Read a review by: Kirsten, Melinda,
Elvenwolf
The thing that really annoyed me was that Chris Columbus didn't stick to the book. HpS, HpC, HpA, HpG, and HpP are my fav books and it really bugs me that they were disected. The thing my mom keeps telling me is that they couldn't make a 17000 (exaggeration) hour long kids movie. No one would sit through it. I say oh my name is nobody, is it? They could do it like the Titanic, and make separate movies (ex Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Part 1 Chapters 1-8).That way if you wanted to do it Chris Colombus style and skif huge chunks at a time you could do it- but not at the expense of the ones who want to see the entire movie.
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When the film began I thought it would pretty much the same as the book. I was disappointed when they skipped the part where Mr. Dursley went to work, etc. The rest went quite fast, too. The part when they drove around and when they went to the hotel weren't mentioned, neither was Piers Polkiss at the zoo. I didn't like the scar, although I heard that it was J.K. Rowling's idea to have it off-center. None of Harry's "funny stuff" was mentioned, so Uncle Vernon's warning doesn't make sense to those who went to see the film without reading the book. Hagrid's arrival and long story was cut dramatically, so that Harry didn't even know how his parents died until later - I really didn't like this. Hagrid tells Harry the life-changing words, "Yer a wizard" much too quickly in my opinion. I wished that Hermione's logic problem with the potions was mentioned, and I don't like the filmmakers' idea of Devil's Snare (cutting out the quote, "There's no wood!"). I don't think someone who hasn't read the book would be able to follow along very well - many things aren't clear unless you've read it.
There are some positive things to the movie - Emma Watson played Hermione very well, and I liked the special effects. The chess game was cool. I didn't like the effect of Harry's hands on Quirrell though. He wasn't supposed to crumble to stone! Somehow I imagined the Stone different - more rounded. Oh, well, does it really matter? The thing is…all those little mistakes add up! Then you add bad acting and many big mistakes…and what do you get? This movie!
I read a critic’s review saying, "…fans waiting to exhale can breathe easy. It's everything a Potter maniac could dream of..." Tsk! Obviously didn't read the book to realize all the mistakes. Am I too critical? If the shortest book was cut so much (I agree it should be at least one hour longer), imagine the 4th book!
Also: Did you notice - Peeves wasn't there and Hedwig's name wasn't even mentioned.
Although this film had great special effects, the style of the film was completely different than the book. It pretty much had the same story, but it was told in a different atmosphere. Most events were the same, but they were changed until it didn't fit the book's description at all. Even if this made the event more ludicrous, it didn't seem like the book at all. Also, the book had a humor to it that didn't happen in the movie.
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I saw the movie when it opened here last Friday. (quite a long line but, they were buying tickets for later and the theater was only about half full when I went in )
1. It is worth seeing just for the visuals. Photography, special effects and scenery are just what you'd imagine reading the books, and they are just as fantastic. Especially the Quidditch and giant chess games.
2. Very disappointed that they crammed a movie epic into 2 1/2 hours, it needed at least 4 hours. Huge gaps in the story and jumping from one scene to another without any background for the jump.
3. Chris Columbus did NOT stick to the book.
The great hall's bewitched ceiling is no longer round.
Harry's scar is now on the side of his forehead.
Neville does not take off before the class is told to take off, in fact Madam Hooch counts and blows her whistle and everyone stands there looking at Neville, who then takes off and flies around for quite a while before slamming into the castle several stories up and then crashes. Draco tosses the Remembrall up into the air and Harry flies around for quite a while before heading toward the castle and catching it in front of McGonagall's window high in the castle (no spectacular dive like in the book).
The devil plant scene is longer and changed making Ron the dumb one.
Snape's potion trap is omitted but they give Hermione 50 points for being intelligent anyway.
Neville is hardly seen at all and just suddenly appears waiting up for Harry, Ron & Hermione when they go out to get the stone.
Quirrell's hands do not get burned even though they are choking Harry for quite a long time, his hands only seem to burn much later.
The key scene is changed and Harry is the only one in the air with the keys now attacking him and he is bleeding when they finally escape through the door.
4. Owls have silent flight and it took me quite a distracted while to figure out what that whirry-clicky sound was when the owls flew into the hall. I thought that was the worst technical error. Most schoolchildren read about owls and know they have silent flight.
I was quite disappointed that the director did not stick to the book like he promised but the visuals are worth going to see the movie and I will buy the video tape just for them. There is an online petition for the director's cuts to be included on the DVD. The cuts are ~4 hours long. Small children have been complaining that the movie scared them. The director did go for the scary bits. Rupert & Tom really developed their characters of Ron & Draco. The rest of the cast did very well too. Nice casting and acting.
Quite a few people loved the film though.
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