Rate Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (spoilers)

[Flexor the Mighty!]

FWIW, I have not read the Potter books, but I liked this movie. That said, I have to qualify it by saying that a number of things didn't make much sense until after the movie when my Potter-reading friends explained them to me. I can't comment on any subplots from the book because I haven't read it, but it seems a few critical points for the main plot were left out too.

Come to think of it, they never did tell me what the deal is with Snape and his dislike for Harry's dad and pals...

Spoilers abound!
By the third book you find out that Severus Snape was at Hogwarts in the same year as James Potter, Lupin, Black, & Pettigrew. Well Snape was apparently always trying to get that group in trouble and he kept a sharp eye on them. Reasons for this are explained a lot more in The Order of the Phoenix. Well Lupin used to be taken to the Shrieking Shack when he was going to change forms, via that tunnel under the Whomping Willow, and Snape saw Madam Pomphrey taking him there one night. Black played a gag and told Snape how to hit the knot on the tree that calmed it down allowing him to see what Lupin was up to, something Pettigrew used to do as a rat when they would go see the werewolf Lupin as animals. Well Black knew that a werewolf was waiting for Snape but let him go anyway as a joke. James Potter however stops Snape right as he gets to the Shack in the tunnel to avoid Snape getting mauled and killed, but Snape sees the werewolf and finds out what is going on. He refused to believe that James Potter was trying to help him, he thinks he was part of the gag and got cold feet at the last second. Dumbledore forbids Snape from telling anyone and that's that. A lot more is explained about the relationship between Snape and that group in OtP. After reading that one gets a different view of why Snape hates Harry and his dad.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

That's kind of like saying "Why's it called Inspector Gadget? Penny does all the work." Not every movie/tv show/book is named after the smartest/most skilled/most powerful character.


Also, part of HP's appeal is that hes an everyman. There is sorts of a contradictory thread about him being special for some reason, but for the most part, if he was overly smart/powerful he would lose some of his appeal. Thats why he needs friends who are better at this stuff than he is.

He's not quite everyman. He's better at a few aspects of magic than Hermione is, even though she is by far the brain of the group.

 

[Kai Lord]

What I commented on was the film adaptions of books and people who would rather watch the film adaptions of books and do not want the story spoiled despite the fact that the source material (books) tend to be cheaper and more accessible.

For people who'd rather see the story as a movie "cheaper and more accessible" is kind of a silly reason to spoil a story. Any spoiler site on the internet is cheaper and more accessible than buying a ticket at the cinema *or* reading a book. That hardly makes them the preferred means to view a story.

EDIT: Okay someday I'm going to have to talk about the new Harry Potter movie....

 

[stevelabny]

Spoiling The Two Towers at this point is like saying Darth Vader is Luke's father. It ain't a spoiler anymore (certainly on a forum like this) when its so ingrained into public consciousness. As for the "Tom Hanks" movie, well, I didn't name the movie in that post now did I?

youre confusing me, how is spoiling star wars or lotr any different than spoiling harry potter? its the same thing. something insanely popular, that the average geek already knows the whole story too. youre either against spoiling the commonly known, or youre not.

 

[Kai Lord]

youre confusing me

Yes, I can see that quite plainly. Tell you what, you go ahead and think I'm hypocritical, and I'll sit over here chuckling and being utterly amused that you think Professor Lupin is as entrenched in the public consciousness as Darth Vader and Gandalf.

Darth Vader. Gandalf. Professor Lupin. Thanks for the laugh dude.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

HP&PoA was the first Harry Potter movie that I have actually enjoyed.

Though the CG effects were more pervasive they were also more casual, at times even ignored by the characters. (The first two moves spent way too much time with 'hey, look at the cool digital effects!' At least in my arrogant opinion. (I had an humble opinion once, me arrogant opinion ate it...)) It had a much greater feeling of immersion.

The only thing that I liked better in the first two was unavoidable, the actor havng died.

And Hermoine has always been the real hero of the series!

The Auld Grump, who thinks that the invisible spolers are nifty.*

*But then again so are digital watches...

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I think the first two were excellent movie adaptions of the books, they stayed true to the events as shown in the novels and didn't leave huge hunks of it out. PoA was a good movie, and I enjoyed watching it at the theater, I just didn't like it as much as the first two due to what I feel were omissions from the story that detracted from the impact of what was happening on screen.


P.S.

IMO, people who don't want movies or books spoiled for them should avoid BB threads about the relevant material. Seems like common sence to me. You can't really expect people to discuss what thier views on a movie they have seen without giving away anything to the person who hasn't seen it. Maybe that's just me.

 

[jasper]

yeah kialord we all old farts who read the lord of rings book back when it was one of FEW fantasy books out there. Or star wars when we were about say 13. Give it 5 years and Harry will be as popular as star wars or lord. and film wise the 7 movies will stand up better than star wars 6. jar jar blinks anyone.

Any way I rate this movie a 8 and wanted to shoot the makeup people due the scar moving around. I love the addition film of the dear aunt in the beginning. Also the addition of inn/bar scene of the adults summed up about 4 chapters of the book.

What is real cute is see the real actors age and grow at different rates. Remember the camera bug from 2. he is now taller than harry. I just wish they did not move the willow tree.

 

[MaxKaladin]

Spoilers abound!
By the third book you find out that Severus Snape was at Hogwarts in the same year as James Potter, Lupin, Black, & Pettigrew. Well Snape was apparently always trying to get that group in trouble and he kept a sharp eye on them. Reasons for this are explained a lot more in The Order of the Phoenix. Well Lupin used to be taken to the Shrieking Shack when he was going to change forms, via that tunnel under the Whomping Willow, and Snape saw Madam Pomphrey taking him there one night. Black played a gag and told Snape how to hit the knot on the tree that calmed it down allowing him to see what Lupin was up to, something Pettigrew used to do as a rat when they would go see the werewolf Lupin as animals. Well Black knew that a werewolf was waiting for Snape but let him go anyway as a joke. James Potter however stops Snape right as he gets to the Shack in the tunnel to avoid Snape getting mauled and killed, but Snape sees the werewolf and finds out what is going on. He refused to believe that James Potter was trying to help him, he thinks he was part of the gag and got cold feet at the last second. Dumbledore forbids Snape from telling anyone and that's that. A lot more is explained about the relationship between Snape and that group in OtP. After reading that one gets a different view of why Snape hates Harry and his dad.

Ah, so Snape was basically a Malfoy or did he have some reason for trying to get them in trouble beyond being a stuck up jerk?

Still, I can see why he would have a pretty low opinion of James Potter and pals. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Plane Sailing]

That's kind of like saying "Why's it called Inspector Gadget? Penny does all the work."

Irony DM_M, I was using Irony!