to think that the Harry Potter are timeless literature and the films are woefully miscast?

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Inflammatory title to draw you in. I hope. I just fancied some HP chat.

I'm re-watching the films at the moment. Is it me or is there something old-ladyish about Alan Rickman's mouth? I realize I am thinking about this far too hard, and I know it's practically forbidden to speak ill of him on MN. But every time I see those films, I'm disappointed again that he just isn't as sexy as his voice.

I also think the Burrow looks all wrong to me. I love what they do with the reeds in the scene where Bellatrix taunts Harry and he and Ginny run after her. But I imagined the Burrow being rural and farmland-ish, with an overgrown garden around it - not plonked down in the middle of a marsh. Am I right?

What's your favourite bit of the films/books?

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Should have 'books' in the title, obviously. Let's just pretend that was my subconscious rebelling against labelling them timeless lit (it wasn't. It was a typo).

[Alisvolatpropiis]

I thought all the Dursleys and Dumbledore II were woefully miscast.

Appreciate Richard Harris was the original (and perfect) and there may have been a mad rush to recast following his illness and subsequent death, but Gambon? Really?! Wrong wrong wrong.

[TheWoollybacksWife]

Some of the casting was inspired though. Rupert Grint was perfect as Ron, as were Maggie Smith, Brendan Gleeson and Bill Nighy who were perfect for their characters.

I watched all the films with my DD1 who is a teeny bit obsessed and kept chuntering through the films where they missed bits out.

Alan Rickman was sexier in Robin Hood.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Yes, I agree.

I didn't hate Gambon as much as some people do, but I just couldn't find his and Harry's supposed 'bond' convincing. I know it's because we find out he's actually a manipulative old git, but you're meant to find him believably charismatic before that.

Watching the bit in the films where he chats to Harry about whether he's with Hermione or not is just so very wrong.

[Ronmione]

Do you thi knof alan rickman as an old lady because you know what's going to happen though, because he does appear in an old lady's dress at one point.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Oh, sorry, was agreeing with alis but do also agree AR was sexier twenty years ago. Mean to say, but it's true, isn't it?

[Ronmione]

Think of = thi knof

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

Yhe books are amazing. I avoided them for years as I was convinced it was a "big marketting ploy" and I was above it all then I tried Philosophers Stone and read it all in one sitting. I managed the first four books in seven days. Then had to wait an age for the fifth book.to.come.out.

I never hold.much stock with book to film adaptations (Life of Pi bei g the only movie to ever match the amazingness of the book), and the HP movies were an incredible let down after the books. So much so that I am banning the movies until after dd has finished all the books.

My main issues with the movies:

1. Rickman is (whilst not fat) too chubby looking to be Snape. Im imagining Snape to be almost malnourished looking, sallow and drawn, from JKRs descriptions. Rickmam is too well fed. The voice is amazeballs though
   
2. they never ever explained in the movie who the Maurauders were, or that they "all appeared in the grounds on that night" In POA.
   
3. They didnt include the line "I do not feel scared, Harry, I am with you" when AD amd HP were in the Horcrux Cave
   
4. Ginny was feisty Modern Woman in the books and wet rag 1950s housewife in the movies
   
   I did enjoy the reed scene though OP. I also thought the sets were phenomenal and the special effects. The studio tour is an amazing experience and I will be returning.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

ron - no, don't think so. I think it's something about the shape of his mouth. It just looks feminine to me, and not in a good way.

[dancestomyowntune]

i also feel that the Burrow was not as described in the books.

For me the lack of Winky the house elf in the Goblet of Fire was a depressing omission.

i loved Snape, but agree that Dumbledore II was not right at all. I also didn't think that Professor Umbridge was right. I can't put my finger on why, but i just didn't think she was right.

[BudsBeginingSpringinSight]

I think the boy who plays HP was mis cast, really really was no feeling or sensitivity....I am sure someone told me it was a behind scenes part of casting persons family? some sort of back hander...

[SnapeAndLily]

Wasn't keen on Emma Thompson, Gary Oldman or David Thewlis. David Tennant was an inspired choice though. Liked Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Evanna Lynch.

And Nick Moran, for perving purposes

[Ninjabread]

HBC as bellatrix was perfect. I also loved all the weasleys. Daniel Radcliffe is completely wooden and has no magic about him whatsoever.

[TheWoollybacksWife]

I do find that I watch the films and mentally tick off a list of British "great actors" and try to think what "big names" weren't in the films.

[MrsBungle]

I love the casting. Just how I imagined it, I can't think of a character that isn't how I imagined. Diagon alley is just how I envisaged. I do agree about the burrow, though, I imagined much more 'enclosed' by trees and woodland and farmland.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Yes! The Marauders! They are such a great bit of the books and the truly massive corpus of HP fanfic which I never read and wouldn't dream of asking for recs.

The sets were gorgeous.

[SnapeAndLily]

And yes to The Burrow being wrong - should have been rural farmhousy, not towering wooden thing.

Shell Cottage didn't quite hit the right note for me either.

Privet Drive, Hogwarts, Diagon Alley all good though.

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

Yy to Rupert Grint but noooooo to Emma Watson. At least in the first few. She really.only learned acting in the last three movies. Up until then she was pants!

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

I think Umbridge is a little bit caricatured, both in the books and the films. The problem is the films then get serious with quasi-Communist imagery for the anti-Muggle propaganda and are really, really dark, and it doesn't quite fit with someone prancing around in a bright pink dress. Or Bellatrix in goth-gear.

[juneybean]

I'm re-reading them (for the millionth time) and I just keep bringing up questions that I'm sure JKR has answered somewhere.

I'm currently on the fourth book...

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

I liked the casting for Slughorn - played perfectly. Also loved the scene where he and Dumbledore repaired the damaged muggle home.

[Thebodyloveschocolateandwine]

Love the films and the books.

My older dcs grew up with Harry as we read them the books, my dh read the huge goblet of fire to the older ones each night on their first holiday abroad. We had a 6 week old dd at that time too so lots of lovely memories.

Alan Rickman is beyond sexy and the feed scene is brilliant.

Love all the casting myself to be honest.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Great name, snapeandlily.

I agree Hogwarts and so on were great. I especially love the floating candles in the Hall and the way they're all blown out in the gust when Bellatrix smashes the windows as she goes.

[YouTheCat]

I love every single minute of the films and every line of the books.

[tisrainingagain]

I thought Alan Rickman was good as Snape (though I see what you mean about his mouth), though oddly more sympathetic in the films than in the books.

I actually think it's odd that so many of the actors look very much how you would imagine the book characters. Ron, Hermione, Harry, Hagrid, all of the Weasleys, Dolores Umbridge.

I actually thought the Dursleys were well cast. Dumbledore II was less like the Dumbledore in my head than Dumbledore I, but I thought Michael Gambon was great. Much more charismatic than Richard Harris and I loved the Irish lilt to his voice.