Harry Potter preview

[Udaman]

Darthur - you and I agree. This was the first movie I actually liked more than the book. Parts of the book I didn't like include how "angry" Harry was all the time, the long story line of Grawp, and all the parts with Cho (who was basically left out of Book 6). The movie cut all of those back.

7 days, 13 hours until Book 7.

Wow!

[The Gordog]

...done right, a la Jackson's LOTR.

You had me, until that turn of phrase popped up. I couldn't disagree more with you on that...

[Olympic Fan]

I'm planning to see the movie early next week and I'm going in with modest expectations. I do think Order of the Phoenix was the darkest of the books. Usually, Hogwarts is a place of safety and refuge for Harry, but in this one -- he's hated by the majority of other students and tortured by Umbridge -- it's worse that Privet Lane.

I'm much more anxious to see how JKR wraps up the series in the final book. She has a LOT of loose ends. As another elderly fan of the series, can I make the following guesses as to the finale:

1. Dumbledore is really dead and won't come back. I keep thinking of his words about Nicholas Flammen (sp?) in the first book, about how he's continuing his existance on another plane -- so just as Harry can hear Sirius beyond the black veil, I expect some communication with the passed-on Dumbledore.

2. Snape is ultimately on the side of good. I don't know if he's a double agent or was trapped by his vow to Malfoy's mother or if he killed Dumbledore as part of a plan to trap Voldemort -- but I don't believe that Dumbledore could have made such a horrendous misjudgment.

3. Harry will return to Hogwarts. I like the letter-from-the-grave idea, but however it happens, Hogwarts is at the center of the story -- it's the one place to connect Harry-Hagrid-Ron-Hermione-Ginny-Luna, etc. Plus we need to find out who will be the new Dark Arts teacher!

4. I agree very strongly with Exiled Devil -- Harry is NOT a Horcrux. It makes no sense -- Voldemort was very clearly trying to destroy the infant Harry and was shocked when his curse rebounded against him. I don't see how he can make a horcrux and then try to destroy it.

5. Finally, good will triumph over evil and Voldemort will be destroyed. I'm more certain of this than anything in the final book. My only question (s) is who will have to die to bring about the ultimate victory -- I don't THINK Harry, but I'm not nearly as certain of that one. Ginny? Hermione? Ron? Hagrid? I'd guess that at least one goes, but dont ask me which one.

PS What ever happened to all the speculation about the identity of RAB? When the Half-Blood Prince came out, that was a hot topic, now that we're likely to get the answer, nobody seems to care any more. Did a I miss something?

[gethlives]

I think RAB is supposed to be Regulus Black, Sirius' brother. Obviously, this has not been confirmed though.

Here's all-powerful Wiki on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.A.B.

[aimo]

After your review of the movie, and after all the disappointments I've had with the other Harry Potter movies, I was able to lower my expectations enough so that I was actually NOT so disappointed in Order of the Phoenix.

It was a little irritating to me to see that the longest of the books was not even in the top three longest of the movies. I missed the Quidditch, assuming Umbridge's whichever declaration against student groups covered that in the movie. There was no explanation as to how the Order knew the students were in the Ministry of Magic. Again, I guess we were supposed to assume Snape figured it out and passed on the info.

Other than that, it wasn't that bad.

I wonder what it would be like to see the movies without having read the books? Can anyone out there answer? Can you follow what's happening? I'll never know, 'cause I'll be locked in my house with the phone unplugged all next weekend.

And as for Deathly Hallows, I hope that the mirror that Sirius gave Harry comes into play (Reparo should fix it right up). Also, I want an explanation of how the archway (that Sirius fell through) works and what it means. In the movie, Bellatrix used Avada Kadavra on Sirius, then he fell slowly through the archway. In the book, it didn't say what curse she used, just that it hit him in the chest and he fell through. It seemed to me, in the book, that it was falling through the archway that killed him and not necessarily the spell. And remember how Hermione was scared of it?

I think Snape made an Unbreakable Vow with Dumbledore. I'm still not convinced DD is dead, but maybe that's just my stubborn wishful thinking.

I don't think Harry is a Horcrux, unless it was done by accident, when he got the scar. Maybe Voldemort doesn't even know Harry is a horcrux?

As for tying up loose ends, I personally don't want EVERYTHING wrapped up in a neat little package. Sometimes we need to be left wondering a little . . .

Yes, after re-reading all six books since Christmas, I have re-re-read OoP and am hitting HBP this week.

[Dukerati]

I will echo the thanks to Jason for lowered expectations. Any movie will always slightly dissapoint the devoted Harry Potter fan because there is just no way a movie can cover all the intricacies of the book (in 2-3 hours anways). That being said, this movie was well-paced and covered the major points well. I wish they had featured more Sirius to make the last scene more poignant and what happened to Cho in the latter half of the movie? They should have developed that relationship a little more to make a smoother transition to Ginny. I also miss Richard Harris -- the new Dumbledore just doesn't do it for me.

[Windsor]

As for tying up loose ends, I personally don't want EVERYTHING wrapped up in a neat little package. Sometimes we need to be left wondering a little . . .

Yes, after re-reading all six books since Christmas, I have re-re-read OoP and am hitting HBP this week.

A little wondering is ok...I will be pretty upset if the major storylines don't have reasoable conclusions. I don't need to know if Harry and Ginny live happily ever after, but I do need to know if they are both still breathing!

I started rereading the series two weeks ago...I've got about half of HBP to go...I'm hoping I won't be the oldest idiot at the Harry Potter party at the book store on Friday night. I wish I had a child I could take along (my almost 20 year old daughter doesn't count) I would feel less silly with a pre-teen in tow.

[Olympic Fan]

Good point about Sirius' mirror ... I had forgotten that, but I seem to remember an interview with JKR where she mentioned that coming into play.

Also, I've seen the following in interviews:

"the Weasleys will be in the firing line"

at least one major character will die (I can't remember the exact quote, but something along the lines of you can't have an epic conclusion without sacrifice)

the key to the final book is a line from OoP that Harry "has Lily's eyes"

I also read that JKR said, "Dead is dead" so I don't expect the resurrection of Dumbledore or Harry's parents

PS About RAB ... I have always thought that is Regulas Black (and there are hints in OoP about a heavy locket with a Slytherin crest in the Black house on Grimmold Place that might be the stolen horcrux), but I've read plenty of speculation from HP fans who think the RAB stands for someone else ... I guess we'll see.

[Stray Gator]

...I wonder what it would be like to see the movies without having read the books? Can anyone out there answer? Can you follow what's happening? I'll never know, 'cause I'll be locked in my house with the phone unplugged all next weekend...

*************

I can respond to that, though I can't say that others who have seen the movies without reading the books feel the same. I've throughly enjoyed each of the five movies, and I haven't had any difficulty following the story as expressed in those movies. I recognize that there are additional background facts that only someone who had read the books would know. Perhaps a familiarity with those details would make the movies even more enjoyable; but basd on what I read here, it's equally likely that if I had read the books first, I would be somewhat disappointed by the fact that some details must inevitably be omitted from the movies.

Here's a perspective that you might find interesting: After seeing the latest movie this weekend, I finally pulled the first book (Sorcerer's Stone) off the shelf and started reading. IMO, reading the book after having seen the movies is even better, because I can visualize and hear the characters more vividly based on the images implanted by the actors who played the roles in the movies. Then the additional background details simply enrich the context.

Incidentally, despite Jason's admonition about posting spoilers, I suspect that anyone who lines up at a bookstore to buy the final volume this weekend will know the ending--or at least whether Harry lives or dies--before they exit the store, because it's a virtual certainty that someone who buys the book will turn immediately to the last page and, either verbally or emotionally, will "give away" the ending.

[Windsor]

*************
Incidentally, despite Jason's admonition about posting spoilers, I suspect that anyone who lines up at a bookstore to buy the final volume this weekend will know the ending--or at least whether Harry lives or dies--before they exit the store, because it's a virtual certainty that someone who buys the book will turn immediately to the last page and, either verbally or emotionally, will "give away" the ending.

Good point Stray...guess I will need my ipod when I go get my copy that will take care of 'verbally'...although I think anyone who reads any portion of the end at the bookstore at midnight on Friday will probably be lynched by the crowd (my local Barnes and Noble is expecting about 2,000 people at the party..I'm sure other places will be much worse as Clearwater FL is not exaclty the hub of that Harry Potter universe).

[Olympic Fan]

I just returned from seeing The Order of the Phoenix ... count me among those who thought it was very well done -- and not just because of lowered expectations.

I agree that Harry spends most of the movie angry and unlikeable, but I think that's an important part of the story -- his struggle with his anger and his sense of loneliness. I think this film catches that note just right. Maybe if we didn't have the first four bonds to show us the strong bonds between Harry-Ron-Hermione-Hagrid, we might be taken aback by how standoffish Harry is in this picture. But the whole crux of the story is his growing understanding of how much he needs their help and how much he values it.

This is an unpleasant story ... but it was an unpleasant book.

I thought Imedla Staunton absolutely NAILED Umbridge ... I don't know if an actor/actress has made me hate them that much since Nurse Ratchett in "One Flew Over ..." Her unctious giggle left worse scars on the back of my hand than the ones her quill left on Harry.

I was also blown away by Evanna Lynch, the young actress (in her first role) who played Luna. Beautiful, quirky and oddly vulnerable ... No hint of any attraction in the movie, although re-reading the book, it's clear that she has the hots for Ron. Still no hints of romance between Harry and Ginny. Bonnie Wright is going through an awkward stage ... I can't quite tell if she's going to be very plain or if she's about to blossom. BTW, Emma Watson just gets more and more beautiful.

I guess the budding romances of the horny young wizards and witches is a bigger plot point in HBP. We'll see.

For the most part, I don't have any problem with the trimming of the story made in this film. I'm fine without the endless Quiddich passages. I thought a couple of the edits were particularly well done. And I thought the final battle was well done.

I do have just a couple of questions about what was left out:

-- Why show the Black family tree and not show or mention Regulas Black, if he's to be a key player in the coming stories? And no peek at the Slytherin locket in the Black house that everybody seems to think is a Voldemort horcrux?

-- No mention of the mirror that Sirius gives Harry that will reportedly play a role in the last book?

It makes me wonder how involved JKR is in the scripts. Does she oversee the movies and say, you can take this out, but you must leave this in. Is the film version of Order of the Phoenix a bit of a spoiler when it comes to DH? (In the sense that we don't have to worry about Regular, the locket, the stolen horcrux and Sirius' mirror?

PS Somebody asked how Harry got the warning to the Order to join him in the Ministry of Magic ... I thought it was clear that Snape passed the message on after Harry tipped him off in Umbridge's office.

[mpj96]

Darthur - you and I agree. This was the first movie I actually liked more than the book. Parts of the book I didn't like include how "angry" Harry was all the time, the long story line of Grawp, and all the parts with Cho (who was basically left out of Book 6). The movie cut all of those back.

7 days, 13 hours until Book 7.

Wow!

I completely agree with you Udaman -- except that now there is less time till Book 7. I came in without having read Jason's review and had pretty high expectations. I left thinking that it was the most enjoyable HP movie so far. The acting picked up after the first fifteen minutes or so. The worst part of it was Harry snogging with Cho and that, thankfully, did not last long. The best part was the fight scene, the Sirius / Harry scene in the family tree room and any scene with Snape.

Interestingly enough, where I saw the movie the average age of a viewer was probably around 40 years old. My wife commented that she didn't see any children (14 or under) in the theater. After looking around for a bit we could only find 2 that fit that description.

[sportsgirl4]

Just a couple of thoughts:

I was ok with editing out the non-essential things that didn't move the main story along. Quiddich, for example.

I didn't like that they made Cho the snitch. Just didn't feel right.

Hated Umbridge. They did a good job of fueling that feeling. I didn't like her in the book, but I hated her in the movie.

I thought that the scene where Voldy was possessing Harry in the foyer of the Ministry at the end of the movie was very, very well done. Ok, yes, it wasn't exactly like it was in the book--but in this rare case, I think that it was better.

[Windsor]

I'm almost done with my reread of the first six...you get a different sense when you read them all back to back to back..

Anybody have any idea what the big deal is about Harry having his mother's eyes? Everytime they mention his parents he always 1)looks just like james and 2)has Lily's eyes. It happens so often it can't be throw away reference (but it could be a red herring). There is also a paragraph in OotP that compares Aunt Petunia's eyes to Lily's.

what's with the eyes? any guesses?

[sportsgirl4]

Evidently this constant reference to Harry having his mother's eyes is no accident. On another Duke-related message board I frequent, someone posted "confirmed" info on the last book and:

The fact that Harry "has his mother's eyes" will prove to be an important plot point.

No idea what that will entail, but it is evidently significant.

I don't know how accurate the info is, but here is what was posted:

We will find out something "incredibly important" about Lily Potter.

R.A.B's identity will be revealed.

We will discover more about Dumbledore's past.

We will learn with whom Snape's loyalties lie.

Something will be revealed about Petunia Dursley, although we already know that she is not a Squib.

Viktor Krum will return.

We will see a reappearance of Dolores Umbridge: "It's too much fun to torture her not to have another little bit more before I finish." (MuggleNet/Leaky Interview)

JKR has said "There is a character who does manage, in desperate circumstances, to do magic quite late in life, but that is very rare..."

Harry will face Voldemort for the final time.

Harry will be attempting to find and destroy Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes.

Harry will return to the Dursleys' during the school vacation, but the magical protection Dumbledore arranged will expire when Harry comes of age on his 17th birthday.

Harry will go to Godric's Hollow.

The two-way mirror will make a reappearance.

Fleur and Bill's wedding will occur.

The fact that Harry "has his mother's eyes" will prove to be an important plot point.

At least one character will die.

The last word is expected to be "scar."

We will learn the exact reason why some people become ghosts when they die and others do not.

The final chapter will detail what happens to the surviving characters.

There will be no more Quidditch matches

[aimo]

I did read recently that Rowling changed the ending and the last word is no longer "scar".

[blublood]

Anybody have any idea what the big deal is about Harry having his mother's eyes? Everytime they mention his parents he always 1)looks just like james and 2)has Lily's eyes. It happens so often it can't be throw away reference (but it could be a red herring). There is also a paragraph in OotP that compares Aunt Petunia's eyes to Lily's.

what's with the eyes? any guesses?

My guess is that this has to do with the relationship between Lily and Snape. I don't think they were ever romantically involved (the timing just doesn't work out right if James and Lily were together by their "senior" years), but I conjecture that Snape was in love with her from afar. We've probably all had that person in our lives who was so perfect and so wonderful but who, for whatever reason, ultimately proved unattainable - and yet our feelings for them continue to influence our choices.

If this is the case, Snape's hatred of James takes on a whole new dimension and you can see how looking at Lily's eyes in James's son's face would be a torment to him. My theory is that we'll find out that Lily was the reason why Snape turned on Voldemort in the first place and that he makes a crucial decision for good based on her memory. I never had any proof whatsoever for this theory until a couple of days ago reading mugglenet. (yes, I admit it, I've been sucked in!) Someone pointed out that although Snape has been extremely harsh, vocal, and insulting to Harry about his father, he has never in 3000+ pages, said one word to Harry against his "mudblood" mother.

I don't think that Snape is enough of a gentleman to be acting like that out of the goodness of his heart or the desire to spare Harry's feelings. I think it's because Lily meant something special to him.

[DevilAlumna]

Evidently this constant reference to Harry having his mother's eyes is no accident. On another Duke-related message board I frequent, someone posted "confirmed" info on the last book and:
No idea what that will entail, but it is evidently significant.

I don't know how accurate the info is, but here is what was posted:

Sportsgirl, maybe you missed the HP SPoilers thread, but I think things like this should definitely be over there (at the very least, off the movie thread), and clearly marked.

These are a little too detailed for me, and probably for others who prefer not to know what the last chapter might contain.

Thanks.

[sportsgirl4]

Sportsgirl, maybe you missed the HP SPoilers thread, but I think things like this should definitely be over there (at the very least, off the movie thread), and clearly marked.

These are a little too detailed for me, and probably for others who prefer not to know what the last chapter might contain.

Thanks.

Well, I didn't really see anything there that would spoil anything for anyone. Just some details to add to what all is in our minds, wondering, in anticipation of the book release. I would never have posted it if I had. My apologies if I offended anyone. It'll not happen again.

[aimo]

but in rereading HBP last night at the gym, I had an epiphany. Somebody else has probably already had the same one, but anyway . . . Slughorn mentions several times how Lily Evans (Harry's mum) was so great at potions. MAYBE Snape helped her! After all, he was the Half-Blood Prince!

Like I said, I'm a geek. I would love to learn more about Harry's grandparents, both sides, in this last book.

As a side note . . . the funniest prediction I've heard on the Deathly Hallows was on last Sunday's CBS Sunday Morning: "Hermione's a dude, Voldemort turns out to be Harry's long-lost father, and at the end, Harry wakes up in bed with Suzanne Pleshette."