* Marauder's Child *

The thing on every HP Board poster's mind is the movie. Prisoner of Azkaban.. After years of waiting, it has finally come.

BUT as most of you know, each country would be releasing it on different dates.
Meaning: Some would get it earlier (today, UK Time), and some would get it much later (June 10 in Australia).

And while there are those of you who relishes in every little bit of advanced information they could get, and enjoy talking about them, unfortunately, not everyone wants to be spoiled. Some of those who wants to stay spoiler-free are actually planning on staying away from FanForum just so they wouldn't unwittingly read a post that would divulge important information that might surprise them in the movie. And I feel bad that they would have to make that sacrifice just so their "PoA experience" wouldn't be ruined. Not only would this be a huge sacrifice on their part, but it also ruin the dynamic of the threads we have here.
Now this is a plea. Could we all refrain from talking about the movie in ALL the other threads we have here? Would it possible for us to just discuss it HERE, in this thread, until June 10 (wherein our Aussie friends get it) or until this thread reaches 250 posts, whichever comes first?

I think this was what was doen when Book 5 was released. It would sort of give those who are less fortunate to catch up.

BUT since we are on a new Board now, and since we have all these useful vb codes now, IF you just have have HAVE to talk about the film in your "favorite" thread here, could you please do so by using these:

[@b]***highlight text to read SPOILERS***[/b]
[@SIZE=1][@COLOR=BLACK]
AND THEN SQUEEL, RANT, AND TALK ENDLESSLY ABOUT THE FILM ALL YOU WANT HERE
[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[@b]***end SPOILERS***[/b]

***just please remove the @ signs ***

[b]this is what it would look like when done properly:

***highlight text to read SPOILERS***

...lyke, omg!!!!1111!!! teh movi totly rox!!111!!!! dghsdfigsduidfdjsdsd

***end SPOILERS***



I hope everyone agrees


what do you think?,
~ Sade

* Marauder's Child *

I just watched it. And as much as I'd like to tell all of you how I managed to, or who I had to sleep with *LOL* I'm kidding, I'm kidding! or am I? *lol* I'd really rather not.

OK, my mind is still all fuzzy... so I'm sorry, as much as I'd love to describe the movie scene per scene, I just can't. In truth, I'm still a bit shaky and giggly right now. It's odd... but I still have this big goofy smile on my face.

The regulars here, would probably know of my apparent obsession with my Fonzie, Alfonso Cuaron to you. Well, after watching it, I can only say. Alfonso, thank you..

Saying that it was beautiful just seems so trite. You know, it's not just the cinematography that was different. It was... uhmmm... I don't know how else to describe it, but, it's just that... the characters have come alive. They are "real people" now. They are no longer cardboard cut outs of what students of a wizarding school are supposed to look like and act like...

One advice that I can give you so you could enjoy this film better would be to leave all your skepticisms at the theater door and try to forget the books. I know it's hard, but just put your trust in Alfonso and let him tell you in his own words JKR's Prisoner of Azkaban.


You're probably wondering what the hell I'm talking about, huh?
Well, this isn't exactly a review. Sorry.
I was only compelled to write this because, you know, after watching this film, I was suddenly reminded WHY I loved the HP books so much. It reminded me what drew me to it.
It was the friendship.
It was the fact that this was about growing up.
It's about finding yourself.
It was about making mistakes, learning from them and coming out a better person.

The major theme that I felt here was that at the end of the day, no matter how much life has thrown at you, it is still worth living if you have all your real friends with you, and all the people who love you are there to support and help carry your burden for you

I'm not saying that CC was a bad director... it's just that they weren't as emotionally charged as this one. Before, you'd know that the trio are frinds, because they are always seen together, and went to all those adventures without leaving each other's sides.
But NOW, you feel their friendship. You see it in all the little things that they do. I suggest you just look at them act around each other, the little movements, the looks, the worry, the exasperation.
You know, there are moments when you'd like a voyeur. You'd feel that you're seeing a very "private moment". And then KNOWING something that the other characters don't know yet, you feel like you're keeping their secrets for them.

*sigh*
I'm such a sap, aren't I? *lol*
But really if you let it, the film would make you feel this.
I watched it with a "fan" (though not as obsessed as me) who had just re-read the books and a HP-immune person.
The "fan" just tutted at all the canon-diviations, rolled her eyes at the "inappropriate lines", and muttered at all the "useless stuff" whose screentime should've just been used for the "important scenes".
The HP-I person, he just came along for the ride. Laughed at the funny scenes, gasped at the "revelations", and just feasted his eyes on the beautifully done imagery.

Guess who enjoyed the movie more?
AND
Guess who captured it's "essence" more?


In the end, you just have to remember that the movies are NOT the books, and to treat it as a separate entity...



Later, much much later, I'd post in a fangirly manner, full of squeels, and omigawd!s I'd tell you all the cute & funny bits, shippy moments, "omigawd!-that-is-SO-not-canon" nitpicks, etc etc.
But for now, I sleep, coz I'm tired! Let a poor girl rest.

P.S.
'Shippers, no fighting, please?
Please remember that 'shipping is a matter of preference.

***EDIT:***
Guys, when I said to use spoiler tags, I meant on the other threads. That is so the other posters who doesn't want to read spoilers wouldn't come across them unexpectedly.

BUT you can post all the spoilers you want HERE, in this thread!
This thread is created specifically for them! So go ahead, squee, rant and talk about all your little nitpicks about the film HERE

fingerless

Wow. I am so looking foward to this movie.
it sounds really, really good.


just one word DETAILS!!!!!






Aimee

Team Biffy

i work at the UGC cinema in Aberdeen and so i got to see it on Saturday morning before the general public i rock.

the new director has done wonders for it, i don't want to spoil it for you but i wasn't the biggest fan of the second film....it was just lacking a certain something or other..that this movie seems to have in spades! it is darker...some parts made me marvel it managed to keep a PG rating in the UK...the CGI and SFX are brilliant..it's just so good! although i hope the new movies don't take 18 months as the actors are starting to look a little too old for their parts..
and the Weasley twins...talk about looking retro!! also, Malfoy's new hairdo...i want a hippogriff....ad the casting was spot on...although the guy playing Prof. Lupin could have lost the 'tache...

Xero

Im looking forward to seeing it later today!

*Sooz*

***edited to remove the spoiler tags***

So, I've just seen Prisoner of Azkaban. It does rock. Although it's meant to be the shortest, it doesn't feel like it. We get to see LOADSA the views outside Hogwarts, not much of the action takes place within.

I don't know why everyone's said its darker than the previous ones. It's really funny. There are millions of one liners.

(Outside Shrieking Shack)
Hermione - D'you want to get closer?
Ron - *gulp* Er...
Hermione - To the Shrieking Shack, I mean.
Ron - Oh.

And Malfoy asks them if they're looking for a house together or something.

Very R/H at the beginning, but there was a lot of H/H groping/hand holding/closeness at the end. They leave Hermione as ambiguous as possible.

Very slashy R/S scene, I was literally going OH MY GOD, they seriously looked as if they might passionately snog as any minute.
Oh, and David Thewlis is pretty good. As is Gary Oldman, as is Michael Gambon. He portrays Dumbledore as less frail, but kinda not as wise.

Although I loved it, I have a few minor quibbles: Ron has officially become Wimpy McCompleteCoward. I felt sorry that Rupert Grint was constantly given the, albeit comic, scaredy cat lines. Also, I really felt that between the sidekicks screentime, Hermione got the lion's share, she almost got as many lines as Harry. Hopefully when GoF comes out, Ron will get a bigger part. Malfoy was also very girly/wimpy in the film. That I don't have a problem with.

The ending, the last 30 mins or so was quite different, Sirius practically died and him and Harry got lost in the woods. Buckbeak attacked Werewolf!Lupin, I can't remember if that was in the books or not. The ending was a freezeframe on Harry's face which was kinda odd. And cheesy, but not as cheesy as the infamous Hagrid hugs.

Moony has no E in it. What the hell were they playing at?

There was no Cat vs Rat argument. R/H just bickered really. There was no major fallout.


post all the spoilers you want in this thread!
~ Sade

Xero

***edited to remove the spoiler tags***



It wasn't a very great film. Firstly I thought it showed us more of the evironment rather than the acting. Maggie Smith wasn't in it alot and I love her too peaces.

It was OK. IMO it could have been better, way better.


post all the spoilers you want in this thread!
~ Sade[/b]

* Marauder's Child *

Sure thing!

Just specify what scene you'd want me to post ALL the details about!

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Guys, when I said to use spoiler tags, I meant on the other threads. That is so the other posters who doesn't want to read spoilers wouldn't come across them unexpectedly.

BUT you can post all the spoilers you want HERE, in this thread!
This thread is created specifically for them! So go ahead, squee, rant and talk about all your little nitpicks about the film HERE

Just Tracy

k, I just got back from seeing and as some people might (or might not) know, I'm with * Marauder's Child * on the whole Alfonso rocks thing!

I'm gonna just like write what I want to say like randomly 'cause I have so much that I want to say and I have no idea how I want to say it.

- I thought it was visually stunning - it looked amazing, especially the third act.

- I thought it was great how Alfonso brought his own creativity to the picture - it was an adaptation not just a straight transfer of the books onto the screen.

- The acting from the children has improved a lot! They were all great. I don't think I could point out a bad performance. The new cast members were great also - Gary Oldman was great as Sirius and David Thewlis, while not everyone's choice for Lupin was very good, imho, and Emma Watson was very funny. Like I said I don't think I can pick out a bad performance.

- The Dementors were just how I imagined them to be - just as terrifying! They definitely give me chills. The quidditch scene, while fairly brief, was very well filmed and the dementors were very scary in that scene.

- I loved the way the third act played out. While it may not have been exactly as it's played out in the book it worked very well in the medium of film. I also loved how more "flowy" this movie was. Alfonso chose to take the core story and just run with that - taking out everything he deemed irrelevant to the core story. I thought this worked really well - as much as we love some of the little subplots I think they would have ruined the momentum of the movie.

- The whole film looked really great - I know I said that already but I just need to say it again. The Knight Bus was fantasic and Buckbeak was so cute! It was a far more artistic movie that the previous two.

- I really liked the script - I thought there were some great lines of dialogue in there. I'd read a review that said it wasn't funny, I have to disagree with that. Some bits made me laugh out loud. I loved the bit when Fred and George gave Harry the map - the twins were really cool in that scene.

Obviously, not everything in the books can make it into the movie but I personally thought this was a fantastic adaptation. Alfonso (and everyone else) has done me proud. I can't wait to see it again!

Oh, and I loved the end credits! They were so cool!

I may have had other things to say but I can't remember them so I think that'll do. For now

* Marauder's Child *

Now this is what I was talking about my previous post

The bottom line is, if you watch this film with all thses expectations, clutching your books and waiting for your favorite scenes in the book to happen, you will be sorely disappointed.

Let's face the fact that this is a 2 hr 20 min movie (give or take a few minutes). Surely, they'd have to cut a few scenes here and there, or otherwise, we would be in the theater half the day.

Like I said before, the this to do is to treat this as a completely different medium of telling what happened to Harry in his third year.

***edited some parts out If you've been reading the posts in this thread, you'd know why [img]http://www.*******.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif[/img]***

Ok, I'd site some examples...
(this is specially for AIMEE who asked for DETAILS [img]http://www.*******.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif[/img]

Scene 1
There was this scene in the beginning of the Griffindor boys hanging out in their dorm rooms, eating candy. They'd eat a candy and they'd make a sound. Seamus aacted like a monkey, Neville sounded like an elephant, Ron roared like a lion and Harry's ears whistled like a teapot complete with steam!

Is it in the book? NO
was it vital to the story? No

But it did show that they are typical BOYS. They were a bit rowdy, they were SILLY. They were REAL. I mean, can you honestly tell me that ALL the students would immediately got to bed and sleep? I don't think so.

It's not really "important" when it comes to the plot, but it just makes you believe that Harry is just a typical teenage boy who just happened to have a "destiny" to fulfill. That regardless of what he's done, and is capable of doing, he is NOT Superman, he's "Clark Kent", really

This is actually some of those scenes that you'd feel like you're being a voyeur. Because what you're seeing is Harry having a "moment" with his friends. And NO I'm not talking about the scene that kinda reminds you of "Y Tu Mama Tambien" Those who've seen it would know what I'm talking about.
My guy friend who I saw the film with exclaimed that "Odd, me and my mates have never done that before. Ever. Girls probably, and a me and a few girls maybe. But just us guys? No."

Scene 2
The R/H in front of the Shrieking Shack scene that *Sooz* mentioned above.

Their lines and Malfoy's comment:
Is it in the book? NO
Was it vital to the story? Not really.
Actually it depends on HOW you see it.

That scene provided the "tension" between Ron & Hermione.
You'd visibly see Ron "scared" of the mere thought moving "closer" to Hermione.

And then right after that you get Draco being the typical bane of their existence.
He goes: "Looking for your dream home?" and then says that it's probably way better that what Ron's house seeing as they all probably sleep in one room.
Ron looked embarassed and just said: "Shut up, Malfoy"
Draco then comments that "better men" should probably teach him a lesson.
Hermione makes a scathing counter remark: "You don't mean you, do you? "
Malfoy: "How dare you speak to me, you filthy little Mudblood!"

Here's where that scene becomes important:
Invisible!Harry (under the invisibility cloak) makes his presence known. He pelts Malfoy with a snowball (Yep, unlike the book it's not mud), gives us a view of Crabbe's leopard print boxers and drives the baddies away.

Again this is not how it happened in the Book but because of time restraints they had to limit the Hogsmeade visits, BUT in this scene, it further establishes the fact that Malfoy is a bully, Hermione is a "mudblood" (muggleborn), and that Ron is embarassed of his poverty. While providing a scene for Harry to surprise his friends, it also proveded a bit more "background" to their characters.

Oh, and also sorry to the 'Kicks, I know you've been wondering about this, but unfortunately, Harry doesn't surprise R/Hr infront of the blood-flavored lollipops & cockroach ( to the LLs) clusters) in Honeydukes... there is a Harry/Neville moment here though! *lol*

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I think when they sais thet it was darker they don't mean that it was just that. Yes, it IS darker, the train compartment scene impressed my friend who has said time and time again that "the Harry Potter movies are [b]kiddie flicks[b] who're just a wrong turn away from Barney's greatest adventures". BUt at the same time it's also funnier... I actually think that I laughed more in this movie than in the previous 2, beacuse the funny bits have a habit of sneaking up to you when you least expect it!

Like for instance, there's this scene where Harry was in bed checking the Marauder's map... and then all of a sudden, Ron startles you. Turns out, Ron's having a nightmare and mumbles something about spiders *lol*
And harry goes: "You tell those spiders, Ron!"
Then Ron says "Yeah" determinedly. And then immediately falls back into his bed and snores! It's like he was asleep all that time!

Is it in the book? NO
Was it vital to the story? Not really.
Since we've known since movie 2 that Ron is deathly afraid of spiders.

BUT it does show those "little moments" of Harry & Ron's friendship. These little scenes establishes that they ARE friends and know each other that well. Harry didn't even roar with laughter when it happned, it's like he's "used to it" already. And if you've been roommates for 3 years, you should be!
And at the same time, (if you're one of those people who hasn't read the books) it would distract you from figuring some things out. It's like you're sniffing this clue, and then that funny scene happens, so you sort of gets distracted. *wry smile*

Putting all these funny scenes right before, or in between all these "tense" and plot-important moments is pure genius.
First of, it's funnier, coz you just SO didn't expect it.
Second, it makes the film much more entertaining for the little kids who get "bored" when there's no "action"... they aren't that interested with solving the mystery, and following the plot, they just want the funny scenes, so this way, they were hitting two birds with one stone, really.

Here's another totally unexpected scene:

Harry and Hermione have already turned back time and they're spying on their past selves in the pumpkin patch.
Future Harry & Hermione are hiding behind some trees. This was just right after F!Hermione told F!Harry the importance of your past selves not seeing their future selves.
Suddenly, Future!Hermione starts frowning, she peered a little closer. She has seen something important.
And then she goes "Does my hair always look like that from the back?!"
Totally unexpected!

Is it in the book? NO
Was it vital to the story? Not really. At that time.

But it sort of shows you that Hermione is 13 now. She's growing up, and starts wondering about her appearance. Sure there was no mention of that in the books BUT, I'm pretty sure that Hermione doesn't think of schoolwork 24/7. Even bookworms do get their "girly moments", you know.

PLUS it's sort of something that would make us remember and look back while watching GoF movie. In the Yule Ball, Hermione would fix her hair! And we would smile and think, "Yeah, she realized that her hair looked hideous from the back" *lol*

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gah! I'm tired of typing, I'll post another one later. Next time it would be filled with all the "shippy moments"! And believe me, there is one for EVERYBODY. Yes, everybody! There's even one for the UC couples like Lupin/Lily, and weirdo couples that Shaz would enjoy like Neville/Harry & Buckbeak/Giant Squid

Oh, and *Sooz*, what can you say about Snape's comment to Lupin/Sirius?

*cackles*


spoiler whores, ask your questions! I'll try to answer them to the best that I can!

~ Sade

Just Tracy

* Marauder's Child * - you rock! You're basically saying everything I want to say only way better than I ever could!

Also, the music - loved it!!

I meant to say that in my previous post but I kinda forgot.

Xero

Ohh and also, Black was supposed to attack Ron..it wasn't in the film and I would have thought that to be a intresting part of the book too see it on the screen I was dissapointed yes, they made it look so good in the previews and came out with this..it was OK but IMO it could have been better.

BrokenButterfly

The only thing I've ever really been worried about is whether this film captures the overall emotions that people get when the read the Harry Potter books. Whether the film sucks you in and makes you get so involved in the movie..just like in the books.

I know things will be changed or left out. To think otherwise is very..stupid, in my opinion. An exact replica of the book will never work onscreen. I keep trying to tell my friends that, who insist on listing off the things they want in the movie..and who are expecting to see these things.

Obviously,I havent seen it yet, but I'm hoping for the best. Which is why I didnt bother to reread PoA before seeing the film. Rereading books have always ruined the movies for me, in one way or another. So I've learned over time to not do it.

fingerless

[QUOTE]Originally posted by * Marauder's Child *
Sure thing!

Just specify what scene you'd want me to post ALL the details about!

[QUOTE]

Just any scene and I mean ANY SCENE that features Draco and Hermione in the same scene. That would make me deliriously happy. I'm shameless, I know




Aimee


go here and read all about it
~ Sade

mad 4 it

That truely was the best of all three films! It was both scarier (esp the dementor scenes) and a lot funnier!
Emma Watson's performance just blew me away, she has improved tremendously as has Dan! i could actually picture them as the characters where as before i was skeptical!

I think Black and Trelawney were cast perfectly and while i pictured Lupin to look a little different to what he was, the character was still there! Wormtail was also just as i pictured him. I wanted kill him!
couldn't help but notice that neville has lost weight and that one of either crab or Goyle has been replaced.

I dissagree with whoever said that they showed us more of the environment than the acting. I think that the environment was a great change. Personnally i thought the elipsis's were good for showing the time change. The Buckbeak and harry scene was brilliant and the focuss on the whomping willow was also well done! The acting remained the focuss in the film.

I loved the Ron hermione scenes
"it looks really painfull"
"it is.... they might chop it off."
Thought that was great. and the one mentioned above with Malfoy.

I realise that not everything can't make it to the screen. - I was suprised that Cho wasn't in this film but also quite glad! (sorry cho fans) and although i think we saw Cedric he wasn't actually mentioned.
One thing i wish was in there was snape scenes at the end! That would have been funny to watch!
Also the cheesy freeze frame on harry at the end was a bit too much for me but other than that i can't fault the film at all. It was excellent and i can't wait to see it again!

Megs