Prisoner of Azkaban review

[sirigorn]

Well, Cuaron did say he might be coming back for a later one, Daughter of Elros. And when you told Fimbrethil to grow up and what you said about being pissed off- that pissed me off. People are entitled to their own opinins, and please don't say that. Disagreeing is fine, as long as you don't get mean. Sorry, I'm a mod on another site, my modliness is showing through. I don't want to be mean either, but please stay nice.

I'm tired to complaining about he movie! What did you like? Am I the only one who said a lot of what they liked about it?

~Siri~

[Daisy Baggins]

I found the movie to be disappointing. Cuaron left so much out of the movie that it would be hard or impossible for someone who hadn't read the books to make sense of a lot of things. Cuaron also seemed more interested in how Harry, Ron, and Hermione were growing up and interacting with each than showing the magical world of Harry Potter. Harry Potter without the magic is not very interesting.

P.S. They announced six months or more ago that Sean Biggerstaff would not be in this movie, but they never said why he was left out.

[Tessar]

Hummm I liked it.

I felt that all the actors, except for Ron's father and the new Dumbledor, were all very strong.

A few bits where there should've been more 'emotion' from the actors, but all and all a good job on everyone's part I thought.

I loved the Dementors. They were 'well done' rip offs of the nazgul.

[Rhëtit]

Seeeeeeeeeeaaaan!!! I missed Oliver Wood more than anything. But I completly agree with Daisy Baggins. They certainly didn't explain the animagus thing very well... That greatly upset me. And I thought that the dementors were just supposed to you...glide. These were flying like kites!

[HOBBIT]

Well - I think the movies are pretty much made for the enjoyment of the fans.

Yes the book are much better, but it can't be helped.


The movie was true to the book - just it didn't include all the book and left out A LOT.

If it had like every scene in and every detail in (like HP 1 and 2), it would have been like 4-5 hours.

We should expect seeing more details get cut from the movies - they probably don't want each movie to be too long and the books just get progressively longer (and the movies seem to be getting shorter).

[Fimbrethil]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Daughter of Elros

Originally posted by Fimbrethil
[1)The acting in the movie sucked! Remus...okay but they could have gotten someone better. And Sirius?

what are you on!? they were brilliant! the acting was superb. Their only faults are being over the age of 40 when remus and sirius are only 33 (Snape as well) in the third book.

5) Sirius as the dog was way to small.

Is your dog a small elephant then?


13) The maurders map would have been way smaller.
yeah.

uh huh. hogwarts on an indexcard. suuuure.

14) Where the heck was Oliver!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????
This I agree on. No olly! for him I mourn

truthfully, some of your opinions are pissing me off- but your sarcasm is rather amusing.

All in all I hated it and personally if the same person directs the next movie I won't be going to see. I'd liek to know what JKR was thinking when she allowed them to release this "movie".

oh, grow up- was better than the first two under chris columbus! also- Is JKR's fav, movie (her website)

in response to the second bit- Alfonso Cuaron is a brilliant, man, but he will rather unfortunately not be directing teh fourth movie (wehich is already filming and being directed by Mike Newell. good luck to you, mr. Newell.)

Well, it's a relief that someone different is doing it then. And if you remember in the book they described Sirius as the sive of a bear almost. And I'm terribly sorry if it was JKR's fav movie and I thought it was crap. And the maruaders map was never described as being page upon page it wasn't an index card either.
If you had bothered to read or to post the rest of number one then you would have realized that I wan't really putting the actors down! Go back and read the rest of it. I do thank you for liking my sarcasim however.
I am the one who needs to grow up am I? Funny...seeing as you're the one attacking my oppions and my veiw on things. You don't hear me saying that you are a complete and total wack job for liking the movie or anyone else who liked it for that matter. I have not said anyhting of the sort only told them and you what I think. Now it's my turn t obe pissed becasue you are being ignorarnt and an idiot for basically telling I shouldn't express how I feel about somthting and the person who directs it. And I personnally loved the first two. Now, I'm not calling you a wack job (once again) for liking them am I? Now, Daughter of Elros, who needs to grow up? Next time you attack someones oppion like that, think twice about waht you say and how oyu say it!

[Fimbrethil]

I'm sorry DOE. I take back the way I said htose things but not what I said. I was angery at the time and hadn't read Sirigorn's post berating you yet. Thank you Sirigorn.

I did like the music and Buckbeak. He was cool. While alot of stuff was messed up I htink most of it was the script writers fault so now I will (pnce again) complement the actors.
Though I didn't like who they cast as Remus and Sirius and I htink they could have gotten someone better those two did a spectaulare job with what they were offered to work with. I did like some of the funny lines that were put in there that wenr't in the book.

Does that make anyone happy?

[Rhëtit]

There are some other things that they left out that I missed, other than Sean Biggerstaff (*sniffle*), I didn't think that they gave Sir Cadogan a big enough part and that was one of my favorite parts of the book, he was hilarious! They really glazed over way too much of it, and I was highly dissapointed when I went to see it with Fimbrethil, she can account for all of my swearing as I watched it. Another thing...WHERE WAS OLIVER WOOD?? He had such a major part, and I missed him so...::breaks down crying::

[gimli7410]

im glad i didnt payfor that movie,what a peice of ****, the whole scenery was changedso it was hard togetfamiliar with, didnt stick to wel to the book,it was really rushed at the begining and the middle and it finally sloweddonw abit at the end which is the onlypart i liked.i always saw lupin as abit olderlooking,moreworn out, kinda like a young albert einstein. i didnt know dementors could fly either. some things i liked was that dumbledorewas pretty good but i still think richard harris is better, he looked more wiser and was a bit slower, and the hippogriff was good. over allthough i didnt enjoy it

edit:as you can tell my spacebar is ****ed up. sorry

[Fimbrethil]

I have a question. Marge flew outside when she was inflated didn't she? I remember that part. Good hting no ever looks out their windows in Little Whinging huh? Hmmm...I've covered most of what I didn't like.
Some of the lines were funny though. They were appealing to a younger audience I think. Maybe that's just me. and yes Rhetit didn't like it. She was very very angery when we left the theater.

[sun-star]

Well, I finally saw it and I actually liked it. I was expecting to hate it after everything I'd read about it (and after the disasters of the first two films), but this one was a lot better. Hogwarts looks a lot better, IMO, and the child actors have improved. Lupin and Sirius were great (though Timothy Spall wasn't as good as he usually is) and I liked new Dumbledore too. I loved the Marauder's Map and all the 'arty' bits - the clock tower, all the landscape shots, the way the seasons changed etc.

So overall, pretty good. Though the werewolf looked weird - and there wasn't enough about James! For me the whole book is about the friendship between the Marauders and its legacy for Harry, and they didn't explain enough about that. But that might just be because I'm obsessed with James

And I loved the music! Especially Lupin's jazz

[old scholar]

i feel very dissapionted with the movie and feel that to much backstory about james´s gang was left out and for people who have not read the book it makes no sense whatsoever . I hope that the fourth movie does not turn out to be so horrendous and actually explains the story. i did not like the new Dumbledore. he seemd so aloof to the situation and i believe that the new actor has changed the character from the first two movies for the worse

[Fimbrethil]

At the end of the movie when Dumbldore's supposed to have to Sirius and then he comes in and is tlaking to Harry and co. has he talked to Sirius yet? He seemed clueless and that he suddenly knew what was going on just becasue Harry and co. shouted that the man was inocent.

Perhaps it's just my imagination.

How are they going to do the next movie with the amount of information that was left out in htis one?

In the Sheirking Shack when Harry and co. are talking with Srius and co. and half of Sirius's shirt is open....waht in the world does he have on his chest and arms? They looked like tatoos! And just so you don't think I'm bonkers if any of you missed that...Rhetit saw it too! She won't be here for two weeks...she's gone to nature camp. But does anyone else knwo what they are?

[Linaewen]

I saw the movie today (Public Holiday ) and in general I really liked it. The main issue I have with it (apart from the character portrayals of, say, Lupin etc) is the lack of substance to the storyline. They DID skip way too much detail, I know my friends were confused, especially the one who hadn't read the books beforehand.

My complaints are mostly in line with those which others have posted- about the Dementors, Sirius snarling at Harry (What the?) and Lupin (and that totally subtle Moon boggart). Lupin was ok, but I think they could've cast a better person. Lupin is my favourite character.

[sirigorn]

I did see the tattoos or whatever they are. And I'm just as confused as you are, Fimbrethil.

[Beruthiel's cat]

I saw the movie yesterday with two friends -- one who is not familiar with Harry Potter apart from the movies (she hasn't read the books) and one who is a Harry Potter fanatic (read the books and seen the movies numerous times -- nearly a Snape fan-girl...)

I am in the middle. I've read all the books and seen all the movies, but I'm no expert.

Anyway, the friend who isn't as familiar with HP enjoyed the movie very much. She thought it was very good and atmospheric and enjoyed the effects, scenery and the way the plot unfolded. It was not really confusing to her and she didn't feel disappointed.

The other friend liked it but felt there were too many ommisions from the book. She felt that several characters were short-changed, wasn't sure she liked the new Dumbledore and was sorry more couldn't have been done to make it more like the book.

I thought the music was outstanding, I loved the map, and like the brooding moodiness of the setting (although the grounds have certainly changed a great deal from the first two films). I also liked Lupin and Sirius and though Thewlis and Oldman gave wonderful performances.

Yes, the young actors are growing up. (Goodness, Neville!! Look at you!!!) But people do grow and change. That is to be expected. I think they all did a fine job.

My biggest problem is how Crookshanks' role was given short-shrift. He was very important in the book, and in the movie was only used as a point of contention between Ron and Hermione. Of course, I'm a bit sensitive about how cats are treated, being far to fanatical about them for my own good, I suppose...

But that was my biggest problem. I wanted to see Crookshanks, tail held high, leading them to the tunnel under the Whomping Willow!!!

[Fimbrethil]

Yeah...that part bugged me to. In my oppion they didn't get the point of Ron and Hermione being at each other across enough. Here's my interpertation of it: "Hey! Your cat ate my rat!"
"He did not and you can't prove it!"
"Yeah well I'm still mad at you!"
"OK then."
Hagrid: "Look a rat! Hey! It's Scabbers!"

The biggest problem with that is they seem to over exaggert the fact that those two are in "love". They never really clashed like they were supposed to in this movie but they have in the past.

[AntiXZer01]

I will start by saying that overall I liked this movie. There were some high, and low points to this movie. I however have not read a single Harry Potter book so I am not completely sure what was left out!? About the story all I can say is that it seemed rather short and unlike the usual Harry Potter style. The whole beggining seemed unnecessary due to the rest of the film. Allow me to explain, in the first and second film you see Harry at home with his aunt and uncle and then a resonable speed of transition to Hogwarts. A stop at the train station, Daigon Ally(sorry i don't know the spelling), and other places. After this Harry is at Hogwarts school, misheif happens, Harry saves the day, plays some quiddich, and then finally goes back home. In this film it was more like a story of a day. The first at home scenes did not transition well, and suddenly Harry was at school fighting Dementors, and Werewolves, and Prisoner Dogs! Immediatly after that Harry is forzen on the screen for an ending! After not reading the books im not sure what was left out but I am very sure that too much was left out!!! To be honest I am a student of film and would rather sit there four hours to see a good Harry Potter film than a quick two hour cutting room rough draft! This is my problem with the main theme, the theme of removing too much from book to film and not making an effective story!
Yet there were some good things I think, I very much like the darker more adult feel to the Harry Potter film. The first two seemed a little too Junior High for my taste. This one was dark and sinister. I very much like the Dementors(yes the first thing i thought of was The Witchking and Nazgul) but they looked pretty evil on their own. I also liked the marauders map it was a pretty cool little trinket. The special effects such as the Bogart(again not sure of the spelling) were pretty nice, changing form to Alan Rickman, spiders with skates, and the full moon!
Another aspect I liked very much about the film is something I hope to see in the future films as well, as much of the same cast as possible! Understandably Dumbeldore had to be changed due to an untimely death, but if Radcliffe, Grint, or Watson leave the project I will not see another film. I think the casting of Sirius Black and Professor Lupin. I think that Gary Oldman should have had more parts and is an excellent actor in any film he is in.
All in all I was entertained by this film, I understand there must be changes from book to film and so I try not to judge to harshly. That is my two cents and im sticking to it.

[Fimbrethil]

I htink that the first two movies were supposed to feel a little junior highish. You know? Because Harry was only what? 11 and 12? So they've all really grown up in respect to the movie and real life.

[azalea]

Originally posted by Beruthiel's cat
-- nearly a Snape fan-girl...)

So I'm not the only one! Boy, did Alan Rickman look good! (The guy who played Lupin wasn't too bad, either!)

I have never read the books (although I always intended to at some point), nor did I see the first two movies, but my mother-in-law wanted to see it, so we went. I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Maybe now I know how those people who hadn't read LotR felt after seeing the FotR. )

From the perspective of a virtual Potter newbie (I was familiar with some stuff because of my husband's brother and sister being fans, and from poking my head in this forum occasionally), I thought it was fantastic: the acting, the scenery, the effects, all of it! I will definately be reading the books now as soon as I can get my hands on the first one. I hadn't seen the first two movies because they did seem to be kind of "kid movies," plus I had wanted to read the books first. But I'm glad I saw this one.

I'm sure there's a lot I didn't fully "get" because of omissions from the book, but I didn't really notice. And I loved Dumbledore, myself, not having seen Harris play him.

I guess you might be seeing more of me in this forum now that I'll be reading the books, and you can laugh and point at all of my newbie questions.