Beautifully dark, but with holes

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2005)

This work is beautifully dark and lovingly done, but it does leave gaping holes in J. K. Rowling's magical world. The close relationship between Harry and Dumbledore is obliterated, as is Hermione's almost conspiratorial relationship with McGonagal. You are never told who Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are (a necessary element). They completely avoid the fact that Snape has knowledge of Harry's Invisibility Cloak, and Harry received the Firebolt at the beginning of this work rather than the end. The whole incident at the Shrieking Shack was changed and lost too much in the translation. Crookshanks was calumniated from a beloved kneazle to a noisome feline who'd be more likely to pee in your shoes than help you, aside of course from his determination to eat Scabbers.
Columbus's epic style is notably missing, as is the awe-inspiring score, and the magical feeling inspired by the first two. Hagrid's hut was reinvisioned (more a gripe with Columbus for not having read ahead and determining what was needed to begin with, than a grip with this movie), there is a pumpkin patch which wasn't there last year, and Hogwarts grounds seemed to have sprouted mountains and rocky hills which weren't previously there. And Dumbledore no longer bears the traits of a beloved, serenely all-knowing Headmaster who commands respect from all (the ONLY Wizard of whom He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is afraid), he is now a lesser man who barely commands notice much less great respect.
It aggravated me that Columbus never felt it necessary to research his resource materials by reading ahead in order to make a solid determination as to where things were and how they were laid out. Negligance is never a desirable trait among any professional trade, and this single act of laziness could have cost the franchise dearly. Indeed, this attempt took a beating on DVD sales due to the lack of contentment with the finished product over the changes. Lapses in sales like this could adversely affect the studio's decision to make further films!
However. Cuarón's style is superior in his use of light and color, and the lack of these elements. He is not afraid to approach the darkness of this work, and shows it as he rivals the power of the script, rifling through each line and page for ways to illuminate the scene through means other than mere lighting. Much has been said concerning the "darker" script, etc. While this work IS darker, so was the literary work from which this was adapted. Even with all the changes (some of them barely noticeable and some of them contemptible) this attempt is the first Harry Potter film which, in my opinion, captured the true spirit and feeling of the novel which it attempts to document.
I, for one, am happy to see Chris Columbus move from the director's chair to that of producer. I've wondered though, why he was not Executive Producer of this work, as he was the previous two and the upcoming GOF? Ah well. I must have missed something. His sweeping epic style is beautiful but his works never achieved the level of awe, mystery, and joy present in the first two novels. This third attempt, as I've said, succeeded in capturing all the necessary elements.
Hagrid's hut is beautifully done and the audience has a much better feel for the grounds of Hogwarts due to Cuarón's talents. As much as I detested the fact that things had to be changed, I am very satisfied with how things looked and felt on the grounds. It felt much more magical, even with a lack of epic filming (of which I am a huge fan).
Cuarón handled the maturing of our three protagonists quite well in that he had just finished a near-porn and, indeed, a nod is given to that work in this movie. If you've seen them both, then you know what I mean. Hermione's Emma Watson is maturing well so far, as are our other favorite Hogwarts students. They do not appear to be maturing so quickly as to warrant their replacement in this series; a situation about which much speculation has been made.
This work was incredible in that the characters, creatures, and effects were all impeccably conceived and executed. The legendary hippogryph was incredibly realistic. Some critics have charged J. K. Rowling with making up these animals by "taking one half of one animal and just sticking it onto another." This is laughable, as the hippogryph is a mystical animal of legend, and not a Rowling creation. According to legend, the hippogryph, living far beyond the seas in the Rhiphaean Mountains, is the result of the rare breeding of a male gryphon and a filly. It has the head, wings and front legs of a gryphon, and the back and hind legs of a horse. It is a large powerful creature that can move through the air more swiftly than lightning. It figured in several of the legends of Charlemagne as a mount for some of the knights. And since many types of gryphons exist, including a variation involving an eagle head and forepaws, this rendition of this legendary creature is really quite realistic. I do wish people would research before criticizing.
While this movie is far from Oscar-worthy, it is quite entertaining and does its best to follow the main theme of the literary work. While I was a bit put off by the changes, I must acquiesce that Cuarón did a most excellent job in adapting the largest and longest Harry Potter literary alteration so far with the lowest running time of any Harry Potter film yet. Thus far, this is my favorite for film style and maintaining the appropriate atmosphere in accordance with the novel, though I do hope Gambon can pull off the rigors of the next two attempts. A lot will ride on his ability to BE Dumbledore.
It rates an 8.4/10 from...
the Fiend :.