Dichroic Reflections

Azkaban

Well, we were going to wait until next weekend but did end up seeing Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban today. I liked it.... but as a dyed-in-the-ink fan of the books I do have to pick a few nits.

First of all, as irritated as I get with long movies, even I thought the movie was too rushed, especially in the beginning. I do understand why they had to cut a lot and I actually agree with all but on thing, but honestly I don't think I'd have understood anything before about the Hogwarts train if I hadn't read the books. It's fair to assume anyone seeing with will have the first two movies for background, so will recognize the Dursleys, but I'm not too sure about Aunt Marge. Maybe so, though; I'm notirously dense about movies and while I can imagine not knowing the plot at all, it's hard for me to figure what I'd know having only seen the movies.

The one omission I really minded was the explanation of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. Without that there are so many unanswered questions: why is Sirius Harry's godfather? How does Lupin know how to use the Marauder's Map? Who made the Map and why did Filch have it? Why are Sirius and Pettigrew Animagi and how did they get that way? Why are Lupin and Sirius such friends in the Shrieking Shack? Why is Harry's Patronus a stag? Most crucial, how did Pettigrew betray James and Lily?

If you assume everyone's read the book, you can omit that, but that's not really a fair assumption, especially for the sort of people who don't read children's books (that would be, the sort of people I feel sorry for) but who do take their kids to the movies. It would have been worth adding another few minutes.

I did think it was a good addition having Hermione explain the difference btween werewolves and Animagi, so we know why Sirius is attacking Lupin. Speaking of Lupin as werewolf, though... yuck! He's just supposed to be a wolf, not something out of Mordor. I'd have liked seeing Sirius a more normal dog, too. There were a few other changes I didn't mind: I don't really miss the subplot with Ron's and Hermione's big argument. Given the time constraints, cutting that subplot made sense to me. The kids seemed much older to me than they do in the books, bu that's not a bad change either and it makes more sense of their general competence.

Loved the Whomping Willow. As always, I left wanting to move into Hogwarts. I didn't mind the new darker palette except that it made it a bit harder to convey the sheer joy in the wizarding world, I thought. The one place that did come across was in Harry's flight on Buckbeak. The whole ting felt very British to me, partly because of those grayer colors and partly because of the looks of the characters. There are some types, lilke Ron and the twins, you see a lot more rarely in the US, but an even more British thing to me was the looks of som eof the adults, particularly Messrs. Moony, Wormstail, and Padfoot. In a movie made in the US, they'd have been much prettier, with good teeth and clear skin, rather than looking like people who'd been through what they'd been through. (Though I would have liked to have seen the picture Harry had of Sirius all dressed up and cleaned up at his parents' wedding.)

I don't mnid Draco being a bit of a coward because I think he is, and I'm glad he ditched the weird vinyl haircut. I do mind Ron being so fearful, though. That's not how I see him in the books and I kept wondering what Harry would have wanted with the movie Ron who's afraid f everything. Or for that matter, what Hermione would have wanted, and she clearly did want. I liked the clarified Hermione/Ron subtext, especially knowing that JKR vets the movie plots. (I don't suppose this will put a damper on any committed Harry/Hermione shippers, especially since, as has been pointed out, they're only thirteen at this opint and only seventeen when they leave school. Who stays with their 13-year-old boyfriend, anyway?)

In general, I liked it a lot, and may even see it again. My only serious beef is the omitted M/W/P/P explanation.

Posted by dichroic at June 6, 2004 06:08 PM