HP Summer
We’re at 3 days away from July right now, a July that means big things for fans of a certain series.
July 11th marks the release of the movie “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” and July 21st marks the release of the book “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” Both are events that many fans are looking forward to, but is the product worth the hype?
Let’s take a look at the movie first.
“Order of the Phoenix” is the fifth movie in the series, and there’s a lot of hopes and expectations on this film. Looking back at the previous 4 films will tell us why.
“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (forgive me, the FMA fan in me requires the proper name and not the US version) was a good movie. Like all movie versions of films, much was cut out, moved around, or flat-out changed. However, the final product was something that both fans and non-fans could enjoy. Likewise, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” was the same. I’ll even go so far as to admit that while I am definitely not a fan of the book version, I have no problems with the movie version.
With “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” third installment in the series, we get a new director, and an obvious new feel to the films. The movie is much darker than the first two, something that may not have seemed as much of a difference had the second movie been a little darker than the first, as the descent into darkness is much more gradual in the books. There were a few major things I objected to in the movie (some in storytelling, some in filmmaking, and then the fact that Lupin looked more like a rabid monkey than a wolf…), but I wouldn’t call it a bad movie.
Then came “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” I would not call this a good movie in any way, shape, or form. In fact, I would even go so far as to call it a piece of crap. I’m sure no one wants to hear what could be a rather lengthy rant on not only how a fan of the books cannot possibly enjoy this movie, as well as how the movie was poorly made, making it hard for any intelligent, educated person to enjoy it, but let’s just say that I was bored enough in the theater to reach into my bag and fill an entire page of yellow legal pad with changes from the book. Bear in mind that I hadn’t read the book in around a year at that point. And I have yet to watch the movie again, despite the fact that my mom owns it.
So this brings us to movie 5. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” is a LOT darker than the previous books. I mean, it started to get dark at the end of “Goblet of Fire,” but that doesn’t even compare to “Order of the Phoenix.” “Order” does have a new director, as well as composer, but considering everything that was cut (presumably due to time constraints) from the rather lengthy “Goblet,” and the fact that “Order” is a longer book, can this really bode well for fans? Even with the harsher rating of “Goblet” (PG-13, as opposed to PG of the earlier 3 films), it seems as though the presumed attention span of the audience did not go up with the rating. Can we really expect any better from “Order”?
I tried to keep myself from looking forward to it, but I watched too many trailers, and it looks good. Then again, so did “Goblet.” I’ll watch it, and review it here, if the boys don’t beat me to it. But if it’s bad, don’t expect me to go see “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” even if you were to pay me for it.
Now onto the book. For most of us, it’s been a long time waiting for the seventh and final book in the series (since, oh say, around noon on July 16, 2005?). But then you look at what’s been said about it (officially, not fan speculation or rumors), it makes you wonder: Will the book end the way we want it to?
I’m an anime fan. Character deaths, even main character deaths, are not something I’m unused to. But with Rowling’s famous (or infamous) comment asking us if we’re so sure Harry will survive the last book (in response to why there won’t be more than 7 books) out for all of us to see…
Whatever we get, I believe I will be satisfied. I trust Rowling’s abilities to write a good book, and can only hope that, whether it’s the ending I would have picked or not, that I feel that the series has come to the “correct” ending. I don’t have as much hope for the movies.