Harry Potter and the Whatever of the Whatever

[daddytodd]

Just got back from seeing the new Harry Potter movie.

I'm a total Potter virgin -- never seen any of the previous films, never read any of the books.

I do NOT recommend this movie to anyone not well-versed in the lore. It seemed to mostly consist of unconnected vignettes that bore next to no relationship to anything remotely resembling a "plot."

And maybe it's just because I'm a middle-aged gay man, but honest to god, every female in the movie looked exactly the same, with the exceptions of Helena Bonham Carter and Maggie Smith.  Sorry, but all those tweenie girls were completely interchangeable. For all I could tell, Ron Weasely was snogging his own sister...

It wasn't a bad movie, and I thought Daniel Radcliffe showed some promise as an actor (despite a script that didn't make many demands on his acting talents.) But it's NOT the place for a Potter neophyte to start.

II wish I'd followed my gut and gone to see Moon instead.

Comments

[darkrose79.livejournal.com]

*waves his phoenix feather 6.5" oak wand* Potter understandus
Eh you dont really see a hint at the end story till like book 3 really. Overall i lost interest after book 4. Sure i cheated and read the last chapter of book 7 and was like eh saved money on 3 books.
Personally i preferred Tamora Pierce's Circle of magic series. Far better character development.

[scream4noreason.livejournal.com]

I also haven't read the books, and saw 20 minutes of the first film and just wanted to slap those children. I have the first book but have yet to gnet around to checking it out, although I am always curious when anything is that popular, i usually try to give it a go.

What was the Star Trek novel series that your recommended a while ago?

[fingertrouble.livejournal.com]

Umm it IS the 6th movie of the series? It's nearly at the end...

That's like going to the last of the Star Wars movies or the last Godfather or the last Lord of the Rings without knowing anything about them and going 'eh?'.

Of course at this point, with it being one of the biggest books of all time and there being 5 other movies, they're probably going to assume you know something about it...and have at least seen one of the movies, or read at least one of the books. And probably assume you know the storyline, or most of it to date - I think that's fair enough at this point...

I don't think the last few films of ANY series are good for people coming to that series afresh?

[darkrose79.livejournal.com]

"Umm it IS the 6th movie of the series? It's nearly at the end."
LOL its never ending i heard book 7 is being split between 2 movies. then there will be prequels about the founding of hogwarts and dumbledores life story...we will be dust in the grave before it ends lol

[fingertrouble.livejournal.com]

Yes 7th book is being split between two films, too much to put in one film actually...so of course 6 is building up to that.

Can't take too long as Daniel Radcliffe is 20 now, playing a 16 year old...

So we're more than halfway through - 6 films down, 2 more to go. This is not really a total n00b entry point is it?

[daddytodd.livejournal.com]

Well, part of my issue is that it doesn't really make sense as a film unless you've already read the book -- it's not an organic narrative, it's a "greatest hits" dramatization from the book.

But then I'm already resigned to the fact that I'm pretty much the last filmgoer on the planet who wants movies to have a plot...

[daddytodd.livejournal.com]

The Crucible trilogy by David R. George III. "Crucible: McCoy," the lead-off volume, was the best of the three.

They were published at the end of 2006, for the 40th anniversary of the original series. They all sort of spun out events of the episode "City on the Edge of Forever." The first book recounts McCoy's life trapped in Earth's past, in a timeline where he was never rescued by Kirk & Spock. It was tremendously moving.

Pottering

[pink-halen.livejournal.com]

Yes. They count on the fact that you have seen the other 5 movies. There are a lot of things established as fact that you didn't know when this movie started. The book is somewhat better because they have the time and space to reiterate what some things mean. The Unabridged Audio book is 17 cds. To make all the points in just 2 hours means something has to be left out. Since we have read the books, we notice the cuts.

[bigfootcub.livejournal.com]

Daddy,
unfortunatly you would have to watch the otehr films or read the books. if i have read your entrys on books right, i really think you might like them. One of the reasons is that the interconnectiveness of the books. For example in the begining of book one, Hagrid is driving a bike to deliver Harry to the Muggles, but it is not untill book three when you find out who's it is and why it is important. Book 2 does not make sence untill book 6.

just to give you a hint about the 7th book, it is VERY important that the movie showed Draco sending Dumbeldors wand out of his hand and not kill him.

i hope this helps...and hope you might think of reading the books

[daddytodd.livejournal.com]

Some day I'll watch the movies and read the books -- I already own them all. But because I don't have 100 hours to dedicate to studying backstory, I feel like the filmmakers were dishonest. HP VI isn't a complete movie -- its a bit in the middle of a long long story. And they made no attempt to make it accessible to a moviegoer who just wants to spend a couple hours at the cinema. In my opinion, that makes it a bad movie.

And I get to piss & moan about that if I want to.

;-)

Expecto Patronum!

[maxauburn.livejournal.com]

I've read all seven books, and have seen all 6 movies, and thus, I know and understand both the stories and characters.

I hear you when you complain that you feel left out in the cold due to the movie being more of an installment in a series of many, rather than a complete, self - contained world. The books were written as long chapters in a several years - long story.

The movies are based on the books, but much was left out due to time constraints.

Seeing just one of the movies is like walking in on Gone With the wind towards the end of the film.

After you've read the books, you might feel differently about Harry Potter.

BTW, have you see The Time Traveler's Wife?

I recommend it highly!

Excellent film.