| Overall Grade: |
C |
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| Story: |
D |
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| Acting: |
A- |
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| Direction: |
C- |
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| Visuals: |
B |
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Yay Harry, BOO movie!
by Jenna (movies profile)
Jul 7, 2008
1573
of
2380 people found this review helpful
We'll go with the positives first.
Excellent acting performances were given by the three leads (not to mention that Harry and Ron are so HOTT). As they have become older, it makes the progression of the stories seem more realistic as they grow with their characters. It would be silly and tragic to replace our favorite HP characters. Fred and George were so cool since they got more screen time and longer hair, but we were saddened by the absence of equally hot Oliver Wood and the quidditch cup. Professor Trelawny was good even though no one in the movie bothered to point out who she actually was. The new Dumbledore was a big disapointment, he didn't really seem to capture the kindness and all-knowing qualities of J.K. Rowling's or Richard Harris's Dumbledore. Dudley could've been fatter and whatever happened to him having blond hair? Draco was good and fits better into the character everytime. But we were a bit confused by his friends, one of his croonies was replaced half way through the movie by some skinny guy who didn't seem to fit and was also nameless. Lupin and Sirius were good but not outstanding and could have been made more likeable. Hagrid was large and loveable as always, no complaints there. Who was the little guy with the short dark hair at the staff table? If it was Flitwick he must have discovered an anti-aging spell. Peter Pettigrew was very rat-like and just kind of gross. Crookshanks' squashed face was true to the book and we approve.
The knight bus part lasted a little too long and what was with the Jamaican head giving directions to the driver? That was just creepy and weird. Stan just seemed out of place and not much like the character in the book. It seemed like this part was lenthened just to add some cheap laughs. How come no one else crashed into the front of the bus except for Harry? The Leaky Cauldron's Tom must have had a wand backfire on him because he was different AND hunchbacked?! He had a bigger part than McGonagall and seemed mental and like the guy from the Munsters. The Leaky Cauldron as a whole was dark and unwelcoming, it seemed like we were in Knockturn Ally. What happened to Fudge's lime green bowler? This movie needs some COLOR. He seemed more with it, like he didn't need Dumbledore's advice. It was kind of odd that Mr. Weasley just casually pulled Harry aside to tell him that Sirius was on the loose and looking to kill Harry. Harry wasn't even supposed to know about that until he accidentally overheard. They way he pulled Harry around the room was too staged to show 'magic things' in the background. There should have been more hippogriffs and when Harry flew on Buckbeak we were reminded of Leo in Titanic. The dementors were scary and done well. The werewolf didn't look like a werewolf and was bald all over. We thought Hermione was the smart one and yet she tried to approach it. The whomping willow was supposed to have a knot to freeze it otherwise anyone could use the spell to calm it down. And what was with the birds flying into it and exploding...twice? That was dumb and unneccesary. The whole ending that ties the book together and makes it good was not well represented in the movie. The shrieking shack scene was majorly lacking in explanation, there were so many holes. If you weren't a Harry Potter fan you would have been confused. Harry wants to kill Sirius and easily accepts the explanation that he and Lupin give and then wants to go live with him in the country where you can see the sky all in less than 5 minutes. The entire plot just seemed choppy and lacking in flow. Hermione was very touchy feely and was provocatively caressing Ron when she was scared. Dan could've produced some tears under that cloak to make that scene more realistic. The makers of the Marauder's Map could've been identified in about 30 additional seconds, perhaps you could take out the kids with the singing frogs and add the Map part in along with the whole animagus thing which was NOT explained at all. The fact about how Peter betrayed the Potters was not explained either. It seemed like all the important parts were just skimmed over and not much detail was given. The fat lady was always dressed in a pink before but was wearing a toga? And making Sir Cadogan into a ghost was just pointless, he could've added some comic relief instead of stupid birds flying into the tree. Quidditch was just missing entirely except for about a 5 second scene. It also was not explained why Sirius left with Buckbeak and why he couldn't be free. Some of the comical parts were nice, Ron talking to the spiders in his sleep and the boys eating candy in the dorms, but there are plenty of funny parts that are actually in the book that would have been nice to have in the movie (like Trelawny's crazy predictions). A big deal wasn't made over Scabbers which would've made more sense especially at the end. The time travel was done well and gets our seal of approval. Hogwarts looked fantastic except for the mysterious relocation of Hagrid's hut on the edge of a cliff.
All in all, the movie was disapointing, too many dumb parts were added in that could've been exchanged for classic moments from book that would've been preferred. Important details that make the 3rd book so great were barely touched upon in the movie. So, Harry Potter fans beware for holes in the plot and to just be disapointed in general. We are ready for a new director, we miss Chris Columbus already. Hopefully the 4th movie will be an impovement on this one (even though it wouldn't take much) otherwise the thought of the 7th movie is frightening. I'm surprised J.K. Rowling let this movie get out of the studio. |
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