A Huge Disappointment

Rating: 2/10 (11 July 2007)

When I first saw the previews for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I was giddy because i actually thought that OOTP would be magical, amazing, and action-packed. How ignorant i was. Now i know it is a 870 page book but if a fantasy movie based on a book is going to be done right, it calls for a longer movie or the possibility of doing a part two. Trying to cram all this information in two hours makes the audience member feel incredibly stuffed and congested. The cameras were too fast, actors spoke their lines too fast. Probably the greatest example is the scene where Severus gets his pants pulled down by James. A great scene in the book but turned into five seconds of incoherence in the movie. Uncle Vernon is a yeller, plain and simple. He did not shout once in OOTP. And when did Dudley become a gangster? Why did Flitwick, who looked normal in the first two films, become a guy with black hair and moustache? That's not Flitwick and his arm pump is not something he would do (although i must admit it was hilarious). George and Fred deserved a bigger finish. Sure the fireworks were OK, but in the book how the were cornered and they grab their brooms, talk to peeves, and escape. That was a finish. Now i understand that the films are becoming darker and more sinister and stuff. And because they're so creative, they make the set and the movie more visually darker to convey this metaphor. However, as an audience member, i want to see the faces of the actors and set. Having the centaur scene with no lines and unable to see things clearly makes it look disorientated and confusing. Actors and actresses that make a grand appearance in the book would get more time in the movie. If i didn't read the books and saw Tonks doing her pig and duck thing i would seriously be like "WTF?" Seriously, people who are not die-hard fans need to be explained things. You would think they would explain the prophecy a bit better with Neville and all, but no they couldn't take the time to do that. They just made silly mistakes. Poking a dementor in the eye when it is choking you? Seriously now. And what happened to Quidditch? It was action packed and amazing in the first two films, but yet again, they succeeded in taking away the magic that made the first two films fabulous. I believed the final battle would be breath-taking but was I robbed on that notion. Like the movie, the prophecy room was tight and overcrowded. No brain room? And it wasn't avada kedarva that killed sirius. However, i grow tired of complaining about this movie. Hopefully people will just read the book instead, which unlike the movie, is good.