I have to start by saying I'm not a Harry Potter fan -- I've only read one of the books, and I've seen the movies, but have always been left cold by the boy wizard with the scar on his forehead. I wouldn't know an Obliviator from a Hippogriff, but that doesn't stop me from objectively looking at the movies.
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is a handsome film, with high production values and imaginative special effects that will make your eyeballs dance.
The large cast includes fine actors like Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson (don't blink or you'll miss her), Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes and the majestic Michael Gambon, all of whom prance about on beautifully designed sets in spectacular costumes.
It's all top notch, the trouble is, I don't really care.
I have found that throughout the franchise, as the plots thicken and the page count of the books rises to the 700 and 800-page range, the various filmmakers at the helm of the movies have struggled to present the material in a way that will keep Potterheads happy.
How to get the essence of the books on screen -- while still maintaining some kind of cinematic storytelling -- has always been a problem for the Potter directors. Alfonso Cuarón pulled it off in the third installment, "The Prisoner of Azkaban," but others haven't always won the battle of presenting Potter lore in a way that would make sense to an outsider.
There's a lot of info that goes into the stories -- unusual people, places and names -- and of course Harry Potter fans love all that detail because they understand the references and feel a real connection with the characters. I would suggest though, that the new film probably won't have much appeal for anyone who hasn't read the books or made a study of the story.
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"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is a handsome film, with high production values and imaginative special effects that will make your eyeballs dance.
The large cast includes fine actors like Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson (don't blink or you'll miss her), Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes and the majestic Michael Gambon, all of whom prance about on beautifully designed sets in spectacular costumes.
It's all top notch, the trouble is, I don't really care.
I have found that throughout the franchise, as the plots thicken and the page count of the books rises to the 700 and 800-page range, the various filmmakers at the helm of the movies have struggled to present the material in a way that will keep Potterheads happy.
How to get the essence of the books on screen -- while still maintaining some kind of cinematic storytelling -- has always been a problem for the Potter directors. Alfonso Cuarón pulled it off in the third installment, "The Prisoner of Azkaban," but others haven't always won the battle of presenting Potter lore in a way that would make sense to an outsider.
There's a lot of info that goes into the stories -- unusual people, places and names -- and of course Harry Potter fans love all that detail because they understand the references and feel a real connection with the characters. I would suggest though, that the new film probably won't have much appeal for anyone who hasn't read the books or made a study of the story.
Discuss Add this link to... Bury
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