Dr. Movie Reviews; Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Jason Isaacs

[Reply #40 on:]

I gotta say, Up is the only 3D movie I've seen, but I really dug it. No headaches, glasses were alright (even though I had to wear them over my real glasses), and everything was crystal clear. I don't get the hate.

I haven't seen an imax movie since I was a little kid going to the science museum. It was a movie about earth or something. It was cool but boring.

[Reply #41 on:]

I didn't see Up in 3D so I can't really comment. I heard good things about its use of 3D, though.

I too haven't see an Imax in a long while, since going to the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore back in elementary school. I think the one I saw was about the sea, nothing near Harry Potter or Watchmen or The Dark Knight.

[Reply #42 on:]

Rather disappointed with Half-Blood Prince. All in all I agree with this review.

[Reply #43 on:]

No! No! No! Please don't tell me they glossed over the Tom Riddle back story, it was the best part of the book by far.

[Reply #44 on:]

Son Of Rambow

Kid of no TV-watching Jehovah's Witness' family, meets up with rowdy school bully accidentally watches a pirate copy of First Blood, and agrees to be the stuntman in the bully's Rambo-style movie.

Wonderful kids tale with some fantastic turns from the two kid-leads, and Jessica Stevenson as the kids mother.   Charming without being too sappy, and some excellent cut-away moments involving a French exchange student and his army of followers who get in on the act.

Fab.

8/10

[Reply #45 on:]

Rather disappointed with Half-Blood Prince. All in all I agree with this review.

I don't really think I can agree with, or take seriously, any reviewer that says part three is the best of the series.

[Reply #46 on:]

The third movie has long been critically acclaimed as the best. That's what he was referring to.

And Shep, they completely glossed over the Tom Riddle backstory.

[Reply #47 on:]

Bugger. That was what I was looking forward to in this film. Without it how do you make the final film work on any level that isn't just 3 kids wandering around pretty much aimlessly for 2 and half hours.

Bugger! Bugger! Bugger! This film could have been excellent if they had focused on the right parts of the plot. Thanks for saving me a fiver (£5), Bear.

[Reply #48 on:]

Thanks for explaining that lingo to me.

By the way here is a breakdown of the memories dealt with in relation to Tom Riddle:

Show spoiler

1 Dumbledore visits Riddle at the orphanage
2 Riddle asks Slughorn about horcruxes and Slughorn tells him to bugger off (tampered memory)
3 Riddle asks Slughorn about horcruxes and Slughorn tells him about them (real memory)

They completely skip the House of Gaunt (although the ring is briefly shown at Dumbledore's desk and his hand is blackened)

They also skip Hepzibah Smith and the explanation of the locket being Riddle's mother's. The cave with the inferi is shown, of course, when they recover the locket but they also skip Dumbledore's story of Riddle going there as a child

[Reply #49 on:]

Show spoiler

1 Dumbledore visits Riddle at the orphanage
2 Riddle asks Slughorn about horcruxes and Slughorn tells him to bugger off (tampered memory)
3 Riddle asks Slughorn about horcruxes and Slughorn tells him about them (real memory)

They completely skip the House of Gaunt (although the ring is briefly shown at Dumbledore's desk and his hand is blackened)

They also skip Hepzibah Smith and the explanation of the locket being Riddle's mother's. The cave with the inferi is shown, of course, when they recover the locket but they also skip Dumbledore's story of Riddle going there as a child

So no half-Voldemort Riddle in Dumbledore's office asking for a job. Bugger.

[Reply #50 on:]

Dammnit. Now I'm seriously considering not going to see it at all.

[Reply #51 on:]

Yah, I was really disappointed. 

[Reply #52 on:]

Dark, thrilling, and occasionally quite funny, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is also visually stunning and emotionally satisfying.

[Reply #53 on:]

Gayest review ever.

[Reply #54 on:]

I didn't see it

[Reply #55 on:]

I never liked any of the Harry Potter movies and/or books. The first movie was a big turn off for me.

[Reply #56 on:]

Harry Potter is half-muggle.

We are all muggles.

[Reply #57 on:]

Half Blood Prince was by far the best Harry Potter film made so far. I'm fine with the omission of some of the Pensive scenes as they will probably be explained in the two parter Deathly Hallows movie. Think about it, we still have Snape's memories and in those we'll see how Dumbledore asked Snape to kill him because the ring was anyway, and all of the child Snape scenes. Perhaps they'll stick some of the Voldemort scenes in there somehow. Snape in Book 7 was the my favorite part of the book, so I really hope they keep those in all their glory.

I was happy for the "Dumbledore is gay" reference towards the beginning of the movie when he asks to keep the quilting/knitting magazine.

I also liked the Regulus Black reference at the beginning of the movie and how the Inferi who goes grabs Harry is him.

[Reply #58 on:]

You're assuming they're going to include all that stuff. That may not be so, unfortunately I wouldn't put it past them to blow a 2-part series finale with even more fabricated story line

Show spoiler

That whole Burrow burning scene was the stupidest thing ever. 10 wizards stand in dismay as the house burns...you're wizards! Auguamenti! Harry puts out Hagrid's hut by himself in the book, I think Harry, Ginny, Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley, Lupin, Tonks, Hermione, and Ron could have at least TRIED to save the Burrow! Ridiculous.

Also, Dumbledore says he likes knitting patterns in the book version of Half-Blood prince in the same context. It was straight from the book. It has nothing to do with Dumbledore being "gay"; it has to do with his quirkiness.

I didn't catch the Regulus as Inferi thing...how do we know it was Regulus? If so that is neat

[Reply #59 on:]

I thought one of the reasons why Dumbledore grabbed the magazine was that he was intriuged by the Muggle stuff. I did like how it show's Mr Weasly's shed with all of the Muggle stuff he collected over the years.

[Reply #60 on:]

They left out way too many important things to focus on the hormonal things. 

No mention of the new Magistrate of Magic other than a 5 second headline?  No apperation lessons, no silent spell lessons, and worst of all - no freaking battle at the end between the baddies and the DA.

Weiner, you are seriously wrong.  This is BY FAR the worst Potter movie.  Hell, they don't even mention Serious.  Harry didn't get over his death that quickly.

Oh, and didn't Ginny only make the Quidtich team because Katie was cursed?  Maybe I am remembering wrong.  Anyways, if that is the case - they totally f'd that up just to show her standing next to Harry at the tryouts.

[Reply #61 on:]

I would agree this is the worst. I hadn't thought of Sirius but you are right Slackito2. I guess they compensated for it by having Bellatrix repeat her singsong "I killed Sirius Black" again and having Harry run after her in a completely fabricated scene.

I read they cut out the end battle so that it doesn't take away from another big battle at Hogwarts in Deathly Hallows. Stupid decision. Rowling included it in both and it obviously went over well, wouldn't you say? With all the security they showed around Hogwarts before the Death Eaters came there's no way they'd be able to just walk out of the front door and across the grounds without so much as a "Hey! Who are you?"

The post-Dumbledore's death scene was completely anticlimactic. The Death Eaters leave without even seeing anyone in the hallway, Hagrid's hut burns for no reason (neither he nor Fang are even close by!), and Harry vs Snape at the end was very short and stupid. That scene was supposed to show Snape still trying to teach Harry oclumency to prepare him for what is to come in Deathly Hallows. The movie version made Snape seem truly bad (and the revelation of the "Prince's" identity was cheesy I thought)

Also no Dumbledore's funeral. Also stupid. And Hagrid just stood quiet and removed over Dumbledore's body. Hagrid isn't like that. The whole thing was just stupid.

[Reply #62 on:]

I think I'm going to wait x years until they make it all again.

They were stupid to start filming them when they did anyway. And JK was stupid to let them. I think it influenced the writing a bit.

[Reply #63 on:]

I've never seen the movies, do they all have British accents like they should?

[Reply #64 on:]

Have you not even seen a trailer?

[Reply #65 on:]

I never cared enough to watch one. And I don't recall ever seeing TV commercials for a Harry Potter movie.

[Reply #66 on:]

Yes, they all have thoroughly convincing British accents.

[Reply #67 on:]

This satisfies me.

[Reply #68 on:]

Books you are missing out Hermione is hot

Shepherd I know you live in England have you ever been to her house? Do British people think British accents are hot

[Reply #69 on:]

On HP and the HBP: As with almost all movies based on books, the book is better and the movie is missing a lot of key points.  But I still found it enjoyable, I just wish the focus hadn't been on the puberty, rather what the story is really about.  I do wish to believe though that a sufficient job will be done in the two part conclusion.

[Reply #70 on:]

Bear, I totally agree with you.

My mom read the book, and saw the movie with me.  The whole thing Draco was doing through the movie - like wtf.  There is basically no explanation, and anyone who didn't read the book would be super confused.

What bugged me the most was about the HBP stuff.  Its the name of the freaking movie, and its mentioned, what?  Three times?  It seemed pretty pointless to even bring the stuff up if you weren't going to go into Snapes background.  Worst of all, when Harry hides the book, he puts it under hufflepuffs(or ravenclaws, I forget) helmet thingy, and thats why he knows where to find it for DH.  HUGE PLOT HOLE

[Reply #71 on:]

Hell, they don't even mention Serious.  Harry didn't get over his death that quickly.

"I killed Sirius Bla-ack!  I killed Sirius Bla-ack!  I killed Sirius Bla-ack!"

Oh, and didn't Ginny only make the Quidtich team because Katie was cursed?  Maybe I am remembering wrong.  Anyways, if that is the case - they totally f'd that up just to show her standing next to Harry at the tryouts.

Ginny was on the team when Harry was banned by Umbridge in book 5 and was quite good.  Dean Thomas was only on the team whilst Katie was cursed.

[Reply #72 on:]

Ahh, thank you.

Still though, he said EVERY one had to try out.  Why did she get to stand next to him.

[Reply #73 on:]

Easy lip access.

[Reply #74 on:]

I just got back from seeing HP&tHBP and I must say that I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.

[Backstory: For a long time I was vaguely anti-HP, mostly because everyone else seemed to like it so much but some friends convinced me to go see the Goblet of Fire movie with them when it came out. That got me interested in seeing the earlier movies but I thought I ought to read the books first. I thought the first book was enchanting and the latter ones, while not quite recapturing that same 'magical' quality were still both engaging and enjoyable.

The movies, on the other hand were a different matter; the first one was very good and managed to capture something of that quality which appealed to me so much in the book, the second movie was a 'worthy' sequal—as far as sequals go, but the rest just seemed to sacrifice too much of what made the books good for alternative scenes, or fancy cinematography, or for who knows what other reasons. Hence, after my disappointment with the previous three movies it was with fairly low expectations that I went to see this film. (Also I have deliberately made a point of not re-reading the HBP book in the last 12 months.)]

Like the reviewer that Bear referred to, I thought that this was some of the best acting performances that we have seen from the main trio. I was confident that Rupert Grint would do a good job with, say,  the love potion scene but I was pleasantly surprised with Daniel Radcliffe's comedic touch during the luck potion scenes. I also was pleased with the amount of screen time that Ron (and Hemione) got.

I thought they got the pacing about right, not to busy/full-on, not too slow. And given that, I was happy with the choices that had been made regarding what to leave in and/or cut out from the book. Yes, I was sorry that more of the Tom Riddle memories weren't present but I think I would have been more sorry if they had been included at the expense of what we did get.

I don't know how well people who weren't already immersed in the story of HP would have picked up on a lot of the details but then again I don't think this film is any worse in that regard than any of the previous thee movies were.

I'll have to let it 'settle' a bit but I think this one will end up being my second (or maybe, third) favourite HP movie and I'll probably go to see it again sometime in the weekend.

B+

P.S. When Harry first met Horace Slughorn, in addition to foreshadowing the existance of Regulus Black,  Slughorn did mention that Sirius' death had only been 12 (I think he said 12 [Edit: Actually it was "a few"]) weeks ago.

[Reply #75 on:]

I agree with hobbitboys grading of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, it's a B+ for me also.

[Reply #76 on:]

Yeah, the other thing to remember is that book seven parts one and two are going to be soo heavily dark, that they really needed to get one more good laugh romp in there, and this books hormone driven love fest was the way to go.

In the next to films, we will see lots of death, and sitting in a tent, and flashbacks to darker times, and sitting in a tent, and fighting, and sitting in a tent, and secrets revealed galore.... and sitting in a tent.

Let this one have all the fun it can.  Action, darkness, and tent sitting is all we have left.

[Reply #77 on:]

I can't believe you just spelled two "to"

[Reply #78 on:]

transformers 2 - 2/10

really the only things that were done right in this movie were the cloverfield poster and the half hour long battle scene at the end. everything else was torture, especially the scenes at college and the scenes with the parents. and any scenes with those two jive-talkin' clearly stereotypical robots.

harry potter and the half-blood prince- 6/10

eh. i didn't read the book but i knew how it ended. it's a pretty decent movie but nothing stands out except for a few decent scenes of special effects (like when the wrecked house cleans itself up, that was kinda neat).

[Reply #79 on:]

The wrecked house cleaning itself up looked like a tired music video effect to me.

Dont get me wrong, I am glad they included it and they did it well. It's just that it's sad that that was one of the greater effects in the movie. They could have had so much more!