A lot went wrong

Rating: Null/10 (11 June 2004)

Harry Potter 3 was not what I expected. Not even a tad better. The change in directors is probably the reason for this. Sure, its darker, with the softer lighting and the quick flash close ups whenever the moment for facial emotion changes to fear - even though many was uncalled for as it was too over dramatized in some areas. The movie gave the viewers nothing and I say this. If you had not read the book, you will truly never understand the movie. Columbus, though leaving out some partial essentials, was a good director, putting what he could into his movies while this new director has taken a new turn and has focused entirely on practically all the new characters and places. You hardly get a glimpse of a teacher, a proper class - the school in general is minimized completely and unlike when watching the Columbus movies, you feel that a year actually hasn't passed in Hogwarts. I really did want to fall asleep in this movie, but felt if I did, I'd have to watch it again to see the rest and I did not want to do that. You don't feel comfortable in the movie, there's no explanations set out, and its too quick. The camera passes over so many sub conversations, like when Malfoy broke his arm and is exaggerating its real pain in the dining hall, the camera passed over quickly hitting straight on the famous three, that you never truly received the humour of Malfoy. And personally I think that Dumbledore did a terrible job. He was no longer the gentle wizard who Harry warmed to - he was just another face that saved Harry from dropping. And Lupin, I did not seem to get anything from either, and it was definitely most sad as how the movie took away the explanations of the Maurauder's Map, Harry's Patronus, Padfoot, Prongs, Moony and Wormtail, etc etc, which was essential to tell. The only real part I enjoyed was from when they went to Hagrid's hut before Buckbeak's murder. That was when Cuaron's darker filming techniques were needed, to which he used to his advantage brilliantly. I do not think Cuaron was the best choice as he did not know how to add depth to the characters and let them grow for the audience to love. Many mistakes were made in this movie and I think him as the directing choice was only a small part of it.