I'm quite an easy going type of person. Not much gets my back up except a "Veggie" that eats fish, that's jut how I roll....however...our recent purchase of the complete Harry Potter box set on blu ray, and our dedication to watching them all has re-introduced me to possibly the worst book to film translation EVER...
Now, I love the Harry Potter books. I love the subtlety of the clues to the whole tale weaved effortlessly throughout the seven books. I love the character development and the underlying message of friendship, loyalty and love. The films were never going to be truly faithful. After all you can't fit everything from a book the size of a brick into less than 2 hours - never going to happen, but even with restraints the first five films aren't bad. Yes some of the subtlety is lost in favour of clunking great signposting, some wonderful characters are lost, and whole storylines are cut - but I can accept that. With The Half Blood Prince that isn't the case, in fact I can remember leaving the cinema angry, and wondering how the hell they could even make The Deathly Hallows after the utter shambles of HBP!
So after watching it again last night I just have to get some of this off my chest (before Hague kills me for repeating it all every time we watch it!).
(Big Ol' Spoilers BTW!)
1. Why invent some random love interest on the Underground shite instead of showing Dumbledore visiting the Dursleys?
2. The Other Minister - so much explanation in that simple scene, why cut it?
3. Why cut Dobby and Kreacher? Or Harry's inheritance of Grimmauld Place and Buckbeak?
4. When you are pushed for time (cinematically speaking) why invent pointless and contradictory scenes like the burning of the Burrow? How about you use those wasted minutes on the Dumbledore memories that are ESSENTIAL TO THE FECKING PLOT OF THE NEXT BOOK!
5. Ginny is feisty, fun, cheeky and massively popular, not a quiet, meek plank of wood.
6. Draco spends the whole film trying to get DeathEaters into the school, in the book this is so they can support him and help fight their way past the DA and the Order of The Phoenix members guarding the school.....with no battle, why are the DeathEaters there? They can't kill Dumbledore for Malfoy!
7. YOU CAN'T APPARATE INSIDE HOGWARTS, EVEN IF YOU ARE DUMBLEDORE!
8. Dumbledore stupifies Harry on the tower, are we really supposed to belief that the same Harry who recklessly goes to the Ministry of Magic in the middle of the night to save Sirius, who, as Hermione points out, has a bit of a hero complex just stands there whilst Dumbledore is surrounded by his enemies and then killed by the teacher Harry hates?? Seriously? He just stands by and watches? NO, NO, NO!!!!
9. Robbing Snape of the moment where his frustration of the last 15 years comes pouring out when Harry calls him a coward is just wrong on just about every level. Snape's anger at being called a coward is rightly a huge, emotional moment and cutting it robs of what would have been more Alan Rickman fabulousness.
10. Would it have been so bloody hard to have the locket looking like the description in the book? It's the entire cover of the adult version of the book FFS!
11. The funeral - giving Dumbledore the send off he deserved should have been in the film. Fawkes' lament would have been more fitting than the random holding up of lit wands weirdness when he died.
Sorry to go on, but after re-watching the film all the old anger and frustration has come flooding back, and to be honest, I doubt I'll watch it again. It's a mess, it has turned what was one of my favourite books into a travesty of frivolity, I mean with so much back story needed to continue the tale why focus on the stupid things? Ron and Lavender etc?
I shall stop now - but I'll look forward to hearing some of your views on this film :) Or even if you think one of the other films was worse?
Now, I love the Harry Potter books. I love the subtlety of the clues to the whole tale weaved effortlessly throughout the seven books. I love the character development and the underlying message of friendship, loyalty and love. The films were never going to be truly faithful. After all you can't fit everything from a book the size of a brick into less than 2 hours - never going to happen, but even with restraints the first five films aren't bad. Yes some of the subtlety is lost in favour of clunking great signposting, some wonderful characters are lost, and whole storylines are cut - but I can accept that. With The Half Blood Prince that isn't the case, in fact I can remember leaving the cinema angry, and wondering how the hell they could even make The Deathly Hallows after the utter shambles of HBP!
So after watching it again last night I just have to get some of this off my chest (before Hague kills me for repeating it all every time we watch it!).
(Big Ol' Spoilers BTW!)
1. Why invent some random love interest on the Underground shite instead of showing Dumbledore visiting the Dursleys?
2. The Other Minister - so much explanation in that simple scene, why cut it?
3. Why cut Dobby and Kreacher? Or Harry's inheritance of Grimmauld Place and Buckbeak?
4. When you are pushed for time (cinematically speaking) why invent pointless and contradictory scenes like the burning of the Burrow? How about you use those wasted minutes on the Dumbledore memories that are ESSENTIAL TO THE FECKING PLOT OF THE NEXT BOOK!
5. Ginny is feisty, fun, cheeky and massively popular, not a quiet, meek plank of wood.
6. Draco spends the whole film trying to get DeathEaters into the school, in the book this is so they can support him and help fight their way past the DA and the Order of The Phoenix members guarding the school.....with no battle, why are the DeathEaters there? They can't kill Dumbledore for Malfoy!
7. YOU CAN'T APPARATE INSIDE HOGWARTS, EVEN IF YOU ARE DUMBLEDORE!
8. Dumbledore stupifies Harry on the tower, are we really supposed to belief that the same Harry who recklessly goes to the Ministry of Magic in the middle of the night to save Sirius, who, as Hermione points out, has a bit of a hero complex just stands there whilst Dumbledore is surrounded by his enemies and then killed by the teacher Harry hates?? Seriously? He just stands by and watches? NO, NO, NO!!!!
9. Robbing Snape of the moment where his frustration of the last 15 years comes pouring out when Harry calls him a coward is just wrong on just about every level. Snape's anger at being called a coward is rightly a huge, emotional moment and cutting it robs of what would have been more Alan Rickman fabulousness.
10. Would it have been so bloody hard to have the locket looking like the description in the book? It's the entire cover of the adult version of the book FFS!
11. The funeral - giving Dumbledore the send off he deserved should have been in the film. Fawkes' lament would have been more fitting than the random holding up of lit wands weirdness when he died.
Sorry to go on, but after re-watching the film all the old anger and frustration has come flooding back, and to be honest, I doubt I'll watch it again. It's a mess, it has turned what was one of my favourite books into a travesty of frivolity, I mean with so much back story needed to continue the tale why focus on the stupid things? Ron and Lavender etc?
I shall stop now - but I'll look forward to hearing some of your views on this film :) Or even if you think one of the other films was worse?
Okay mate, where do I start?! I think I will address each point as your do for easy reading for your followers:
ReplyDelete1. - AGree! Its a really lame scene and even with Harrys self doubt, I wonder if even he would describe himself as "A bit of a Tosser actually", Maybe the producers were trying to show Harry as a bit of a chick magnet in the Muggle world - FAIL!
2. The other minister - prehaps they thought the general viewing public could not contemplait the movie without step by step instructions
3. Agreed, the nature of the house elf is endemic to the story! I was hoping for more of the 'book' dobby story to no avail, and Hermiones one line about Harry inheriting Grimauld place just wasnt satisfactory.
4. I had to fill in #2 daughter (who did not want to read the books) about dumbledores life as it was integral to the story, maybe producers are hoping to do a movie on Dumbeldore (which i think they should also do on Minervia - see interview with JK in the box set - would be wonderfull to read - hope she writes it)
5. It is a question - I think - as important as "what is the meaning of life" when I say "what were they thinking when they hired her~! She is soooo NOT GINNY" (like the plank of wood reference mate). The whole idea of a fiesty, cheeky, firey Ginny is to make the relasonship between her and Quiet Huumble Harry such an astonishment to Harry himself!
6. It was a very clear instruction of Voldemort's for Draco to kill Dumbledore - a showing of loyalty to him and of course the wand - the book is clear - the movie just made draco look wimpy and weak rather than fearfull , We all know Belatrix wanted the job but Voldemort was having none of it!
7.Hogwarts - No apparation - even if you are dumbledore.
8. Have to say this is my biggest dissapointment it makes Harry look like a twerp - they show Draco in the beginning (when Luna finds him) how hard would it be to show that again in the tower to at least give those audience members who have not read the book a reason for Harry to stand Meekly by and watch the one person he admires most in the world to be murdered!
9. Cannot comment - Snape has always been my fav, knew from the beginning there was something else there - and I agree - Alan Rickman brings so much to that character - Jk must be so damn proud of at least this casting area (even though they bombed with the plank of wood)
10. Cant even think of an explanation for this one - unless it was a family heirloom of a very important cast / crew member lol!
11. Desperatly missing the Fawkes reaction - so emotional in the book, played it out a hundred times in my head and - yes - wand raising? - Bon Jovi concert anyone......
also add to this list - Hermione Obliviate spell on her parents - no explanation no idea that they were off to australia or why, would have liked to have seen this portrayed a little better.
Considering the amount of time the trio spent on the run - i found a lot of 'Down time' - pretty scenery - but bland, and the scene where Harry and Hermione were kissing in the locket when Ron had to strike it with the sword - EEWWWW - Cant watch it - WRONG!! It would be like showing Harry kissing Proffessor Trelawny (brilliantly played by emma thompson) but still - EEWWW
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who gets furious when watching it! (Drives Hague insane). I seriously doubt I'll watch it again!
Delete