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The Day After
A Harry Potter Review

17.11.01 @ 13:37
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**The following entry contains many spoilers for the movie Harry Potter. If you havne't seen the movie, read at your own risk. You have been warned.**

Where do I start. Yesterday was a long day. Warren and I managed to make it to Harry Potter. I had bought tickets yesterday, as I mentioned in my last entry. We went to the theatre right after I picked him up. I am not sure who was more excited me or him. Warren and I both signed up for a drawing for a Harry Potter toy, courtesy of the people who sponser ValleyCon every year. An hour before show time there was already a crowd gathered in front of the door. And it was a good thing I had bought tickets ahead of time, as by 5pm all shows were SOLD OUT. So we made our way to the concession stand, which was remarkably unbusy given the circumstances. Since it was a special occasion and non school night, I let Warren pick out what ever he wanted. So of course we wind up with the combo of a Large popcorn, two large drinks, and a candy. My son, being the Ron Weasly type that he is, of course had to go for the neon sour gummy worms. And did I mention the little Weasly didnt' share any with Mom. Not that I have a fondness for neon gummy worms.

We took our seats 40 minutes before show time, and the best seats were already taken. We did managed to find two good seats however, near themiddle of the upper level, not too far back, but not too close. (I will never repeat my experience of Planet Of the apes, where I came in late and had to sit front row center, My neck hurt for days and I could only watch half the screen at a time. POTA just wasnt' good enough for that pain, But that is another story.) Then we proceeded to try and kill the next 40 some odd minutes. We were in rather good moods, so we played around, thumb wrestled, and basically justed goofed off for a while. It actually went rather fast as waits go. When the screen came up it was like a hidden hush sign had lit up and the whole theatre went silent.

The first previews were so so. I dont even rememer what movies they were for. Then came the Lucasfilm Logo. I and a few other fans, were heard to cheer. The Forbidden Love trailer was awesome. My God it was just like what I had read inb the spoilers on TFN. I was crying just at the trailer. I can't wait till May. If it is nearly as good as the trailer, It will be splendiferous. Totally Wizard!! The next trailer was really cool, though I already knew what it was. If you want to know, go see it for yourself, if your theatres is showing it. Ruck Roo!! That's a hint.

Then 4 Privet drive came on the screen. From then on we were no longer in the theatre. We were in the world of wizards, and muggles.

This is the part where I risk pain and injury from some of my readers. I didn't not like the movie. But while I enjoyed it, and plan to see it again when the hub bub dies down, I did have some issues with it. I realize Chris Columbus had to make some sacrifices as the original was over 4 hours long, a wee bit much for most movie goers. But there were things I didnt like about the way it was done. First lets start with the good. The performances were all definately A+. Richard Harris was a suburb Dumbledore. Maggie Smith and Zoe Wanamaker also deliverd top notch perfomances. Alan Rickman was especially creepy as Snape, unfortunatly I feel like the character was a victim of the cuting room floor, as there was much missing that left the character two dimensional. The whole reason behind why Snape was protecting Harry, even though he hated him. The fact that Snape was favoring Malfoy from the onset. Harry, Ron and Hermione, came across as very true to the characters I thought. I did especially like the way they seemed to have some kind of "Han and Leia jr. In training" kind of relationship between Ron and Hermione. There were several parallels between Star Wars and Harry Potter actually, but that is another discussion. Draco was as menacing and nasty as one would expect, but he was the victim of cutting like Snape and came across as just slightly more used than Neville. The whole importance of Draco seemed to be missing. The robe shop scene and the full story of the forbidden forest would have expanded this. I also wish they would have shown more of Harry's life with the Dursleys. They didnt' make it nearly as awful and degrading as the books. Violet and Petunia came across more as charactures. The Quidditch match was awesome, but not nearly as great the the book. The whole commentary would have been hilarious, but the cut it down. They never mentioned the players, or showed the practice.

Peeves was totally missing, and John Cleese's comediac talents were wasted as Nearly Headless Nick. I expected more from him. I got the feeling that if it wasnt' necessary to explain the extra points for Gryffindor, Neville would have also wound up on the cutting room floor. There were many other things that were left out, but there was also much that I really liked.

The movie pictures were great. The pictures in the background of the scenes doing their own thing, really added a lot to the feel of the place. I loved the moving staircases. Fluffy was great, although I was deeply disapointed to see the left out one of the items guarding the stone. Hermione was a much help as Ron in getting thru. She was the one who helped him figure out which potion to drink. However, the chess match was definately one of the best special effects. Hogwarts was spectacular and Voldemart was really creepy. As an entity on its own the movie was great. I am sure many kids will love it for generations. If I had never read the book, I probably would have really really been awed. I guess I just had my own view of the movie. While Columbus did stay true to Rowlings words, he was unable to contain the whole that is "Harry" in a short 2.5 hours. They have already started on the Chamber of Secrets. If they plan on doing all of the books, then when they get to book four they will either have to make a very very long movie, or way too much of it will wind up on the editing floor. Overall I would give it a grade B-. I loved it, but I went in knowing too much.

After the movie I was talking to my son. He liked it, but doens't really feel the same affectin for it, that he has for the books. He also made the comment, that I agree with, and fine amusing. I bet they will put all the missing stuff in the DVD or the Special edition. Lucasfilm School of movie marketing strikes again.

And on an added note, I think we would be wise to keep and eye on Rupert Grint, I have the feeling that kid has quite a future. He was the best of the three kids. He may make quite a comedian someday. But then I always have had a preference for freckle faced Red heads.

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Mini-Bio

In every neighborhood there is at least one house that all the neighbors gossip about. This is a diary from the woman who lives in that house. I am a single mother in her mid thirties. I live in North Dakota with my son, Warren.

I tend to be a bit of a slob, and am the opposite of a girly-girl. I am geek girl, who loves Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Buffy, Angel, action movies, science fiction, action adventure, Dr. Who, and so on and so on.

I love to write and while I don't post much fiction online anymore I would love to be a writer someday. I am also overweight, bipolar and suffer from allergy induced asthma.

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