is bigger, the picture is sharper, the sound is AMAZING.  Did
not have the problem of understanding any of the actors at all and I
hear everything!  The fight sequence in 3-D was outstanding.  You
could hear everyone *oooo'ing & ahh'ing* when they put on the glasses.

I really enjoyed it - the last two movies have exceeded my
expectations.  I was worried about how they were going to make such a
long book into a 2 hour and some change movie.  I guess they had to
make the cuts they did and what was left must be important for book 7
(ie Grawp - I could have lived without him)

I did not care for the fact that they were using levicorpus in this
movie.  That is a discovery in book 6, so I am not sure *why* it was
brought into play here.  Snape's worst memory - I didn't mind *how*
Harry got the memory (instead of the Pensive), I did mind that it was
too quick, too jumbled.  If someone hasn't read the books(which many
people, believe it or not, don't read them, they just see the movies)
I am not sure if they knew that was James, Sirius, Lupin & Peter in
that clip.  Nor did we get a sense of empathy from Harry towards Snape
like the book goes over.

I did like Sirius's line "Nice one, James" - Harry looks at Sirius as
if "huh?"  Daniel's performance in those few seconds - the look on his
face, as he realizes that Sirius is mistaking him for James - is
fantastic.

Luna - loved her - and I liked how Neville grabbed her hand in MoM to
lead her away from the falling orbs.  Romance hints??  This is one
SHIP I wouldn't mind :)  Skipping away from Luna to talk about....

Bellatrix - I like Helena, but unless she has a bigger role in DH,
what a waste of talent.  I just thought she was nutters, but not that
scary or dangerous - she is just *too* pretty, I guess.

Sirius's *death* - I, too, am perplexed why Bella did a AK in the
movie - however, and I will see it again, I thought the AK had been
defected by *someone*, but Sirius leaned back into the Veil and was
transported away.  I didn't think that Bella's AK killed him, but his
going into the Veil was enough to make him dead.  He is dead, of course :)

Umbridge - THE BEST CASTING EVER in the HP movies!!  I cannot say
enough about this character - the perplexed look on her face (sadness,
mixed with a righteous look in her eye) - she is doing this for their
own good - the feeling that "this hurts me more than it hurts you" is
running around in her head.  What a gem.  I do hope we see her in
movie 7.  Umbridge, imho, stole the show.  

McGonagall - not a lot of her - but I liked the scene with her &
Sybill - very nice.  

Tonks - not what I expected at all and not alot of her.  At least we
got an introduction, but quite frankly, she isn't as I expected her to
look like.  But I am sure the boys loved her - she was very hot.

Mrs. Figg - ditto, without the hot part.  Not at all what I expected -
I wanted to hear the bag full of cat food, but alas, we didn't get
that scene.  However, the actress did a fine job, and I liked it when
Fudge asked who was in favor of Harry's acquittal and she raised her
hand.  Very cute.  But nothing about squibs....hmmm...

Yates, I've heard, will be directing HBP - my favorite book so far in
the HP series.  I am so thrilled to hear that.
colebiancardi
(loved the little mewing kitty plates as well)

one thing I have to complain about throughout the HP movies - NO
PEEVES!!  I love Peeves.  Great comic relief.  But it is too late to
introduce him, I suppose.