PoA MOVIE DISCUSION

[potioncat]

Early in the movie Harry learns that a prisoner has escaped Azkaban. Over most of the movie, he learns more and more about Sirius Black till he is ready to take on the man who betrayed his parents. When he does get his chance, he learns that it was Pettigrew who betrayed his family. He and Hermione use a Time Turner to save Sirius and Buckbeak. The movie ends with Harry flying triumphantly into the sky on his new broom.

Parts of PoA have been discussed lately. So I may be repeating some ideas here. Not sure if we discussed them here or somewhere else. Feel free to add questions of your own!

1. We have a new director for movie 3. Did you know of his work before? How do you think he did on this movie? Do you think he read any of the HP books? 

2. John Williams wrote this music, as he did for the 1st two. What did you think of it? Any favorite tunes from this movie?

3. What do you think of PoA as a stand-alone movie?

4. The opening scene, with the somber music and Warner's symbol in a worn gray seemed to set a dark tone to this movie. What did you think of the sudden switch to the scene of Harry practicing magic and Vernon trying to catch him? What did you think of the movie's mix of darkness and humor?

5. Practicing magic over the summer? How many un-canonical scenes can you identify in this movie?  That is, a scene that contradicts canon, as opposed to noncanonical scenes that are additions? Count them too, if you like. Or just comment on the more glaring ones. Did you like the changes, or not?

6. We've discussed the Aunt Marge scene recently. Could anyone tell what Dudley was watching on the TV (or is that telly?) with such great interest? Does anyone know if it is a real show, or a made-up one?

7. What about the changes to familiar characters like Tom of the Leaky Cauldron, or Professor Flitwick or the Fat Lady? Or the changes to costumes--even Arthur looked like a Muggle! Did the changes work?
 
8. Lupin's description of Lily created a lot of comment at main. Now that we've read all the books, was movie!Lupin correct? Do you think Snape would agree with Lupin's opinion of Lily?

9. Harry tells Lupin he's used a memory of his parents talking to him, and says something like, "I don't even know if it's real." Does that remind you of anything?

10. For the first time I heard Hermione say something along the line of "I heard Snape telling DD that it would take a powerful wizard to conjure that Patronus." Where was Snape supposed to be that he saw the Patronus? Did anyone catch sight of him in the "rewinding of time" when Hermione and Harry used the TT to go back.

11. We get an abbreviated version of the Marauders, and only a touch on the Snape/Marauder animosity during this movie. How do you think that will play out in later movies?

12. Do you think the newer movies will have to explain the Patronus again? Will it be clear that a Patronus is an animal shape?
 
13. Buckbeak attacks Lupin in the movie.  Do you think the movie will repeat that action in HBP when he should attack Snape?

14. There were lots of clocks in this movie, Lupin's solar system, his floating time candles in the shape of spines, the pendulum, the clock and its gears in a tower. Do you think Cuaron thought the time turning sequence was the crux of the movie?

15. There are lots of special effects in this movie--Aunt Marge, Dementors, and the werewolf, to name a few. Did you like the way they were done? Were the Dementors and their effect what you expected? 

16. Any scenes in particular that you'd like to discuss? Was anything missing from the movie? Did the plot make sense? Was anything better in the movie than the book?

17. And the first question that really just popped into my head--Did anyone ever say who the manufacturers of the map were? Did we ever get the nicknames?

18. Would anyone like to volunteer for a GoF discussion? 

Potioncat