furtech | De rigueur Harry Potter post (Reply)

I have almost the opposite problem with PoA’s direction that I had with CC: this film felt like a “highlights” of the book, rather than a literal “fit it all in” adaptation (the first two films). I think this film could have used another thirty minutes. Unfortunately, this is the first film I’ve seen where I read the book first: I don’t think I would have understood it very well if I hadn’t (but there’s obviously no way to test that theory). I’m wondering how confused people who haven’t read PoA are going to be.

Sirius in dog form reminded me a LOT of a skinnier, lanker version of Gmork from Neverending Story.

I kept waiting for Lupin to have that heart-to-heart talk with Harry about the Mauraders: in the film the connection is never made between the map and Harry’s father, nor the four nicknames identified. Harry never seems to make the connection between Peter Pettigrew (sp), the map and his father, though it seems tantalizingly close. And wouldn’t Peter have been identified as his Maurader nickname?

Scenes missing or oddly seemed chunked-out: No Lucius Malfoy (why?); no heart-to-heart talk with Harry and Lupin about the Mauraders; McGonigal seems peripheral in this film; the missing bits of Snape—particularly the “why he hates Harry/Harry’s father and the work Snape does to help Lupin (he’s played for a simple villain in this film); why wasn’t Harry disciplined for spelling a teacher?!?

Things I think could have been handled better: too much nightbus; too much womping willow; womping willow is shut off with a simple “immobilius” spell?!?; Lots of continuity errors (inexcusable in a big-budget film!) A lot was made about not having Hagrid be suspected about freeing Buckbeak, yet the committee never checks the chain (it was merely –looped- into the post?!?) And no one hears the heavy, clanking chain as they try to lead him off?!? Werewolf looked like a cross between a shaved dog and a giraffe and walked like Golum (not terribly impressive). Characters handled like cameos: Dumbledore, McGonnigal, Finch, Snape. McGonnigal gives Hermione such a powerful device as the time-turner?!? That’s a god-machine! Way to powerful to use for taking extra classes (I hate it when writers use time devices casually. WAY too powerful!)

Given how the movie seems to assume the viewer has read the book (from all that is left out or skipped over), they play the climactic confrontation with Sirius, Lupin and Petigrew like a HUGE surprise that takes up too much time being coy (Lupin and Sirius are in it together!” OMG!)--time that could have been used to have a more heartfelt conversation about Azkaban, the Mauraders, Harry’s parents. I realize the film needed a climax, but that could have been/should have been the werewolf and the escape.

Things I really liked: the “Something Evil” choral at the beginning; Sirius is a hellova lot scarier as a junkyard dog than a droop-eared Newfie or fat black lab (yes, plus he’s wolf-ier and not pitbull-looking); Snape has one hugely redeeming moment: when the werewolf is attacking him and the kids at the end, he acts like a true teacher and puts himself protectively in front of the kids, clearly shielding/protecting them at his own peril (very nice). I actually liked the grey-ish palette: much more bleak/halloweenish and proper for the tone (scarier, more ominous).

The footprints in the end credits were very cute, but I doubt is anyone was able to keep from being distracted by them to actually read all of the credits…