Monday, July 16, 2007

I enjoy Harry Potter. I don't think they're the best or only kids books, and I'm a little disappointed that Harry Potter readers haven't necessarily opened up their minds to other fantasy, but still. They're enjoyable books.

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't seen all the movies or read all the existing books, stop now, go and read them and see them....




The movies and books tend to blur in my mind. The Harry Potter books really are mind-candy for me, and I tend to forget the details pretty fast. Linda is much better at remembering. I'm trying to remember if Dumbledore was offed in the last book, or was it the last movie? etc.

I thought Dolores Umbrage was absolutely perfect in the movie; Linda didn't think she was toadish enough. Linda missed scenes in the Hall of Mysteries and the hospital, I didn't even remember them.

The movies, for all their changes in tone and color and style have remained amazing consistent. Really, they are producers movies, not director's -- or Rowlings pictures, if you will.

Who's going to die in the next book? I figure Valdemort, of course. Snape, probably. I think if she is going to kill either Hermione or Ron, and not Potter, that that's a cop out. So either all three survive, or Harry Goes into the big Obi-Wan ghostly benevolent smile in the sky mode.

Did anyone else get a Sam Gamgee epic monolouge vibe out of Harry's final speech in the movie: "We have something to fight for!"

I've enjoyed the movies. It's been fun and startling to see the kids grow. If I don't come across as a dirty old man, the actress who plays Hermione is going to be a heartbreaker.

I hope Radcliffe can break the Mark Hamill-like curse of Harry.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have the hubris and foolishness to think I can write online.

*

Like Gasteau said in Rataouille "Anyone can cook".

Jen said...

Loved Umbridge. Perfect combination of squashy roundness on the outside. And that little smirk that just said "try me"... shudder!

I agree with your wife - it was a bummer that the St Mungo's (hospital) scenes were completely cut from the movie. I remember a very funny bit from the book where they come across (former Prof) Lockhart, who is still suffering from the memory spell. I thought it was also a better "reveal" of Neville's secret than how it was done in the movies.

I also wished we got to see the word "FINK" spelled out in boils across Cho's friend's face after she gave up Dumbledore's Army.

But... I suppose otherwise it would have been a five hour movie. And two and a half hours was quite. enough.