Disappointed

[caddyman]

I'm all hot and bothered; we've been home about half an hour after nipping out to watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

I've never read any of the books and I'm pretty sure that this is one of those cinematic mistakes that means only people who have read the book first can properly fill in the plot elements that hit the cutting room floor, or understand the significance of half of what's going on. I knew that the stories get darker as Harry gets older and I don't mind that. What I did mind was the fact that with occasional exceptions, the sense of wonder that made the earlier films so fun was missing and had been replaced not by well-scripted character development, but an over abundance of teenage angst. Harry needed a damned good slap about twenty minutes into the film to snap him out of it. Sadly he never got it and that was that.

I shudder to think what was cut out; certainly some necessary plot points. Maybe they will be added back for the DVD release. What was left in was hmmm... pretty. I didn't realise that Sirius had copped it when he did and to be honest, I didn't care when I found out. The greatest irony of the movie though, is that having identified that huge plot points were missing, making sections of the movie almost incoherent as the cast just appeared in one place or another for no apparent reason, was that what remained was too long. Too long by about 30 to 40 minutes.

It seems that afterwards, I came a cross as rather over-vehement while I was explaining my disappointment to ellefurtle and I inadvertently left her somewhat dismayed. That was not my intention and it didn't start out like that in my head. At some level I clearly disliked the movie more than I am owning up to. It certainly didn't make me want to rush off and read the book.

All in all a damned shame; I was really looking forward to seeing the movie and I feel completely deflated and rather disappointed.

Comments

My usual two bits worth.

[romney.livejournal.com]

I thought it was a worthy treatment of the longest of the books. It left me with much the same opinion as I had for Hitch-hikers - it could have been so much worse.

It is, of course, just a film of a children's book. The film treatment of more "adult" books is often as poor - consider for example Jean Cocteau's version of A la recherche du temps perdu that ignored the iconic goldfish-juggling incident. Or the director of Emanuelle and the Seven Dwarfs who included a full twenty minutes of Sylvia Kristel trying unsuccessfully to wake Sleepy up.

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

"What I did mind was the fact that with occasional exceptions, the sense of wonder that made the earlier films so fun was missing and had been replaced not by well-scripted character development, but an over abundance of teenage angst. Harry needed a damned good slap about twenty minutes into the film to snap him out of it"

Just like the book, I believe it's kind of the point, he becomes a bit of whingeing teen who gets told a load of things he doesn't like.

"I didn't realise that Sirius had copped it when he did and to be honest, I didn't care when I found out."

Well that's a personal thing, in the book it's clearer that he's dead but frankly I didn't care anyway as Sirius was always a bit dull and just a crony for H's dad.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure it is a personal thing. There's nothing in the movie to suggest that he's done anything other than fall through a special effect, or if there is, it's blink and you'll sleep through it.

As to Harry's attitude - well if that was the point, we are looking at a faithful rendition of an entertainment-free situation.

[agentinfinity.livejournal.com]

I kind of liked the progression through the films of the characters getting older and Harry becoming teenage and stroppy. I work with stroppy teens on a daily basis and can assure you it is absolutely hilarious at times (though I do try to laugh only after they've left the room). I was kind of hoping he'd turn up with a floppy emo fringe halfway through the film and play My Chemical Romance loudly through the Gryffindor dorms.

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

Didn't mean in that sense I meant your not caring when you did find out was personal and something I agree with as he's not a very interesting character. : )

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Ah, right; I understand. It wasn't really clear from the movie what Sirius was up to if anything. Elle tells me you get a better idea from the books, but certainly it was a waste of Gary Oldman's talents in this movie at least.

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

She's right, but I never liked him and though the books wasted too much time banging on about him so I was rather glad when TOotP's much trumpetted 'important character death' was him and somebody I actually liked.

[caffeine-fairy.livejournal.com]

You're going to have a whingeing teen soon enough.

Bwahahaha.

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

No, it will be farmed out to a foster family in Kamachaka for the teenage period.

needed a damned good slap

[paulcurtis.livejournal.com]

I think that's most readers' subtitle for that volume in the saga: "Harry Needs a Slap."

You would find, if you were to read the book, that the movie represents it pretty fairly. Yes, it really DOES rely on the audience to maintain their interest in the main characters, based on the events of the first four stories, and yes, the book is less playful, inventive and "wow"-ful.

Curiously, regarding the demise of Sirius, I think the movie is slightly clearer than the book (in which I kept wondering if Sirius would suddenly turn up after his sudden exit.) As for missing plot points, they cut out plot points from the BOOK, but not from the SERIES. Each book is a self-contained story, and that story is part of a larger plot. The movies, more and more, are forced to strip out certain elements which made up the individual books.

Me...I thought it was a good visualization of the book, but since it was my least-favorite of the books (several reasons) that's weak praise. I had wondered if it would be comprehensible to someone who'd not read the text; guess that's one vote "no."