Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

[bowtrunckle]

Tonight I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peak at OotP thanks to

hyacinthgirl_36 and her "connections".  :)    Her, some of her other friends, kjpzak, and I got to sit in a theater full of young children and watch the world's longest string of previews while eating the soggiest and most overpriced soft pretzels in the universe (you had to put your own salt on them ... how wrong is that?).  Anyway, I drank way too much soda and still never finished it, which unfortunately caused me to miss something like 2.2 minutes of the movie with a frantic trip to the washroom.  *curses Barq's root beer*  However, the rest of the movie that I did see (all 143.8 minutes) was surprisingly very, very GOOD.  *cheers and dances*

 

Because OotP is my favorite in the series thus far and I tend to like tiny details, my expectations for the movie was low.  Call me silly, but I prepared myself to be disappointed because how can 766 pages possibly be condensed and faithfully represented in a movie?  However, one thing that impressed me was how well OotP hung together as a relatively self-contained film.  *cheers and dances again*  Thankfully, the screenwriter/producers/director recognized that the vast majority of the audience has prior Potter knowledge.  Therefore, they dispensed with the whole universe and character set up (this is a kid named Harry who has a scar who's parents died at the hands of a dark wizard blah blah) and just jumped right into the story, making this feel exactly like one book in a continuing series (um ... as it should, because ... well ... it is).  

Overall it flowed all right.  There were some jumpy cuts in places (one cut involving a thestral chomping down on a hunk of raw meat and Ron eating what I think was a sausage was especially giggle worthy) and they used lots of montages to show the passing of time (suddenly it was Christmas and then it wasn't), but I don't know how else they could've moved the story along at a faster pace to cover the whole plot.  Certain subplots were cut, events rearranged, some character motivations weren't elaborated on or explained, and some character roles were combined to streamline the story.  Canon maniacs will find this slightly annoying, but again if it was all included the movie would be long, convoluted, and lose it's momentum.  However, I thought they could've given more thought to the aftermath of Arthur Weasley's injuries at the DoM -- what they did seemed far too rushed and jerky.  Although not as much as an after thought as in GoF, the resolution could've also been given more attention, in particular, the scene in Dumbledore's office.  In contrast, a pivotal moment in the Ministry of Magic was drawn out for eons compared to the treatment it received in the book, but I think it was right for dramatic purposes and Harry's journey in the movie.   Interestingly enough, the movie ended on a slightly higher, more positive note than the book at least in respect to Harry's state of mind.  I can only guess they did this because it leaves the viewer feeling more satisfied that there was a "happy" conclusion because, in the end, this does have to "feel" like a stand-alone movie.

The acting has improved dramatically.  Dan Radcliff did a good job portraying simmering anger and frustration.  He also seemed to have practiced flailing in his sleep sufficiently. *grins*  According to those scenes, it appears that Yates had a fascination with Harry/Dan's sweaty neck (no joke).  Dan's acting during climax had me barely breathing and silently cursing the woman next to me who kept nosily sliding her straw in and out of the lid of her drink to feed her infant strawfuls of soda (who gives their baby coke anyway?).  However, Imelda Staunton stole the show.  She was an absolutely amazing Umbridge: calculating, sickly sweet, and horrible, she was shiver inspiring with her girlish voice and saccharine smile.  The entire theater was completely silent during Harry's detention with Umbridge's special quill.  A close second was Evanna Lynch who managed to pull off what I thought was a convincingly dreamy Luna down to her homemade radish earrings.  Every time Luna was on screen I grinned.  Two other performances that I really enjoyed and wished we could've seem more of were Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Thompson -- Bellatrix Lestrange was perfectly insane (watch her eyes) and you really did feel sorry for Trelawney which made you want to slap Umbridge even more.  Alan Rickman was amazing as always; his scenes never fail to disappoint.  Snape continued his trend of manhandling students from GoF which I personally think canon!Snape would refrain from doing, but I thought his portrayal of Snape after Harry sees his worst memory was the right choice even though it deviated slightly from canon.    

One of the great things about this movie that the other movies failed to capitalize on was the use of backflashes.  Talk about vaclempt, HOLY CRAP, every time they showed clips from previous films I think I make a funny noise or else clapped obnoxiously.  The backflashes really gave the movie a sense of history and reminded viewer that the Potterverse has a depth that no other movie franchise to date can boast about.  Juxtaposing the past and the present, showing the parallels between the first OotP and the current one as well as Harry and Voldmort, and giving us clips of Harry's journey thus far officially pushed this movie into the epic category and added tension by showing the viewer just what was at stake (pretty much the whole wizarding world).  I applaud David Yates for every single backflash (because wee!Harry is so adorable).  *cheers and dances*

Another thing I enjoyed was the attention to detail.  The stone walls painted pink in Umbridge's office, her horrific pink plastic bow buttons, the mewing kittens on the plates, the gigantic awesomeness of the Black family tree, the fact Ron and Harry were wearing the same nightshirts they had on in their first scenes in GoF (yes, continuity makes me spaz).  Thankfully, the special effects department corrected how firecalls appear; the weird face-in-the-burning-coals thing from GoF has been replaced with canon version of a face in the flames.  I also liked how bits and pieces of Ginny characterization were slid in between the lines.  If you didn't know the events in HPB, you likely wouldn't notice, but Ginny's sidelong glances at Harry and her general grrness (is that a word?) toward Cho will have H/G shippers smiling and squeeing in anticipation.  Also, they showed Ginny and Luna's Patronuses (Patroni?).  Does anyone know if JKR has confirmed them previous to the movie?  I assume that JKR made sure they were the right animals.

Things to nitpick (in no particular order): 
1. That second-year named Nigel is back.  Why not use Colin or Dennis Creevy? *phbbtt*
2. Padma and Parvati are both Gryffindors (again). *sighs*
3. During a pivotal scene, Harry's eyes flash green.  Uh ... it seems like the producer, director, special effects, and the editors have forgotten that Harry's eyes are supposed to be naturally green.  Why didn't they just make Harry's eyes flash red instead? *grumbles*
4. Grimmauld Place isn't portrayed as a stand alone mansion.  I see no idea why they did what they did other than that it may have looked cooler. *is baffled*
5. Apparently Dementors can now affect the weather on a large scale.  -_-
6. Figgy (to me) didn't seem flightly, batty, loud, or old enough.  I was looking forward to her in her curlers batting SOMEONE in the head with her mesh bag of cat food.  Two words: Why. Not.  *booooo*
7. No screeching portrait of Mrs. Black. *cries*
8. James's hair isn't messy or black. Considering how many teenaged boys who have black messy hair would kill to play that small role, why wasn't this continuity maintained? *growls at casting*

And to end on a positive note:

Things that were horray worthy:
1. Umbridge and her special quill
2. Luna and her shoes
3. Bella and her crazy eyes
4. Ginny subtext
5. Harry's much more flattering hair style
6. Thestrals and the cool way they fly
7. Ron and Hermione and the build up of their sexual tension
8. Ron and his wizard Cliff Notes (good call kjpzak)
9. The Hall of Prophesies and how/why all the orbs start falling :)
10. The whole Atrium scene

Anyway, I liked the movie.  I'm tucking it right behind PoA as my second favorite.  However for best climax, it comes in first in my book (terrific special effects and some serious dueling ... the viscous, ropey magic coming out of the wands is back and is a millions times better).  Whoot!  I can't wait to see it in IMAX 3D!  Everyone enjoy.  Let the Potter madness begin! *cheers and dances*

Comments

[copper-season.livejournal.com]

I am actually looking forward to this movie, which is very surprising for me. I think it has something to do with Yates directing, or maybe it's because I've got nothing left to lose when becoming disappointed with the way the movies have progressed.

I'm really looking forward to the Ministry battle. I also can't wait to see the scene where Fred and George leave Hogwarts. I really think it stinks that there is no portrait of Mrs. Black...does that mean no Kreacher?

Do they have the scene where all the kids end up in Umbridge's office? Does Ginny argue to be included in the wild ride to the Ministry? Or were those scenes taken out? I'm dying to know! LOL.

Hopefully, I'll be able to see OotP tomorrow, I'm crossing my fingers.

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

Oo, it's good to know that someone reads spoilers!

it stinks that there is no portrait of Mrs. Black...does that mean no Kreacher?

Mrs. Black's portrait is there, but there's no screeching. Her portrait remains covered. It's also been moved from the front hall to elsewhere. Kreacher does appear! :) He looks less cartoonish that Dobby, especially his eyes. I supposed the second incarnation of the house elf improves as the visual effects do. I'm interested to see what happens in HPB when we see Dobby and Kreature side-by-side. Will visual effects update Dobby to make him fit into the slightly less cartoonish and more realistic Potter world?

Do they have the scene where all the kids end up in Umbridge's office?

Yes. How they all get there is slightly different than canon. It's more streamlined, concentrating only on Harry, Hermione, and Ron. There's no explanation why Ginny, Neville, and Luna get hauled in (and if there was I didn't catch it).

Does Ginny argue to be included in the wild ride to the Ministry?

No. :( Ginny has very few lines. Most of her appearances (like many other characters) consist of her in the background just being present. Consequently there's no Chocolate Frog scene in the library or Ginny reminding Harry that she too was possessed by Voldy and telling him to get a grip at Grimmauld Place. This was way I was so happy to see the subtle Ginny still-likes-Harry subtext because if you payed attention at least her actions said SOMETHING. However, they did show Ginny being awesome with her wand which was soooo great. They're quietly positioning her character for her real "debute" in HBP. :)

Have a great time at the movie. You'll have to let me know what you think!

[baw61983.livejournal.com]

EEK! I am even more geeked out now!

And thank you so much for the review! :D

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. :) Geeking out is good for the soul; it loosens everything up and gets rid of all that stress.

[hyacinthgirl-36.livejournal.com]

You said it all! How I did enjoy our sneak preview last night (despite the whining children). Great fun, great fun :).

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

Yes, thank you so much for wrangling tickets! You rule and so does Debbie and her job. :) Now it's onto the IMAX, Book 7, and your HP cupcakes of doooooom. *grins* Want me to bring anything to the par-tay?

[hyacinthgirl-36.livejournal.com]

You can bring anything you want to the party :). Anything wizard related would be great! Really, though, I just want to make cupcakes with wizard hats and celebrate! BTW, I've started re-reading HBP now that I've seen OotP and we're almost done with the series. It does feel a little different a second time around.

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

I'm suck a nerd that I'm going to bring Butterbeer! *makes a dorky face* I just found a recipe that uses creamed and then refrozen vanilla ice cream, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter dunked in warm apple cider. This will be fun in a return to childhood way.

Maybe I will venture into the realm of HBP this week. I just prepaid my copy of Book 7 over the phone!

[kjpzak.livejournal.com]

BUTTERBEER?!!! I love it! Oh man - I'm going to have to think of something, too!

LOL - I'm so glad I wasn't the only one thinking - Who the hell gives a three month old soda?!!!

The other thing I really liked was the use of the Daily Prophet. It would have been nice if they'd countered it with The Quibbler's article because I always liked how Luna gained respect through that act, but that would have made the movie eight hours long. I did like the relationship Harry and Luna built up - I'd forgotten how much time is spent on that in the book and it was nice to see it wasn't passed over.

And while, yes, more Tonks would have been nice, I'm so glad they put in her nose changing at the dinner table.

No prefects, no Kreecher story line, no Quidditch - little bummed about all of that, but all in all, a good job. And yes, I liked the silence in the MOM once Sirius went through the veil. I think if there'd been sound, it might have turned into a Luke, I'm your father - NOOOOOO kind of wail. And who needs another one of those?

[kjpzak.livejournal.com]

Oh - and one other thing I really enjoyed - the humor. I've always thought they did a nice job inserting humor in, especially at Finch's expense. Nicely done, this time too.

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

The funnies in this one weren't overdone. I thought that GoF tended to be a bit over the top, boardering on almost campy at times which felt weird with the action and the building up of Voldy's return. Blah ... GoF.

I think I'll forever laugh at the cut from the Thestral horking down that piece of nasty raw meat to Ron chewing that sausage with his mouth open while gaping at his Wizarding Cliff Notes (Ron + food = awesome).
And Filtch and his sandwhich were also amusing. I would've like to see Filtch run again. *giggles*

[kjpzak.livejournal.com]

(Don't tell him I said this, but if you want to see Filch run, watch my son...all legs, no grace. Gets it from his mom.)

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

*dies laughing* Ooo, how adorable.

And for you ... maybe now you have a Halloween costume, eh? ;) Kidding, of course! This is like me (who trips and sprains ankles on flat ground) calling the kettle black.

[kjpzak.livejournal.com]

Senior year, on my way to my last final exam (oddly enough, happened to be Wine Tasting and yes, I was sober at that time), I stepped in a hole and sprained my ankle. Next day, I went back to show my roomie the hole...no hole. Who knew those Purdue groundskeepers were so efficient?

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

Did you make your final exam? I've heard a lot of excuses from students missing final exams, but a "hole in the ground" takes the cake. LOL. 100% for originality. ;)

[kjpzak.livejournal.com]

Just call me Hermione. Of course I went to my final and spent the entire time feeling my ankle swell to fill my shoe. Then I believe I went home and consumed illegally smuggled into the sorority house liquid pain killers. Ah memories.

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

LOL! That is a very Hermione-ish thing to do. Stoic and brave and taking one in the name of academics while being subversive and engaging in illegal activities. I bet you were the one who prompted/organized the secret smuggling. *grins* Oh, and you also knit.

[kjpzak.livejournal.com]

Maaaybe. I may have been the only one who could legally buy at the time...not that I'm confirming that or anything.

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

Yes, more treats! Nat informed me last night after the meeting that you should bring something in the shape of stars and moons XD.

LOL - I'm so glad I wasn't the only one thinking - Who the hell gives a three month old soda?!!!

I couldn't believe how that baby kept slurping it down and smacking its lips. Isn't all that sugar and carbonation and coldness sort of a taste shock to infants who are used to warm milk?

Yes, I wished they'd had more the the Quibbler, too. But the DP montages were clever ... I loved how they kept zooming in and out of the moving pictures and cutting to scene. I hope that in the next movie they show Harry asking Luna to Sluggy's party and then show them hanging out together.

And while, yes, more Tonks would have been nice, I'm so glad they put in her nose changing at the dinner table.

I was hoping for a "Wotcher, Harry" at least. :( It'll be interesting to see if any of the Tonks/Lupin relationship (and Tonks being mysteriously droopy etc) makes it into the next movie. I have a feeling it will be a big, fat NO.

I think if there'd been sound, it might have turned into a Luke, I'm your father - NOOOOOO kind of wail.

*wails* NOOOOOOO! *snortgiggle*

[kjpzak.livejournal.com]

Oh yes! A "Wotcher Harry" would have been lovely! Ah well. There is only so much time and so much to get through. I'm so looking forward to seeing it again to catch all the things I missed the first time. And in 3D too!

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

3D is next week for me. :) A, his undergrad student, and a friend of mine who will be visiting from out of town, and I are going to dork out at the IMAX. I can't wait to see that awesome Voldy ball of water hovering three inches from my face.

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

That would be "I'm SUCH a nerd ..."

Ahhem. No "sucking" nerds here. :O

[hyacinthgirl-36.livejournal.com]

OMG, lol.

I laughed for a full minute when I read that.

Butter Beer, btw, what fun!

Dissection vs a Thorough Review

[(Anonymous)]

Goodness me. You have well and truly dissected HP's latest movie. Very well done indeed. A most interesting critique.

Funnily enough, I did enjoy the movie. I particularly liked Luna Lovegood.

love and hugs from Lourdes

Re: Dissection vs a Thorough Review

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

Yes, Luna was great! I loved her voice, very dreamy and soft and perfect for Loony Lovegood. I was impressed, especially because the actress had no prior acting experience.

Did you know that she made her own radish earings? Apparently the prop department's looked too professional so they opted to go with her's instead XD!

Let's hope that we have some more Luna and Harry in HBP (in particular, going to Sluggy's party together). And for poor Rupert's sake, I hope Quidditch is in the next movie. :)

Hugs from Seattle!

Re: Dissection vs a Thorough Review

[(Anonymous)]

Really??? Radish earings indeed! Whatever next?

LOL.... you know, I sometimes wonder where you wonderful people accross the pond get "inside" information from (shakes head). Still, it contributes to very entertaining read.

What's the weather in Seattle like?

Hugs back from a rather humid day in London.xxxxx

Re: Dissection vs a Thorough Review

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

Psssstt ... it's called "Mugglenet.com". ;) I like to read bits of news and spoilers. However, I've been really good for DH - I'm spoiler free! Pages of the supposed epilogue are circulating. *squeezes eyes shut*

Here's another fun fact for you: Matthew Lewis, the actor who plays Neville, has to wear false teeth during filming because his real teeth aren't big or crooked enough for a Longbottom.

Seattle weather has been beautiful - summers on the west coast are terrific, USUALLY not TOO hot and low humidity. It's been sunny for the last few weeks. Last week we were just shy of 100 degrees (OK, that's much too hot and not normal). But we need to take in all ths sun before the grey, rainy winter returns, so I shouldn't complain. Hope you're staying cool in London and things are going well.

Are you excited for the book release? What are your plans?

Heee

[dianne-37.livejournal.com]

This to my bladderly challenged friend! Do not drink caffeinated beverages at a movie, you will have to go! It is inevitable. OMB, Once at the US/Canada border ... heee, how funny does that sound!? I had had a pop and it was like a three hour wait!! I seriously thought I was going to pop a nut at the border guards. I was almost crying by the time we got NY ... that was last year and I haven't forgotten so this year, I had no pop ... holy man, and was I ever annoyed with the men who just popped out of their cars and peed all over the place. If it had been one more minute, I was going to knock on this camper van door and ask to use their washroom! So yeah, no pop in the movies.

Where was I? OH! Stupid us never got our advanced tickets so never go to see it at Midnight. Saw it next day at three and thought it was really quite good. Mackenzie got dressed in his Quidditch robes and was interviewed by the news again! People were oohing and awwing at him all over the place and even clapped for him. He's so sweet, we'd made him nap so he could see it at midnight and he didn't even grumble when we couldn't get the tickets.

Yes, Dementors make things very very foggy!! It's their breeding. Ew! I agree with all your comments! yeah, why Nigel instead of Dennis or Colin? HM? Overall was good though.

Well, talk soon, off to find more posts! Love D

Re: Heee

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

Note taken about caffeinated beverages at movies. :) It does seem like nature calls at the most inconvenient times. And being a woman can complicate the matter. Speaking of unfortunate bathroom experiences ... did you hear about that American Airlines flight from Europe about a month ago? The bathrooms BROKE on it, so they emergency stopped in the UK and put everyone in a hotel that night in order to fix it only to find about 2 hours into the trip the next morning that the problem wasn't fixed. So for the duration of trans-Atlantic flight there was only "half" a bathroom for the entire plane (I have no clue what "half" a bathroom is ... only number 1?). Apparently, there was refuse leaking down the aisle and lots of bad smells. The flight crew wore white sanitary uniforms and masks and kept reminding people not to drink or eat too much. Ewwww. OK, now you'll never get on a plane. Ahhh, sorry. Let me fix it ... A and I have flown a lot and that's never happened to either of us so that's just a fluke thing (hopefully). ;)

Did you take a picture of Mackenzie in his uniform? If so, you should share!

Yes, Dementors make things very very foggy!! It's their breeding.

FOG. *giggles* Yes, um breeding. LOL. I so look foward to seeing what JKR has in store for us about the mysterious fog that was eluded to (but never followed up on) in HBP. Glad you liked the movie, too! I'm going to see it at the IMAX in 3D on Wednesday. :)