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?

Morning all

While reading "The Deathly Hallows" I did think that the ending seemed rushed and that some things weren't explained or on the other hand over explained. I also thought that Harry's crush on Ginny never had the same resonance or believability as his infatuation with Cho.

Despite all this I still found the last few chapters very moving. Especially his solitary walk into the forest to meet Voldemort. The build up of the previous books and not knowing exactly what would happen made me really invested in the events and I didn't want to read the end as I would never have the same anticipation again!

Harry going to speak to Dumbledore's portrait in his office and deciding to put the Elder Wand back in his tomb were better than what happened in the film but I suppose films have to have soundbite type moments for effect.

Question: did Harry finally defeat Voldemort because he was in possession of the deathly hallows at the time (though I suppose he had already dropped the resurrection stone in the forest) or because he, having Lily's protection and being capable of love, was always destined to do so?

I don't think they do sleep, they just patrol the corridors in their night clothes.

Zoe Wannamaker was good in the first film, it's a shame she didn't reappear.

I read Zoe Wannamaker asked for more money after the release of the first film and it was clear the movies were going to be successful. As I recall, she said the salary was rubbish for the lesser known actors and the studio was making gazillions so a pay increase didn't seem an unreasonable request.

Tisraining, the latter, I think.

I think destroying the Elder Wand was actually smarter than putting it back in the tomb; after all, Harry might live for more than 100 years, plenty of time to be defeated!

I hate the ending to the deathly hallows part 2 it was so different and removed from the book i just didn't like it where was the epic Molly and bellatrix fight and I really wanted to see Harry and Voldermort do the big end scene surrounded by everyone in the great hall it would of been amazing but alas it didn't happen so I don't want the last two films

Also no one has mentioned the St Mungos Hospital visit and the fact they chopped all that out and the letter Petunia gets from Dumbledore that stops Harry being thrown out by Vernon

I mind less that they edited stuff out as even with two films, they wouldn't have got it all in.

(I'd've edited out the epilogue if JKR allowed the film makers to do so, frankly!)

But it's annoying when they had the stuff in but changed it. Agree re bellatrix/Molly duel - that was Molly's big moment!

I think the child actors are tough - it had to be decided at a young age with no way of knowing how they'd grow as actors. Plus the script exaggerated the differences - Ron isn't stupid in the books, Harry's only a bit better academically than Ron.

My main issue with the films is what's left out, rather than what is left in.

So: Ginny having a backbone (especially her glorious teenage strops about Fleur)
The love story between Tonks and Lupin
Tonks' parents, and baby Teddy - the real tragedy of the end of the books is that history has essentially repeated itself and there is another orphaned baby whose parents died fighting evil.
How damaged Sirius is when he escapes from Azkaban.

Onscreen I love Neville (saving the world wearing a cardigan!) and Luna, who I think is just beautiful in every sense of the word. I've had very interesting chats with my DDs about whether Luna simply doesn't realise she is being bullied, or chooses not to recognise the fact. I agree with whoever said that Harry/Luna makes far more sense in the films than Harry/Ginny.

Fantasy casting of the characters that should have been included:
Andromeda Black Tonks: Kristin Scott Thomas
Ted Tonks: Philip Glenister

I loved Gambon as Dumbledore. He was quirky.

The rest of the casting was great apart from Umbridge. But despite not looking the part I thought Celia Imrie should have played Umbridge. I think she'd have nailed that role

I seriously fancy Jason Isaacs as Malfoy

I was ever so disappointed by the casting of Umbridge. I'd been really hoping for Terry Jones. He would have been marvellous.

I think Dawn French would have been brilliant as Umbridge if she hadn't already been the fat lady. She was who I pictured when I read the book.

Hated the early 2 films. POA was great though. Will definitely ensure my children read the books before seeing the films.

HP - he can't really act unfortunately. The boy who played Michael in My Family would have been better I think, even though when young he was a bit wooden too, but he developed.
Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were good, especially Emma Watson in the later books.
McGonagall and Snape were great.
Umbridge - I found the pink very sinister and creepy. It showed completely that evil doesn't always come a la Bellatrix. It also gave me the impression she thought she was right and had no idea she was evil, which is in a way creepier than Bellatrix.
Evanna Lynch was perfect.
Remus was wonderful, as was Snape.
The Malfoys were great and Draco was more sympathetic in the film, which was good as it was less black and white.

For me the most shocking thing was the abuse of Harry, which I didn't get when I read the books (knew it was bad, but I didn't really get it). When I had a 2 year old and realised that was the age when Harry was taken from a loving home and dumped with the Dursleys, I was sickened. So the bit in flashback where Lily tells baby Harry 'you are so so loved' just before she was killed made me howl in the cinema.

What surprised me was that the tent the Weasley's use at the Quidditch World Cup is nicer and roomier than their house! If they can magic up a fabulous tent, why can't they do something about their house?

I always felt that Rickman was right for Snape, it was simply a huge shame that he wasn't 20 years younger. I can't imagine anyone else in the role, but felt he was too old to pull it off properly as Snape needed.

Bellatrix and Mrs Weasley were both all wrong - hammishly over acted. No sense of evil from Bellatrix - she just came across as comically mad. Same with Mrs Weasley - all shrieky and devoid of any consideration.

YABVU to consider Harry Potter is literature.

I love that Imelda Staunton based Umbridge on Thatcher.

I think Emma Watson is appalling. Pretty but useless.
The worst part foot me was the final stand off between Harry and Voldemort. In the books, they circle each other like lions and talk to each other with Harry calling him 'Tom' etc. They didn't bother with any of that in the film and just threw in silence and a load of flashing lights. Lazy lazy lazy.

What have I missed??

Lavender. Excellent casting.

I liked Gambon. Hated Gary Oldman.

Huge bugbear is when Moody shouted 'to the burrowS' The Weasley house was called The Burrow. No S.

Also in CoS movie at the end and Lucius starts to say the killing curse at Harry. Really? really? And just how would he have explained that one. 'Oh he just happened to drop dead mysteriously right in front of me... honest'

Quite sad that Dan Radcliffes acting got better the drunker he was...

Oh yes Guybrush. 'let's finish this how we started - TOGETHER' Complete and utter twaddle.

Fred and George should have been sexy and been built like they played rugby, not lanky bean poles.

They cut too much out of the Half Blood Prince - where was the rest of Volemort's backstory??

Casting of Trelawny and Rita Skeeter - wrong! It's like they just needed to shove Emma Thompson and Miranda Richardson in somewhere. Think MR would have been a good Bellatrix. Narcissa Malfoy also wrong.

The epilogue is awful, but I think it's awful on the book too.

I thought DR worked quite well - he was just ordinary which is just how Harry was supposed to be.

I did fall totally for DR as Arthur Kipps though. Totally hot.

I wasn't as keen on Gambon but I suspect he would have done ok had he not been naturally compared to Richard Harris.

Slughorn was inspised

The actress who played narcissa was originally cast as bellatrix but fell pregnant

Oh Helen McCrory june! I think she would have been a better Bellatrix, as much as I like HBC she did ham it up as someone said upthread.