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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix


Ike

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I saw Harry Potter V last night (it opened at midnight yesterday morning) in a packed crowd. We bought tickets a couple days in advance and got to the auditorium 30 minutes early and already the place was at least half full.

 

Order of the Phoenix is my least favorite of the six H.P. books to date, and the film was probably about my least favorite as well. It was certainly a good movie and entertaining, but not as action-packed as earlier films, and to me it jumped from scene to scene with little continuity - as if each scene represented a theme throughout the year. It is strange that this is the longest book and shortest movie of the five. Most of the major plot elements from the book were there, although abbreviated. Major cuts included the romance between Cho Chang and Harry, Hermioni's SPEW, Ferenzy the Centaur, and the open hostility between Snape and Sirius. There was no quidditch, only a couple of views of the Black Mansion, and several topics were alluded to rather than shown. Creature only shows up twice and is not quite as amusing as in the book . . . missing is my favorite line: <mumbled> "The mud-blood speaks to Creature but Creature pretends not to hear."

 

If you have not read the books, I suspect that this movie will be extremely difficult to follow. A lot of new characters show up with little explanation. The movie felt more like the prequel Star Wars movies in a way, as if the main purpose is to get from one place to another rather than being a stand-alone movie. But for fans of the books, it is great to see all of the characters, and J.K. Rowling's world brought to life.

 

A couple of things I really liked about the movie: 1) I think a higher percentage of screen time was spent on the D.A. than in the book, although some things were modified. 2) The levels of magic really came across more forcefully than in the book. Take note of the differences between the school-age chldren's magic -- spoken commands for specific effect, versus the Order of Phoenix and Death Eaters -- swirling forms fighting, un-spoken hexes flying with great force and rapidity, and then Dummbledor and Voldamort -- seeming almost to reshape the fabric of their surroundings by using Primal forces. Hard to believe that Harry could even pretend to compete with Voldamort!

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I am really looking forward to seeing this, even more than my son, but I always have a hard time when it comes to the book. I want it to be as full as the book creates in the mind without leaving anything out! :)

 

Oh if only they would make the extended uncut directors cut collectors edition! :P

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Ike, I had read here that you had gone off to see this movie and was hoping you'd be able to give us a rundown on it. Ty. And your take on it is pretty much in line with other reviews I've read about it. That the movie had the feel of being disjointed and was difficult to understand for new purveyors of the Potter Scene without the book being first read as a kind of guide to understanding. The feeling upon walking away was one of dissapointment as an interpration of the book.

The expression of magic for me in books and movies is one of my fascinations. I've always been curious as to how others see and manifest it in media and I was particularly interested in your notes regarding the comparison of the Hoggwart's band v.s. the Evil Dudesters. I've heard nothing but raves about the final magical battle and I'm looking forward to seeing it on the big screen.

 

Apparently the lack of concurrent plot elements from the book is another sore point, with some other reviewers saying that so many crucial ideas in the books that tied them all in together were unskillfully left out of this screen adaption.

 

Quidditch being left out?

 

Criminal

 

:P

 

gogo

 

 

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To be fair, the book is pretty dark, so the movie takes that tack as well. At least Harry is not quite as whiny as in the book. :P Quidditch is pretty limited in the book due to Umbrage's influence. It is just a little weird not to have any quidditch. The only real flying in the movie is in the very beginning, and that is a little strange as they fly right through London, in a way that seems antithetical to keeping a low profile.

 

Still, enjoyable, especially to fans. Just don't expect the kind of slavish adherance to the book as was the case with the first movie. The books are just way too long and full of too many characters and plotlines to allow that to happen anymore. Unless they create 14 movies. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

If her money dries up she has REAL problems. Deathly Hollows sold ~72 MM copies in the first 24 hours. Even at only $20 per copy that is $1.4B. Obviously it is not all going to her, but between the books and the movies, she is doing OK for herself. You know, not great, but OK. :bounce:

 

It would be a real mistake to continue writing Harry Potter books. Best to let it go while it is on top (e.g. FarSide, Calvin & Hobbes) rather than cheapen the franchise (e.g. Garfield, Peanuts).

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She doesn't need to continue the franchise because..

She can just write another series set in the same world (about dumbledore perhaps, or snape, maybe even someone we've never heard of)

:whistle:

~Doom

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I have enjoyed the movie and the books. My wife and I finally got the last one the other day and she devoured it I on the other hand will probably wait till the other movies come out to read the last book go figure call me a procrastinator

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Went to see this yesterday with the kids and my Mom. Well I am really not a HP fan at all in fact I would go so far as to say I'd rather watch paint dry BUT it was pretty entertaining. I have to say though that some of the special effects were reminiscent of LOTR's. The second one where Gandalf has that fight in the tower with Sourpuss.

 

Having not read any of the Potter books unless one of my kids forced me to read some I can't say how it compares to them but the kids informed it was fun yet a bit 'light' compared to the book. hehe Harry duty over for now....have fun if you go io see it.

 

 

I wanted to see Transformers but was out voted by the rug rats :whistle:

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am a Harry Potter fan and this last movie ...while good... in my opinion was the worst so far. It was choppy going from one instance to the next and there was quite a bit of major information that they left out as for following the book. While I can understand this needs to happen as if it were to follow the book completely it would be atleast a 5 hour movie but sheesh.... But all in all I was happy with the movie. I have read the final book and it is sad in parts as to who JK kills off but it had wonderful meaning at the end. Iam sad to see the series has come to an end, but hopefully she will start another world soon as her story telling style is awsome...imho...lol

Stargazer

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JK has said she'd write an enclycopedia of sorts that would contain bits of info she had about the characters that didnt make it into the books , things like what certain characters do for employement after the books and such.

 

I'd say based on how she left the series that the next generation would be a logical place to pick things up were she to write in this realm again. things have changed considerably since harry started at hogwarts that things would be different for the kids of the kids in the books when going there.

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  • 3 months later...

I LOVED it

 

holy cow, the magic battle at the end...the intensity of it...did you guys get a chance to see the seen over and over, the intensity on the bad guy's face...in his voice...unbelievably compelling replay value.

 

It's absolutely my favorite magic scene on screen. And the way that the Auror's appear, they way they smoke out and that cool white light is washing over them...they look like marvel superheroes!

 

 

And this episode was so...dark, definitely my favorite of the movies.

 

:D

 

gogo

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, I agree with you all lmfao!! I loved it too BUT as was previously stated alot was majorly cut from the book which was very disappointing imo. When I read books I like to picture in my head exactly how they are going to do it in a movie but alot of that was gone which saddened me but of course as I stated I did love it !

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