Director: David YatesCast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Michael Gambon (The Good Shepherd, Sleepy Hallow), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), David Thewlis (Kingdom of Heaven, Dragonheart), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, Leon), Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake, Nanny McPhee), Evana Lynch, Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeney Todd, Fight Club), Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, Stranger Than Fiction), Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, Schindler's List), Timothy Spall (Enchanted, A Series of Unfortunate Events), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Leprechaun), Natalia Tena, Tom Felton
The Deal: Harry Potter (Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts for his fifth year, but most of the wizarding world refuses to believe him regarding Voldemort's return. Harry is determined to make the truth known, but the Ministry of Magic won't admit it. The open DAtDA position is filled by Umbridge (Staunton), a Ministry worker who will act as a spy and prevent rumors from spreading. As Harry and a group of students band together to learn magic, Umbridge gains more and more control in the school. Unbeknownst to Harry, Lord Voldemort has access to his mind, and he is searching for a weapon, a weapon only Harry can retrieve. Drawn out by curiosity and fear, Harry sets out to the Department of Mysteries, but he doesn't realize it's a trap.
Thoughts: I'll admit that when I first saw this, I was very taken aback. It varies largely and often from the book, and it made me angry. But as I viewed the film more and more, it slowly transformed into my favorite of the franchise. Accuracy aside, the film is very dark, exciting, mysterious, and unites the audience in the student's hatred of Professor Umbridge. There is plenty of magic, and the story is quite fun. The battle scene in the Ministry of Magic is action packed and possibly the coolest scene of the film franchise so far. My biggest complaint is the terrible CGI of Grawp. It was worse than the CGI in the first film.
Most everyone is back, and improving on the performances. Evana Lynch, Imelda Staunton, and Helena Bonham Carter are the new additions this time around, and perfection is the word for all of them. Lynch is exceptionally loopy and charming as Luna Lovegood, Staunton evokes such deep and perfect hatred for her character, and Bonham Carter is playfully terrifying as Bellatrix Lestrange. Their performances were all great, and they feel like they've been with the films the whole time.
Accuracy: This is the longest book of the franchise, and so far, the shortest film installment. There are tons of cuts and loads of changes, all of which prove very frustrating the first view or two. They could have added a few more scenes to lessen this frustration and still keep the film around the same length of the others. They did do a solid job in the Ministry of Magic. Some bits were cut, but they did include much of what did occur, and their additions were fitting and enjoyable. Their new castings were also dead on for the book characters, especially Lynch. She is 100% Luna Lovegood. I could go on and on about other problems with the accuracy, but I won't. There are too many, and in the end, I've gotten over them when I view this film as a whole. ☆☆☆
Overall Verdict: Though at times it strays very far from its source material, it proves to be plenty magical and full of entertainment. The performances are quite good, the story is entertaining, and it's my favorite film of the franchise for its rewatch value. ☆☆☆☆
No comments:
Post a Comment