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In lugnet.loc.uk, Huw Millington writes:
> I'm glad to say it does live up to all the hype. Everything shown is exactly
> as I imagined it to be, having read the books. My only reservation is that,
> understandably, the story has been abbreviated, so consequently some of the
> characters or scenes do not have the significance they do in the book. I
> won't say too much in order not so spoil it for you.
>
> I'd be interested to hear from people who have not read the book what they
> think of it...
Well, I haven't read the books, and I'm glad to say that this didn't matter
much in following the film. But, I can still see some apparent abbreviations.
First, I agree with Maggie about the location of the hut. I was quite
surprised to see how close the Lego one matches the one in the film, but
placing it just in front of the castle wall looked ridiculously out of place.
I thought the flying lesson and the Quidditch matches looked unneccesarily
lethal, and thought little of the contrived way that anyone falling from a
broomstick just happened to catch something on the way down to slow their
fall. I suppose the set-up is part of the Roald-Dahl type nastiness that
appeals to children, along with the forbidden corridor.
It's nice to see unisex magic, in that both the boys and the girls ride
broomsticks, and take the same classes. I think that's an underrated part
of the apeal. I know Terry Pratchett uses separate Wizards and Witches to
comic effect, but I think Rowling's way is better for kids and about kids
(just a throwaway thought - I'm not going to be dragged into an argument,
okay?).
But (I presume because of a lot cut from the original story), the ending
seems patently unfair. I came away thinking that Dumbledore was a mean old
swine - if I was in the other house, I'd be livid! To set a group of kids
up like that! Definitely out of order. Someone call the OFSTED inspector,
immediately!
The castle itself looked great, particularly the composite shots of it above
Goathland station. From the outside, the castle did look a lot like the
Lego one too. It's just a shame the Lego one only has that one fascia going
for it - the rest of the model is pretty weak.
The floating candles got a bit tiresome after hanging around in the
foreground of long shots of staff at the head table, and it's a shame Lego
gave the twist away well in advance with that head print.
Apart from all that, a great film. Not the same adult appeal as something
like Shrek, but pretty good. It keeps up the interest level very well for a
film of its length (2 1/2 hours), and anything that can hold a kid's
interest for that long has to amazing.
I do like the casual way it mixes the modern, the recent and the ancient
though - the school, Hogwarts Express, Diagon Alley etc. A bit like
'Desparate Dan', living in a frontier western town served by red
double-decker buses and ice-cream vans.
Jason J Railton
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Saw the movie today!
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| I'm glad to say it does live up to all the hype. Everything shown is exactly as I imagined it to be, having read the books. My only reservation is that, understandably, the story has been abbreviated, so consequently some of the characters or scenes (...) (23 years ago, 10-Nov-01, to lugnet.loc.uk, lugnet.harrypotter)
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