What did you guys think of it?

I voted for the third sentence, but I agree on the other statements as well. But I think that the second time I watch it, I will like it more! Because I think that I was more upset about the fact that the people who hasn't read the books, would miss very important things from the book if they don't read it!

[color=green][/color] :arrow: yeah i agree the movie was good but they could have added other things from book.

In general it was okay, but I had many complaints about the movie and thought it could have been done better.

hmmm when I first finished watching it then I was so disappointed, but I have seen it now many times and I like it although it's so different than book!!!!

the movie was awesome! they did leave some stuff out but not anything significant. i think that it is the best so far. i'm hoping the new director can top PoA....

the movie was great! the still left out a lot

I picked the second choice!

The third choice:
It was okay, they left some important things out... (cough marauders backround)

^^I can't remember the source, but I do remember JK saying that she and the screenwriters decided to save that information for later movies. Hey, if JKR had a say in it, it was probably an important decision to leave out that information.

I picked the 3rd choice. Some of the things were changed. But it was still a good movie, but I like the book better.

The movie was good. My only real complaint was how they handled the beginning. I feel that they could have done a better job, though they did make it quite humorous. Other then that and a few smaller things that irked me, it was okay.

yeah, all in all it was a fantastic film, but i say again, i really thought they could have doen a better job with the beginning and end.

QUOTE

yeah, all in all it was a fantastic film, but i say again, i really thought they could have doen a better job with the beginning and end.

The ending was alright, but they didn't explain some things. Like, they didn't explain at all about what the shrieking shack's real purpose had been. But, I guess it's as they always say, you can't fit everything that's in a book into a movie.

the ending was really good. but i think that if i didnt read the book first i would be kind of lost.

I think peaceoflorien ment the last scene in the film (the one with harry on the firebolt) I didn't like it either....
But I think the the very beginning was cool....when the camera went through the title of the film! And the first scene when Harry tries to study in the middle of the night and Vernon comes in all the time was cool!
But after that when Harry walks downstairs, the camera was so unsteady! Did you notice that?

I really didnt like the end. Since he got his Firebolt in the middle of the book. But I agree, the rest of the movie was great.

I first saw it on opening day and I watched it from a HP fanatics point of view and I didn't like it very much. So I went and saw it again today and tried to watch it from a non HP fanatics point of view and I liked it much more. So I think it's a movie you have to watch more than once to appreciate it's differences from the book.

Well, I went in being very open minded about it. i enjoyed it very much the first and second time, but I understand what you mean about the perspectives. personally i think that if you hadnt read the book you wouldnt really understand some of the points in the movie.

I wanna start off by saying that I thought POA was brilliant.

However, I do admit that there were some parts that I thought could have been done differently and that certain other bits could have been shortened to maybe include other stuff.

Let me give some examples.
1) I thought the ending was a little abrupt, it was left kinda "hanging"...maybe it could have been done differently?
2) The scene where Harry flies Buckbeak over the lake didn't have to be so long, it could have been cut down and then the extra time could have been used to add something else from the book.
3) They should have included a scene with Sirius breaking into the boy's dormitory and hovering over Ron's bed with the knife.
4) A little bit more explanation about the background of The Marauders and possibly The Shrieking Shack would have helped those who had not read the book.
5) I didn't like that the Dementors could fly and I was hoping to see Harry's stag patronus charging them down!!

Those were the little bits here and there that I thought could have been done differently. But as I said in my first sentence, overall, I enjoyed POA tremendously.

Let me give some MORE examples. :wink:
1) The opening sequence was brilliant. 'Nuff said.
2) I liked the camera angles and shots used in this film. They were more creative than the first two. Bravo to Alfonso Cuaron!!
3) Knight Bus sequence was excellent, very well depicted. (although I'm not too sure about that shrunken head hmmmm...)
4) Time Turner scene was awesome too, couldn't have been done better.
5) Character development especially for Harry, Ron and Hermione was excellent. The script seemed to flow more naturally (well done Steve Kloves!!), I liked that there was more humor in this one. They definitely have grown into their characters.

So yeah, that's my two cents worth. Hehe Overall, I loved POA and was very impressed by it. It was worth the wait and I DEFINITELY think this one's the BEST of the 3 so far. Alfonso Cuaron was the best director for this 3rd one, as the 3rd book is really the turning point in the series coz it's not so much about Voldermort, but about Harry growing up.

I was really disappointed that most of my friends (even some big fans) didn't like the film. I reckon it's a mighty shame that not everyone will be able to appreciate POA for the fantastic film it really is. It's indeed a masterpiece, especially on a technical aspect. Sure, lots were cut out...like I said, there were some stuff I felt they should have been included. But at the end of the day, we have to remember that realizing a book to the big screen is one heck of a task. While books can go into all the details even the tiniest ones, film has a time constraint.

I really felt that POA couldn't have been done any much better than how Alfonso Cuaron pulled it off. He basically picked out all the significant bits from the book and pieced them together. Anything else that wasn't connected to the central theme of the book was cut out. The only setback from this is that the overall product felt a bit "choppy", some scenes didn't flow as smoothly to the next as others. But yeah, overall, I thought Alfonso Cuaron did a marvelous job.

Of course, the books will always be better, it is the original story whereas the movie is just based on JKR's novel. So shame to those who just watch the movie coz they really do miss out on what the Harry Potter books are all about.

OMG I'm rambling toooo much!! Need to stop before I make this into some sort of thesis. Hehe :wink: So to finish off, yup I thought POA was absolutely brilliant overall and all the best to Mike Newell coz Goblet of Fire is gonna be a mighty challenge. I'm kinda disappointed that they're gonna stick to one movie coz GOF is such a thick book with heaps of important bits so there's gonna be a lot that will be cut out.

But I'll always be a fan no matter what!! Harry Potter rocks!! JKR you're amazing!!

it was really bad! the movie didnt stick to the book and un-necessary made-up crap that wasnt int he book was included! ron weasley was not harry's 'best friend', his character changed into 'harry's sidekick' and the movie's comic relief! ron didnt even get pigwidgeon at the end! and the ending was soo weird how it just zoomed into his face and stopped! how dumb was that?!

i tihnk the movie wasnt any were near as good as the first to i vote for sentece 4 or 5 ...plz stick to the book :evil:

Egh....

Open your minds, people.

You're purists.

The movie is not the book. It's a movie. It's someone's interpretation of the book. A movie off a book is supposed to capture the spirit if that book, not every detail.

A lot was changed.

So what??????

What I'm looking for is that if scenes are changed, could I picture Harry and co. doing them even though they aren't in the book.

When you read 5 books of a series 10 times, you sort of know how the characters are going to react in certain situations. You know the characters. What they're like.

And as far as I'm concerned, that was a great movie because it captured the spirit of the book, and the characters.

QUOTE

Egh.... Open your minds, people. You're purists. The movie is not the book. It's a movie. It's someone's interpretation of the book. A movie off a book is supposed to capture the spirit if that book, not every detail...   ...And as far as I'm concerned, that was a great movie because it captured the spirit of the book, and the characters.

Couldn't have put it better, mate!! You're spot-on!!

Everyone is different so there's bound to be different opinions of POA, which is fair enough, to each their own. But I do think that some of y'all our there are being too close-minded. As I'd mentioned in my previous post and as "Azkaban" has said, The movie is not the book.

In the credits it states BASED on the novel by JKR. As I've said, the movie cannot possibly be exactly like the book because there's a time constraint. Books can go into all the details, but to realize it into a movie, they can only take the significant bits and change certain stuff from the book to accomodate the frame of a movie. That's why there are certain parts in the film that we didn't read in the book or that has been changed...it's because they have to edit it to film-style, kinda thing.

I just feel it's a mighty shame that not everyone is able to truly appreciate POA for the fantastic film it really is. I guess it's coz I've studied film so I sorta view it in a different light.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a purist when it comes to the books. As I said, JKR is amazing, her books are just beyond awesome. And although I did say that there are certain stuff about the POA the movie that I didn't really like, but overall it was an excellent movie because as "Azkaban" said, it captured the spirit and overall theme of the book.

As for Pigwidgeon being ommitted from the movie, chill guys, it's easy to bring him in in GOF. I reckon they'll prolly just have Pig bring Sirius' letter and have Harry read it out and tell Ron that Pig's his, a present from Sirius. Something like that. It's really not that big a problem the way I see it, it's just a small bit that can be put at the start of GOF...

Thanks, my thoughts exactly!

I think it's a great movie.

Wow...my first post. I'm psyched. That's hott.

I totally feel what you guys are saying about the movie and the book not being the same. Generally, movies are never really as good as the books. You can miss so much. And POA is my favorite book thus yet, so I went into the movie thinking, "Just remember, this will NOT be the book." So, when I went, I wasn't disappointed AT ALL! First off, so far it has been the best interpretation on screen of what JK actually wrote as far as setting and character. I LOVED the new Whomping Willow and I thought that the bridge was a really great addition. I know that the scene between Lupin and Harry was completely contrived for the screenplay, but I thought that was such a wonderful addition, and I often wonder if this is one of the "hints" that JK has been referring to. Of course, I think there was definitely a concentration between the Harry/Hermione ship, and I'm excited to see what exactly will come of that!

BubblesOfLove: Yayyyy, good on ya!! Welcome to the club!! Hehe

Yeah I went with the same thought as well. I went knowing that this was an adaptation of the book and therefore would be different, with possibly some changed and extra bits.

For those who have been slagging off Cuaron, quit it, heck even Chris Colombus changed some stuff too. Both didn't stay true to the book at some parts, they just did it at different degrees. I'd say Cuaron was probably braver and took more risks, was more creative, and played around more with his imagination.

At the end of the day, we all need to remember that this is the movie version and was never meant to be an exact visual replica of the book.

As we all different, we will see things differently. I'm sure when we all read the books, each of us had a different visual interpretation of the characters, Hogwarts, and basically, the world that JKR has tried to paint to us. So similarly, the director will realize his own interpretation of how he imagines Hogwarts and the world it encompasses.

And remember, this is JKR's baby. EVERYTHING has to go through her first, needs to meet her approval. So take comfort that even if certain parts of the movie was changed or tweaked and "didn't stay true to the book", it has gone through her and she has allowed it. She herself quoted on her website that she felt this was the best of the 3 movies so I guess Cuaron's depiction of the world was prolly the closest to her own.

I've seen the movie three times now, and appreciated it more the second and third times than the first. I'm a fanatic about sets (I suppose it's because I'm very into art, and damned near obsessed with architecture) - which can cause me to become a bit absorbed in the trees at times, when it comes to movies. I was thoroughly disgusted by the sorry recycling of the great Dumbledor's office set from the second movie. Very low-budget!

That said, however, Cuaron's visual (if not narrative) style is far superior (in general) to that found in the first two movies. The Stone Henge riff and menhirs were brilliant (well there may have been one or two too many menhirs - and it's a little odd that they keep popping up - pun intended - so often in Harry's scenes with Lupin) as was the more mountainous terrain - a terrain more appropriate to adolescent experience for sure. I liked the clock too, although it's mislocated next to the hospital ward.

However, I can't help remaining annoyed that Cuaron doesn't seem to have made the tiniest bit of effort toward a smoother transition from the first movie. I mean, the Womping Willow in the PoA version was a far more interesting than the one in the CoS movie, but was it somehow transplanted between Harry's second and third year? And if so, why, since it's also the place where the entrance to a secret passage out of Hogwarts has been located at least since Harry's father's day?

In sum, I think Cuaron is a talented director, and gave the film franchise a needed breath of fresh air. However, he gave the book and the previous movies insufficent respect and I can't quite forgive him for that. Given his talent, he really could have done a much better job in many ways! What's with that cheapo-looking were-wolf, btw? I liked the improved drama, but despised the excessively impressionistic whimsy. Rowling's already supplied enough whimsy to the books, without insulting our intelligence. Wish I could say the same for Cuaron.

Columbus may not have been as interesting cinematically, but he clearly put his put his all into the first two movies; calling him a "hack," as one reviewer I read did, was really below the belt. I hope the director for film four, who's name escapes me at the moment, goes out of his way to find a way to combine Columbus' coherency with Cuaron's drama, while still keeping the plot and characters sharp. One thing I am encouraged about: as the director of Four Weddings and a Funeral, he's already demonstrated an ability to handle detail and characterization well. Let's hope he gets GoF right.

I think they definitely kept in the "spirit" of the book...obviously you can't put everything that was in the book in the movie. So in keeping with the spirit, yeah, I think they did a great job. Although, my friends who haven't read the books were a bit confused, so maybe they should have put in some of the Maurauders background...but I do seem to be the only person out of my circle of friends who LOVES the movie...everyone else says it's good, but not great... :roll:

i loved this movie the best out of the three made. they took out stuff from every movie. but it is ok!! they rock!!

I've watched POA 3 times already and plan to go watch it maybe another two more times. Aside from that, I've watched random scenes here and there like a trillion times each coz I work at the cinema which is so great... :wink:

I reckon it grows on you. Like the first time I watched it, it was just to get the overall feel of the story and all that. The second time, I tried to focus on each scene and paid attention to other stuff like tiny details and things like that. The third time, I watched out purely for special effects, camera angles, and the like.

POA really is a brilliant movie. CaseyP, I sooo agree with you about the sets. Absolutely breathtaking. Although continuity failed in this sense coz Cuaron changing a lot of the set and the grounds made Hogwarts in POA so obviously a different Hogwarts than what we saw in the first two movies.

But as I said, people are different. As is demonstrated in this forum itself, we all have differing opinions about POA the movie, the books, the theories, etc etc. So in the same way, when it comes to directors, each person is different. They have their own style, their own uniqueness, their own "stamp" to each movie they direct.

As I mentioned in my previous post, before the movies came out, when we read the books, each of us had a different visual picture of Hogwarts and the world of Harry Potter in our heads. Yes, JKR painted that picture for us through her descriptions and details, but at the end of the day, we all will imagine it differently. Same goes for the directors. When they read the book, they each visualize Hogwarts and interpret JKR's descriptions in a different way. And that's totally fine, really. In my opinion, anyway.

Yes, Cuaron coming to direct POA was definitely a breath of fresh air and as I've mentioned before, it was much needed coz I reckon POA is really the turning point in the series coz it focused more on Harry and him growing up rather than on Voldermort. Don't get me wrong. I've been complimenting Cuaron and all that but that's coz I really do think he deserves the credit for what he did on POA. But that doesn't mean I think Chris Colombus didn't do a superb job on the first two either.

Heck I Chris had the toughest task, really. He had to realize, to create the world of Harry Potter. And he mentioned in an interview once that it was a scary thing for him coz he needed to try and get it as close to the book as possible so as not to disappoint the fans. Cuaron himself said that he came at the best time ever...the world had been created, the core characters chosen...all he had to do really was develop it, which I think he did really well. So hats off to Chris too, for an awesome job done, for bringing the world of Harry Potter to the big screen in the first place!!

So really, like I said from the start, each director has their own style and that's fine. Chris created the world, he established the characters and all in it. He did it in a more linear story telling way which fitted the first 2 books just fine. Come 3rd book, as I said, being the turning point, it was good to get a new director on board. So he directed things differently, he changed the sets around a bit. It was good creativity put to practise. Cuaron basically is a more "artsy" kinda director compared to Chris, he likes to relate his story through breathtaking visuals (very LOTR like) and interesting camera angles and things like that.

And now with GOF coming up, it's gonna be so exciting and interesting to see how Mike Newell approaches it. It's good that it's a new director again coz as we all know, GOF is pretty different from the rest of the books too...because of the World Cup, Triwizard Tournament, and of course, that duel between Harry and Voldermort. New characters will be introduced, we see wizards and witches from other countries and schools, and of course we see Voldermort for the first time. It'll definitely be a challenge to Newell and the finished product will definitely be worth the wait, fingers crossed.

Ultimately, as some of us has said, as long as the movie stayed true to the SPIRIT of the book, that's all that matters. We read the book, we know the facts, and all the details. Remember, the movie is just BASED on the novel and was never meant to be an exact replica or visual representaion of the book.

Exactly. Well said!

Yeah...It was very well said! I just hope that GOF is going to be more ligther and magical if you now what I mean! Because Cuaròn made the third movie a bit darker and It was just light in the Buckbeak scene. (do you understand what I mean?)
So I hope GOF will be more similar to the two first movies!

Azkaban - Thanks!! Good to know I've someone on the same wavelength as me and know where I'm coming from!! Most of my friends hated POA so I'm glad to have found a pal that loved it like how I did!!

just me - Thanks again!! Yeah I know exactly what you mean!! I think GOF should be "lighter" and more "magical" like the first two...after all, it's gonna have the Quidditch World Cup and Triwizard Tournament in it!! I really hope that Mike Newell will look at all 3 movies, take everything that has been established thus far and find a middle ground.

Well, thanx to you!! I agree with you too!! And as you said, it's nice to have someone on the same wavelength as me!!!

i think that the movie was very good. they get better everytime they are made (like the books) but they just had to take some things out for time and the directors tried to put their own touch to the movies.


p.s. this is my opinion, no one has to agree if they dont want to!!

Yeah....it's strange that so many Potter fanatics don't like this movie.

Everybody ADORED Lord of the Rings, even though Jackson changed a fair bit....

I think some Potter fans are just too purist when it comes to book adaptions.

I thought PoA was a terrific movie. I plan to buy it November 23rd and watch it over and over!!:wink:

I hope Newell does a great job with GoF.

Yup, it definitely is a comfort knowing there are some like-minded Harry Potter fans out there!! 8)

dansgurl01- Couldn't have put it better myself!! I totally agree with ya!! That was like my whole previous post summarized in a sentence!! Gosh, you gotta teach me to not be so long-winded!! Hehe :wink:

Azkaban - Yeah tell me about it man!! I was really surpised that so many of my friends who are fans didn't like it. But you're spot-on mate, I definitely think it's coz these people are too puris about it. It's a shame really, that they can't see and appreciate the awesome movie POA really is.

Cuaron, all the credit you deserve for a book that I thought would have been quite the challenge to adapt to a film!!

Hehe yeahhh I am sooo impatiently waiting now for the DVD to be released. Gonna be first in line to get it and yes, watch it over and over and over and over and over...................

Good thing is I work at the cinema, so I've been "misbehaving" and hiding out in the cinema that's screening POA every chance I get!! :wink: I can already quote the lines man, honestly!!

Yeah.....watch over and over....

Can't wait till November 23rd!!!

your welcome ashleigh07 !!

and yeh!! i dont get why people complain soo much about the movie! it was great! ( i know it is what other people think of the movie)

yay for november 23!!!

Yup, HOORAY for Nov 23rd~!!

Like I said, it's a shame to those who didn't like POA, especially those who are actually HP fans. They've just gotta be more open-minded. For me, I'm very purist when it comes to the books, but I'm more understanding when it comes to the movies coz there's only so much you can put in it.

Cuaron did the best he possibly can and yes, there could have been some stuff here and there that could have been added or done differently, but overall, I reckon nobody could have done it any better.

As I've been stressing from the start, we are all different and obviously then have differing opinions of what we thought of POA. As frustrating as it can be sometimes reading other people's posts that have such a contrasting view from ours, I've enjoyed being a part of this forum and getting opinions from all sides. It's all good!!

The important thing is we ultimately mutually celebrate JKR's masterpiece because she is the reason we have Harry Potter in our lives!! The movie's just an attempt to realize what we've read, but at the end of the day, we all have read the books so we know the truth and all that. And as long as the movies keep to the spirit of the book that's all that matters. To me, anyway.

You go, JKR, you rock!!

YAY! I totally agree with all of you! Cuaron did a great job! He had a tough job too... I mean it must have been hard to make the third movie when the two first was a success! POA was also a bit scary I think...I mean small kids can get pretty scared of it...especially the werewolf...I have never thought that the werewolf would look like that! it was cool though!

And yeah....I think we should be glad that there's actually someone who's making movies about Harry Potter! And everybody imagine the Harry Potter world differently, and the movies is what some of us imagine it!

I love the movies, even if I was a bit disappointed about POA the first time I saw it.. But you know...that was the first time I had read the book first, so you can't blame me... But the second time I saw it, I loved it!!!

The movie was good, and really cool, with a big change is Alfonso Cuaron direct the third movie, i think it's better than the first two.

it was a big change but he did a good job and a lot of people love the movie!

Yeah I definitely think realizing POA into a movie was a mighty challenge for Cuaron. That's why I have nothing but respect to him for the amazing job he did!! As I've said, I don't reckon anyone could have done it any better.

But of course, let's not forget about Chris Colombus. Hats off to him too, I say...for creating the world of Harry Potter in the first place!! He had the tougher job in the sense that he had to create the world, establish the sets, find the cast.

So when Cuaron came into the picture, he basically had all that ready for him to work and improve on. His challenge was to create a sort of turning point in the series. I've always said that POA is the turning point book in the series, so it couldn't have been better timing to get a different director on board. Definitely a breath of fresh air!!

As the plot progresses in the books so must the movies. POA the movie has definitely developed so much and gone a long way from the first two movies. Not only on the technical aspect, but everything else, from sets to the cast to the script.

That's the beauty of different directors - they visualize things differently and have their own unique style. Many have said POA was much darker than the first two, not as "magical". Well that was how Cuaron visualized POA. Some people didn't get the "LOTR-type landscapes"...you know, the wide view Hogwarts landscapes, the bird flying across the grounds and smashing into the Whomping Willow, etc etc. Well that's Cuaron's style.
Even though continuity was kinda disrupted coz Cuaron did include some additions and did some changes to Hogwarts, but I felt he was just trying to put his own stamp to it, that was how the school should look to him.

As for cast, what can I say? Dan, Emma and Rupert have indeed developed into some pretty good actors for their age, and I can only see them blossoming even more. Good on them!! The script has also improved by leaps and bounds. I think Steve Kloves is awesome, he has really settled into the screenplay and knows the characters inside-out, therefore knowing how to script each one appropriately. It helps too that the trio have certainly grown into and gotten used to their characters. I just feel the script flowed better and they seemed more moulded into their charactes in POA.

OMG I can't seem to keep it short, can I?! Hehe...sorry if I've bored you guys with my rambling. I just have so much to say about POA coz I think it's grrrrrreat!!

Yup, definitely CHEERS to JKR for bringing Harry Potter in our lives and another CHEERS to people like Colombus and Cuaron and all the crew who were willing to rise up to the challenge of bringing these amazing books to the big screen!! You guys are legends!!

Very funny, but I agree with just about everything you just said!

Cheers Azkaban!!

(OMG this must be my shortest post EVER!! hee hee)

Yup!

(I better add in some more words, posts can't be 5 words or shorter)

I am TERRIBLY delighted that people are taking to mind the short post disciplinary thingy-ma-bobber.

Back on topic, so I don't break the rules: The movie was lovely.

Ashleigh07, can I just sign my name to your posts...because we seem to have the same mindset...you just say it better!!! Like you said, it is hard sometimes to forget that the movies are BASED on the books, and aren't going to be exactly the same...but personally I think as long as the SPIRIT of the books are in the movies, I'm happy! Maybe I'm just easy to please. :roll:

it was great! i just think it is hard for them to make a movie as good as the book.. the movie was great tho!

Kimcatus - Yayyyy glad to hear I've found another person that's on the same wavelength as me!! It's a great comfort to know there are other like-minded fans out there!! I'm flattered that you think I 'say it better' *blush* I was worried people were getting annoyed and bored with my lengthy posts!! *tee hee*

Yup, I think that would be the best way to sum it up - so long as the movies stay true to the SPIRIT of the book, that's all that matters.

I'm sure we are all purists when it comes to the books, some people just need to be more open-minded when it comes to the movies. Again I say, the movies are based on the books and was never meant to be an exact visual representation of the book. If it was, it'd be like, 5 hours long!!