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Original poster

To think the acting in Harry Potter is just awful?

228 replies

LookingForAlaskas · 20/10/2019 20:25

Not watched the films in ages and the third one was on tonight.

It honestly felt like some parts were like a drama class in school. Very cringe.

OP posts:
AloneLonelyLoner · 20/10/2019 21:45

I managed to sit through the first one but it was so shit that I've not bothered with the others. And I just couldn't bear the books (though admittedly I only read half the first one, that's an hour I won't get back).

LaurieMarlow · 20/10/2019 21:45

I feel like DR got a bit better. EW ruined Hermione...RG was decent to start with and also got better. Bonnie Wright is embarrassingly terrible

This analysis is spot on Grin

OkayGo · 20/10/2019 21:46

I love Harry Potter so much. So much. But you are right. The acting is terrible.

MitziK · 20/10/2019 21:47

Be fair.

They are working with scripts derived from fucking shite merchandising manuals books.

Dissimilitude · 20/10/2019 21:47

The child acting is terrible, for the most part, only getting marginally better as they get older.

Still love every one of the movies though.

Jinglejanglefish · 20/10/2019 21:48

Ginny is AWFUL. Seriously AWFUL. I don't know what anyone was thinking in regards to writing and casting her character. Fucking atrocious. That shoe tying scene. WHAT THE FUCK

UsedtobeFeckless · 20/10/2019 21:51

I liked the books but the films were really, really crap.

SachaStark · 20/10/2019 21:53

I agree with the PP who said that they must have cast Ginny because she was a cute little red-headed girl, and she could say the single line she was given for the first film, and would also be able to lie quite still to pretend to be dead when the second film came along.

But fuck, they obviously had no clue/forward thinking/Rowling didn’t tell them exactly how significant Ginny would become later, and that having some kind of acting ability was going to be important.

They really should have just let her finish writing the books first.

bellinisurge · 20/10/2019 21:53

Rupert Grint is the best of the three. The grown ups are hamming it up for fun.

OkayGo · 20/10/2019 21:54

The one scene that kills me with cringe every time is in one of the last films. Ginny offers a mince pie to Harry and says 'open up you, don't you trust me?'

No you fucking weirdo who does that !

NaviSprite · 20/10/2019 21:57

I'm pretty sure the story of Daniel Radcliffe getting the part was something to do with him being spotted by the directors (or those in charge of casting I can't remember) when he was in the audience at a theatre and they just thought "that kid looks like Harry Potter!".

Tom Felton (Draco) originally auditioned to play Ron Weasley (after he'd appeared in The Borrowers with Ginger hair and all).

Emma Watson was cast because she fit best out of all the girls who auditioned as she Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint had 'instant chemistry (apparently).

I thought the adult cast was pretty good, never really liked David Thewlis as Lupin though... and Richard Harris (R.I.P) was a far superior Dumbledore!

As for why I know all the weird random facts about the kid cast, my birthday is the same as Daniel Radcliffe's and my Sister decided to write a fun fact about the Harry Potter movies in my cards ever since she discovered this.... it's been interesting!

But then she did get me to read the books (I made fun of her for reading them when we were kids) and I was immediately hooked so I can't be too annoyed :')

Oakmaiden · 20/10/2019 22:00

The books are not well written, the films are not greatly acted.

Stonking yarns, though....

TheCanterburyWhales · 20/10/2019 22:11

Very true Oakmaiden. I often use JK and HP as examples at school. Pointing out that they are, overall, badly written but wonderful storytelling.

Perpetuallyperplexed27 · 20/10/2019 22:13

Has anyone seen Horns with DR? Really good film and DR acts really well in it I think. Maybe he was just shit as Potter?

TerribleCustomerCervix · 20/10/2019 22:14

But fuck, they obviously had no clue/forward thinking/Rowling didn’t tell them exactly how significant Ginny would become later, and that having some kind of acting ability was going to be important.

This does make sense, but remember Ginny has a fairly significant role in Chamber of Secrets.

The Castjng Team would have known they needed a tween capable of conveying Ginny’s excitement at starting a new school, her crush on Harry, her fear and descent into becoming Voldemort’s tool to raise the Basilisk.

Instead they clearly just picked BW on the basis that she already had ginger hair.

tiredgirl123 · 20/10/2019 22:18

Acting in first 5 is so bad..BUT the casting is great as thats exactly how I pictured them when I was reading the books, same with Twilight fucking dreadful acting..but they capture the characters ( all those were dreadful films but I love them) the others are Hunger Games, superb casting, Katniss in particular, loved the books, movies were meh.. it's an impossible task to really match the books but I liked them, especially the last 2, they were brilliant..

EugenesAxe · 20/10/2019 22:20

Totally YANBU it’s pants. Laughing aloud at “I’m a... what?”; would like to raise you “But Hagrid! I can’t be a... a wizard” and “ A car crash! A car crash kill Lily ‘n’ James Potter?!”

However I do like Lupin in all films, and Ron. Hermione is generally shit in all bar the later films with the exception of “Millicent Bulstrode - Slytherin” in #2, which I find hilarious. I especially hated her histrionics at the Yule Ball. I really liked this moment of Dawn French’s:
“Amaaazing!! Just with my voice!”
”Fortuna Major!”
”Yes alright. Go in.”

I’m quite sad Jack Whitehall wasn’t cast 😆

tiredgirl123 · 20/10/2019 22:21

My company by sheer chance does work at WB Watford and we actually installed the Gringotts floor, I've been and if you are a HP fan.. you should go, very worth the money and I may be biased but truly I thought it was amazing. Smile

4cupsofcoffee · 20/10/2019 22:22

Ginny is cringeworthy

Greenwingmemories · 20/10/2019 22:25

I agree about BW. Absolutely no way HP would fall in love with her. She's so wet. It's embarrassing in the kissing scene.

I liked the Luna Lovejoy actor. I thought her spacey delivery worked well in the role. Ron and Hermione I thought were okay. Hermione is supposed to be stiff, so I think Emma either acts like that anyway, and therefore fits the role, or does a good job in portraying it. Harry is a bit wooden, it has to be said. But the stories are so good and the adult actors are great. Especially when Snape is dying in the last film. Very moving.

Triglesoffy · 20/10/2019 22:26

Watford is definitely worth a visit!

Helendee · 20/10/2019 22:27

tiredgirl123
We went last week for our 27th visit!
It’s just amazing and the whole Gringotts set is jaw-dropping; MUCH better than I was expecting.

tiredgirl123 · 20/10/2019 22:33

Thats great to hear @Helendee, the floor was an amazing project and we are very proud of it..

Newstart571 · 20/10/2019 22:34

I’ve just googled ‘you’re a wizard Harry’ and ended up watching the most bizarre video which began quite normally but then descended into two characters swapping increasingly mad insults.

That’s enough internet for today.....

I quite enjoyed the films.

Honeyroar · 20/10/2019 22:37

We've been to Watford twice and loved it (not seen Gringotts yet). I can't remember seeing the audition tapes though.

I can't believe everyone thinks RG was the best child actor, I thought he was the worse by far! All the Weasley kids were dreadful. V

But I still love the overall effects of the films (apart from the last one) and the books.