Harry Potter - The Complete Series Thread

[DarthSkywalker]

Yates was involved with Kloves and the script. He said from the beginning HBP would be the "sex drugs and rock and roll film of the series" figuratively speaking. None of those men, except maybe Heyman, had a proper handle on that book. They were trying to be edgy or pull in the teens or some other crap and lost the story in the process.

Its Kloves and Heyman. OotP shows this.

 

[Victarion]

Yates was involved with Kloves and the script. He said from the beginning HBP would be the "sex drugs and rock and roll film of the series" figuratively speaking. None of those men, except maybe Heyman, had a proper handle on that book. They were trying to be edgy or pull in the teens or some other crap and lost the story in the process.

If they absolutely had to give one of the films this sort of tone, it should've been OOTP. It would fit perfectly was an "edgy" response to the Ministry of Magic suppressing the truth of Voldemort's return.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

If they absolutely had to give one of the films this sort of tone, it should've been OOTP. It would fit perfectly was an "edgy" response to the Ministry of Magic suppressing the truth of Voldemort's return.

Not really. The reason why they would try it with HBP is because of the book. There is the fame angle and the ridiculous amount of shipping in the book.

OotP is about a very angry young man with a hero complex. How much Harry is like Voldy.

 

[DA_Champion]

I tried reading the first book years ago and I could not get into it. I've only watched one of the movies, I think it was the 4th one, it was around 2006 or so.

Now it seems like an insurmountable obstacle. 8 movies... that's like 20 hours of viewing. Ouch.

 

[childeroland]

I just love this backstory so damn much! So dark depressing and human. It makes Voldemort so much more than a caricature. Yet, Yates cut it.

You have to admit the trade-off of having that nutty chick moon over Ron for nearly three hours while Hermione moons over him was well worth it.

 

[Marvolo]

Its Kloves and Heyman. OotP shows this.

I'm not sure how OOTP shows anything other than that ditching Kloves should have happened sooner. Yates wasnt forced to do anything. He made it clear in interviews that HBP was exactly what he wanted it to be.

On another note, I thought some might find this interesting: Michael Goldenberg is a good friend of Heyman's and he wrote a script for Philosopher's Stone as well. But WB and Heyman chose to go with Kloves script. When Kloves decided not to do OOTP Heyman called up Goldenberg. I've always wanted to read Goldenberg's script for Philosopher's Stone cause I'm willing to be that it is less of a slave to the material.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I'm not sure how OOTP shows anything other than that ditching Kloves should have happened sooner. Yates wasnt forced to do anything. He made it clear in interviews that HBP was exactly what he wanted it to be.

OotP had the same amount of involvement from Yates, and it ended up being the most faithful to the material, at least in terms of themes and spirit. It is ridiculously good in that regard, even with its short runtime.

On another note, I thought some might find this interesting: Michael Goldenberg is a good friend of Heyman's and he wrote a script for Philosopher's Stone as well. But WB and Heyman chose to go with Kloves script. When Kloves decided not to do OOTP Heyman called up Goldenberg. I've always wanted to read Goldenberg's script for Philosopher's Stone cause I'm willing to be that it is less of a slave to the material.

I think sticking close to the material early on was a very good idea, though I can see a few ways to improve the first two films. I think they are incredibly charming and classics in their own right.

But then again, if Goldenberg's work on OotP was any indication, I'd have love for him to do the entire series.

 

[Marvolo]

OotP had the same amount of involvement from Yates, and it ended up being the most faithful to the material, at least in terms of themes and spirit. It is ridiculously good in that regard, even with its short runtime.


I think sticking close to the material early on was a very good idea, though I can see a few ways to improve the first two films. I think they are incredibly charming and classics in their own right.

But then again, if Goldenberg's work on OotP was any indication, I'd have love for him to do the entire series.

What Yate's did or didnt do on OOTP doesn't mean he didn't make mistakes on HBP. Remember it was Yates along with WB who decided to hack away at OOTP and cut nearly an hour of shot footage out. Like all the directors, the man made mistakes on every film he made with HBP his mistake along with Kloves's was completely ignoring the story of the book for teen drama.

 

[Snow Queen]

Are any of the extended cuts really improvements over the theatrical versions?

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Did everyone just come in here to talk about how they don't like the one series that actually held a crazy high level of quality throughout its run?

The Harry Potter films are fantastic and a landmark in filmmaking. They changed cinema. There was no Star Wars this generation, but as with everything else, there was something new. Harry Potter was that, with a little help from Williams of course. That they kept it British, even in face of unknowns in terms of return and pressure early on to Americanize it.

There are no bad films. No IM2 or DAF. No prequels. Hell, there are no pretty good films. They are great. PoA and OotP are the pinnacle, but they are all a good time that hold a strong standard throughout. And a lot of this is do to the talent involved. You could argue they got lucky with the trio, but it didn't hurt they surrounded them with incredible actors and actresses. They amount of acting talent is kinda astounding. There probably hasn't been a better way to learn your craft then from this group.

Columbus brought the series to life with the first two films. His warmer, more kid friendly style captured the style of the first two books perfectly imo. Then Cauron came at the exact right time. His edge moved the series in the exact direction it needed to go from PoA on. He set the tone the rest of the series would need. Newell arguably delivered the most fun and exciting entry with GoF. It is almost crazy to think Yates ended up making half the series, but he did and for the most part did a very good job. OotP is one of my favorite films and the two part finale seemed to deliver in a way that made the vast majority of fans quite happy.

The films are also arguably where the real momentum of the series, more so then even the books. It was the films that paint the picture of the magical world. Look at the theme parks. Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint are Hermione, Harry and Ron. It was the popularity of the films that got more and more kids to read.

Agreed 100%.

I think what Newell really nailed in GOF was the camaraderie between the students, especially in the events leading up to the Yule Ball and during the Triwizard Tournament drawing. Especially the classroom scenes, the wonderful Rita Skeeter scene, and during study hall. (And kudos to Newell for coaxing a decent performance from a pre-Twilight Robert Pattinson.)

My main problem with GOF is that it's far more theatrical than the story needs -- except the pivotal graveyard scene, which is beautifully done. (It doesn't help that Patrick Doyle's score just makes things worse.) Like when Dumbledore pins Harry against the trophy exhibit once his name is picked -- the real Dumbledore would NOT do that at all. And then bringing in the Bulgarian headmaster but not even tying in his Death Eater past... why keep his character if you're not going to use him? (That was a wasted opportunity.)

I think Yates did a decent job with finishing the series off. I liked what he did with OOTP -- cutting the story down to its essence but omitting too much. HBP was beautifully shot but it had the same problems OOTP did story-wise. DH1&2 were wonderful -- extremely faithful to the book but they did a great job. I can understand people not liking DH1 for its lack of action, but I loved how character-driven it was and letting that dictate the story rather than the other way around. DH2 was the big climatic finale, and it did not disappoint. (I still would've cut out that epilogue though.)

As a guy who hasn't read the books, I enjoy Order of the Phoenix. It's tied for a favorite along with Prisoner of Azkhaban.

I think what makes the films feel special is that each movie is a different genre. This is also evidenced in the MCU, and Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. The Philosopher's Stone is the fairytale fantasy. Chamber of Secrets is like a murder mystery, in a way. Prisoner of Azkaban is Gothic horror. Goblet of Fire was intended as something like North by Northwest but felt more like an action movie. Order of the Phoenix is the psychological political drama. Half-Blood Prince? I'll be honest, I haven't seen this film since like 2009 so I have no idea. The Deathly Hallows Part I is an on-the-road thriller, and Part II is a war epic.

Great observations!

 

[DarkSovereignty]

To build off of Hyde's observations, I'd say half blood prince is the most romanticized of the films, not only in the whole teenaged romance aspect, but in the way it's filmed. When you look at it it's a movie about love and the absence of love, you see it the Voldemort flashbacks and in Draco's story.

 

[mclay18]

But then again, if Goldenberg's work on OotP was any indication, I'd have love for him to do the entire series.

I heard he was doing the screenplay for OOTP back in 2004, and I was thrilled he got the gig. I really liked what he did with Contact and Peter Pan, and he did a great job with adapting the book. My problem with the omission of key plot points in OOTP lies with David Yates and his editor. The rough cut was close to 3 hours long, and there's 40-45 minutes that didn't make it into the DVD.

Goldenberg also had his hand in GL... which was an absolute mess story-wise. But that's a whole different story.

 

[Hyde]

Great observations!

Thanks!

To build off of Hyde's observations, I'd say half blood prince is the most romanticized of the films, not only in the whole teenaged romance aspect, but in the way it's filmed. When you look at it it's a movie about love and the absence of love, you see it the Voldemort flashbacks and in Draco's story.

Yeah, after watching the movie again last night I have to agree. It's a pretty good film, but it kinda feels like the odd one out in regards to the saga. As all the others have specific genres which keeps them fresh, HBP's is really just a teen romance, which isn't particularly interesting.

 

[Asteroid-Man]

Thanks!



Yeah, after watching the movie again last night I have to agree. It's a pretty good film, but it kinda feels like the odd one out in regards to the saga. As all the others have specific genres which keeps them fresh, HBP's is really just a teen romance, which isn't particularly interesting.

That's why the Voldemort flashback that was cut would have been such a tremendous contrast!

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

Yeah, I find Half Blood Prince to be a pretty major misfire.

so did I. hbp was my favorite book, so I was very excited to see it in theaters but I was almost more disappointed than I was when I saw poa.

I thought that the first two films were far weaker than the the later six. They are too long for the stories being told and just in general are lacking in the imagination and wonderment of PoA on.

They made the mistake with the first two of just filming the books, rather than truly adapting them for the different medium. Fortunately, they learned from their mistakes before they got too deep into the series.

Special mention goes to Order of the Phoenix which was rather lacking in the book series, but was improved substantially in the transition to screen.

I must be in the minority when I say that poa was god awful, and that the second one is one of the best of all 8. I do understand that we needed to see more character development and we didn't see much of that in the first 2, but poa ruined the story and I would not say that it captured the true essences of the book.

i made a mistake in my post. i meant Dursleys. the family was over the top evil.

sorry

and it really makes me wonder - how did they treat him as a baby? they had to care for him from 1 on out and we only see how they treated him at 10, but seeing how cruel they were to him makes me wonder if they ever like... fed him, changed his diapers, sung him lullabies to sleep, etc.

Only in the first one, really. After that they sort of became comic relief due to their fear of Harry. I do wish that Harry and Dudley's goodbye was kept in the seventh film.

it's a deleted scene.

It was a good character moment. Unfortunately, it didn't fit with how they chose to open the film. I understand why it was cut.

um, I don't. the scene was like 2 minutes long and it was THE moment of redemption. hell, they filmed it, the dursleys barely get any screentime anyway, I do NOT understand why they cu tit.

To build off of Hyde's observations, I'd say half blood prince is the most romanticized of the films, not only in the whole teenaged romance aspect, but in the way it's filmed. When you look at it it's a movie about love and the absence of love, you see it the Voldemort flashbacks and in Draco's story.

I did not mind the romanticization in the film, but wat seriously DID bother me as others pointed out was the lack of the house of gaunt and that they left out the battle at the end as well.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

Huh, I was gonna bump this thread to post about the Hogwarts collection. Seems I was beaten to it. Well anyways, Best Buy has a HP set coming out this year, but it won't be until November. Maybe then we'll get extended editions/new deleted scenes.

I myself, love all the HP movies. I think its best they trimmed the fat over alot of things (SPEW being the best thing they cut out, that didn't help GOF book at all), and kept it central. Yeah, I would've loved to have seen more things from the books adapted, but this is a different medium. A different universe, if you will. There isn't one bad film in the series. If I had to rank them, i'd say:

Deathly Hallows (I count it as one movie, but if forced to split it, Part 2/Part 1)
Half Blood Prince
Goblet of Fire
Chamber of Secrets
Sorcerer's Stone
OOTP
Prisoner.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I absolutely love HBP as a film. I love the book too, but the movie succeeded where they made some of the more romantic things be more than just teen romance. I mean you look at the slip case of the hardcover and read the description of the story and it's pretty vague. There isn't something you can quite pinpoint to what could really happen. The biggest part of the plot to HBP is learning more about Voldemort's past and setting the gears in motion for what's to come next. That's about it. It was more about the characters growing even more. The films helped this because you had the benefit of seeing these gifted young actors growing up, so to see them go through what they did in the film, even if it wasn't the most in terms of revelation, it was pure character growth to prepare you for what was to come. Maybe that's the theme of the book and film. Preparation for what's to come. They really grew into the people they were gonna be in the next two films thanks to this film.

Yates's direction also really helped the movie from being just some boring teen melodrama, which in the hands of the wrong director and writer, could have been. It's the most humorous of the movies, with the best humor as well. It gave Yates the opportunity to really stretch his directing muscle and come in with the more confidence he had. And his direction is quite stellar. I couldn't believe the same guy who did OOTP (which leaves a little to be desired) directed this movie. And, the cinematography is undoubtedly the best of the entire franchise.

Plus I can see why they cut the Voldemort flashbacks. It would have been great to see them, but more than a couple (namely The House of Gaunt flashback) would have become a little redundant, probably even get int he way of the momentum of the flow of the story that they were constructing. Things take a life of their own in the editing room. Even in the writing stage. Kloves even said that the first drafts always start out closest to the book but then they realize what needs to happen for the film to be a film.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

Huh, I was gonna bump this thread to post about the Hogwarts collection. Seems I was beaten to it. Well anyways, Best Buy has a HP set coming out this year, but it won't be until November. Maybe then we'll get extended editions/new deleted scenes.

I myself, love all the HP movies. I think its best they trimmed the fat over alot of things (SPEW being the best thing they cut out, that didn't help GOF book at all), and kept it central. Yeah, I would've loved to have seen more things from the books adapted, but this is a different medium. A different universe, if you will. There isn't one bad film in the series. If I had to rank them, i'd say:

Deathly Hallows (I count it as one movie, but if forced to split it, Part 2/Part 1)
Half Blood Prince
Goblet of Fire
Chamber of Secrets
Sorcerer's Stone
OOTP
Prisoner.

the movie universe isn't a different universe from the books. that would mean that there are two harry potters out there and there is only one. that's like saying there were two different harry potters who had the same fates and a same legacy with slightly different roads that led them there.

i like to believe that harry potter from the movies is harry potter from the books and the movies are just abridged versions.

I absolutely love HBP as a film. I love the book too, but the movie succeeded where they made some of the more romantic things be more than just teen romance. I mean you look at the slip case of the hardcover and read the description of the story and it's pretty vague. There isn't something you can quite pinpoint to what could really happen. The biggest part of the plot to HBP is learning more about Voldemort's past and setting the gears in motion for what's to come next. That's about it. It was more about the characters growing even more. The films helped this because you had the benefit of seeing these gifted young actors growing up, so to see them go through what they did in the film, even if it wasn't the most in terms of revelation, it was pure character growth to prepare you for what was to come. Maybe that's the theme of the book and film. Preparation for what's to come. They really grew into the people they were gonna be in the next two films thanks to this film.

Yates's direction also really helped the movie from being just some boring teen melodrama, which in the hands of the wrong director and writer, could have been. It's the most humorous of the movies, with the best humor as well. It gave Yates the opportunity to really stretch his directing muscle and come in with the more confidence he had. And his direction is quite stellar. I couldn't believe the same guy who did OOTP (which leaves a little to be desired) directed this movie. And, the cinematography is undoubtedly the best of the entire franchise.

Plus I can see why they cut the Voldemort flashbacks. It would have been great to see them, but more than a couple (namely The House of Gaunt flashback) would have become a little redundant, probably even get int he way of the momentum of the flow of the story that they were constructing. Things take a life of their own in the editing room. Even in the writing stage. Kloves even said that the first drafts always start out closest to the book but then they realize what needs to happen for the film to be a film.

i do NOT see why they cut the voldemort flashbacks. that sucked, as well as how they cut out the battle at the end, AND snape's lack of emotion at the end. I get snape, but the one time he is supposed to show emotion, he stays exactly the same.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

the movie universe isn't a different universe from the books. that would mean that there are two harry potters out there and there is only one. that's like saying there were two different harry potters who had the same fates and a same legacy with slightly different roads that led them there.

i like to believe that harry potter from the movies is harry potter from the books and the movies are just abridged versions.

Unless a completely direct, 100% book-to-movie type of deal, then adaptations are different universes. You have canon (books) and non-canonical entries (video games, movies, expanded universe stuff, unless approved by the creator.) Another good example of this could be Marvel, we have 616, Ultimate, and earth-199999 [MCU]. Here's a good example for different universe scenarios: Jurassic Park in the books V. Jurassic Park the movies. Completely different worlds, completely different fates, events, characters, etc;.

Also, technically there is two Harry Potter's, since the Time-Turner exists.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

Unless a completely direct, 100% book-to-movie type of deal, then adaptations are different universes. You have canon (books) and non-canonical entries (video games, movies, expanded universe stuff, unless approved by the creator.) Another good example of this could be Marvel, we have 616, Ultimate, and earth-199999 [MCU]. Here's a good example for different universe scenarios: Jurassic Park in the books V. Jurassic Park the movies. Completely different worlds, completely different fates, events, characters, etc;.

Also, technically there is two Harry Potter's, since the Time-Turner exists.

the difference here is that the harry potter movies were not made to tell a different story. they were made to tell the story of the books, and therefore to me are just abridged live action versions of the books. comic book movies on the other hand take the liberties of telling different stories while (hopefully) staying faithful to the characters and their arcs in the comics.

and that may be two harry potters, but it's really the same person in two places

 

[A Necessary Evil]

the difference here is that the harry potter movies were not made to tell a different story. they were made to tell the story of the books, and therefore to me are just abridged live action versions of the books. comic book movies on the other hand take the liberties of telling different stories while (hopefully) staying faithful to the characters and their arcs in the comics.

and that may be two harry potters, but it's really the same person in two places

~ Jurassic Park was made to tell a story, and it's 95% different from the book
~ James Bond in the movies is a alternate universe Bond compared to the books

You have the original source, then the adaptation of material that isn't in the same self-referential world as contained in the books. The best you can say about the movies being abridged versions is "everything from the books happens, it just happens off-screen" which is BS. Movies aren't canon to the books.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

~ Jurassic Park was made to tell a story, and it's 95% different from the book
~ James Bond in the movies is a alternate universe Bond compared to the books

You have the original source, then the adaptation of material that isn't in the same self-referential world as contained in the books. The best you can say about the movies being abridged versions is "everything from the books happens, it just happens off-screen" which is BS. Movies aren't canon to the books.

i'm not keen on jurassic park or james bond although some of the movies are kickass, but I speak only for harry potter in that they were made to tell the story of the novels. the films would not be wat they are had it not been for the books and the fans of the books.

and no, that's not exactly what I meant when I said the films are abridged versions of the movies. what I meant was, quite literally wat I said, the movies tell the stories of the books in a shorter way. and for the imaginations of the movie goers who were readers first, the events of the film are 100% that of the novels, but it could not have possibly been that way in the actual film because of obvious reasons.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

But just because you're not huge on the 007 movies/JP movies (which is fine), doesn't mean they take place in alternate universes. Obviously it's not gonna be explicitly stated, but books =/= movies.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

But just because you're not huge on the 007 movies/JP movies (which is fine), doesn't mean they take place in alternate universes. Obviously it's not gonna be explicitly stated, but books =/= movies.

when I said keen, I meant, do not have much background knowledge of. I thought jurassic park the first film and james bond the character are both legendary and I agree, that books=/= their respective adaptations. however, I cannot say the same about the characters. they are supposed to be the same.

you tell me that harry potter in the movie is not the same harry potter in the book, but yet, the harry potter in the movie is white, skinny, british, has messed up hair, wears circular lensed glasses, has a lightning bolt shaped scar on his head, and has a destiny which he learns more and more about in 7 years. this, goes along with wat I meant when I said the movies tell the same story in an abridged fashion; partly because the characters from the literature are translated to be the same exact characters on film.

 

[Asteroid-Man]

Huh, I was gonna bump this thread to post about the Hogwarts collection. Seems I was beaten to it. Well anyways, Best Buy has a HP set coming out this year, but it won't be until November. Maybe then we'll get extended editions/new deleted scenes.

I myself, love all the HP movies. I think its best they trimmed the fat over alot of things (SPEW being the best thing they cut out, that didn't help GOF book at all), and kept it central. Yeah, I would've loved to have seen more things from the books adapted, but this is a different medium. A different universe, if you will. There isn't one bad film in the series. If I had to rank them, i'd say:

Deathly Hallows (I count it as one movie, but if forced to split it, Part 2/Part 1)
Half Blood Prince
Goblet of Fire
Chamber of Secrets
Sorcerer's Stone
OOTP
Prisoner.

Do you have details on this? Maybe I'll hold off on Hogwarts collection. I was literally just about to order mine.