GIP

[selenite0]

And just to add some content . . . this is inspired by phoenixsinger and I seeing HP:OotP tonight. Well done, considering the restrictions on how much they can fit in. Umbridge was horrifyingly perfect. I liked Luna. Ginny got a few subtle moments. The key emotional plot points worked, especially the flash of Snape's backstory. There's some bits I want to watch again, though that may have to wait for the DVD.

Comments

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

That icon is perfection. I may never wear pink again.

How is Phoenixsinger doing? Last I heard she was still in hospital, I guess I missed a memo or three.

[selenite.livejournal.com]

She's doing reasonably well and came out for Alann's baptism. The hospital visit was for another blood-cleaning, she seems to be on the way to setting the all-time record for getting them.

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

Umbridge was indeed perfect. The hint of slavering sexual satisfaction she portrayed over her, dare I say--domination--of the students was especially squicky.

I felt too much of the prophecy subplot was cut--no one ever really said, hey, there's this prophecy, see? And it's in the Dept of Mysteries and here's why V wants it...no, they just show up in the Dept of Mysteries and somehow know it's a prophecy.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

I love the icon!

And I saw the movie this morning, pretty pleased.

DV

[abovenyquist.livejournal.com]

It may be sacriligous to say, but I actually liked movies 4 and 5 better than books 4 and 5, particularly with 5. By book 4, it seems people were afraid to edit Rowling, and by book 5, they were both afraid to edit her and desperately needed to. Fortunately, book 6 was tighter.

There were scenes in movie 4 (the quiddich match at the beginning, for instance) and movie 5 (the Ministry of Magic) that were actually cooler on the screen than what I had originally had pictures in my head. It's rare that a movie will do that.

I do suspect that, compared with some of the other movie adaptations, movie 5 would be hard to follow if you hadn't read book 5. Joyce saw it with a friend of ours who hadn't read the books (I know, also sacriligous) who had a lot of questions after the movie, to which we kept responding, "well, in the book..." I think the moviemakers could have afforted another 15 minutes or so spread throughout the movie, just little additions here and there to help tie things together. (Movie 3 had a couple of gaps like that, where if you hadn't read the book you'd be a bit lost.)

Indeed, the actresses playing Luna and Umbridge were spot-on.

Before seeing movie 4, I didn't imagine that anyone could possibly bring the terror of Voldemorte to the screen convincingly, but Ralph Fiennes does it.

[selenite.livejournal.com]

It's been a long, long time since I read book 5--frankly, once when it first came out--and I followed the movie well. But I'm okay with handing out the mental labels "good guy #3" and "MacGuffin" rather than needing backstory for the minor bits.

I think the greatest praise I can offer for this movie is that it's motivating me to pick up the book again.