2007 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 18 min
Director: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Maggie Smith, Jason Isaacs, Imelda Staunton, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Warwick Davis, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane
These movies are jam-packed with acting royalty, aren't they? Seriously. If I could write a book series and have all of these actors in it, wow.... I can't even tag them all, that's how many there are! Blogger won't let me, stupid Blogger.
So this has always been my least favorite book. It's too long, too dark, too much brooding. But that's the whole point. I love it for what it represents to the series: Harry's adolescence ending, his painful adulthood beginning. And isn't Imelda Staunton just the perfect "headmaster" you love to hate? There are many great things about this book, all of which are captured here. Not the least of which is Helena Bonham Carter's introduction as Bellatrix Lestrange, one of my favorite characters of all time. Honestly, how crazy is this woman?
I guess I love this one for being unapologetically true to what it has to be, but it's still uncomfortable to read/watch. I only wish there was more of the Weasley twins war on Umbridge in the movie. That stuff is gold.
In this case I actually prefer the movie because I think they actually toned down what a douche Harry was in this one. In the book you have to read his lousy faulty thought processes over and over and I wanted to throw the book across the room. In the movie because we're not as directly linked into what Harry is literally thinking it didn't grate on me so much.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point. Very true!
ReplyDelete