Just finished watching "Order of the Phoenix"

[[deleted user]]

Thoughts anyone on the movie interpretation? I felt like it was directed differently, seemed "skippy" for lack of a better word. I mean I know you can never fit the book into the movie, but this left me feeling let down. Loved the special effects as always, but ummmmm hmmmm not sure... Anyone else?

[Cliff]

I 1st saw the movie on a plane and though, hmmmmm I could miss it. I saw it again a few days later in my hotel room and thought it was quite good. What I liked aout this movie (& the book) was the introduction of the new characthers. I think the director (or casting coach) did a great job of finding actors who embodied the characthers. Luna and that horrible teacher (I've forgotten her name) were just a few. I agree with you the special effects were great!

[[deleted user]]

Oh I loved the Luna character, but I had imagined a fat toadish woman for the teacher.

[Rainy]

i imaged umbrige a little fater but the actor matched the character perfectly

[Caroline]

in response to christy's first comment: do you remeber how in the weeks before the movie all those clips came out and it was so exciting because they had all these cool scenes from the books? well, when i went to see the movie i felt like it was just all the clips with like, 30 seconds of akward transistion stringing them together. Although i think that aspects of the film such characters and mood were good, many important plot elements were left out (as usual). One part that i am worried about is the whole locket scene; i think reintroducing in movie seven may be akward.

[[deleted user]]

yep, totally agree

[tabitha]

i thought the movie wasn't like the book in any way. there were a lot of scenes missing and it was just too boring and plain

[Jessie Pimentel]

it was very "skippy" but then again, to place many of the scenes into the movie would be a very difficult thing to do. but, i would'nt mind watching an extended version of the movie that had scenes that occurred in the book. none the less, the book and movie were good.

[Cliff]

I agree, I would like to see an extended version. But who would it benefit? Us Potter fans? The Harry Potter films are played to a broader audience who have not read (perhaps read 1 HP book) the books. The films need to appeal to them as well as us Potter fans.

[Maya]

But they will also lose (and already have lost) many HP fans, who say that the skipping an quick pace ruins the story. So there would be no benefit to skipping.

[Taylor S]

I completely HATED the movie. It was so horrible compared to the book. The producers, writers, everyone completely missed the point. There was the main plot and story and that was it. I considered the movie rather dull and I hope the 6th and 7th ones are better.

[Veronica]

The movie was okay, but you don't want to sit and watch it with me. I am VERY critical of books that they made into movies.

[Nikki]

I must be in the minority here, because I really liked the movie. We must realize that a movie and a book are two entirely different creatures. Scenes that are beautiful on the page, can often be awkward and silly on the screen..and vice versa. The responsibility in making a movie from a book lies NOT in the details, but in capturing the spirit of the book. I think the directors so far have done a decent job of that. In all honesty the main theme of OotP was Harry getting angry from shunned by much of the school and magical world, but finding redemption in DA. I really think the director and writer managed that well. Sure, I would have loved to have seen Christmas on the Closed Ward, Molly's Boggart, Percy's estrangement, etc. But I understand the need to extract those things from the main story. Details are for books, grand themes are for movies. This really goes for all movies made from books, not just the HP series. It does go doubly for the HP books because they are so dense in detail.

My husband hasn't read the books, but is a big fan of the movies. So I kind of use him as a sounding board for how the movies work, because I can't stop myself from comparing. He doesn't feel that the movies skip anything, and he even feels that the movies (particularly 3,4 &5) flow nicely together. One of these days...I may convince him to actually pick up the books :)

[Cliff]

I agree with you Niki.I also liked the movie. I guess what wins me over is who they cast in the movies. I thought the Luna characther was better in the movie than in the book. In the movie Luna is very soft spoken but yet stands by her convictions. In the book I felt Luna was more of a slightly on the crazy side.

Professor Umbridge I thought was very menacing on target with the book. Unfortunately Helena Bonham Carter didn't get enough screen time as I would've liked.

[Lynn]

The first time I watched it, I thought it was the worst movie ever made. Then I watched it again & decided it's just the worst HP film made thus far. I thought the actors chosen for the new character were great, they all did wonderful jobs. My main beef is all of the stuff they left out, that I thought was necessary. Then again, I haven't read the books for a year or so, so I could be mixing up what happened in which book. I'll read OOTP again before getting too in-depth about why I didn't like the movie.

[Cindy]

I liked the movie. It was beautifully done. The shots of Hogwarts were stunning and the color grows darker as the novels done. Casting choices were genius as well. My only qualms lie with Dobby and Cho and Firenze. First, I understand they needed something to "demonize" Cho and explain the breakup. I suppose introducing another character would have been time consuming. It's just frustrating because it wasn't Cho who betrayed the group but her friend. Second, I get the way Neville is growing in courage, strength, character. This will be important when movie 7 comes out. However, by attributing the Room of Requirement discovery to Neville, they've misappropriated the credit and diminished the importance of Dobby. I'm sure this will be rectified with the upcoming movies and we will be re-introduced to the character but I just don't see why he couldn't be a constant fixture. As for Firenze, I would have liked to have seen him take the class over from (blanking on the name) Astrology teacher but I suppose that exclusion I can accept because they adequately covered the animosity of the centaurs. Anyway, those were my only points of annoyance. Still, I have faith. I have been entertained each and every time and have felt the "spirit" of the book in each. Can't wait for the next. That's probably when I'll attempt a reread of book 6 only. Next year, before the final movie comes out, I'll reread all. And then maybe before the trip to Florida! Anyone else ecstatic about this trip to Harry Potter Land!?!