 | Distributor: | Warner Bros. |
| Release: | June 4, 2004 Opened June 2, 2004 in Manila | |
| Genre: | Fantasy | |
| MPAA Rating: | PG for frightening moments, creature violence and mild language |
Having had a dose of 2 previous HP films, 3 LOTR films, and Troy, I've had enough of expecting movies being true to the books 100% - they simply won't. Makes me enjoy the movie better, too.
Based on the reaction of people who saw the movie but aren't familiar with the book, two things can either happen:
- They don't understand the movie because some characters pop in and out without too much introduction.
- Those who understood the movie would have missed the other parts of the book that didn't make it to the screen.
- They'd know that Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter were classmates, but not know they were the same Padfoot, Mooney, Prongs and Wormtail in the map.
- They'd probably figure out Snape knew James, but not really digest that they were in the same batch in school.
- No one questioned why Lupin knew how to read the map - they assume he used magic to figure it out.
- They wouldn't know Ron and Hermione had a falling out because of the new broom because the said broom didn't arrive till the last part of the movie.
- They wouldn't think Crookshanks COULD be a magical cat (that fact was not affirmed in the book).
Other comments, and in no particular order:
- Believe it or not, my favorite in the movie is THE tree with an attitude - the Whomping Willow ofcourse! Irritated with chirpy birds, would get rid of snow if it could - a real all-around grouch personified in a tree.
- Malfoy is a real sissy here - a contrast from the slightly malicious kid of the previous two movies.
- Ron in this movie is the apologetic coward, and is not much different from the sissy Malfoy. Brilliant facial expressions in some scenes, overdoing it in others.
- Hermione's turned superwoman - didn't her arms ache at throwing Harry into the passageway under the whomping willow?
- Harry's more the regular kid here. I liked that.
- Dumbledore's more mischievous, but he's not coming across as the wise old man that vibrates strong power. Harris lacked the mischief, Gambon lacked the "presence". Wish Gambon would recreate Dumbledore into someone between the two characterizations... otherwise he's just the mischievous old man.
- Once I have the DVD I would freeze the frame on the news article that had the Weasleys in Egypt. What does Bill look like? Was Scabbers on Ron's shoulders as he was in the book?
- The charms professor had a makeover ... barely recognized him except for the height.
- The hippogriff looked grand. Awe-inspiring creature yet adorable - can't get enough ferrets, it seems.
- Crookshanks didn't have much exposure, which disappointed me a bit. But maybe that's because my family loves cats (can't help loving the creatures - the oldest one we have is smart - she woke everyone up when a snake got in the house, and her male kitten amuses us because he watches TV as if he understood it - his brother and sisters don't watch TV though, just sleep on the TV sets).
- I haven't read Book3 for a long time, but is the song sung by the choir at the opening of Hogwarts in the book? The words are just very familiar to me, I could have read it somewhere else if not in the HP books ... although in my mind it's a woman's voice saying the words.
- I fear the onslaught of Remus/Sirius slash fiction ... the friend who watched it with me on opening day (Jun 2) was giggling at the shrieking shack and wolf transformation scenes ... she wouldn't be the only one thinking about a slash plot. Same person thinks Hermione's turning into a two-timer (playing Ron and Harry). With her making me giggle at even Harry saying to Snape, "Put down your wand", I just had to watch the movie a second time - alone, with a "pure" mind, and no one distracting me with silliness!
