Star Wars: The Force Is Strong in this Blog Part One: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars : classic science fiction trilogy in the seventies still so relevant, popular that the franchise was expanded to incorporate a second trilogy detailing the story that happened prior to A New Hope, the first Star Wars film created.

I would put a summative review here, however, I feel that is highly unnecessary. Star Wars is a household name; a classic that everyone knows the basic story, so I'm just going to jump ahead into the reviews if that's alright with you.

Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace

I remember seeing this film in theaters; a true treat because we didn't go to many movies. This one, however, was important. I can't think of anything that my step dad loves more. He is a HUGE Star Wars fan and turned me into one also for a while. Now, however, my experience in Lucas's franchise is limited to the LEGO Star Wars games. The theater was completely filled, so we ended up in the handi-cap role. Mom, Josh, and Dad were in three seats, and I was over in the next three-seat group. Dad held my hand the entire time to make me feel safe. It was one of the sweetest things he has ever done for me. I appreciated it greatly.

To me, the most important thing in these prequels is the characters. The plot, to a certain degree, is partially written because the audience knows where it has to end up for A New Hope. Thus, the focus of films 1-3 will be directed primarily at the characters.




I'm starting with JarJar Binks because I cannot stand him -- not even a little bit. In Fanboys (review to follow soon), one of the characters has a tattoo of JarJar because he'll be the coolest new character in the new film. Obviously, they were kidding in this movie because most (if not all) people hate JarJar with a firey, burning passion. If he never opened his mouth, he could possibly have survived. But seriously, can anyone be more annoying? Uhm . . . no. It's the voice and the word-order of his sentences. It makes no grammatical sense and it's plain obnoxious. A "little odd" doesn't even be to describe him, C-3PO.

It's nice to see Obi-Wan Kenobi younger, but nothing is nicer than seeing him played by Ewan McGregor. He was C-U-T-E cute. And that's saying something because I don't really do the celebrity crush thing (except for Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal), but I fell in love with him because of this movie and have some-what followed his career,  leading to Big Fish and Moulin Rouge becoming some of my favorite movies of all time. Anyway, I thought he played the role brilliantly: he was trying to do something new to an already established science-fiction character and he succeeded while still allowing for growth during Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. 

Because I am a girl, I was drawn towards Queen Amidala / Padme immediately because she was the only girl character around. Even still, I loved the character. She was strong, brave, lovely. She was fantastic, but I don't know if I fell in love with her personality or her wardrobe and make-up job. I loved it. Queen Amidala -- Love her, but more so as Padme. As queen, however, her costuming is gorgeous and I love her make-up. In fact, I even did my makeup like that sometimes. Of course, this was usually paired with a braid marking that I was a Padawan.. Lame, I know; but I thought I was hot stuff.

I don't necessarily care either way about Darth Maul. Ray Park, however, definitely captured my attention. It's not his look or anything -- how could it be? He was completely masked in red and black make-up (unfortunate because he is a bit cute also). His talent as a stunt-man, on the other hand, was not. He's is so talented. It amazes me how he can move and do all these stunts. I could never do that, but he makes it look so free, easy, and effortless -- like he was born doing all this stuff. He's absolutely wonderful and I'm highly jealous that I can't move like that.

Seeing Anakin Skywalker as a child prior to being Darth Vader was essential and Jake Lloyd had quite a bit to offer to the psychology leading to Darth Vader. He believes that the Jedi do not die. He plans to come back and free everyone on Tatooine. He sees himself as destined to change his life and those around him by becoming a self-labeled superhero. But he is unable to do that. He  may not realize that now because he is a child, but he is setting himself up fro failure. Plus, Yoda point-blank tells Anakin that "I sense much fear in you" and fear + setting impossible goals = Darth Vader.

What ever happened to the kid who played Anakin? He was cute. Absolutely darling. I only remember him doing Jingle All the Way, but that's it. Same as Hayden Christian Anderson. Being Anakin apparently kills your acting career.

And now to the best part of the film: Pod Racing. Is there any sport cooler than this? Quidditch is definitely awesome, but Pod Racing is too awesome for words. I even had a shirt with Anakin pod racing on it. And the pod racing game on the Nintendo 64 is nothing short of epic. I loved it and I'm not much of a gamer by any means.

Huh . . . I never noticed before, but the Gungan force field thing looks like the same thing in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two. But I guess that should be the other way around seeing as this came first.

And because it makes me laugh . . . 

Under the Dim Aisle Lights, A Man Seated Is a Man Bored

Everyone knows the story of Little Red Riding Hood. A little girl has a red cloak. She's going to bring food and whatnot to her grandmother. A wolf eats the grandmother and pretends that he is her when Red shows up. Red gets eaten too. A huntsman comes in at some point and saves the day.

This story doesn't drift far from that plot line. A wolf begins terrorizing a town, demanding that Red follow him into the forest so they can run away together. Red resists, but is still thought to be in league with the wolf and is trying to destroy the village.

The only thing added is a love triangle, something that has become quite frequent in the movies and stories directed at a teenage audience. Hunger Games = Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. Twilight = Bella, Edward, and Jacob. And now, in Red Riding Hood, there is Valerie, Peter, and Henry.

Outside of this love triangle, the film makers attempt to show that anyone with brown eyes could be the wolf, but the identity of the true wolf can be predicted.

At least Gary Oldman is in it. He's fantastic.

Amanda Seyfriend too. She's got the prettiest eyes ever

Overall, however, I was bored. This is probably because my friend and I were seeing two movies that night. I was ready for Red to be over so that we could go watch Beastly.

The Holiday -- Perfect RomCom for Your Own Holiday

After suffering heartbreak in their homes, Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) and Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) decide to switch lives for two weeks. During the switch, both women learn something about themselves and love.

     "I have found that almost everything written about love to be true. Shakespeare said, "Journey's end in lovers meeting." Oh. What an extraordinary thought. Personally, I have not experienced anything remotely close to that, but I'm more than willing to believe Shakespeare had. I suppose I think about love more than anyone rally should. I'm constantly amazed by it's sheer power to alter and define our lives.
     "It was Shakespeare who also said, "love is blind." Now that is something I know to by true.
     "For some, quite inexplicably love fades.
     "For others, love is simply lost.
     "But than of course love can also be found, even if just for the night.
     "And then there's another kind of love. The cruelest kid. The one that almost kills its victims. It's called unrequited love. Of that, I am an expert.
     "Most love stories are about people who fall in love with each other. But what about the rest of us? What about our stories -- those of us who fall in love alone. We are the victims of the one-sided affair. We are cursed of the loved ones. We are the unloved ones. The walking wounded. The handicapped without the advantage of a great parking space."

This voice over by Iris (Kate Winslet) at the beginning of the movie is a perfect set up for the movie.

It's always about love. Always. Love comes in many forms and, as depressing as this is, not everyone gets the typical love-at-first-site / love-you-forever happy ending. It's important, then, to hear about everyone else  not as fortunate in love as others.

And that's what this movie has to offer -- a new kind of love story where people are in love with the wrong people and are allegedly in the wrong country/houses as well --  only to be resolved at the end of the movie. Kind of like Midsummer Night Dream I guess.

All in all, there really isn't much else to say. It's a romantic comedy -- they're a bit formulaic. I will, however, say that the characters were likable (especially Iris, Arthur, and Miles). And, overall, the film was cute and enjoyable.

No White; Just the Huntsman

Like Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsman tells the story of Snow White in a new fashion where she falls in love with the huntsman and leads an armored rebellion against the Evil Queen to save her kingdom once more.

Kristen Stewart . . . my favorite.  I LOVE girls who have mono-face (mono-tone for facial expressions). Who else would you want for a vibrant, strong, and compelling character in the process of becoming a renegade leader against the Evil Queen, Ravenna? Ick. Seriously, Stewart isn't a strong leader; she is too weak to lead a rebellion against the Queen? Seriously -- it's like they put a crown on Bella Swan's head. Stewart's Snow White is whiny fearful, clumsy, and in constant need a big man to save her. Furthermore, Snow White is supposed to be "life itself," a "healer," and "the one everyone has been waiting for." This may be true, but I'm not sure I believe Stewart can fulfill these three qualities.









Perhaps I am being too harsh to Kristin Stewart. Maybe she did the best she could with this role. I just . . . the only movie I've ever liked her in was Speak, but I think this is because Melinda Sordino is quiet, shy, and a bit awkward. She did that well because she is that way naturally. I just don't see her being able to escape that role to become anything more: not Bella, not Snow White, not anyone really.

At least the other actors in the film are able to compensate for her lack of acting skills, especially Charlize Theron.She has so many sides as an actress, but she always comes off powerful and beautiful. In this film, it even makes her dangerous. She has to constantly feed upon beautiful girls for strength -- it looks kind of like a dementor attack like in Harry Potter. Furthermore, there are many scenes where she looks almost frail and sick, thus needing hearts to keep her own going. Thus, she needs Snow's heart to be eternally beautiful, the only thing she requires to be powerful and dangerous.








Theron is wonderful in this film. She's beautiful; she's obviously deranged in the head; she's powerful; and she has just enough crazy in her to play the Evil Queen perfectly. Moreover, Theron finds a way to make Ravenna human. She's not just the Evil Queen, who is completely evil from the inside out. She is not a silly caricature of evil like the way Julia Roberts as the evil queen in Mirror Mirror is. Instead, Theron is a woman spurned by too many men to keep track of. After all, "love always betrays us" -- the reason for her evilness. Furthermore, Ravenna also has her moments of weakness.  Theron is just fantastic.  I loved her performance so much.










And her wardrobe -- PHENOMENAL. Every bit of it was lovely.






And then there's the huntsman, Chris Hemsworth. I'm sorry, but I can't look at him without thinking Thor. It makes things kind of funny, but he still does a good job with this role. He just plays the strong, protective guy so well.








Outside of the characters, there is an interesting twist on the classic good versus evil paradigm. Snow White is both good and evil. Snow is good because she is fair and pure of heart; Snow is bad because her fair and pure heart can be used as Ravenna's salvation.

I also love the plant/animal things. It's fascinating how these trees, rocks, etc. are able to become animals as well. The special effects were awesome.

It's hard for me to judge whether I liked the movie or not. Sometimes I think I'm just prejudiced against Kristen Stewart, but I also feel the movie is a bit slow. Or maybe I just like Mirror Mirror better.  Whatever the truth is, Snow White and the Huntsman is not a terrible movie; it's okay.

Pottermania -- The Extended Edition: Harry Has a Musical? Thanks Hermione

StarKidPotter has made several plays that have reached popularity on youtube, but none of them are more popular than A Very Potter Musical. In fact, it could be argued that AVPM is a cult classic for Harry Potter lovers everywhere. It combines various scenes throughout the book series into a hilarious, gut-busting musical and makes clever references to other parts of the series as well. It is, however, difficult to determine which book this musical takes place in. It's more of a blend of several of the books:


Sorcerer's Stone
     1) Quirrell

Chamber of Secrets:
     1) Ginny's first year

Goblet of Fire:
     1) Tri-Wizard (House Cup) Championship
     2) Voldemort's resurrection

Deathly Hallows:
     1) Horcruxes
     2) Battle at Hogwarts


Part of the brilliance in the musical is  the character design. They've taken one characteristic of each beloved character and hyperbalize and exaggerate it to the point that they become a hilarious caricature.

Harry* -- arrogance about being the Boy Who Lived / Chosen One. He's invincible (so he thinks).

Ron -- always hungry and comical

Hermione -- the know-it-all who can't help but blurt out the right answer.

Draco -- always competing with Harry, but constantly hiding behind Crabbe and Goyle (but more so Goyle) and rolling around the floor because he's ridiculous, especially when you consider that he is being played by a girl and looks like Momiji off Fruits Basket.

Ginny -- madly in love with Harry Potter

Voldemort -- controlling and dictator-like (and, in my opinion, is clearly the best actor they have)

Snape -- I don't actually have anything to say here other than he looks hilarious and I love it.

Also, the music is fantastic. I love it to death.. Sadly, the rumor is that everything was destroyed (music sheets and scripts) so it could never be reproduced due to possible copy right infringement. The only reason they were allowed to do so was because they didn't charge for admittance into the show.***

Admittedly, it is a bit silly, but it's wonderful at the same time. The intermingling of favorite scenes from the books combined with an original script and musical score is a sure win in my book. It's hilarious. It's clever. It's witty. And, it's everything a "Pott-Head" like myself could want from a musical based on our favorite book series.

Only problem -- it is difficult to hear at times due to the fact that this performance is being taped in front of an audience who laugh a lot. But that's okay. It's totally worth watching all the same.

*Recognize Harry Potter? It's Darren Criss, aka Blaine Anderson from gLee

** For the record, the only thing more awkward than Voldemort hugging Draco is Voldemort tap dancing with Quirrell, Harry Potter, and the Death Eaters. Just saying.

***You can, however, download the soundtrack of the StarKidPotter website. (I highly recommend doing this)

Mirror Mirror on the Wall -- Oh, How the Mighty Fall

Who doesn't know the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves? It was Disney's first full-length animated picture. Before that, it was a oft-told fairy tale. So, really, it's hard to imagine people not knowing the basic plot-synopsis of this story. Why, then, have two movies about the very same story (Mirror, Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman) made it to the big screen this year? Because they are trying to take this old tale and add a surprising, different twist so it can be new once more.

The question is, do they succeed?

Let's see how Mirror Mirror does . . .

The big twist in this particular film is that the Evil Queen (played by the beautiful Julia Roberts) feels that it is her story to tell. Thus, the film does dedicate quite a bit of time to exploring the character of the queen. Sure, she's known as the Evil Queen, but no one is completely evil, are they? Of course not, and, if they are, why are they this way? Me, myself, and Mirror Mirror would like to know. I truly believe that "evil" is too strong of a word to describe the Queen. Yes, she believes the story of Snow White is all about that. Yes, she is vindictive, snarky, pompous, egotistical, and "good old-fashioned, psycho crazy," but really she is a fool -- someone to point and laugh at, not someone to be feared. And, as such, she is the one to fall; not Snow White. A role perfect for Roberts because she could not have created an evil, frightening queen like Charlize Theron does in Snow White and the Huntsman.






The two big themes in the film are the concepts of belief and magic.

Repeatedly, Mirror Queen reminds the Evil Queen that there is a price to pay for magic. She says, “Everyone has undiscovered magic inside them, but very few discover it and learn to spend it wisely.” The Evil Queen obviously knows that she has magic and will use it to do whatever she feels necessary without considering the price -- something that will backfire on her much later.

Snow, on the other hand, has no idea she is capable of anything at all, much less magic, until she leaves the castle for the first time and begins to learn she is more than a helpless, pathetic, shut-in. As the movie continues, however, Snow grows and finally believes, allowing her self to find her own magic. 

Snow's entire transformation is based on learning to believe in herself. This essential learned ability to believe in herself changes her. She is no longer sweet, innocent, and helpless. Instead, she has become stronger, more powerful, and full of gumption -- things she never had before leaving the castle.






1) Baker Margaret insists that Snow leave the castle to refute her lack of confidence because it was shattered by the Queen. "The Queen has the whole kingdom convinced you are nothing but a pathetic shut it. The worst is, she has you believing it too.” Without that push towards the door, Snow never would have left the castle at all.

2) Before being accepted by the dwarves, she does have the courage enough to stand up to them by stealing the money back to return to the people. Had she not left the castle and seen how bad the village was, she would never have known that the people needed her help. HER help. Her plan was to ask the prince to help her, but ended up saving the kingdom on her own.

3) Once banished from the castle and thought to be dead, Snow takes refuge among the dwarves. They agree to train her to be a thief -- to believe.

Then we'll teach her. We will teach her to believe

People think you can't be tall if you're short. 

That you can't be strong if you're not.

A weakness is only a weakness if you think of it that way.

Never under any circumstances give up the high ground.

Before you even draw your sword, you must first mane an impression on your enemy.

If he is deceived by your look, the battle is half won.

People think of you as sweet -- they don't expect you to fight dirty. Use that to your advantage.

Your weapon isn't your only friend; the environment can be an ally too.

Deception on the battlefield isn't just an option. often time it's the difference between victory and defeat.

4) When facing the Beast and the Queen for a final time, she draws her sword and stands bravely (with some minor trembling), "I am made of more than you think!," showing she is not only believing in herself, but is willing to stand up for herself as well.

5) The final song is about belief. In this case, believing in love.










Outside of this, the actors were hilarious. I love all the dwarves, especially Half-Pint and Napoleon. Julia Roberts was brilliant as always. As Snow White, Lily Collins was wonderful. It was nice to see her grow as a character from being extremely similar to the Disney version, especially in her voice, to being a powerhouse woman capable of saving and ruling her kingdom. Nathan Lane is also in this film, and who doesn't love him?He's hilarious. And, then there's Prince Alcott. He is adorable and very . . . princely, but he has his own changes to go through -- humbling himself enough to see that dwarves and women are not helpless without him.

All in all, I found the movie charming, amusing, and one of those films that just make you feel good at the end. It's silly and wonderful and that's all it needs to be. Leave the serious stuff for Snow White and the Huntsman.

Soul Surfing -- Good for the Soul

Brought to you by the same company who produced Fireproof and Courageous, Soul Surfer tells the based on a true-story of Bethany Hamilton, a surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack, but managed to find a way to surf again despite all the struggle she went through to get that way.

The move itself was quite enjoyable and, at some times, moving. This comes not only from the story itself, but the heavy Christian overtones that color the film. I find this interesting because of the time we live in. There are so many religious disagreements in America today -- remove God from the Pledge of Allegiance; ban the phrase "Merry Christmas" and replace it with "Happy Holidays"; argue over the religious implications of things like cloning, stem cell research, and gay marriage.  There are a plethora of other issues, however, theses should suffice enough to show that religion is a touchy subject at the moment.

For example, while in Thailand, Bethany sees what losing everything is. After losing her arm, Bethany thought she had lost everything in the world because she felt that she could never surf again. Her mission work in Thailand opened her eyes that surfing isn't the only thing in the world, but also restored her faith and courage within herself so she could surf without fear once more. (It did, however, help that she got a ton of fan-mail.  I just feel that her time in Thailand taught her much more than the letters).

Also in Thailand, Bethany realizes that love is far more important than anything else in the world because it's something that connects everyone to one another.










Finally, at the end of the film, Bethany leaves us with this one thought. She was asked whether or not she would change the day she got bit, but she declines because now she has the "chance to embrace more people than I ever could have with two arms," meaning she can spread more love and give others like her courage to keep living in a way that would never have worked unless she lost her arm and kept trying to surf and compete instead.

There are also a lot of powerful scenes that have nothing to do with faith.

For example, when Bethany gets home from the hospital and fails at helping make lunch, she takes her Barbie and breaks it's arm off. This is important because ever girl wants to be Barbie at some point because she is the pinnacle of little girl beauty. By breaking her Barbie, Bethany is revealing that she does not feel she can ever be beautiful again. At the same time, however, she is showing that she might be able to figure out how to see herself as beautiful with only one arm.




Also, Bethany learns that winning isn't everything. The only important thing is that she tried. She was able to see herself as an inspiration to all her fans, changing her perspective. That's why, at the end, she is able to say that her last wave ride counted even though the judges disagreed.

Finally, the cast of this movie was fantastic, especially AnnaSophia Robb (Bethany Hamilton), Dennis Quaid (Tom Hamilton), and Helen Hunt (Cheri Hamilton).

It surprises me, then, that movies like this can be successful in theaters and DVD sales. I guess that there are more people who enjoy these religious films than I originally thought.

Pottermania: Conclusionary Words --- UPDATED

Having reviewed all 8 movies, it is time for a disclosionary entry. There are so many wonderful things about the movies. They were genius; inspired; perfection -- or as close they can be seeing as the books are full of rich imaginary details over hundreds of pages, . . . so much that everything cannot be incorporated into the movies.

. . . but, even if I do love these movies and understand that some things must be cut, there are still scenes that I wish I could have seen on the big screen.*

Sorcerer's Stone

     Wizards and witches celebrating in the streets -- It would just be a nice contrast. The movie starts out with the tragic death of the Potters, except for Harry. At the same time, however, Voldemort was "destroyed." Seeing that happiness can be found despite Harry's new orphan-status would have been interesting. The story, however, centers on Harry, so I totally understand why they did not include this scene.

     Meeting Draco in Madam Malkin's Rogers for All Occasions -- It's true that they meet each other waiting for the Sorting Ceremony to begin, but I like the tension caused by meeting earlier. It gives Harry a more blatant reason not to be in Slytherin-- doesn't want to be anything like Draco. Hagrid doesn't help this feeling. It also starts the idea of prejudice among wizards, Muggles, and Muggle-born,which becomes very important later. Even meeting on the train would be nice, but if I had to choose, I would stick with Madam Malkin.
     
     Peeves -- Who doesn't love a practical joke loving poltergeist? He adds humor to the story, especially when there is none to be found? He's the Fred and George of the ghost/ spiritual realm. It's hilarious. He may be annoying at times, but he still makes me laugh. What's life without some unpredictable fun?

     Professor Binns -- I just wanted to know what it would look like to be taught by a ghost, especially when everyone hates that class and is bored to tears.

     Quirrell and Defense Against the Dark Arts class -- We see every other DADA professors teach (we see Snape teach in Half-Blood Prince book and he did teach DADA in Prisoner of Azkaban for one class), but why not Quirrell? What does his DADA class look like?

     Lee Jordan vs. Professor McGonagall -- I know the focus is on Quidditch, but hearing McGonagall and Jordan argue over the commentary adds humor to the scene that wasn't previously there.

     Christmas -- What does the Great Hall look like decorated? We only see it plain with a few banners for each house.

     Ron and the Mirror of Erised -- I just want to know how Ron saw himself.

     Dumbledore talking to Harry about his father saving Snape -- I know it's a quick statement, but I feel like it would add depth to Snape's hatred of Harry. We get to see James picking on Snape during Occlumency Lessons in his memory, but seeing James save his life would add another layer of hatred.

Chamber of Secrets

     Malfoys at Borgin and Burkes -- In the films, we are told that the Malfoys are dark wizards, but seeing that they have "embarrassing" things that would get them arrested if the Ministry came to investigate. It makes them seem even more evil.     

     Physical fight between Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy at Flourish and Blots -- I really want to see them "duke it out" so to speak. They hate each other so much. They are truly rival families and sometimes, it's necessary to throw a punch. It reminds me of the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books where Lena's Bapi and Kostos' Bapi have a throw down. It would have been quite entertaining.

     Professor Lockhart and the other teachers -- I just think it would be funny to see Lockhart be so pompous and arrogant along with the annoyed, frustration of the teachers he tries to upstage.

     Nearly Headless Nick's Death Day Party -- Okay. I know this is an odd scene to point out, but I still love it. You get to know more about Nick, but you also get to see the Headless Hunt take place. It would have been interesting to see. You do, however, get to see one ghost riding a horse with his head in his hands, but only book readers would have been able to make that connection.

     Lockhart and DADA class -- Instead of teaching, he begins to reenact his "life story" with some assistance from Harry. Just seeing one incident would be enough. It would just be too funny for words.

     Swelling Solution -- I just want to see Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle get hit with the swelling solution. It would be pretty funny.

     Valentine's Day -- Just seeing the cupids flying about and the valentine-bringing dwarves would be funny, especially the one that catches Harry. It makes me think of the little old guy with wings in Tangled. It's awesome.
 
     Tom Riddle's Diary -- Why did they cut out Professor Dippit out of the memory and added all his lines to Professor Dumbledore.

Prisoner of Azkaban

     Harry in Diagon Alley -- I would have loved to see more of the shops in the alley. In the movies, we see the inside of Gringotss, Flourish and Blots, and Ollivander's, but that's it. There are so many other shops in the alley that are missing from the film such as Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.
          *The same could also be said about Hogsmeade -- we see Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks, but what about Zonkos or the Post Office?

     Lupin's DADA class -- Professor Lupin brings in so many magical creatures that we never get to see. Sure, Ms. Rowling describes them in detain in the book, but getting that visual picture of them would be wonderful.
          *The same can be said about the creatures (minus Hippogriffs) in Care of Magical Creatures class as well in Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix.

     Sir Cadogan -- I just find him funny and think it would be hilarious on the big screen providing they found the right actor for this.

     Eavesdropping in the Three Broomsticks -- I like that Hermione and Ron get to hear the full story about Black and what allegedly happened twelve years ago. This way Harry doesn't have have to explain it later and the story isn't colored with Harry's misery and grief.

     The Firebolt -- Yes, Harry gains the broom and we see him take off on it before the credits start rolling, but wouldn't it be nice to see it in a Quidditch match? Yes. Yes, it would. Who doesn't want to see the best and fasted broom in the world in action?

     Ron and Hermione fight -- I know they fight in this film, but it is much more intense in the film. In fact, it's like the fight Ron and Harry have in Goblet of Fire. I feel like this fight should have been more extensively covered in the movie.  Not only does it show Ron's temper, but it also shows how he grows throughout the series until in Deathly Hallows, they fight, but he comes back to finish what they set out to do.

Goblet of Fire

     Whole opening scene -- It's fantastic and so funny. You have the overly stamped letter, funny on it's own, but Mr. Dursley's reaction is priceless. Then, the fireplace is blown to pieces. And finally, Fred "drops" a ton-tongue toffee and seeing Dudley like that would be too funny for words. Seriously. Who didn't want to see this?. It would have been hilarious and you know it.

      Harry and Hermione finally getting introduced to the two oldest Weasley children, Bill and Charlie - While Bill and Charlie are only mentioned briefly in the movies (until Bill shows up in Deathly Hallows), those who read the books get to have a pretty good picture of the oldest Weasley children (more so Bill than Charlie, but whatever). It would have been nice to see them on screen, adding to the enormousness of the Weasley family.

     Quidditch World Cup -- There is so much left out and I can understand why. You would want to get to the meat of the film faster, but I wish we could have seen a little more. There are wizards who are wearing Muggle clothes incorrectly, such as Archie who insists on wearing a dress because he likes "a healthy breeze 'round [his] privates" (GF 84). It would also have been neat to see what Rowling's veela and leprechauns looked like. It would have just added something interesting to the scene. But again, I know why they didn't add it.

     Hermione and S.P.E.W. -- Again, I know why this was left out. It didn't add anything to Harry's story. (If I remember correctly, the director wanted to focus primarily on what affected Harry because there were too many sub-plots to cover). I still think it's interesting and somehow deepens Hermione's character.

     Draco, the ferret -- I am SO glad they kept this scene. It's hilarious and definitely film-worthy. In fact, I think many Harry Potter lovers would have been disappointed if it had been cut. So this was a good choice to keep.

     Ludo Bagman -- Okay. I know he is not an essential character and that he could be easily inserted into Crouch's character, but I would prefer to see the personalities separate. Ludo offers a strong contrast to Barty Crouch Sr. An essential contrast even. Crouch is supposed to be "heartless" and cold sort of person. The humor and fun of Bagman takes away from those qualities in Crouch and alters the nature of his character all together. The man who has fun is NOT the same man who sends his own son to Azkaban (at least in the book when his son begs for mercy and Crouch disowns him, sending him straight to Azkaban with the Lestranges).

     The Maze -- The maze was quite difficult with the changing, deadly hedges, however, I would have liked to see all the creatures Hagrid put there as well. Oh well.

     The ending -- In the film, Harry does have that brief breakdown of emotion because he saw Voldemort return and Cedric Diggory die; however, by the end of the movie, he seems perfectly sound and happy, enjoying a few last minutes with Ron and Hermione as the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang leave Hogwarts. In the book, however, Harry is still shaken up to the point that he has nightmares which we learn from Dudley's taunting at the beginning of Order of the Phoenix. The film version does make reference to this scene before the dementors attack; however, it doesn't seem genuine to me. Unless Harry is bi-polar / having mental issues that do not include being a Horcrux, I don't believe Harry would have gone from being carefree and happy at the end of Goblet of Fire to being angsty all throughout Order of the Phoenix. I just don't get it, but whatever . . .

Order of the Phoenix

   

     Number Twelve Grimmauld Place -- Seeing as Harry, Ron, and Hermione (along with other important characters spend at least 180 pages cleaning up and living in this house that has . . . for lack of a better word . . . gone to seed. Plus, you would get to meet more of the Order this way. I just think there were a lot of missed opportunities here, especially regarding Molly and her boggart as well as the screaming painting of Mrs. Black.

     Why Percy is working with the Minster of Magic -- The movie-only audience have no idea what's going on and might be confused if they remember Percy at all, but I feel it's significant for those who have read the books because you see the most prized and esteemed family in the series falling apart. It's awful. The only thing worse is Fred's death.

     Prefects -- This seems like an odd thing to leave out, seeing as two of the three main characters earn this title. Plus, it was important when Percy was at Hogwarts, but it left when he passed his N.E.W.T.s and joined the Ministry of Magic. I just want to know why. It wouldn't require anything other than adding a badge to Ron and Hermione's robes. Furthermore, it would make Harry's anger, angst, and other typical emotions as a teenage kid more believable on screen, because we definitely see it in the book.

     Luna and Hermione -- On the Hogwarts Express, Hermione and Luna come into contact for the first time (according to the book). This is a critical scene because of the dichotomy between these two characters: one who believes in only what can be factually proven and one who is willing to believe in anything and everything. It is also important for Deathly Hallows. Hermione needs to remember Luna's free belief in the unknown and unexpected to help Harry gather the Horcruxes and kill Voldemort once and for all. I truly feel that this foil-esque contrast could use more emphasis in the film. After all, this is the second shortest of the films, so they had the space to try new things. I just don't understand why they didn't include that. Then again, Goblet of Fire started following only things that directly pertained to Harry, so it only makes sense to carry on in this tradition.

     Dolores Umbridge -- While Imelda Staunton is well suited for this role and I appreciate her perfect performance, I wish she looked the part more. For example, every description of her from Rowling says that she is toad-like in appearance; a quality Staunton doesn't possess (also a quality that she should be quite thankful that she doesn't have).

     McGonagall VS Umbridge -- I wish they did more with their argument. McGonagall really hates Umbridge, and I just wish we could have seen more of it.

     Quidditch -- I love Quidditch and we didn't have it at all in Goblet of Fire due to the Tri-Wizard Tournament, so I wish we had seen it this time around. Seeing Ron play for the first time would have been awesome. It would also allow for more reasons to hate Professor Umbridge, so it really should have been incorporated if only for that reason alone.
 
     Firenze as teacher -- I would have liked to see what his class room looks like, but also see what a class taught by a centaur would look and feel like.

     St. Mungo's -- While it is sad that we had to go to St. Mungo's at all, I'm quite curious as to what a magic hospital look like. Rowling's descriptions are wonderful, but I would have enjoyed the visual image. I also like that you get to see Neville's parents. In that one scene, you can really begin to understand Neville and why he is the way he is.

     Hogsmeade trip -- It would explain why Cho and Harry fall apart -- something not explained in the film at all. I also would have liked to see Rita in a new, different, more desperate light.

     Snape calling Lily a "Mudblood" (this can also fall under Deathly Hallows as well) -- In Deathly Hallows, you get to see all these memories that Snape shared with Lily as well as the memories of him watching her and the Marauders interact, but you never find out why Lily and Snape fell apart. Had this scene been included, everything would have made sense.

     Marietta Edgecombe, the "SNEAK" --I thought there was a brilliant move on Hermione's part and I kind of like Marietta (a little bit anyway) so I dressed up as her for Halloween one year.

     More of the different rooms in the Department of Mysteries that Harry and his closest friends found while  seeking the prophecy --  I just think that there are so many different, interesting rooms around the Department of Mysteries and I would have loved to see him. I just don't think that the Hall of Prophecies is just not enough to qualify as the only thing in the Dept. of Mysteries. There were so many rooms and I would have liked to see the planetarium room or maybe the brain one. It just gives more space and adds for more . . . well . . . mystery.

     Meeting between Dumbledore and Harry after the Ministry battle. Where is the anger and grief? Why isn't Harry yelling, screaming, and threatening to throw/break things -- This is just a sad, yet wonderful scene. Harry is obviously enraged. He has been angsty during this entire book / movie; he had to get it out sometime and who better to blow up at than Dumbledore, the man he was most frustrated with. It's incredibly moving and sad, but necessary.
 

Half-Blood Prince

     Meeting of the Ministers -- I love that the film began in London as the Muggle realm was under attack by Death Eaters and other followers of Voldemort, but I would have loved to see the Muggle Minister interact with Fudge and Scrimgeour. I just . . . Order of the Phoenix focused a lot on the Ministry of Magic and how it is falling apart because Fudge won't accept that Voldemort is back. Then, in Deathly Hallows, we're reintroduced to the Ministry of Magic and how things are changing, especially with the Muggle Registration Act or whatever you would like to call it.  But, somehow, the Ministry completely disappears from the film. I just don't think that was a good idea. They could have done this scene in place of the stupid burning down the Burrow scene.

     Glasses dancing on the Dursley's heads- This is just another thing that would have been hilarious to see on the big screen.

     More memories about Tom Riddle's past-- Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying all of them should be used, but I feel like the two we are shown is not enough. So much of this book was about learning about and understanding Tom Riddle and what led him to become Voldemort. I just feel like that too much of this was cut away to follow the luvy-duvy trials of being teenagers.

     The Christmas scene without the Burrow burning down because that was just stupid -- I would like to combine this Christmas scene with the one presented in the book because there are parts I like in the book that only appear in the book and vice versa. The burning of the Burrow, however, was completely uncalled for. I believe it was used to introduce Fenir Greyback to the audience, but they had already seen him in Borgin and Burkes.  Instead, they could have worked the scene to reflect Lupin's story-telling. There could be a voice over of Lupin explaining Greyback and a montage of Greyback killing etc. that would have served the scene much better.

     Apparation Lessons -- This would seemingly be a some-what essential scene because in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry, Ron, and Hermione can all of the sudden do it with no explanation to the movie-going audience. And considering that the movie-only audience has to be confused because so much of Harry's preparation for finding the Horcruxes (and, unintentionally, the Hallows as well), apparation lessons could have been done in under 10 minutes.

     The huge battle going on while Harry and Dumbledore are after the Horcrux in the cave -- I was waiting for the Order to show up and save the day. I miss seeing Bill bit and the miraculous survival of Harry's friends after he gave them the last of his Felix Felicis. This was just such a disappointment. I was completely let down by this scene.
 
     Dumbledore's funeral -- I liked everyone shooting light into the air to obscure the Dark Mark into oblivion, but I feel like the funeral adds closure. But it also shows how important Dumbledore was to the Wizarding World and to Harry as well. After all, Harry could not have accomplished everything he was chosen to do with Dumbledore guiding him along the way.

Deathly Hallows

   
     Snape's seat at the meeting -- In the book, Voldemort has set aside the chair immediately to his right for Snape. This may not be that big of a deal to some people, but it bothers me. Symbolically, the person seated to your right is the one you trust the most; therefore, Voldemort's most trusted Death Eater is Snape -- an important distinction because Snape is a double-agent.

     Pious Thicknesse -- In the movie, he is chilling out with Voldemort and everyone else at the meeting at the beginning offering his opinion as a Ministry employee.  In the book, however, Thicknesse is under the imperious curse. This is a big difference and I'm not sure how to balance and rectify the differences.

     Harry's birthday -- I would have liked seeing the cake and everything, but I appreciate it that they at least mention it after Harry, Ron, and Hermione are forced to leave the wedding for the Muggle world.

     The treatment of Kreacher -- In the movie, Harry is quite angry and forceful towards Kreacher.  The book, on the other hand, shows a transformation in the relationship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione to where there is no anger or hatred; there's only gratefulness and mutual respect. It's a much better message, especially considering what Dumbledore said about Sirius and the way he regarded Kreacher.

     Harry finding the letter from his mom -- This letter is essential because it seems to give him hope that Dumbledore was the man he knew -- something more necessary in the book. Throughout the movie, Harry seems to be fairly certain of the man Dumbledore was. In the book, however, Harry goes through a complete downward spiral of doubt and mistrust. Even though Harry was confident about his relationship with Dumbledore at the end of Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows tests him and his faith in Dumbledore. Harry hits rock-bottom, beginning to hate Dumbledore, but, by then end, comes back full circle and realizes Dumbledore was with him all along, guiding him through everything and saving his life in the process.

      Rita and the Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore -- I wish we could have seen more of what Rita wrote in her book about Dumbledore's past. After all, a big portion of Deathly Hallows is about Harry losing faith in Dumbledore and then finding it again so that he may destroy Lord Voldemort.

     PotterTalk -- I just thought it was an interesting bit within the books. Plus, Ron had a radio, so it wouldn't have been hard to implement this scene. I am, however, aware that they had a lot to cover in these movies, so I understand why it was left out.

     Percy redeeming himself to the Weasley family -- Yes, he does make an appearance in Deathly Hallows Part 2, but no movie-only audience member is going to know what's going on, especially since they last saw Percy as a dedicated worker in the Ministry of Magic and a traitor to his family. He does, however, redeem himself at the end; it just would have been nice to see that executed in the film. Then again, that would involve seeing Fred die, so maybe skipping that scene wasn't such a bad idea after all . . .

     Harry fixing his wand with the Elder Wand -- That wand was extremely important to Harry, so I don't see why they didn't show him healing it because he never wanted the Elder Wand so now his wand was Draco's.

     Being introduced to Teddy would have been nice -- we hear a bit about him in the book, so it would be nice to assign a face with the name, but in the movie he doesn't exist at all. The only time he's mentioned is while Harry using the Resurrection Stone and he's talking to Lupin.

** Neville's speech after they thought Harry was dead -- In the movie, this was brilliant. I wish Rowling could have thought of it to put it in her book because it was brilliant.

*This list will be updated as I finish rereading the series.

Pottermania: Oh How They've Grown . . .

         

HARRY POTTER












Everything I have read and heard about casting this series has said that casting Harry was the hardest job. No surprise there -- his name is famous around the whole world. In fact, the role almost went to Tom Felton (Harry) because he had more acting experience than the other actors they had found. By chance, however, Daniel Radcliffe was spotted at a theater with one of the men heading up the Harry Potter film industry and thought he would be perfect for the role. And, after a screen test (the scene with the dragon hatching), Dan was hired.

Dan had a difficult job ahead of him. After all, at that point, Harry Potter had become the most well-known wizard in the entire world. With that in mind, I feel like Dan exceeded expectations. He took on the role bravely and quickly became recognized as the perfect Harry. It started with the looks -- Dan had been made up to look exactly like the book cover, even if he didn't have Harry's trademark green eyes. (He did wear green contacts in the first scene of Sorcerer's Stone -- leaving Hogwarts, but they irritated his eyes. Eventually, they went back in and used computers to edit his eye color to his blue). Then, with his acting ability. The first film was iffy of course because it was the first film, but by the second and third movie, Harry really began to shine through as Dan became more familiar with the role and Harry's personality and attitude became deeper so Dan had more to go on.

I was really starting to get impressed with him at very end of Goblet of Fire. Seeing the deep-seated pain, grief, and devastation Harry felt once he came back with Cedric's body, I was completely convinced that Dan was perfect for this role. And he continued to grow stronger, especially as Harry grew up and started dealing with real problems in the world, withstanding Cedric's death, everyone thinking he was a liar, Umbridge's torture, Snape's occlumency lessons, Sirius' death, and Dumbledore's death until he finally became strong enough to become the Chosen One and defeat Voldemort once and for all by sacrificing himself out of the love of his friends. As Harry grew strong enough to take this role, Dan grew as well. By the fifth movie through the end, Dan had finally captured the essence of Harry by becoming the boy wizard he played in the movies.

So, really, all these events had to happen to prepare Harry to kill Voldemort as well as to prepare Dan for letting Rowling's words to shine through him so Harry could do what he needed to.

RON WEASLEY

There is not a lot to say about Rupert and Ron.

Unlike Daniel Radcliffe, I was immediately won over by Rupert's performance as Ron Weasley at first glance. He just looked the part. Seriously, Rowling could have been looking at a picture of Rupert when she created and designed Ron Weasley. He had the red hair, the long nose,and, by adding the tattered clothing and wand -- Rupert literally was Ron and he continued to be so throughout the remainder of the film series.

While Ron didn't go through near as many changes as Harry because generally, he was a fairly happy, go-lucky guy. In Deathly Hallows, however, Ron had a whole other side of him that even he didn't know existed at all.  Sure he was jealous in Goblet of Fire, but he got over that fairly quickly. In Deathly Hallows, Ron is filled with not only jealousy, but anger, frustration, and bitterness. Thus, Rupert had to learn how to extend Ron's character into places he hadn't been before. Furthermore, Rupert needed the strength to leave Harry and Hermione, but even more power to rejoin them and destroy the horcrux in Slythern's Locket. Up to that point, Ron had inklings of jealousy, self-doubt, anger, frustration at being known only as Bill/Charlie/Percy/Fred/George's little brother or as Harry's best friend rather than being a person himself. All that culminated to the point that Ron couldn't take it anymore in Deathly Hallows. Rupert guided us brilliantly through that process Ron went through quite brilliantly.

He was wonderful.












      

HERMIONE

GRANGER

Hermione is another character I don't believe changed much.

Throughout the entirety of the series, Hermione remained the logical, highly efficient and dedicated student she always was. This makes Emma's job easier, however, there are a few moments when her usual cool and cam demeanor breaks down. In Prisoner of Azkaban, she leaves Divination never to return as well as punches Draco in the face. In Goblet of Fire, she allows herself to be a bit girly and excited to have a date to the Yule Ball. In Half-Blood Prince, she starts falling for Ron and finds it difficult to be herself when she sees Lavender kissing "her man." Furthermore, Harry begins to beat Hermione in Potions due to the Half-Blood Prince's book, causing her to lose her cool; this is clearly indicated by her ever expanding hair. Finally, in Deathly Hallows, she is challenged to see things in a new way such as believing in stories that aren't true (eg. The Tale of Three Brothers).

All in all, Emma is brilliant. Some might say this is because Emma was Hermione-like before being cast, so it was easy for her. Others may say that even though Emma was slightly Hermione-ish in person, she still had a challenging role to play, especially since Emma begins to become emotional at times as she grows up. Either way, however, Emma encompasses everything that is Hermione and, therefore, performs the role amazingly.

GINNY

WEASLEY

It's a bit difficult to see the changes in Ginny because she does not have near as much screen time as the golden trio does, but she does grow up quite a bit. When we first see her, she's just a little girl wishing Harry luck as he makes his way to Platform 9 3/4 for the first time. Then, in Chamber of Secrets, we see her as an innocent, young girl with a crush and a dangerous diary. As the series progresses, however, she becomes much more powerful (Rowling even writes that her brothers were scared of her in Order of the Phoenix) and spunkier.

Clearly, Ginny is not someone to be trifled with. And neither is Bonnie Wright, who brings just enough spunk and strength to allow the only Weasley daughter to come to  life.

NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM

Neville has grown up so very much. It's astounding. He has gone from the fearful, chubby, clumsy little boy who always lost his frog and could never remember the password to killing Nagini and helping to end Voldemort. Also, before Harry goes to meet his death in the forest, he leaves everything to Neville. In the movie, even as he's going to seek the diadem, he pats Neville on the shoulder telling him to hold the fort down. Harry trusts Neville, but also sees that he has grown up to be a leader capable of doing this task.

While Rowling gets the credit for writing Neville to be that way, credit must also be given to Matthew Lewis as well. He is the bravest of the actor in my opinion because he is constantly getting hurt. He breaks his arm after losing control of his brook in Sorcerer's Stone. In that same book, Neville is also victim to the petrificus totalis curse. Lewis tried to do this, but a stunt person was hired instead because Lewish couldn't get the fall right. Then, in Chamber of Secrets, he is attacked by Cornish Pixies and hung from the ceiling. Throughout the remainder of the series, Neville is constantly the victim of circumstances beyond his control.

In Deathly Hallows, however, Neville has finally grown up to be a much stronger person than anyone could have ever thought he would be. With Harry gone, Neville becomes the new leader to rally people to fight against Snape and the Carrows. An amazing transformation. Even more impressive is that he doesn't go after Bellatrix Lestrange. In Order of the Phoenix, he was determined to avenge his parents by killing Lestrange. This need to kill Lestrange, however, goes out of his mind by the time the Battle at Hogwarts comes about. He sees and understands that there are more important things than killing the woman who tortured his parents into insanity such as protecting his friends and leading Dumbledore's Army against the Death Eaters in the final battle.

Matthew Lewis is wonderful, especially because he really shows the growth and changes Neville went through. The best part is seeing Lewis at the end of Deathly Hallows strong, powerful, and capable of leading Dumbledore's Army and assisting in killing Voldemort by beheading Nagini, the final horcrux. The audience sees this change, but other characters do as well. Why else would Harry have left Neville in charge as he went to face Voldemort and die.

DRACO

MALFOY

Tom Felton. What can we say about him?

For one thing, he had never read the books before auditioning, so he copied other potentials' answers. They saw through him, of course, but Felton believes that his lack of knowledge and willingness to lie won him the role in the end.

Draco, and therefore Felton, do not get a lot of screen time because the plot generally centers around the golden trio and friends in Gryffindor (and a friend in Ravenclaw, Luna Lovegood), and Draco only gets to interact with them by being a bully.

His character, however, gets deepened and stretched by the start of the Half-Blood Prince. He has been tasked with killing Dumbledore, but deep inside of himself, he knows that he is incapable of completing his mission, thus he starts to live in fear. Tom's performance here truly gets amazing. He may not have a lot of lines, but you can see the pain, fear, and trauma on his face. It's superb. Not many actors could do that. The same goes on in Deathly Hallows. He sees Charity Burbage's death; he is locked in his mansion under house-arrest; he lies about recognizing Harry through the stinging hex; he has an opportunity to kill Harry in the Room of Requirement, but doesn't; and he leaves with his family, turning his back on Voldemort and the other Death Eaters. Most of this is done strictly through his face, so Felton really has to kick up his performance to communicate emotions without words.

And he did so wonderfully.

Personally, I believe Felton is the strongest of these young actors/actresses for that reason alone. Not everyone can bring a powerful, mesmerizing, convincing performance by only using his facial expressions and body language.

Brilliant.