Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Originally Posted by Kairi Li

Spoiler:

Trailer hinted that it was Cho who betrays them and not her friend, is this true?

Spoiler:

Yes. Marietta Edgecomb is not the film. They must have figured it would be an easy way to end Harry and Cho's relationship, due to time constraints, than the who coffee shop fiasco and Harry's insensitivity. I thought it worked pretty well.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by CloudNine

Spoiler:

Yes. Marietta Edgecomb is not the film. They must have figured it would be an easy way to end Harry and Cho's relationship, due to time constraints, than the who coffee shop fiasco and Harry's insensitivity. I thought it worked pretty well.

Spoiler:

Damn, so the butter beer fiasco isnt' in the movie? That would have be so awesomely teenage awkward. But yeah, time constraints.. Hope it encourages people to read the book though, as Harry and Cho's uncompatalbility is subtle and slowly causes them to drift. The betrayal does save alot of time, but its a bit too cliche.

"You betrayed me so I don't love and trust you no more!"

Where as the book was more about an idealism of Harry's that slowly melts away as he realises Cho isn't as perfect or great as he thought she was. And of course what an emotional rollercoaster she was since Cedric died, and learning how complicated girls are, especially those that weren't really close to you before. Oh and Harry's unintentional insensitivity would have been nice, since the audience would have related to that.

And that even in Book 5, Ginny subtly showed she was alot more compatable than she was. EG: Coming up a better name for the DA, or the fact that when she was a seeker against Cho, she caught the snitch whereas Cho didn't. And of course Cho siding her friend despite the major betryal and fuck up she did was probably the last straw.

But eh, when I saw the trailer, I figured this would happen. Oh well.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Just saw this a few hours ago. The movie was ok for the most part, and some scenes were done really well, like the DA meetings and the battle at the Ministry. Some parts were cut though that probably shouldn't have been, especially merely for the sake of time, and the person that played Dumbledore just does not fit the character. The movie could have been considerably better (and longer) but its still a good movie anyway. Some spoliers of what was cut below.

Spoiler:

They did not show an explanation of how the Order of the Phoenix was able to enter the Dursley house undetected. Minor thing but I still found it funny in the book. St. Mungo's is not in the film. Instead, Arthur apparently apparates to inside number 12, Grimmauld Place. (If I remember correctly, the Blacks had measures in place to prevent this.) Buckbeak does not make an appearance, nor does Umbridge trying to get to Sirius, instead Harry is busted even before he sticks his head into the fire. Cho betrays the DA instead of her friend Marietta. When the Weasley twins make their escape, its a good fireworks show but there is no massive swamp taking up the entire hallway. Much of the initial exploration of the Department of Mysteries is not in the film, including the room with the spinning doors.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by dragon_87

Spoiler:

They did not show an explanation of how the Order of the Phoenix was able to enter the Dursley house undetected. Minor thing but I still found it funny in the book. St. Mungo's is not in the film. Instead, Arthur apparently apparates to inside number 12, Grimmauld Place. (If I remember correctly, the Blacks had measures in place to prevent this.) Buckbeak does not make an appearance, nor does Umbridge trying to get to Sirius, instead Harry is busted even before he sticks his head into the fire. Cho betrays the DA instead of her friend Marietta. When the Weasley twins make their escape, its a good fireworks show but there is no massive swamp taking up the entire hallway. Much of the initial exploration of the Department of Mysteries is not in the film, including the room with the spinning doors.

None of which is terribly important to the main plot.

I thought that the way it was written and what was changed and cut was very well done. Considering the length and density of the original book, it was excellent.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by CloudNine

None of which is terribly important to the main plot.

I thought that the way it was written and what was changed and cut was very well done. Considering the length and density of the original book, it was excellent.

I agree that none of my spoilers are essential to the plot, but I have read the book enough times to notice what was missing during the movie, and when I do not see what I had been expecting, it kind of detracts from the movies quality. I suppose its like when I expected to see the uprising of the Shire in the Return of the King (not essential to the plot but it would still be a good scene for people like me who would prefer unabridged and uncut theatrical versions of books.) The Order of the Phoenix definitely was well done even though I think the person playing Dumbledore did a terrible job. If I have time, I probably will see it again in the theater.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Is Michael Gambon still playing Dumbledore? Or is it a new guy for Order of the Phoenix?

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Concerning Cho,

Spoiler:

She didn't truly betray the DA as hinted by Snape saying Umbridge had "used the rest of the veritaserum on Miss Chang". Cue rift between Harry and her without her looking like a little turncoat. Worked pretty well, I'd say.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

The series has been progressively moving from childhood themes to young adulthood/aduthood themes...so why not beyond? Harry Potter's death would bring a gravity to the series.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Josh_1

Is Michael Gambon still playing Dumbledore? Or is it a new guy for Order of the Phoenix?

No, still Gambon. Which annoys me, because he's a completely different Dumbledore than Harris were. I get that he tries to give the role his own turn, and it would probably have sucked if he tried apping Harris, but does he have to act exactly opposite of the novel Dumbledore?

Anyways, I enjoyed the movie. The girl playing Luna stole the entire movie, hands down. She was exactly as loony as she should be. It was really a treat.
Also,

Spoiler:

the goat in the Hog's Head? A great touch!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

The reason that I enjoyed this so much is because you could tell that Michael Goldenberg (the screenwriter) is a great fan of the books and that he did his research.

It's true that due to time constraints and the fact that it is the longest and most dense book, they had to make some changes to the plot and it is thus probably the least adherent to the original book.

It was the little details that made the movie for me:

Spoiler:

Kreacher mumbling to himself while cleaning off Mrs. Black's picture frame, the Black family tree, Luna's radish earrings, the goat in the Hog's Head.

It's these little things that only die hard fans of the series will catch or understand the significance of that allow me to see past any plot changes or clarifications that are added due to the change in medium.

Besides the ending, which I must say was pretty abrupt.

Spoiler:

(They didn't even mention Sirius' death, besides from Bellatrix's shouts. Or discuss the significance of the prophecy? For two such vital things in capturing Harry's true mindset, they were pretty lax on that.)

I think that this movie is one of the best at capturing the mood and the essence of the book. I truly enjoyed this movie and am excited to see what David Yates can do with Half-Blood Prince.

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Did they have a new director for this movie? The movie was certainly fast-paced but a lot of the camera work was incredibly diverse from the other films.

I thought it was okay. I'd rent it but I don't think I'd buy another ticket. I saw this with my best friend and we picked away at all the little things they missed afterwards because we're purists, although I can understand some things had to be cut for time restraints.

Spoiler:

She thought that the mention of Snape overhearing the prophecy was highly significant; I have to admit, it gives a more plausible shape to Harry's hatred of him. In fact they didn't even show the entire prophecy, nor did Dumbledore and Harry talk about it afterwards. They didn't mention how Harry managed to get over finding out his father was a bully either, he just seemed to accept it.

I did like the way Umbridge was portrayed though, even if I think the actress looks nothing like she should. They managed to get the message across about the regime of the MOM rather clearly. Luna was portrayed wonderfully. I admit I noticed her radish earrings too and enjoyed that little touch.

I think it was the haphazard manner in which the film seemed to be put together that made me dislike the film a bit. Silly things like at Christmas, Sirius suddenly has a glass of punch that materialised out of nowhere. Or when Harry was trying to use Umbridge's fire to contact him; one minute he's attempting to use it, then he's speaking to Umbridge with Ginny, Luna, Neville and Ron behind the desk. Who the hell knows how they got there. It all seemed somewhat rushed =/

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Bernard Black

Did they have a new director for this movie? The movie was certainly fast-paced but a lot of the camera work was incredibly diverse from the other films.

Yes, David Yates directed this one. He is also doing Half-Blood Prince, I believe.

Originally Posted by Bernard Black

Spoiler:

She thought that the mention of Snape overhearing the prophecy was highly significant; I have to admit, it gives a more plausible shape to Harry's hatred of him.

Spoiler:

Harry doesn't learn that it was Snape who over heard the prophecy until the end of Half-Blood Prince, if I am not mistaken. Trelawney mentions it when she is talking about her job interview with Dumbledore, after she is thrown out of the Room of Reguirement by Draco Malfoy.

One continuity thing that did bother me:

Spoiler:

The use of the levicorpus spell by the students both during the DA lessons and the fight at the ministry. Harry first (knowingly) learns of this spell from the Half-Blood Prince's book, so none of the kids should know it at this point in time.

I was speaking idiomatically.

The big complaint I had with the movie was that the entire first-act lacked energy. The characters seemed listless on screen, and the script couldn't decide what it wanted to focus on. I wasn't so bothered about things being cut out and changed. After all, they're adapting quite a large book to a relatively short 2 hour movie. What really bothered me was the inability of the early part of the script to commit to what themes it wanted to focus on. Even the angst-ridden bits were either lifeless or overly melodramatic.

I also find it ironic that with increasing book length, the films seem to be getting shorter... Although more and more I've found it's better just to treat the books and the movies as separate entities.

Thankfully, it picked up a bit mid-way through the second-act, and the climax of the third-act was well-handled in the context of the movie.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Spoiler:

Am I the only one completely underwhelmed by Centaurs vs. Gwap? I mean what the hell, it's like he didn't even care he was being shot.

I could say a lot more, but Dumbledore's better than in the last movie, so props to him.

FELIPE NO

Just went to see it. Missed the first part cuz I was late.

It was okay - quite understandable that a lot of the book had to be chopped out, seeing as how Book 5 was so plodding at times. No Quidditch at all (including Weasley is the king chants and commentator Luna), no Peeves, no McGonagall getting owned by stupefies, no Marietta Edgecombe the sneak, no Rita Skeeter and the Quibbler, and very little emphasis placed on the OWLs.

I would have loved to see the scene where McGonagall pledged to help Potter become an auror. The much-ballyhoed wand combat was interesting - I want to see more of it, but Jedi acrobatics it ain't.

All in all, a good adaptation that holds my attention. Dumbledore's got style.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

The movie was awesome except for Michael Gambon still completely missing the mark. I swear that guy's never read the books or watched the first flicks with Richard Harris. They need to ditch him, or get him to calm down a bit and be more confident, wise, mysterious, and lovable.

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Just saw it. I don't read the books, so I can't compare nor do I care about inconsistencies with the books to be honest. However, the third movie, Prisoner of Azkhaban, still trounces this film. That is my favorite because the story and action were tight - there was no "dead space." I thought there was a ton of dead space in this film. It was brooding for brooding's sake; it wasn't leading anywhere in the end. For all the build-up to preparations for an attack on Hogwarts, I was extremely disappointed with what little action there was.

There is at least twice the action in the whirlwind ending of the third movie than this film. Also, the fourth film had just enough action due to the contest which kept the pace up and provided ample opportunity for action and conflict. The fourth film also had more action than OotP.

I did enjoy the film, and it provided us with many more answers than we knew before, but for a film titled "Order of the Phoenix" I was left wanting to see more of that order than the few minutes provided in the film...

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Meth

The movie was awesome except for Michael Gambon still completely missing the mark. I swear that guy's never read the books or watched the first flicks with Richard Harris. They need to ditch him, or get him to calm down a bit and be more confident, wise, mysterious, and lovable.

He has admitted in an Empire interview before that he never read the books.

I don't care what a veteran Theater actor he is, its acting 101 that you need to RESEARCH your character, especially if its an adaptation.

Saw the movie, visually entertaining, acting was spot on, but the pacing was so so and it was very condensed from the book. Ah well, this is why I encourage everyone I know who watches them to read it.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I don't mind Gambon, nor could I see Harris performing the duel at the end of this film. He played a good mentor in the first two, but Dumbledore actually has to do stuff now.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Haha I think luna lovegood movie persona is now my favorite.

Spoiler:

Anyone else think that the big standoff between Dumbledore and Voldemort looked like a ninja battle?

I was speaking idiomatically.

Luna was absolutely brilliant!
Very good casting.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I still have yet to read many of the books, (I can't seem to get myself to read Chamber of Secrets.) so I didn't notice any of the little things like radish earrings, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. However, you can tell it's a different director because of the pacing, which wasn't very good.

Spoiler:

The first half of it was Harry brooding and acting like a bitch toward all his friends, then suddenly they're infiltrating the Ministry, then BAM! Wizard battle, oh shit! Sirius Black is dead completely out of nowhere! Voldemort appears for 5 minutes and fights Dumbledore, (Which was a damn cool fight btw. Dumbledore doesn't fuck around.) movie over. The ending seemed really rushed to me and all the buildup in the trailers, even in the poster, saying stuff about a rebellion and a war, all amounts to nothing. Also, needs more Hagrid.

I agree with the poster above who said Prisoner of Azkaban was the best movie, with Goblet of Fire a close second.

Originally Posted by booboocat

Spoiler:

Anyone else think that the big standoff between Dumbledore and Voldemort looked like a ninja battle?

Yeah, if you watch too much Naruto.

FELIPE NO

I thought the girl playing Luna was brilliant. Great casting there. Still not nearly as good as POA, but that had one of the best directors on the planet so I guess that's to be expected. It was still better than Chris Columbus's movies. But they should do whatever it takes to get Alfonso Cuarón back for Deathly Hallows.

I didn't remember the book as well as a lot of you did, so a lot of these continuity points didn't bother me.

The problem I had was that things just didn't look remotely close to how I pictured them. As I read about the battle at the end, I got this picture in my head of how the final few places would look. And it was nothing like it. I didn't think the Ministry of Magic looked very foreboding, it just looked black, which isn't the same thing necessarily. From what I imagined in the book's description, I feel that they either didn't read the book or ignored that altogether for something maybe easier to do in CGI.

And I totally didn't picture Grimmauld Place as being so goddamn skinny. What the hell was that?

This movie was really the first that I felt the director had no idea what anything was supposed to look like. Everything else was close before, but, I dunno, the new places that were introduced just seemed way, way off.

Also:

Spoiler involving the final book, possibly:

I seem to remember that the end of OOTP, Neville became this super huge character, he had an important battle at the end and grew throughout the book. And though I don't remember HBP very much, his role in DH is extremely important. But he really didn't do much in the movie. Which doesn't set him up for the future well.

Rita Skeeter is important in DH also, but I imagine they'll just completely cut that out again also.

I dunno, maybe I just feel like as the books get longer, they don't translate well into movies. I don't see how they get away with DH as a movie under 3 hours, I really don't.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by watkinzez

I don't mind Gambon, nor could I see Harris performing the duel at the end of this film. He played a good mentor in the first two, but Dumbledore actually has to do stuff now.

Gambon has none of the whimsicalness of Dumbledore, instead chooses to play him as a typical headmaster, which he also admitted in the same inteview I believed.

Anyone who has read the books knows he is not your typical stern headmaster.

C'mon look at what Ian Mckellan did with Gandulf! Dumbledore and Gandulf were constantly compared side by side because of their similar personality.

The fact that this man openly admits never reading or researching the character, unlike Mckellan who actually put some preparation in HIS role, he derserves no respect. Harris at the very leastt, nailed the persona right. Whether or not his health would have allowed him the stunts is another issue, but there's always a thing called "stunt doubles", and Dumbledore isn't exactly wielding a sword around.

Point is, I wanted an actor that actually attemtps to learn about the character, yet Gambon has ruined a visual adaption of the character, and it will be unlikly that we will see another portrayal any time soon. Its not like there's gonna be a remake.

When he

Spoiler:

dies in the 6th movie?

I wouldn't even give a damn. When I cringe everytime Dumbledore opens his mouth, that's a sign of bad casting.

This line killed me in Phoenix.

Quote:

Dumbledore turns to students and says gruffly: Don't you all have studying to do?!

This is something Dumbledore will never EVER say, and certainly not in such a nasty tone, no matter how angry he feels inside regarding Umbridge, he NEVER takes it out on his students.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

The character playing Luna was perfect. Just perfect.
It was a bit of a disapointment that there was no Quidditch but they probably figured there was enough of that already in the other movies. and all in all I'd say considering the size of the book they did an alright job. Still Prisoner of Azkaban is my favourite of the movies so far. I can't even wait until Half-blood Prince comes out Nov 2008(I think).

There's nowhere I can't reach.