My history with Harry Potter is, I would say, pretty much non-existent. When the sixth book first came out, I made a bet with a friend that I could read it in two days. To do so, however, I had to read all the books that came before it so that I wouldn't be completely lost when I raced through Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I borrowed the books from another friend who was a fan (and maybe the library as well; I don't really remember) and I pretty much raced through those as well. I enjoyed them while I was reading them but afterwards it all kind of faded away and now I won't be able to tell you a single thing about what happens in them.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Well, the craze sure is present -- sessions were selling out rapidly and there was a line into Cinema One that almost extended to the start of the foyer. I think the fact that someone spewed up in the previous session and so there was a delay in getting the doors open might have played a part in that, but yeah. Everyone was anticipating this film quite a bit, but there was definitely some trepidation as to whether or not it would justify the book.
Books-to-movies are generally not excellent. In the books, JK Rowling has all the time in the world to set up a great, fast-paced, action packed book that will thrill her readers. In this movie, David Yates had 138 minutes to get in the main action from the book, set up the scene, resolve it and basically squash a fairly epic 870 pages (US version) into a film reel that won't bore the kiddies and adults alike.
You don't have to have read the books to know that there was a lot missing from the novel version (good thing they said "Based on the novel by JK Rowling" in the credits), but having a solid knowledge of the events in the book will help you enjoy this film so much more. I was a bit bored at the beginning and started tossing popcorn about partway through, and the segment of the film that actually stirred me was ten minutes from the end (the climax/denouement of the movie where Lucius Malfoy, Harry, Sirius Black, Dumbledore and eventually Voldemort himself have a considerable wand-tussle). The best bit of the movie was the lighting effects.
But I'm probably one of the most tepid Harry Potter observers you will find. I read the books to complete a bet (which I eventually lost because I couldn't be stuffed reading The Half Blood Prince); I watched the movies to get an idea of what all the hype was about (not that I remember any of them). Throughout the movie I could hear Matt grumbling about the missing parts, how the representation in the book wasn't translated properly on screen, and after the movie I asked Mena for her opinion, which was pretty much the same.
Having said that, though, I'll return to the fact that David Yates had such limited time with HP&tOotP. If you're a die-hard fan then you would probably want to watch it anyway because it's HP related; if you're a casual fan, you might find it striking your fancy but overall I would say... 7.5/10 and you might want to get it out on DVD or something instead of paying for a ticket -- people who don't know what happens in the book will have a hard time; people who know what happens in the book already know what happens in the movie, so.
Oh and Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge was a real highlight for me. Total win.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Well, the craze sure is present -- sessions were selling out rapidly and there was a line into Cinema One that almost extended to the start of the foyer. I think the fact that someone spewed up in the previous session and so there was a delay in getting the doors open might have played a part in that, but yeah. Everyone was anticipating this film quite a bit, but there was definitely some trepidation as to whether or not it would justify the book.
Books-to-movies are generally not excellent. In the books, JK Rowling has all the time in the world to set up a great, fast-paced, action packed book that will thrill her readers. In this movie, David Yates had 138 minutes to get in the main action from the book, set up the scene, resolve it and basically squash a fairly epic 870 pages (US version) into a film reel that won't bore the kiddies and adults alike.
You don't have to have read the books to know that there was a lot missing from the novel version (good thing they said "Based on the novel by JK Rowling" in the credits), but having a solid knowledge of the events in the book will help you enjoy this film so much more. I was a bit bored at the beginning and started tossing popcorn about partway through, and the segment of the film that actually stirred me was ten minutes from the end (the climax/denouement of the movie where Lucius Malfoy, Harry, Sirius Black, Dumbledore and eventually Voldemort himself have a considerable wand-tussle). The best bit of the movie was the lighting effects.
But I'm probably one of the most tepid Harry Potter observers you will find. I read the books to complete a bet (which I eventually lost because I couldn't be stuffed reading The Half Blood Prince); I watched the movies to get an idea of what all the hype was about (not that I remember any of them). Throughout the movie I could hear Matt grumbling about the missing parts, how the representation in the book wasn't translated properly on screen, and after the movie I asked Mena for her opinion, which was pretty much the same.
Having said that, though, I'll return to the fact that David Yates had such limited time with HP&tOotP. If you're a die-hard fan then you would probably want to watch it anyway because it's HP related; if you're a casual fan, you might find it striking your fancy but overall I would say... 7.5/10 and you might want to get it out on DVD or something instead of paying for a ticket -- people who don't know what happens in the book will have a hard time; people who know what happens in the book already know what happens in the movie, so.
Oh and Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge was a real highlight for me. Total win.
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