Got to see Prisoner of Azkaban

[celticdragonfly]

So darling selenite sent me off today to watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban while he took care of All Three Kids. Wow...

I enjoyed myself. Heck, just getting out to a movie was fun.

Random babbling on the movie. Yes, the Harry Potter actor (yeah, Radcliff or something, I'm awful at actor names, so whatever. If you care, you know, so I shan't bother to look it up) has matured a good bit, particularly in the voice. Shifting from boy to young man. It may be a bit early for this by the books, but after a few moments I got used to it and I was okay with it.

The Aunt Marge blowing up scene - sigh, somebody got too enarmoured with playing with his special effects toolkit. Yes, yes, very nice special effects, but it would have fit the story best if it had happened more quickly, it's supposed to be a rage reaction on Harry's part. And hey, every extra minute in special effects is a minute you don't have for storytelling, so make it count.

I liked the Knight Bus bits. There was some cool special effects. Although what is it with this director (producer? props guy? dunno) and shrunken heads? Here, and Rosmerta's pub, too. Ooookayyy.

Is it just me, or does the actor playing Lupin look like a scruffy cousin of Liam Neeson?

I think the whole point of that choir scene we see in the previews, 'something wicked this way comes', singing toads and all, is a visual distractor, so right afterwards when the new actor for Dumbledore starts speaking, you're still distracted, and accept the change. And I think they didn't need to bother. I think the new guy is just fine as Dumbledore. And thereby it feels like the choir wasted storytelling time.

And speaking of time, it was under 2 1/2 hours. My bladder and I have lived through all the Lord of the Rings movies, and were firmly prepared for three, guys, I'd have sat there for more story!

I think you have to think of this as a visual accessory for the book, NOT a retelling of the same story in a different medium, and then you can really enjoy it. But whoever wrote the screenplay was working from the reader's digest version and skipped important bits. I know they have to cut it down incredibly, and mostly they did good, but there were bits I feel they needed to leave in. Ah well. A lot of the Lupin storyline gets tossed overboard.

Oh, the actor for Draco Malfoy has also seriously grown up, and I thought it was a lot more distracting for this one. And I'm annoyed they keep painting him so broadly. I mean, I'm no Slytherin (I know slytherins, but that's another matter), but really, I am not happy that they keep portraying that whole house so 1-dimensionally, 2 at best. Pity. Ah well, I've read some really good fanfic that shows how it could be more complicated and better, but I suppose it's that lowest common denominator thing.

I did not like how much our three heroes were in mundane outfits rather than school uniforms. The outfits certainly didn't ADD anything to it. I'd have preferred school uniforms. Did some "fashion" designer bribe the director or something?

Buckbeak looked good to me. Oh, and I loved the recurring bits with the Whomping Willow, and the birds, and the falling leaves.

Oh, I'm annoyed - I sat through the Entire Closing Credits waiting for the easter egg like last time. THERE ISN'T ONE, don't bother.

Anyway, it was great fun overall. I want to go out to the movies again! I wonder if Hidalgo still is out in the theaters. (yeah, I live under a rock, I know) I want to see Around the World in 80 Days, looks like good fun for people who'd get into Castle Falkenstein if they had a chance. (i.e. me and selenite) Tempted by a few other things. They're doing Lemony Snicket movies - I've never gotten to read the books, whenever I've seen them it's been expensive cutesy hardback editions. Looked like Harry Potter meets Adams Family. Heck, I'm tempted to see Troy so I can make fun of it.

Comments

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

ok, ok, I get it now! :-)