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OotP movie review

I went to see Order of the Phoenix last night!

We had a pretty cool audience. Lots of teenagers who were acting very American: cheering and clapping when the movie started, when Harry kissed Cho ("Yeah, Harry!"), when Neville finally managed his expelliarmus, when the movie resumed after the break, at the end. That was fun. The theatre was completely sold out, three times, that day, and there were a lot of people crowding the street to get in (naturally the best spot to wait is in the street where the buses come by). I had to help my friend in who is currently on crutches, but everyone was very careful with her. We had good seats. Well done.

The movie managed to be pretty concise, actually showing me exactly how much text in OotP was superfluous and had no bearing on the plot. St. Mungo's, Hagrid's tale, all those owl's at the Dursley's, the cringy date with Cho... it's all exposition (sure, it's nice that the book is detailed, but the movie really doesn't need it). I also loved how several scenes worked so well because the visual medium can be so effectively used. Thus the entire chapter of Snape and the Marauders is conveyed quite understandibly and true in a matter of 15 seconds. Also Harry's dreams, the occlumency (which doesn't need much time since HBP drops it anyway), and the DA were well abbreviated and still brought the message across.

As for the new people: Helena Bonham Carter was an excellent Bellatrix and made the most of her little screen time (her escape from Azkaban: excellent!). I loved her because she wasn't the vamp that the book sort of makes me thinks she is. She looks much better crazy!pretty like she did in the movie. Tonks was cool too, though she hardly had screen time. Her scene at the table was a bit too goofy maybe. Evanna Lynch, hm, I'll probably be the only one, but she didn't really work for me. She looked the part fine, but her voice sounded fake (it sounded acted) and she fell a bit flat. She really didn't have a purpose, but then, I don't think she really has a purpose in the book either (as evidenced by HBP where she did, unfortunately, nothing). Imelda Staunton was perfect.

I was hoping the Weasley exit would be more spectacular and have the feel of a more lasting effect (I missed the swamp). I have the same feeling with the Voldemort/Dumbledore fight, which was quite cool and violent, but also not very substantial. How unfortunate that they didn't implement the statues coming to life: that would have been an awesome effect and one I was looking forward to. However, when Voldemort possessed Harry, that was an awesome scene, and one of the best Dan Radcliffe has ever done. What he said to Voldemort as he pushed him out ("You'll never know love or friendship. I feel sorry for you") might not have been canon, but they should have been. Sure it's cliche, but they carry the theme so well and were played across so strongly by Dan: best use of non-canon and best scene in the movie, IMO, and Dan was really good in this movie conveying all Harry's emotions and rage (certainly much better than he's done before). Worst scene was when Umbridge caught the trio in her office and then the faux!trio was pulled in. There was no explanation or reason for the other three to be there: there was no clue that they knew what was going on or had caught on, and except for Ginny they don't know Sirius/The Order, and why were only those three aware (and together)? That needed more explaination.

The ministry part was cool; great effects. They really hammed up the Harry/Sirius relationship: all the hugging and promises of being a family and Sirius being all Harry's got; it made it actually more tragic when Sirius died then it did in the very unclimactic and 'huh-what-just-happened-did-Sirius-just-die book scene. I also liked that he didn't just trip into the veil but was hit by an Avada Kedavra: it made it much more real and finite. Voldemort is menacing in canon with his villain looks, but visually really hits flat. He looks sort of comic-y and weird, but not scary. I think if he'd looked human (a menacing Ralph Fiennes) he'd be much more threatening and intense.

As for shipping, the movie is pretty clear about the Ron/Hermione, but because there is really no major confrontation (like in GoF) or endless annoying bickering (like in all the books), and since Ron was actually portrayed rather solid and amicable in this movie, it was the first time that R/Hr didn't grate on me. I still don't see what reasons Hermione would have to pick Ron over Harry or why she fancies Ron in the first place except that it's because the writers tell that its to be so, but it didn't frustrate me this time. Ginny, eh. She was hardly there and I did not see any H/G moment. Did she destroy the entire Prophecy room? Sjeez, why? Was she going for blowing up a death eater guts and all with that reducto? The H/Hr moments were sweet. I loved how it was Hermione who noticed when Harry went down when he had his Sirius-vision. I also loved how Hermione managed to stay calm and get herself down from Grawp's grasp instead of needing help (though it was a gratuitous scene, really). Why was only Ron worried? Harry's canonically much more protective of her. Grawp was sweet: much more innocent than the blunt brute he is in canon. The graphics were a bit iffy though, very CGI. The Thestrals were much cooler: a great visual effect. And what a pity that there weren't any clear shots of the centaurs.

I've babbled on. In short, they summarised the book really well, all the major themes and plots were implemented and those that have no real bearing on the plot were left out. There were no things that were left unexplained like PoA did, for instance, with the animagi (except what I said about the faux!trio). Though I don't know if this is a movie that I would see over and over again, I did think they managed to capture the book best as they could, and I like the dark and angsty feel. Teh drama is my life. Thumbs up from me.

Now, I just read in an interview with David Yates (in the Dutch Metro) that he thought this film was very dark and mature, and the next movie (which he'll direct also) will be lighter and fluffier because of the teenage hormones. He says it will screen more like a romantic comedy (even despite the DD death). Can I say "uurrgghhh"? That movie will be as bad as its book.

With the movie out of the way, I can go back to being completely underwhelmed about the release of Deathly Hallows next week. Meh. Meh meh meh, whatever.

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AH I remembered what I wanted to write in my LJ but forgot! For DD/V's fight, I thought how in the HECK is Harry going to beat Voldemort? I mean there must be some kind of action between them at some point in DH. At least in the movies we're shown that Harry is very knowledgeable of how to apply spells unlike the books. I've always felt Harry isn't up to par when it comes to DADA and because we are literally told by Snape and Harry that he gets by with luck and help from friends, but the movies proved visually that Harry can handle his own. Well at least in this movie Harry can handle his own or that the members of the DA are really stupid. :-p

It also has left me underwhelmed for the release of DH.

Actually, I thought OotP was a good step. Harry was a teacher, he was stepping up as a leader, he was learning (and finally grasping) cculemency, he excelled at DADA, learned new spells from Hermione too in DA, grasped that it's bad to be a bully (like James), etc... then in HBP, when I expected kick-as teaching sessions with DD, instead we got the blah-land of worthless exposition, DA dropped in favour for Quidditch, the DA disbanding so at the end of HBP all who showed up were Luna, Neville and Ginny (off stage too), and endless prattle of romantic entanglements. Harry was really daft in HBP and didn't progress at all. It's not so much as how will Harry fight Voldemort, but how in the world is Harry going to disable Horcruxes when DD didn't even tell or show him how to do it (and it's pretty hard considering DD's shriveled arm and the HBP horcrux/inferie scene). What does Harry know/do? He can't do anything... :(

Exactly! And that's why we need Hermione to do all the work for him unless of course JKR will pull another Harry is actually Brilliant moment from HBP. How Harry figured out half the stuff he did in HBP I'll never know.

You know, I'm really drawing a blank (the only time I read HBP was that first night it came out). What did Harry do or figure out? All I remember is him following instructions from the potions book (but not being able to actually learn potions from it beyond "get a bezoar") or any exceptional magic besides eviscerating Malfoy...

Honestly, I can't remember!

I'm not sure he did much 'figuring out' either in HBP. For example, JKR got it *right* (!) when she had him take the Felix Felicis potion (a device which I *despised*) to acquire the required memory from Slughorn by simple brute-force GOOD LUCK. Because - since Hermione wasn't helping him in the planning/brains department - it was exactly in character for Harry to 'trust to luck' rather than *think* his way through something.

When he was with Dumbledore in the cave he panicked, forgot that flame fries inferi, and was otherwise pretty useless (which made Dumbledore's "I'll be fine, Harry, because I am with you") even the more empty and false.

Otherwise it was all reaction, passively observing what everyone else was doing (which was another reason why HBP was such a poor show compared with the earlier books). Watching the R/Hr/Lavender stupidity. Chest monster watching Ginny. Trying to watch Draco. Watching Riddle in trips down pensieve lane. Bleh.

she had him take the Felix Felicis potion (a device which I *despised*) to acquire the required memory from Slughorn by simple brute-force GOOD LUCK.

Oh I know, I hated that too. What a cop out! Why didn't DD just brew a whole bunch of Felix Felicis, have the entire Order drink it, and skip merrily along to win the final battle against Voldemort. La-di-da, deus ex machina, ahoy! Although, why isn't Voldemort doing the same thing? Maybe then he wouldn't get accidentally thwarted by a schoolkid time and again. Why introduce this potion at all?

Otherwise it was all reaction, passively observing what everyon else was doing

Yeah, that's what I remember too. Along with his randomly hexing students in the hallways and not learning anything, HBP!Harry really didn't impress me.

Too many kids in *my* theatre; maybe *too* 'cool' for me to be comfortable :-)

The Marauders scene was anticlimatic ... where was Lily? All that publicity ... and there's nothing for it.

Evanna Lynch, hm, I'll probably be the only one

I think you are! :-) Yeah, with all the publicity shots I thought she looked perfect, but didn't like her voice from her interviews, also. However, I acclimatised to it in the movie itself. I thought she was a great Luna.

I was hoping the Weasley exit would be more spectacular

I thought that scene was fine BUT it was totally *detached* from the main story ... it seemed quite gratuitous, disconnected. They didn't do it to help Harry get into Umbridge's office, it was just twin-sillyness. Which quite diluted it for me. The twins' exodus should have *meant something*, other than their simply being fed up with Umbridge.

We're of opposite opinions regarding the battle ... I thought a lot of the tragedy of Sirius - boastful, egotistical, Sirius, 'playing' with Bellatrix, not taking her seriously, and getting killed by a simple stunner - was lost. I also didn't find the special effect of him falling into the veil convincing. I thought the possession scene was much better, though.

Yeah, the R/Hr was pretty clear, several manufactured scenes being inserted with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Harry standing by, doing nothing, while Grawp had Hermione being the most egregious example of same. But, overall, yes, the R/Hr scenes worked OK, and also had the positive side-effect of adding some extra Trio warmth as well.

The Ginny Sue stuff was a bit blatant as well ... every spell she cast - the biggest patronus, the reducto with the DA, and again at the ministry - was extra powerful. Bleh. But at least they're introducing super!Ginny now, rather than repeating JKR's mistake and letting it all burst upon us in one hit in the sixth movie.

I thought the movie was pretty good, as a HP show; as a film in its own right it wasn't superb, but none of the HP films have been. The books don't lend themselves very well to a movie format.

Yeah, total agreement regarding the HBP movie; I think Yates has said it's going to be about 'sex, drugs and rock & roll', something like that. We thought we were shocked when we read the book! Consider all the parents, who haven't read the books, when they're coming out of the theatres after watching HBP ... "where did all the plot from the earlier movie go?!?!". No DA, no pervading presence of the war ... just rambling down pensieve lane and juvenile boy/girl nonsense. :-(

I can go back to being completely underwhelmed about the release of Deathly Hallows next week. Meh. Meh meh meh, whatever.

Heh. I'm getting a bit excited, and I'm hoping for H/Hr ... the complete lack of satisfaction - of credibility - of OBHWF just repels me from thinking otherwise. Plus all the positive reasons for believing in H/Hr, of course. But I acknowledge that Occam's Razor suggests that it's most likely that JKR was frank in her self-congratulation back in the Interview o' Doom after HBP came out, that she sincerely believes she did a good job with HBP, and that DH is going to be more of the same :-(.

See you here in about ten days to rejoice or share our sorrow? :-)

Hey Madderbrad! I posted this reply very awkwardly, so I hope you didn't get it three times or something...

The Marauders scene was anticlimatic ... where was Lily? All that publicity ... and there's nothing for it.

I haven't kept up much with the publicity at all, so I wasn't expecting anything. And really, Lily being her perfect self didn't have anything to do with the plot; this scene was purely about Harry realising that his father and friends were certainly no saints, nor Snape an unjustified evil git, and it worked on that level. I think that much to do with how you receive the movie is letting go of canon, and just see if they get the general theme across. It would have been nice to see Lily, and the books allow for this kind of detail, but it wasn't necessary for the movie.

The twins' exodus should have *meant something*, other than their simply being fed up with Umbridge.

*nods* But I liked how they added the scene with the crying kid, and Fred and George deciding to step up and do something to retaliate. They stepped up against the "man", against authority misused and avenged their own. They weren't just doing it for a laugh, and it wasn't just about them. And, I guess if F and G had to set this up after Harry's vision, there would have been a pause in the story that wouldn't have fit in the movie. Now it was pretty streamlined: Crying kid, decision made, OWLS, anarchy, Harry's vision, caught in Umbridge's room, etc.

I thought a lot of the tragedy of Sirius - boastful, egotistical, Sirius, 'playing' with Bellatrix, not taking her seriously, and getting killed by a simple stunner - was lost. I also didn't find the special effect of him falling into the veil convincing.

I don't know. I didn't like the way Sirius' death was handled in the book. It seemed so frivolous and random. There was no meaning in it. I realise that this is what JKR was going for, that death can be random, but for Sirius to go out at his worst moment - getting hit by a stunner because he was too busy mocking to pay proper attention - hurt this Sirius fan for its lack of emotional impact. I wanted something more meaningful if this character had to go out. In the movie, Sirius and Harry had at least a moment, and when Sirius was hit, looked regretfully at Harry, then softly floated backwards into the void of which there is no mistaking it for the end. It looked so much more tragic than toppling through a curtain, and leaving the confused reader to reread a few times before realising that, yes, what Sirius just did was dying.

But at least they're introducing super!Ginny now, rather than repeating JKR's mistake and letting it all burst upon us in one hit in the sixth movie.

Ginny did magic in HBP? Didn't she just flip her hair, cuddle with her pet and play quidditch while Harry non-dealt with the Voldemort issue? ;)

*I babble too much*

I haven't kept up much with the publicity at all, so I wasn't expecting anything. And really, Lily being her perfect self didn't have anything to do with the plot

You're completely right about Lily being superfluous to the plot; I quite agree with you on that.

It's just that ... there was quite a lot of publicity farmed out when the decision was made on the actress to play Lily ... which I guess I (a base male) particularly remember because a doctored photograph of the actress's face superimposed upon a ... significantly curvaceous ... model's body did the rounds shortly after. So I was eager to see the real thing, you see ... :-)

If you wanted Sirius's death to be more meaningful then you're one of the ones the movie folk were thinking of when they changed his death scene.

Another blogger has also reminded me that, since they changed things to have Bellatrix hit Sirius with an *Avada Kevada* there can be no doubt that Sirius is deceased. Not like the months after the book came out and fans were asking again and again 'but is he *really* dead?'.

Still, that AK may be part of the reason why the falling-through-the-veil just didn't work for me. An AK is supposed to be instantaneous - it hits the victim and bang! - it's lights out. Sirius looking regretfully at Harry, then softly floating backwards into the void just seemed wrong, to me. Small thing, though.

Ginny did magic in HBP? Didn't she just flip her hair, cuddle with her pet and play quidditch while Harry non-dealt with the Voldemort issue? ;)

Heh! LOL. Thank gosh for like-minded ~~people who hate Ginny Sue~~ H/Hr folk, they're what makes the fandom fun and bearable!

Yeah, do you remember how Ginny was so awesome and wonderful in fighting all those horrible DEs in the tower at the end of the sixth book?

Ginny was locked in combat with the lumpy Death Eater, Amycus, who was throwing hex after hex at her while she dodged them: Amycus was giggling, enjoying the sport: 'Crucio - Crucio - you can't dance for ever, pretty -'

She would have worn out that nasty Death Eater eventually, with all her masterful dodging, you just bet your boots!

(And that performance was with the benefit of Felix Felicis, too, remember).

Bleh.

So I was eager to see the real thing, you see ... :-)

LOL! Oh, I get it now! Maybe in the deleted scenes on the DVD (if they have any...)?

Still, that AK may be part of the reason why the falling-through-the-veil just didn't work for me. An AK is supposed to be instantaneous - it hits the victim and bang! - it's lights out. Sirius looking regretfully at Harry, then softly floating backwards into the void just seemed wrong, to me. Small thing, though.

Oh yeah, I get it. I guess this is just a moment in which movie!canon worked better for me than the actual canon, just as the movie!possession worked for me better too. But canon-wise, AK is indeed instant, and Sirius dies from falling into the veil, not from the spell that hits him, of course. But, losing a parent(al figure) is so tragic, that for me, the visual effect and sentimentality of it was more touching than the canon abruptness was. I loved OotP the book, but Sirius' exit always grated on me. Perhaps they should have just not used the AK in particular; but I understand where it does work to give the non-bookreading audience another glimpse of this spell that is so horrible.

Yeah, do you remember how Ginny was so awesome and wonderful in fighting all those horrible DEs in the tower at the end of the sixth book?

Nope, I didn't remember. Must have repressed it. ;)

The books don't lend themselves very well to a movie format.

I think it's more of a problem of the writers/directors trying to put too much of the book into the movie. Details are just going to have to be dropped; film is an entirely different medium, so Chris Columbus trying to put all of the first two books on film just didn't work: it was too boring. I really enjoyed the last three films though, it seems like they're daring to edit more and they're getting the point across better. To expect every beloved canon moment in the film is a sure way to end up disappointed; it's better to hope they manage to catch the theme and feel of the book. I think OotP managed this largely... though I'm not saying it was perfect.

No DA, no pervading presence of the war ... just rambling down pensieve lane and juvenile boy/girl nonsense. :-(

Oh yeah. *laughs* But HBP must be a dragon to bring to the screen. NOTHING happens in the book. Just Harry skulking after Malfoy, potions lessons, rearing chest monsters and DD yapping about a past that can't be changed instead of telling Harry about actual important stuff, like how to dismantle a horcrux or something. How does knowing about Voldemort's family make any difference to the battle now? Voldemort himself doesn't even know his family cause he wasn't even born nor did he ever know them, so how does it shape or define him? JKR apparently just thought she could write an interesting, psychologically revealing villain backstory or something (er, no). It just fills the pages with worthless backstory that does nothing to drive the plot forward. And it's going to be a drag on screen too. The scriptwriter's bound to cut it up, but what's left? Ron necking Lavender? Hermione's jealousy? Harry's obsession with Malfoy, Slughorn and Ginny the Quidditch Queen? Yeah... action packed.

I've said to friends before that though HBP sucked, they will probably manage to make it look good on screen because they can cut out a lot, but now I'm wondering what would be left of the book? A romantic comedy, when the war and threat should have been at its height? Sjeez.

Heh. I'm getting a bit excited, and I'm hoping for H/Hr ... the complete lack of satisfaction - of credibility - of OBHWF just repels me from thinking otherwise.

I certainly know what you mean. I was sooo like this before HBP: I couldn't believe that anyone would think that the R/Hr setup was anything but awful, nor that JKR would be so bad to write an MS. I just hope you're not setting your hopes up too high. They're clearly setting R/Hr up in the OotP movie (and doing it better than JKR managed it), even though the book felt completely H/Hr to me. I don't think that the movie makers don't get it, I think that JKR is just lousy at writing a meaningful romance. Her interview and HBP don't leave much room for anything else.

Not that it wouldn't be totally awesome if H/Hr happened, but yeah, it is what it is. I'll see you next week. o_O

NOTHING happens in the book.

I mentioned that in a previous comment - where you replied to chasezgranger - how Harry in HBP was totally passive for most of the book, unlike the earlier novels - before I came across you saying the same thing here.

How does knowing about Voldemort's family make any difference to the battle now? ... It just fills the pages with worthless backstory that does nothing to drive the plot forward.

Amen. I *really* couldn't work out the fans who said that they found this 'interesting'.

Voldemort is EVIL, folks ... now let's move on, shall we?

As I used to say in my rants, I don't care what flavour jam Tom used to put on his toast for breakfast at the orphanage, or what colour his pyjamas were ... it's inconsequential to the story!!

I'm wondering what would be left of the book? A romantic comedy, when the war and threat should have been at its height? Sjeez.

You've said that you don't monitor the PR machine? David Yates, who will be also directing the sixth movie, has said that his intent is to do exactly that - he sees the film as being much more 'sex, drugs and rock 'n roll'.

The HPANA article with the quote was here, although the site seems to be down at the moment, so I can't double-check it.

So (a) you were totally on the money, and (b) you can start weeping now. :-(

I just hope you're not setting your hopes up too high. ... Her interview and HBP don't leave much room for anything else.

Yeah. :-( I'm going to try and do my first ever journal post, summing up my predictions for DH, and I've been thinking exactly that. And you're right ... the interview really doesn't leave much doubt (although there are some H/Hr people who are trying to ignore it, saying she was speaking 'as Harry', etc). But, yeah ... HBP was just a bad book, and no author would deliberately write a bad book, no matter if she was planning major 'twists' in the sequel or not ... therefore JKR was sincere in her smug self-congratulation in the post-HBP interview, she honestly thinks she did a good job, and so DH is likely to be much of the same.

:-(

You've said that you don't monitor the PR machine? David Yates, who will be also directing the sixth movie, has said that his intent is to do exactly that - he sees the film as being much more 'sex, drugs and rock 'n roll'.

*weeps*

But, yeah ... HBP was just a bad book, and no author would deliberately write a bad book, no matter if she was planning major 'twists' in the sequel or not ... therefore JKR was sincere in her smug self-congratulation in the post-HBP interview, she honestly thinks she did a good job, and so DH is likely to be much of the same.</I. Yeah, this is my belief. Even if DH is for some reason a shining beacon of (H/Hr optional) love and redemption, it will never erase HBP and the characterisation/plot development/literary value from hell. I just don't see how it could be pulled off, and I don't think it will be. All that potential, thown away. What a pity, eh? Maybe I'm being too pessimistic? o_o

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