Harry Potter News

[Ktrek]

Unlike Rico and Kenny I cannot glow about this film. I have to say though that I have not read any of the books and reading the books may help fill in blanks that someone like myself cannot catch but here is my take.

First of all I felt the movie was very poorly edited. Whereas the previous films were longer they took more time for the audience to grasp what was going on. The editing was very choppy and there were many scenes that should have played out more and others that were hacked almost to the point of making you ask "why did they bother?".

Second, unlike Rico I felt that this film was Radcliffe's weakest performance yet whereas the other young actors have actually improved quite a lot. His teenage angst did not make me feel for his character but actually made me angrier the longer it persisted.

Third, the sfx seemed less realistic in this film compared to the other films and the matte paintings looked like matte paintings, whereas in the previous films most of the matte painted scenes looked real enough to cause you to believe the places actually existed.

Fourth, I felt the score was not as good as the previous films. There is the use of the original Harry Potter theme but Nicholas Hooper is not near as strong of a composer as Williams and his music at times seemed more like filler rather than what should compliment what was happening on screen.

On the positive side it was good to see characters like Hagrid and Dumbledore again and the story aspect involving the Ministry was fun. Especially the Dolores Umbridge character's role and her Betty Crocker or Dear Abbey fashions. I also enjoyed the Luna Lovegood character.

All in all I would not say that Order Of the Phoenix is the best of the Harry Potter films but it was still enjoyable and I would give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

Kevin

[jedijeff]

I saw the movie today and thought it was alright. I am like Kevin in that I have not read the books, so everything about Harry Potter I pickup from the movie. I dont have the Movies on DVD either, so my memory gets bit rusty at times, trying to remember things from the previous movies. But both my wife and I had a good time. I am hoping when they are finished all the movies they will release them in a big set, then I will get more out of them.
I liked the parts where Harry was teaching his classmates about defence agaisnt the Dark Arts. As well I liked the new character Luna Lovegood, as she seemed a bit off from the others, so hopefully she shows up in the upcoming movie. As well I wish there was more  Draco Malfoy, I have found the past few movies that there was less and less of his character, and I like his character and wished it was more then a few cameos. I agree with Kevin in that I missed the Williams score, and found the music in this not as memorable to me.

[Rico]

It's interesting but I do think reading the books does help you enjoy the movies more in the case of the Harry Potter series.  They have to cut so much out from the books in order to do the movies it does help to know more of what is really going on.  I would urge anyone that has enjoyed the movies but hasn't tried the books yet to give them a go - they are great fun to read!

[Ktrek]

But Rico you should NOT have to read a book to enjoy a movie. It is the directors responsibility to make sure the audience can relate without even knowing anything about the franchise. That is the challenge that J.J. Abrams has in the upcoming Star Trek movie and I hope he pulls it off dramatically (no pun intended). I'm sure I would love the books but I just don't have the time to devote to reading them. So, consequently I'm dependent on the director to do the books justice.

Kevin

[Rico]

Didn't actually mean that in my comments.  I was just saying that there is basically no easy way to turn an almost 900 page book into a movie and not lose something.  Yes, the movie needs to stand on it's own (and I think it does in talking to others that also haven't read the books) but you certainly will get more out of it if you eventually read the book.

[Q]

I don't think much of the movies unfortunately.... I think they cut way too much out of them and they leave a lot of important stuff out.  Some of the actors are great, but some just plainly slurp.  Why can't they just create these movies like the LOTR.  THEY PRACTICALLY DIDN'T LEAVE ANYTHING OUT.  The makers of the Harry Potter movies have more thann enough money to create a really good movie leaving almost nothing out.  If "Time" is there issue with Radcliffe growing up, then film the stuff all at once.  Thats what they did with LOTR. 

[Geekyfanboy]

Have you read the LOTR books recently.. they changed quite a bit in the movies. Book to movie adaptations are just that.. adaptations, they aren't verbatim. They are suppose to capture the essence of the story and I think LOTR and Harry Potter have done that. Stuff written in books is sometimes hard to translate to the big screen. The one great thing about this is if you don't like the movies.. then you have the books.. I guess I am lucky as I love the books and I appreciate the movies as well.

[Locutus]

I have to say, I enjoyed the film, but I think everyone is making some very good points here. 

The film felt a bit short, with some limited takes on many of the characters. The story as well felt abbreviated.

But I also felt that everything in the movie was done very well, and Radcliff portrayed the loneliness and angst very well, even if, due to the running time, it felt a little too explained by a  throwaway line in the end.

The SFX were very good. (I'm sorry KTrek but I really don't understand what you meant about them looking fake. I just didn't see it, and I'm generally pretty picky about those things.)

I would give it a slightly higher score than some, about a 4 out of 5, but that's only because due to the constraints of the studio (running times, etc.) they did as well as could reasonably be expected. And that last 25 minutes was simply amazing.

OTOH - I would much rather see these films done more to the books, and have longer running times consistent with the story being told - I'd say this one could have been about 5 and a half hours, maybe a couple of intermissions, and a catered lunch. ;)

[wso32]

I saw the film last weekend and like some others, I have never read any of the books and my recollection of some of the previous films is a bit sketchy.  I did enjoy this film very much although I did feel it was a bit short.  The film gave me a feeling that Harry will probably have to die for Valdemort to be defeated.  I can't say exactly why, it's just the feeling I got from watching the film.  I guess we will find out tonight at midnight. 

I do plan to start the books at some point, but right now I just don't have the time. 

[Ktrek]

  The film gave me a feeling that Harry will probably have to die for Valdemort to be defeated.  I can't say exactly why, it's just the feeling I got from watching the film.  I guess we will find out tonight at midnight. 

Well, conveniently Rowlings did give herself an out to NOT kill Harry because the Prophecy sphere broke which to means that the prophecy no longer has to play out the way it was given. I may be wrong but I think not. However, if she does not kill off Potter she will have gone against the archetypes she has been playing. If Potter is the Christ character in her books then "no greater love has a man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. End of story! Potter dies and saves his friends!

Kevin

[Locutus]

Could be Neville.

[iceman]

I saw the movie yesterday, and have noticed that each movie is getting much more darker then the last. Very enjoyable and entertaining though.

[Geekyfanboy]

I can't wait for this... lots of fun extras

Warner Home Video has provided ComingSoon.net with a first look at the new DVD cover artwork for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The summer blockbuster will be released as a Two-Disc Special Edition, a Widescreen version, a Full Screen version, a Blu-ray Disc and a HD DVD on December 11.

The Two-Disc Special Edition, Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD will include: 10 minutes of never before seen footage; an A&E documentary; a featurette called "Trailing Tonks," in which you spend a day with actress Nat Tena and receive a very personal and often wacky tour of the "Order of the Phoenix" stages; a "Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing" feature, in which director David Yates and editor Mark Day show us what a difference a good edit makes and then allow you to edit a scene; "The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter" in which look for clues in the past Harry Potter films for what the future films may hold; an "In Movie Experience," in which you join the cast from Dumbledore's Army as they come together to share memorable moments; as well as more "making of" featurettes and "Fun and Games."

[Rico]

Cool!  Every format!  So all will be happy!

[Dan M]

Cool.  This was the first HP movie I didn't see in the theater.  At the time, I hadn't read the book.  (I'm halfway through HP7 now.)  I'm looking forward to seeing how the filmmakers envisioned the Ministry of Magic and other elements of the Order of the Phoenix.