From: beansalad	Date: July 11th, 2007 08:23 am (UTC)		(Link)

RIGHT ON! I liked it a lot! some people hated it at the theater but I thought it was bad ass, yeah they cut out a lot but I LOVED IT *points the direction of recent voice post that he did on his way home from the film*

btw: I did want more Tonks but i was ok when she did the pig nose and duck beck XD

LUNA = PERFECT

	From: ysathora	Date: July 11th, 2007 11:48 am (UTC)		(Link)

I agree with everything you said.

	From: etherealshores	Date: July 11th, 2007 08:28 am (UTC)		(Link)

Haven't seen it personally, but I'm so sick of Ron getting the short end of the stick.

	From: cleolinda	Date: July 11th, 2007 08:52 am (UTC)		(Link)

I actually liked Ron a lot more in this one--there was no mugging, and while there were bits where they favored Hermione when Ron could have had the line/closeup just as easily, it seemed soooooo much less weighted in her favor this time. And they really went out of their way to have more little Ron-and-Hermione moments instead of weighting it really weirdly in a Harry/Hermione direction that Rowling has *said* they're not going. Notably, Steve Kloves did not write the script for this one.

	From: noblerot	Date: July 11th, 2007 08:32 am (UTC)		(Link)

Dude. Total agreement.

	From: emerald_skies	Date: July 11th, 2007 08:46 am (UTC)		(Link)

I still think it's the best Potter film yet (even though Azkaban was pretty good). I'm extremely peeved that they just cut Marietta Edgecombe out entirely and made Cho the traitor. I'm just too much of a purist to be able to handle that! >_<

And the DumblyvsVoldything battle sequence would also have blown my tiny little mind in IMAX.

	From: cleolinda	Date: July 11th, 2007 08:56 am (UTC)		(Link)

Making Cho the traitor didn't bother me, because it had this really tragic aspect to it--Marietta in the book ran and told on them voluntarily (didn't she?), whereas a confession was obviously extracted from Cho against her will. It's like she's the mechanism of the discovery without actually being a traitor on purpose. And that coming between them was so much sadder and more complex, I thought--I'm not saying it's better than the book, but given the compressive nature of a movie's running time, I thought it was a serviceable change.

	From: karie122	Date: July 11th, 2007 09:07 am (UTC)		(Link)

I definitely enjoyed the Ron/Hermione moments where it was obvious that there was subtext going on. Also, the casting of Luna Lovegood was absolutely perfect! Evanna Lynch was wonderfully fabulous in her role and she brought some much needed comedy to the film!

	From: trede	Date: July 11th, 2007 09:42 am (UTC)		(Link)

Just saw it too, and loved it. My favourite of all 5 (although, I thought that after both 3 and 4 as well).

Snape in the Occlumency scenes was good - in the last movie he was reduced to comic relief, so it's good that they gave him back some of his darkness, which starts to set up events for the sixth movie. :3

There was (thank god) lots of Sirius, after he was pretty much ignored in film 4. This is good, because it made the ending of this film mean something.

Needed more Luna. She was perfectly cast.

This was the first of the films, in my opinion, to be actually coherent for people who haven't read the books. They didn't rush any exposition or leave any vital explanation out (COUGHCOUGHFILM3&4COUGH). It's also strangely the first of the films to acknowledge the films that came before it - lots of references particularly to Cedric's death in the last film. That was touching.

Something that bothered me: Filch et al watching, waiting, discovering the DA's hideout, was nice comic relief, but that made Cho's betrayal pointless, as they already knew that Harry and pals were up to no good in that room. What else exactly did Cho have to tell Umbridge?

	From: ter369	Date: July 11th, 2007 12:34 pm (UTC)		(Link)

What else exactly did Cho have to tell Umbridge?

I think that because the Room had appeared for Cho as a member of the DA, it appeared when she was under Verisaterum. The later lack of Verisaterum, or the use of all supply on hand, is why Snape says he has none to use on Potter. They must've really dosed the poor girl.

	From: anuitabi	Date: July 11th, 2007 09:51 am (UTC)		(Link)

what? not even neville's story or lockhart?

	From: cleolinda	Date: July 11th, 2007 02:57 pm (UTC)		(Link)

That's the kind of thing I think would be good to see on an extended DVD, but I don't think it would have improved the actual movie as a whole.

	From: girlbyjuly	Date: July 11th, 2007 09:58 am (UTC)		(Link)

I loved it too. I've always found it hard to actually DISLIKE a Potter movie. I thought it was fantastic.

The only real complaint I have is that I thought Snape's Worst Memory was going to be waaaaaaay longer than that. That was something I was really looking forward to. :/

	From: cleolinda	Date: July 11th, 2007 02:55 pm (UTC)		(Link)

See, and it should have been, because I've actually seen a still of Lily telling James off. They *did* film more.

	From: theonlykow	Date: July 11th, 2007 10:09 am (UTC)		(Link)

Luna basically stole the show for me, although the Ministry fight was fucking gorgeous. I guess with no Hermione / Harry to ship for in the movieverse, they had to rely on Luna / Harry, which was just kind of... weird.

Excellent movie. Well cut, well shot, well done.

Oh, and the role of Dobby will continue to be played by Neville.

And KREACHER. HOLY SHIT. Amazing job with Kreacher.

	From: arpeggiodreams	Date: July 11th, 2007 10:11 am (UTC)		(Link)

All in all, I liked it, but I was getting a wee-bit tired of GlamourShot!Voldie there by the end.

	From: kittenscurious	Date: July 11th, 2007 10:17 am (UTC)		(Link)

So much word.

Except I think I loved it even more than POA; I think they left out too much essential plot stuff in that one.

This will definitely make the two hour drive up to the IMAX worth it.

	From: prncssaurora	Date: July 11th, 2007 10:17 am (UTC)		(Link)

Saw it in IMAX with the Ministry scene in 3D and... my mind, she is blown.

And may I just say, HBC as Bellatrix Lestrange totally pwned. Luna, Umbridge, Sirius... and I can't get over how much I loved Ron in this one! Also, thank goodness Dumbledore finally calmed the hell down.

	From: brittastic14	Date: July 11th, 2007 08:56 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I AGREE WITH YOU 100%

and I also saw it at IMAX...twice in under 24 hours, I thought it was that good!

	From: jinology	Date: July 11th, 2007 10:32 am (UTC)		(Link)

I agree, although I would have loved to see Hem Hem attempt to take out Hagrid and McGonagall. I think that would've been one hell of a scene.

	From: ter369	Date: July 11th, 2007 12:31 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I am over here, still awake after seeing the midnight show, and I am crushing hard on swashbuckler Sirius and the OMG COULD THE APPARATING HAVE BEEN ANY MORE AMAZING!?!

Luna: perfect.

My heart ached for Harry.

Seeing it again tonight, late. And Thursday night, late.

	From: cleolinda	Date: July 11th, 2007 02:58 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Who knew Sirius was a total pimp daddy? I mean, I'm guessing it's because he got home from Azkaban and all his clothes were still from the seventies, but rrrrawr.

	From: jwdmeow	Date: July 11th, 2007 12:33 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I don't know if anyone cares, but I tried to write down all my thoughts when I got out this morning (I'm currently in Sydney, Australia - no midnight showings). Overall, I really liked it, although I would've liked more. The ending felt a teensy bit rushed to me. Anyways - it's not super coherent, but here: http://blogs.bootsnall.com/Jessica+Dillon/?p=202#more-202

	From: wumbawoman	Date: July 11th, 2007 01:20 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Not to put pressure or anything but.....

does this mean a m15m is in works?

	From: cleolinda	Date: July 11th, 2007 03:01 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Not to put online, no.

	From: spectralbovine	Date: July 11th, 2007 01:32 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Awesome! I'm seeing it tonight!

	From: celtic_songster	Date: July 11th, 2007 01:42 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Prisoner of Azkaban"? You LIKED "Prisoner of Azkaban"? Oh, honey.

In any case, I traded some more suspense for the opportunity to go see it in IMAX tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes!

	From: theendofallthat	Date: July 11th, 2007 02:12 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Azkaban is the best so far.

	From: dwarrowchild	Date: July 11th, 2007 02:01 pm (UTC)		(Link)

It's odd - almost the entire order of events was switched around for the movie, and yet I really can't think of one thing that would have been better if left unchanged. (Granted I've only had a few hours to think on it and I'm still flailing with pleasure.)

Luna and Bellatrix could not have been more perfectly cast. HBC will be Bella's face every time I reread.

I really do wish the Worst Memory scene had been longer and that we were given a chance to actually see and recognize the young actors they cast for it.

"Nice one, James!" = SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE BOOK

	From: starline	Date: July 11th, 2007 02:37 pm (UTC)		(Link)

It wasn't?

	From: riney	Date: July 11th, 2007 03:45 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I agree with most everything everyone said above. And I was so happy they improved on the floo network so that Sirius no longer looked like a talking, burning log.

	From: lotusbiosm	Date: July 11th, 2007 07:15 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thank you! I hated the way they did those scenes in GoF.

	From: somewhatmoot	Date: July 11th, 2007 03:57 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Apparently, this website is associated with Cloverfield

http://www.slusho.jp/

Someone in the trailer was wearing a slusho shirt.

Check out the history. It's disturbing, even by creepy J-pop standards.

	From: cleolinda	Date: July 11th, 2007 04:40 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I know, I discussed it at length a few posts back. : )

	From: thyroyalmajesty	Date: July 11th, 2007 04:38 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Ah, but the real question remains: did you wear mascara ?

	From: cleolinda	Date: July 11th, 2007 05:16 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I decided not to, actually, because I'm a very fidgety person in general but I tend to rub my eyes a lot in particular, especially at movies, and so in the end I decided it'd probably bother me less not to wear it.

	From: vampirepig13	Date: July 11th, 2007 05:12 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	by the by...

I tweaked your desktop a bit to use it on mine. I had to scale it up anyway (my screen resolution is nuts), so I figured why not play with it a bit. Thought you might like to see: link

	From: mamapduck	Date: July 11th, 2007 05:27 pm (UTC)		(Link)

The *only* thing I might have changed was that the 3-D on the last 20 minutes of the IMAX showing was... gratuitous. And kinda fuzzy. It seemed not to be as high quality as some of the other 3-D I've seen lately and I'd rather have done without if it couldn't be done better.

	From: theendofallthat	Date: July 11th, 2007 05:39 pm (UTC)		(Link)

have I mentioned my love for Michael Goldenberg? He is a delightful man and have many fascinating Rowling related stories.

I wish they weren't bringing Kloves back. the economy of this one was just so, so, SO much better than the others.

	From: theendofallthat	Date: July 11th, 2007 05:46 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"have many fascinating stories"--oh, lord, I've begun speaking lolcat.