Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Harmonia (A) on February 02, 2008 at 20:52:41

In Reply to: RE: I hated HP3.....one of the worst in the series....del Toro IS an posted by TWB on February 01, 2008 at 11:31:35

I find PoA (as do a lot of fans) to be the best so far, the first HP movie that - although not a literal adpatation of the text - was the first to capture the *feeling* of reading the books...especially the wit. it is very graceful and cinematic but not literal, which was a problem for some fans. It is the most polished and sophisticated HP visually, and like it or nor, it sustained its tone from start to finish. Cuaron also got the best ever perf from Emma Watson and kept Gambon on target. the supporting roles, especially David thewlis, were excellent as usual. It wasn't flawless - the werewolf design was a bit didgy - but the rest was IMO brilliant, commercial filmmaking of a high order.

I thought Mike Newell managed neither the pacing nor the acting - many of the performances were a bit screechy, especially Gambon's. Newell couldn't really shape GoF toward much of a climax either, as it lumbered and lurched through the 3 tasks. He was saved at the end by the sheer acting power of Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort. Several individual scenes were quite good, but it never added up to more than the sum of its parts. Newell, whose light touch was aprpeciated in the scenes of the young wizzards and witches pairing up for the Yule Ball, was less successful in his staging of the big FX scenes, with the notable exception of the dragon on the rooftop sequence.

Peter Yates was next best for me with order Of The Phoenix, a daunting, sprawling book to adapt if ever there was one. Yates has done outstanding work for the BBC (The Way We Live Now) and has a deft touch with actors. AFAIC OotP jettisoned about the right amount and kept the essentials and the movie finished with a bang with the scenes at the MoM. The emotional arc was clear throughout and Yates proved to be a surprisingly able visual storyteller. Best of all - he kept Gambon in check. Dumbledore was back.

The two HPs of Chris Columbus, that noted hack, are almost unwatchable to me now. Too literal, too plodding andstatic, good enough material and great actors hampered by a pedestrian imagination. The casting is well nigh perfect, the scripts good enough and that's what saves them for me.

So for me:

HP3

HP5






HP4











HP1&2


YMMV :-)