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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think the acting in Harry Potter is really bad?

167 replies

Evennumberonthevolume · 28/12/2016 20:43

Referring primarily to the main three.

I haven't seen the films in so long but watched them when they've been on this week and it's so bad.

OP posts:
Graphista · 28/12/2016 20:58

Awful! I'm so glad my dd wasn't a fan (books or films). What is unique? I don't see anything unique about any of it! Total rip off/amalgamation of Enid blyton books (and other boarding school series). Films very Disney live action style.

throwingpebbles · 28/12/2016 20:58

YANBU. Rupert Grint (Ron) is ok. But the other two are excruciatingly terrible.

Absolutely stellar adult cast though.

HumphreyCobblers · 28/12/2016 20:59

I used to think this about Daniel Radcliffe (never minded the other two, in fact I found Hermione the most convincing of the three) but he has grown on me over the years.

It is a shame the actor that played Malfoy didn't get the part though, he would have been much better in the long run.

RichardBucket · 28/12/2016 21:01

YANBU

You look at Mara Wilson and Macaulay Culkin and realise all the 'They were just kids!' stuff doesn't wash. The casters could have found children who could act.

Rupert Grint was alright though, from what I saw. Only watched a few of the movies because they were so bad.

mayemerald · 28/12/2016 21:01

So agree about EW emphasising every other word. She also manages to sound faintly hysterical all the time.

AVirginLitTheCandle · 28/12/2016 21:01

I'm always surprised by how many people think Rupert Grint is the best of a bad bunch. I think he's terrible and easily the worst of the main three.

VeryBitchyRestingFace · 28/12/2016 21:01

I've just switched on.

Have never seen the films nor read the books.

Not gonna last another 5 minutes at this rate. Confused

QueenMortificado · 28/12/2016 21:02

The children are awful. Hermione looks like she has a stick up her arse permenantly.

I too am dreading her portrayal of Belle. As far as I've seen from the trailers she is Hermione in a yellow dress.

VladmirsPoutine · 28/12/2016 21:03

Yanbu, it's terrible. That said, I don't think they ever improved as the series went on.
They must thank their lucky stars each night. The film would have been the making of any stage-schooler.

MrsA2015 · 28/12/2016 21:03

Just what I was thinking, I've come on mumsnet because I cant watch it without cringing

MischiefManagedAlways · 28/12/2016 21:03

And the dress is nothing like Belle's!

user1471597558 · 28/12/2016 21:07

It is interesting that others think Emma Watson's acting was bad. I always thought that the way she spoke and carried herself in the first films were the part of a bossy, uptight Hermione, who later became better at fitting in as she went through Hogwarts.

nichito · 28/12/2016 21:08

YANBU.

Daniel Radcliffe has "grown into" acting and Rupert Grint is decent, but Emma Watson is diabolical in everything I've seen her in. She was used as an example of shoddy acting when I was at drama school.

All three were not too bad as little ones in the first two, then they reached the awkward pubewcsvent age in 3 and 4 where none of them were much cop because they were all painfully self-conscious and then in the later ones Grint was decent again and Radcliffe had pulled his socks up a bit/compensated for lack of natural ability. But IMO Watson has been painful to watch throughout Blush

They are lovely films though - lovely enough that the crappy acting doesn't ruin them for me.

Tartyflette · 28/12/2016 21:09

It's the dead hand of the english Stage Schools at work .... (You know the ones, mostly based in London, long-established fee-paying schools for star-struck kids. )
The children churned out by these schools are all pretty much dreadful in the same way, they've had all originality drummed out of them in favour of 'eyes and teeth' type mottos and hamminess. Terrible hamminess. Some do improve as they get older.
I look at American kids' acting in films and they knock spots off the home-grown 'talent' .

JoffreyBaratheon · 28/12/2016 21:11

I remember seeing Daniel R. in 'David Copperfield' on TV, before he was in Harry Potter and thinking what a good child actor he was. Hermione and Ron are shocking. But both improve (then again, who wouldn't given infinite money, time and coaching?)

Original poster
Evennumberonthevolume · 28/12/2016 21:14

Beauty and the Breast is ruined for me already.

OP posts:
QueenMortificado · 28/12/2016 21:15

Beauty and the Breast is ruined for me already.

Me too. I much preferred Debbie Does Dallas. Or Laurence of A-Labia.

Wifflewaffles · 28/12/2016 21:17

Alan Rickman was brilliant. Malfoy was pretty good, but the main three are not good actors apparently. To be fair, I think that they are self aware that their acting in hp was not great. They must feel so lucky to have been in the right place at the right time.

The kid from Nanny McPhee/Love actually was a good child actor. Remember him?

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 28/12/2016 21:19

I think the children's acting is fairly wooden in the first few at least. They seemed to improve after no. 5, for me.

But it's not just them/their acting - the pacing is shocking in some too, and that has to be at least partly the director's fault. Malfoy in particular had some terrible bits!

Thing is though, I don't watch them for the acting. I almost never watch films of books that I've read, the only reason I watched the HP films is because I wanted to see how they did it. So from that perspective, the films were mostly really good.

I still hate Imelda Staunton as a result - her portrayal of Umbridge has left me with a permanent dislike of seeing her, poor woman!

ArmySal · 28/12/2016 21:19

Beauty and the Breast is ruined for me already.

Me too. I much preferred Debbie Does Dallas. Or Laurence of A-Labia.

Crying GrinGrin

ragdoll700 · 28/12/2016 21:21

I think Harry is crap the other two are ok

MistressMerryWeather · 28/12/2016 21:21

Yes, it's wonderfully awful.

Emma Watson's eyebrows should have their own place in the credits.

Northernlurker · 28/12/2016 21:21

I think part of the problem is that the main three are playing characters who are not very fleshed out. The guys who played malfoy and Neville had a lot more to work with.
Of course the worst has to be Ginny.....

The kids for the narnia films were cast at around the same time and are much better imo.

QueenLizIII · 28/12/2016 21:21

Rupert Grint is quite good. If you watch the second one when they are flying in the car, he does genuine expressions so well.

Daniel is wooden and Emma Watson is rubbish.

PoorYorick · 28/12/2016 21:21

Yes, they are awful.