Worst Adaptation of a Popular Book in a Long While

Rating: 5/10 (31 July 2008)

I will never understand why studios take popular (in this case WILDLY POPULAR) books, and create movies with scripts that at best dumb down and leave out important details and characters, and at worst, totally eviscerate the plot with an insulting screenplay. This movie falls into the latter category. As a Potter series fan, this screenplay basically says we will throw what is the most commercial money grab--time compressed--second grader appealing film possible and for those who are looking to enjoy what they found most appealing about the books-- Get Bent; we don't care about what made these books so popular in the first place. I've now watched the movie several times over the last year and a half and dislike it more and more. To the point that I would rather not ever see it again. A good example of successful book adaptation can be seen with Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy. With the Potter films they had a perfect opportunity to have long running, detail dense, faithful adaptations. They even could've split a book such as should've been done here (which Tarantino and others have already proved to be commercially successful). Instead we find ourselves insulted with a half-assed attempt at resembling the source material. The best book in the series is reduced to the worst film. Shameful and one for fans of the books to avoid.