Saturday, July 14, 2007
♥ 11:25 pm
Just came back from watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix...
To be honest, i was kinda put off by the show. The plot was so diluted from the actual story, that it became sort of a rush to finish. Everything was done in double-quick time.
This has to be put down to the scriptwriters. By cutting so much of the story to squeeze it into the 2 hr 15 min, it became a weak, unrealistic movie. The movie lacks depth, and is rather shallow to it as well.
By doing this, every character (except Harry) has his/her character development diluted (in the case of Ron/Hermione, very severely), and it seems like the major characters have been diminished in role.
Dumbledore hardly appears, the budding romance between Ron/Hermione is pushed into limbo, and the battle in the Department of Mysteries becomes a farce. How can 6 Death Eaters do hardly a scratch on 6 teens?
And another thing. The kiss between Harry and Cho is sooooooooo overrated. They kiss, and than nothing happens. No development, and it is as if the kiss is meant to please the fans. In the end, Cho betrays the DA. ?
Now, my awards....
Best Student Actor:
Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch)
Honourable Mention:
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe)
No contest here, even though Harry deserves a mention by improving on the Potter character and creating a darker side to it. But Lynch manages to show the daydreamish, fantasy like character of Loony Luna, and for a rookie, that is really impressive. Only thing is that we see hardly anything of her, which is a waste.
Best Actor:
Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge)
Honourable Mention:
Jason Issacs (Lucius Malfoy)
No contest again, Umbridge really is the star of this show, managing to act both sweet and nasty in one face. Lucius Malfoy manages to act as a classy villain, befitting his status as the rich guy and the Death Eater in one breath.
Surprisingly none of the Order guys have any memorable role in this movie. What a waste.
Most Memorable Scene:
The Weasley twins comforting a young boy who got into Umbridge's detentions. A different side of the twins, who were only pranksters. Their escape is also not as fantastic as in the books.
Scene that would eject you from your seat:
Winner: The Death of Sirius Black.
Three words. What the Fuck. Sirius Black, perennial bad guy, Harry's hero, powerful wizard, dies in a daze and a flutter. What the hell...
(Dis)honourable mention: The Kiss
Again. Nothing against the kiss, but it is not developed. No dates, no conversation between them after that, and a kinda-break up. and the preceding talk, is really spastic. No 'I like you Harry', or anything of that sort...
Most Improved Student Actor: Matthew Lewis (Nevile Longbottom)
His role is increasing, and so is his acting capabilities. Excellent portrayal of the pain that Nevile faces.
Worst Student Actor: Katie Leung (Cho Chang)
Not really her fault here, it's due to the cutting that makes her role so insignificant, that she just kissed Harry and that's it. That's due to more of poor scripting more than anything.
I think that the acting generally has been excellent, and the character development of Harry is good, and Radcliffe's acting has improved. However, it can be said that there is little use for other characters in this book. All the stalwart British actors/actresses in this movie have been mere extras. Plot is way too quick, and although i am not looking for a photocopy of the movie, this one fails to capture the essences of the novel at all. The movie is disjointed, and the important details in between are left out, and movie fantasies are thrown in without consideration. Generally, the blame has to fall on Yates, who has changed the movie to suit his own fantasy. A good Potter movie (i.e 4 by Mike Newell) can capture the essence of the movie, cut down the fat (but not the muscle) and add in his own flair to it. Yates has failed on all 3 points. It is hard to believe that the longest HP novel has the shortest movie (138 mins). It doesn't make sense, and the movie really is not up to expectations.
2.5/5...
on another note....
RESULTS ON MONDAY!!! DAMN!!!
Labels: Harry Potter, Movies
