Official Harry Potter review thread

[Mike Olbinski]

Saw it at midnight at the Mesa Grand, along with about 3500 other people who saw it in 15 different auditoriums, wow.

I loved it...the new feel, different look to it all...just a welcome change in the series.

Lots of stuff missing from the books, but I think they kept the most important things.

Enjoyable and well done.

Mike

 

[Chaplin]

Lots of stuff missing from the books, but I think they kept the most important things.


Mike

I don't think they had much of a choice, the book is the longest of the 3 existing movies, after all.

 

[Dback Jon]

Lots of stuff missing from the books, but I think they kept the most important things.

Enjoyable and well done.

Mike

Read a review in the local paper about that. Chris Columbus, who directed one & two, was such a fan of the books that he insisted on filming every detail, which sometimes made for too much film (and slow, at times). The new director did not like that approach (indeed, before he signed on, he had never read the books, or seen the movies). He did not want to get bogged down in every single detail.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

I don't think they had much of a choice, the book is the longest of the 3 existing movies, after all.

Well, I wasn't complaining really...the movie would have been way too long had they kept it all in...and the parts it did keep were important to the plot.

Going to be hard to imagine the next two books...as they each get drastically longer.

Mike

 

[Dback Jon]

Going to be hard to imagine the next two books...as they each get drastically longer.

Mike

Goblet of Fire Vol 1 & Goblet of Fire Vol 2?

 

[azdad1978]

Gonna see this movie tonight!!! Can't wait!

 

[Chris_Sanders]

It was outstanding. It is directed like an art film with a big budget.

 

[ArizonaLacky]

it was pretty well done, seemed to go by fast in parts, i wish they would have added more detail from the books, but overall, it was a great movie, i would have prefered the guy who directed the first two to direct this one too, and it will be interesting to see how they film the next ones, becuase they are considerably longer

 

[Chaplin]

it was pretty well done, seemed to go by fast in parts, i wish they would have added more detail from the books, but overall, it was a great movie, i would have prefered the guy who directed the first two to direct this one too, and it will be interesting to see how they film the next ones, becuase they are considerably longer

You would prefer Chris Columbus? Wow, that's the first time I've heard that one.

 

[azdad1978]

Cool Poster

 

[Stout]

You would prefer Chris Columbus? Wow, that's the first time I've heard that one.

Two friends who saw it with me preferred the direction of the first two, but my other friend and I LOVED it...really well done and, IMO, better than the first two.

My only real gripe was...well, damn, Harry DOES win the Quidditch Cup, and it is a big deal to him and his friends...it would have taken about 2 minutes to add it in, too, what with the fade of him flying up in the air on the new Firebolt. Didn't make sense, IMO, not to put that in.

Other than that? A handful of small gripes but, you know what? Unlike Two Towers, the gripes aren't NEARLY enough to detract from the movie, and it was an EXCELLENT film. I'm quite happy with the finished product, and tip my hat to Cuaron, silly Mexican shrunken heads and all.

 

[azdad1978]

Harry Potter Breaks Opening Day Record Source: ShowBIZ Data Saturday, June 5, 2004



Warner Bros. Pictures' Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban broke the opening day record set by Spider-Man on May 3, 2002. The third installment in the popular "Harry Potter" franchise pulled in an estimated $41.2 million from 3,855 theaters on Friday, surpassing Spidey's take of $39.4 million from 3,615 theaters. It is also on its way to beat Spidey's opening weekend figure of $114.8 million. "Prisoner of Azkaban" carried a production budget of $130 million.

DreamWorks' Shrek 2 managed to hold up well to start its third weekend with $10.4 million on Friday. The $70 million-budgeted animated sequel has made a total of $287 million and has already climbed to #21 on the all-time domestic blockbuster list.

20th Century Fox's The Day After Tomorrow took a tumble making $8.4 million, which is a drop of about 64% from its opening day last Friday. The Roland Emmerich disaster film cost $125 million to produce and has earned $109 million so far.

Touchstone's Raising Helen took the fourth spot for the day, adding $2 million for a total of $19.6 million.

Warner Bros.' Troy made $1.7 million and has collected $114.6 million domestically

 

[Chaplin]

My only real gripe was...well, damn, Harry DOES win the Quidditch Cup, and it is a big deal to him and his friends...it would have taken about 2 minutes to add it in, too, what with the fade of him flying up in the air on the new Firebolt. Didn't make sense, IMO, not to put that in.

I actually read something specific about the Quidditch stuff--they didn't spend a lot of time on it because they thought that it had been done enough in the first 2 movies--which is true enough--the only real difference in this movie is that it was done in the rain, which I thought was amazingly done. But I'm not sure if I'd care all that much if he won the Quidditch Cup.

 

[arthurracoon]

My only real gripe was...well, damn, Harry DOES win the Quidditch Cup, and it is a big deal to him and his friends...it would have taken about 2 minutes to add it in, too, what with the fade of him flying up in the air on the new Firebolt. Didn't make sense, IMO, not to put that in.

WHAT?!?!

*sigh*

I'm going to see it tommorow, and I wanted to see at least the final match in which they win the Cup.

 

[WaywardFan]

I saw it today with my wife and oldest daughter.

I think Cuaron did a good job, better than what I was fearing, but I too would like to see Columubus's take on this movie.

I thought Gambon carried Dumbledore on well and Emma was great in a very Hermione strong story. It's great to see so many actors stay with the same roles and it gives an incredible feeling of continuity.

I thought the movie was MUCH better than COS (though that is largely because COS was such an awful story) and I have to ponder first before personally determining if it was better than SS.

Yes, there were things left out that I would very much liked to have seen. Perhaps they will pull a Jackson and integrate some of that stuff back in. Hoewever, I echo others' sentiments that the truly important stuff was in the movie and what was left out doesn't leave a hole.

Now, I have to decide if I will make the trek down to Philly with my daughter to give it a go on IMAX...

 

[arthurracoon]

Now, I have to decide if I will make the trek down to Philly with my daughter to give it a go on IMAX...

When is it comming on IMAX?

Even though they left out some stuff, it was still a very good movie.

 

[Chaz]

I really enjoyed this movie. I have not read the books so I didn't miss any details while watching it. I thought it was a more enjoyable and fast paced movie than the first two.

My son, who has read the books, was disappointed in the things that were left out. Seems like that was all he could talk about.


Anyway, good movie I highly recommend it.

 

[KingofCards]

I saw it last night. In an almost totally empty theater.


It was very good. I hadn't read the books, my wife has and she loved it.

I think it was the best of the three movies.