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Re: hmm...

*** Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone spoiler? ***

On Sat, 30 Mar 2002, Bethany Keeley wrote:
> I don't know what you're talking about.  The movie was fantastic, and so
> true to the book.

If anything, it was *too* true to the book -- to the plot, that is.  They
shoehorned as many important plot points into the film as possible, and
all at the expense of character development.  We never really get a sense
of just how much Snape hates Harry, for example -- he just seems like a
generically mean teacher.  (And one of my favorite lines from the book --
when Harry says "You mean Snape *doesn't* hate me?" and Voldemort's stooge
replies "Oh, he hates you all right, but he feels duty-bound to protect
you" -- is nowhere to be found in the film.  I always thought that was a
great line -- it hinted at complexities in Snape's character that later
books have teased out a bit more -- but the film just skips it.)

One of the reasons Peter Jackson's _Lord of the Rings_ is as superior to
this as it is, is that Jackson really brought the characters alive.

> Emma Watson was fabulous as Hermione, the effects and the music were
> enchanting.

The effects and music were *awful*!  The centaur, especially, was one of
the most poorly-done CGI characters in recent memory, and the music
intruded on the film more than it supported it -- if you want to hear a
movie-soundtrack collector rant, just mention this score!  (That, or
mention just about anything by James Horner. :) )

All that said, I'll probably still get the DVD.  :)

And of course, I breathlessly await the next book in the series -- not to
mention the opportunity to see Kenneth Branagh play Gilderoy Lockhart.

--- Peter T. Chattaway --------------------------- peter at chattaway_com ---
 "I detected one misprint, but to torture you I will not tell you where."
      Winston Churchill to T.E. Lawrence, re Seven Pillars of Wisdom

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