Harry Potter and The Fight Club

Rating: 5/10 (6 March 2005)

I have not read the book. I have seen all three movies. I did enjoy PoA.
With that said, I really did not like it as a part of the series. As a film, in its own right, it's not bad. Way too stylish for my tastes, however. Too many wide angle, fish-eye lens shots, way, way too much color alteration. Result: a very MTV look.
I'm not impressed by these devices. They only detract from the story. As a filmmaker myself, I'm very familiar with the techniques used in the film to achieve that look. I don't dislike them. I just don't care for them in this series.
Overall, the film was enjoyable as a stand alone film, not as a part of the Harry Potter FILMS. Notice I didn't say "BOOKS". Films and Books are two different media. Incomparable. But adaptations of books to film, DO have to maintain consistency in the message and theme.
I did notice some annoying things, the obvious deletion, or alteration of certain characters, items, places, locations.
Now, not having read the book, perhaps most of my criticisms/observations are unfounded, since, many of these points might be explained in the book.
Here's a somewhat humorous (i hope) list of things I found distracting. Here we go. Enjoy...
Why does the headmaster's nails look so dirty, long, and sinister now?
Where's little sister Weasley who had a crush on Harry?
Where's Q coach Wood?
Where's Colin?
Why the increase in "minority" students when they weren't there in such numbers before? They should have been there from the beginning. To change it now, seems like the director is making a racial statement. Too obviously well placed in each shot. It felt like a political campaign photo-op. Distracting.
Why did Hagg's house move location down the hill away from the castle? To seem much more sinister?
Why did Hogwarts move location? Again, to seem much more sinister?
Where did the Stonehenge druid stones come from, making Hogwarts and Hagg's house seem much more sinister?
Why did the Womping Willow move location conveniently away from the school (and help from teachers) during the attack?
Why did we need to see the relocated Womping WIllow smote birds all the time? Again, more sinister?
What happened to Percy? He's now a whiny wimp nobody listens to in the hallway, as opposed to a whiny wimp people listened to previously.
Why are the students not wearing their uniforms or wearing them in a very hip-hop, "progressively" sloppy way? What's the statement the director is trying to make, that they're more "mature" and "cool"? On a related note, why is Malfoy, alone, wearing his uniform correctly? Is this clear difference in the book?
Are those really Malfoy's two friends from the previous films, or did one of them get replaced?
Why does Hagg's cry at the lakeside seem so poorly acted? And why is his hair a continuity mistake no one noticed?
Why does the word "brilliant", as in, "... it's brilliant" get constantly uttered?
Where did Prof. Snape come from during the full moon event? He suddenly shows up, starting to scold Potter, not noticing an 8 foot tall werewolf transforming two meters away.
Why do so many of the sets and locations look more like something out of Fight Club than a British boarding school, magic or otherwise?
With that said, I did like the ending, and the whole time travel bit. It was cleverly done.
Is it a prerequisite for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to be the crux and/or villain of the story? This makes 3 for 3 doesn't it?
Also, it's annoying when characters or plot points are introduced and then dropped off quickly after their "gimmick" is done. This is particularly obvious in sequels and/or series films.
Examples I noticed were: the girl ghost in the bathroom, the House selection ceremony, Harry's aunt and uncle having personalities, Headmaster's phoenix, Prof. Mag having more than one speaking scene, The appearance of a music teacher who is not introduced but is seen in the great hall, the divination prof. who is not seen in the great hall but is seen in her classes, the mandrake growing prof from HP2, who is not seen in the great hall, in her greenhouse, or anywhere else in the film, the magic car, Ron's broken wand, the hydraulic Loader Ripley uses to defeat the Alien Queen. oops, sorry, wrong film.
I don't want the film to explain everything. Of course not. But there are certain "beats" to every story that must be shown or given some treatment, however brief, to let the audience in on the act. (Pun intended)
Now, I know different directors have different takes on the same story. And characters are supposed to develop, and all. But there seemed to be a concerted effort to make this one very different from the previous two. It was a daring risk to take, when the previous two were beloved by millions. Comments by some of those millions who were not pleased with the changes in tone and approach are right here on IMDb. Multiply them by hundreds of thousands, and you get the idea.
Personally, I hope the next installment will resemble the first two more than the third. And will somebody please move Haggards house back up the mysteriously appearing hill, and put it near the castle again. Those mudslides must be murder!
HR