Harry Potter Movie vs Book
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Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince book
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
First, I want to warn that I will be posting spoilers. If you haven't seen the movie or read the book and don't want to know what happens, please don't read.
Let me start with Narcissa. The movies have shown Narcissa Malfoy before and they had her perfect. Tall, thin, whispy blond (almost white) hair. Now, I don't care if they couldn't get the same actress but what is the deal with the replacements hair? Couldn't they afford hair dye or a wig and make her hair pale like it's supposed to be? I know it's petty but come on!! If you can't get a simple thing like hair right how am I supposed to trust you for the big stuff.
Next I want to take a couple of minutes here to cover some other trivial stuff before hitting the biggies. Why is Draco with his mom in Knockturn Alley? Isn't he supposed to have snuck away? I was hoping for the scene with Hermione trying to get Borgin to tell her what Draco was laying away and failing miserably, just for the comedy. The train compartment was wrong on the Hogwarts Express. While the outside of the cave, where the Horcrux is, is perfect; the inside is so wrong! It looks like Voldemort borrowed the 'Fortress of Solitude' from Superman!
#1. When in the book do the Death Eaters destroy the Weasleys Home? You have time, budget and special effects to make quite a long sceen of something that doesn't happen (I mean, now when movie 7 comes where will Bill and Fleur get married *see #2 below*) but you can't do some important stuff (also see below)
#2. No mention or showing of Bill and Fleur at all. The wedding kicks off book 7 and should the movie when it is finially released but now, if it's there, it will be a complete surprise to movie goers that don't read the books. Remus and Tonks had their relationship revamped as well, losing some of the angst and again a set up for book 7.
#3. Memories... we get to see two whole memories in a book full of them. Leaving the set up and story behind Dumbledores hand out. Also leaving the set up for another Horcrux out (the Hufflepuff cup). The one with Dumbledore meeting Tom Riddle is so messed up that they might as well left it out. Side step but close to this subject is, why did they change the events/lead up to Aragog's funeral? When you see him dead your like "Huh? How and when did that happen?"
4. Apparating, fighting and other stuff on top of the astronomy tower. Even Dumbledore can't apparate out of Hogwarts or into it either, leaving the chance for a last minute thrill ride on brooms out, when David Yates decides Dumbly can do whatever he pleases. Then Harry, instead of being petrified and unable to help, willingly hides while Draco, Bellatrix and others talk trash to Dumbledore. When Snape shows up next to Harry and gives him the old finger to the lips 'shh' move, Harry complies. Standing there stupidly while three of his most hated enemies are close (two unaware he is even there) and kill Dumbly! Even the Harry of the movies wouldn't just stand there!! He hates Bellatrix (chasing after her alone in THIS movie) after what happened with Sirius but there he stands... UGH! Again we have time to put stuff that isn't so important (Hagrid's house being set on fire) but not stuff that is (a huge battle between the OotP and the Death Eaters.) Nice time for some action in our 'summer blockbuster' just left out because?? Who knows with this dolt!
5. The cave. Where is the green glow of the potion in the middle of the still lake? In the movie the potion glows not at all. Why? They make Albus cast some sort of light spell when they could have put the green light in and save a couple of bucks and some CGI. Green has kind of become Voldemort's signature color (the Avada Kedavra curse being green) so why skip it? Harry's fall into the water also bugged me. It's creepy, he's seen things floating in it and Albus told him not to touch it, he wouldn't just fall in.
More little things, he he he! Snape was looking very clean and his place was really nice and in a normal town. Snape is well known to be a greasy looking or dirty looking fellow (movies and books) but here his hair is nice and bouncy. His place should be kind of messy and the furniture second hand or old looking in a town very close to 'ghost town' status, felling dejected, dirty, used up and forlorn but in the movie that little character trait (so telling when we find out about Lily) is lost.
The movie was more concerned with wasting time to CGI a looping roller-coaster type feel opening with Death Eaters flying aroung England and colapsing a bridge. Plus more time pushing the 'love' stuff between Ron, Hermione, Lavander and Romilda (never remembering to explain how the love potioned chocolates had gotten in the room) and between Harry and Ginny (adding weird cuts like Ginny tying Harry's shoelace).
Instead of focusing on The Half Blood Prince or the true story going on. They make up something 'thrilling' to start with, when they should have played it slow, letting the tension naturally built in grow, using that time and graphics to hit us with the three step punch at the end. (It could have been) The cave set darker with that lone beacon of green barely letting us see our heroes, to be set upon *splash* by the horror within the lake. Off to Hogsmead and the thrilling (now use the roller-coaster feel) broom ride to the tower, sinister green Dark mark glowing over it. On the tower, poor Harry covered with the cloak and petrified by Dumbledore but mad as a hornet, as Malfoy realizes he can't kill (showing that human side) and then Snape! Oh salvation, Snape standing, Dumbly about to fall whispering "Please.... Severus" begging for help, the pause, then Avada Kedavra! *theatre would explode instead of the silence that greeted this scene in the movie, it didn't even get an ahhh* Finally the mad dash/chase through the guarded castle, spells flying, movement everywhere and an escape of just inches of our 'bad' boys.
A little less kissy kissy and some more memories. Dark ones showing Voldemort growing to power, getting the cup and the ring. Dumbly tell us what happened to that poor balsted hand instead of waving it around like a trophy. I would have rather seen no Quiddich at all than the atrocious, bad dialog having, poorly acted tripe that was on the screen.
The End ?!?
There are large amounts of things missing at the end of this. Some of it you could try to lay of on the 'it's just personal, family, relationship stuff and thus not important.' And since they didn't get into Bill/Fleur and Tonks/Lupin in the movie, how they finish out in the hospital would have been pointless. Other things were important to know.
I would normally point each one out and why it should have been included and why David Yates is a complete imbecileto leave it out. Truth is, I am so utterly disappointed in this movie and the fact that the 'fans' gave it good reviews pretty solidly across the board makes me wonder if maybe I'm just too picky. If JK is OK with this (I don't see HOW she could be from a cannon point of view) *read note* why shouldn''t everyone else be?
*NOTE* I'll tell you right now that if I had spent as many years writing these books, I wouldn't care if they had one reader or 20 billion, there is NO way I would have allowed ANY of the movies since(and including) HP and the POA to release in the form that they did. I would have required them to be more faithful to cannon, even if I had to LotR the movies in length. Also I do think that the changes in directors did effect the movie. That's not saying Director of movies 1&2 is the best evar or even that David Yates is the worse. I'm saying it should have been made quite like LotR, by the same people.. continuously, checked for accuracy and released. When the books got looong 5,6 and 7, I would have tried for the Gone with the Wind release method first. If, IF, unable to do it then I would have done the two part release but the date between releases would have only been a month or so. The fact that HP has millions, maybe billions of reader would have made me want to stay true to that story, not go away from it. Also I know, no matter how good/popular a book is some people wait for the movie instead of reading it. Just another reason to tell the whole story in the movie then if they read the book afterwards or are talking to someone about HP they're not running into 'That never happened in the book!' or (and this is my biggie) 'Where was THAT in the movie it was cool/awesome/important!' *
2nd viewing realizations
After watching HBP again I realized that they have left something super important out! Something that IF they follow the book more closely in movie 7 is going to confuse the audience.
Sirius, Kreacher and Grimmauld Place. Before our good pal Sirius dies, he is smart enough to make and leave a will. A will leaving everything to Harrry. Everything, which includes Grimmauld place and Kreacher. These two things are so important in Deathly Hallows. They hide at Grimmauld Place for weeks, planning their attack on the Ministry of Magic for the locket. A locket they only know where it is by having and befriending Kreacher. A locket that is a horcrux!
Apparation In the book, when Harry and Dumbledore are done in the cave and the potion is making Albus weaker and weaker. He is unable to take them back to Hogsmeade so Harry does it. In the movie you aren't really clear who is apparating them back. Anyway, my complaint is, they never show Harry, Ron, Hermione or anyone else learning how to apparate yet those three are doing it all over book 7. How do they know how to do it??
Apathy. In general I have always greeted a new HP movie with exciment and a bouncy happiness of wondering how long it will be till the next one. However, movie 5 was so poor and HBP worse than that, now I dread Deathly Hallows. Yates has left so much out and gotten much of what he included twisted or just plain wrong that even if he takes book 7 and shoots it scene for scene, line for line leaving out or changing absolutely nothing, it won't make sense. I mean, it will to the book readers, they already know what is going on. People just watching the movies won't though. Of course, any hope I have that he might actually do THAT is nil. David Yates is going to make some lame duck POS and it's going to clear 300+ mil because it IS Harry Potter and here I am going to sit, chunking soda and popcorn at the screen because it blows skunks. Any fan that really cares about cannon and how or if the movie follows it, lost interest at movie 4.
My real hope... in about 10-20 years someone good will remake the whole set, or at least Movie 4-7. Staying true to cannon and JK Rowlings vision for the magical world. I wonder what kind of permission I would need to make a CGI anime (like Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within) version of HP... maybe I'll call a copyright lawyer. :)
Final Thoughts
After all is said and done it is as bad as I feared. Part 1 was dismal, leaving much out and bringing parts in that were correct but had little to no context in the movie HP universe or contradicted things already established. My biggest issue here was Dobby's death. In the book it had a huge impact because he was a friend, we had seen him again and again as the story went along and we cared about him. Harry's decision to bury him, by hand gave us another glimpse at how he was different, having been shown how most other wizards viewed house elves. The movie was like "Oops he died, how sad. Nothing more to see here... move along, move along."
Part 2 was decent and i did enjoy it. Been a long time (POA) since there was enough correct story that I wasn't just straining not to lambaste it right there. There are some mistakes and they leave stuff out (The whole ordeal in Ravenclaw Common room with the Carrows) but, for once, the movie doesn't suffer for it. Many people have complained about the part with Snape's memory, that it seemed fuzzy and jumpy. It was. However given the circumstance of his condition at the time, that actually makes sense to me. I thought it finally showed Snape as a human being and that was great. I would go see it again and will be happy to add it to my collection.
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No you are absolute correct. Thanks for reminding me...
first off, it's amazing we have the same name.
Second. I think we also have the same mind. Everything you mentioned is TOTALLY right. I bitched and moaned the entire movie.
I was so bitter they cut out the Dursley's. Pretty sure Harry avoided Slughorn like the plague... What about how Neville was in potions? Didn't he fail his OWL? Was Lavender Brown a black girl? and WHERE the hell is Pavarti?! (who's twin is in RAVENCLAW not Gryffindor, moronic screenwritters)
Don't even get me started on the 4th book! Keep nitpicking, true fans understand!
you are absolutly correct in everything. yates is a hollywood fop who completely ruined the books. you'd think a movie "based on the novel by J.K. Rowling" would follow some key aspects of the plot, yet it kind of glides over the whole horcrux business and focuses on building the relationships between harry and ginny. and why don't we ever hear the prophecy?
after the third movie i stopped watching them. and ABC's HP marathon is just making me irritable.
I totally agree. It makes me sick to see one of the best stories ever written retold in such a poor manner. J.K got it right the first time why change it? Also you forgot to mention another huge scene which was skipped over, Harry hiding the Half Blood Princes' book and marking the spot with the diadem. I guess they'll just throw that into the 7th movie randomly as that's what they've been doing all along. The Ginny Harry scenes are painful to watch and the Weasley's house burning down was completely unnecessary.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID!!! I've been saying this stuff for years ever since The Prisoner of Akzaban was released on film. And people who have never read the books try to tell me they understand everything that is happening when it is absolutely impossible. I get confused watching the movies and i READ the books!
I LOVE THIS!!!!
** He IS tHE tRuTh**
You have covered it very well. One thing that I think you have missed, and is missing from every movie except CoS, is the relationship with Dobby. This relationship shows more of his character than almost any other, also his burial and the manner in which it was done, allows him access to the cup. Just my thought. But reguardless, I will still be there opening day of "Harry Potter 7, Part 1" the movie loosely based on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Dear Tessa 666 and everyone else, I agree with alot of your opinions, My opinion is that the Harry potter books are far better then the Harry potter movies. They never show much of the Dursleys in the movies, the humour in the books is amazing, but it lucks it in the movies. The films relie on the cgi or fancy technology and lucks the story & plot. E.G book4 When the Weasleys went to collect Harry for the wizard world cup blowing open the fire place made me laugh. The film only losly uses the information from the books. E.G the plot from book 3 About Harry knowning that Ron's rat was really a wizard. in the book Harry didn't known till the end. They never reveld the plot in film six about Snap (alan rickman)was the one that first reveled the whereabouts of the potters to voldemort, before harry went on his mission with dumbledoor.
I completely agree with everything you just said. I didnt understand the movie at all with the movie having no storyline or anything. Also i felt they skipped from scene to scene with no flow at all. Hopefully the 7th movie is a lot closer to the book otherwise it will be another huge disappointment.
I completely agree with you, as do most of the people who probably have read this. At first I was like most of the masses, only watched the movies and called those that read the books losers. But then a good friend convinced me to read the books and, WOW, was I blown away. I didn't start reading them until after Order of the Phoenix, so when The Half Blood Prince came out I was really excited because it was the first time I had read the book first. Unfortunately Yates took a giant crap all over Harry Potter and JK's wonderful work. I mean the name of this movie shouldn't even be called Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, but instead should be called Harry Potter and Pain's of Teenage Love. This movie literally makes me sick to think about. I mean where the heck is the real information on Horcruxes?? Where the heck is the battle and escape from Hogwarts?? AND WHAT THE HELL is up with the burning of the Burrow?! Too much was left out, and WAY too much was added. I mean if you're going to ruin a movie by only showing the worst part of the book, at least to it right. Ron and Lavender's parts were spot on yet Harry and Ginny's were completely wrong. I don't know, I guess the real title of this movie should have been Ron Weasly and (insert whatever crap you feel here). Also why the heck did they keep showing what Malfoy was doing? At what point in the book did JK EVER describe him doing anything in the book besides being mysterious. I don't know, utterly disappointed in this latest movie and somewhat afraid at what the next two are going to be like. As you stated earlier and I 100% agree the 4th,5th, and 6th need to be remade. Hopefully they've learned from the their mistakes and listened to the true fans, those of us who have actually followed Harry and watched him grow through the books, and completely destroy the best ending to a book series I have ever read.
Just a fix to an error in the above comment of mine, *and hopefully don't completely destroy the best ending to a book series I have ever read*
This is AWESOME you guys should really check out Me and my Sis video
I am a devoted fan who has re-read every single Harry potter book.
The sixth book was really REALLY the straw that broke the camels back.
How in the HELL does Luna Lovegood find Harry On the train? Wasn't it
Tonks? They also have the WORST battle scene in the bathroom with MaLfOy and Harry?
Where was Moaning Myrtle? Why is Snape in the room with McGonagall When he was
'Suppose' to be helping Katie Bell. If the Death Eaters can fly in the sixth movie how will it be in the SEVENTH movie when they realize VOLDEMORT can fly? Bellatrix NEVER had the argument with Snape in SPINNERS END, which is VERY IMPORTANT. Its sets up the ending of killing DUMBLEDORE!! I'm a devoted fan to the books who just can't believe J.K. Rowling would sit back and let them destroy her creation? PITIFUL I say. I agree with you Tessa and am SO HAPPY SOMEONE FINALLY TOLD THE TRUTH! THANK U
It's canon... not cannon.
i know what you mean they missed a lot in the movies
I understand what you all are saying. I notice the changes and some of them do bug me as well. ie Harry falling in the black lake. Didn't happen in the book and I found it unnecessary in the movie. But at the same time, does it really matter if Parvati was put in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw? If Luna finds Harry on the train or if it is Tonks? If they put Neville in the potions class even though in the book he failed his OWLs? Seriously, you guys are just ruining the movie for yourselves and annoying everyone around you who is trying to enjoy them (I am only assuming, if you complain about them as much as you are on here) I love the books AND the movies. Yes, there are things and changes I don't agree with, but the things you guys are whining about really have no effect on the movie and the story itself. Honestly, when was the last time you ever saw a movie that stuck 100% to the book? It doesn't happen, they change things. But the end result is still the same. Obviously, David Yates is doing something right since HP are some of the highest grossing movies ever. And they increase with each new movie. Millions of people love these movies so they must not be that bad. Quit whining and just enjoy them. Or stop watching and let everyone else enjoy them.
i do complain after i get out of the movie and my family rails with me. In the theater i may give looks to them, a roll of the eyes or a nudge but nothing people in the next seat should be bothered by. We will have to disagree because i feel that if i would have spent that kind of time and effort writting a story i would want the story i wrote to be told. There is no good reason to change alot of it (which you say in your post) so if it isn't pivotal why change it?? If it was difficult to shoot or really dangerous i could see mitigating the shot. Otherwise leave it alone. but, alas that is just my opinion.
what about Ravenclaw`s tiara ?! Instead of kissing in the room of requirement harry should have seen the tiara. How is he supposed to figure out what is the ravenclaw horcrux when he has never seen it before :O The 6th movie was the worst , I was really disappointed with all the unnecessary bullshit and the lack of the important stuff.
Eheh, I'm a little late to be posting on this, but whatever. I'd just like to say that OotP was a completely pointless movie. I actually totally skipped over iit and didn't even notice until it was on TV one night. Also, did you notice that Hermione and Ron never met Dobby before the 7th or 8th movie, but when they first see him they act like BFFs? This couldve been avoided if they'd just added the whole SPEW thing. Also, I think it's in the 3rd movie, but it starts off with Harry using Lumos in the Dursley house. Outside of school. Underaged. Aaargh! Another thing, in the last movie, the Snape's memories scene was very unclear. I mean, Snape's acting was fantastic, but a lot of non-readers didn't get what happened. For example, my sister (non-reader) and I walked out of the theater talking about the movie, and she said "so did Snape and Lily bang, or...?" I was like "What are you talking about?" And she said "Well, when Snape showed Dumbledore his patronus, Dumbledore said 'Lily... After all this time?' I thought they meant Snape was Harry's dad." WHAT. I didn't get how she came to that, but I asked 2 other people and they thought the exact same thing. And it sucked that they didn't even mention how Hagrid got into the Forbidden Forest with the Death Eaters, all beaten up. But I digress... I'm a picky person when it comes to Harry Potter. And I HATE it when movie makers add pointless, BS fillers and chop off important stuff. Put 'em together, you get nerd rage. The movies kind of sucked after 4 imo. PS sorry if there's a million misspellings, it's like 4 AM here, haha.
Oh i agree with the nerd rage thing, i get the same way. Though Pt.2 is a lot closer to the books than the movies have been in awhile. Not the best by any means but not terrible either.
the books gave me a totally different picture of everything , how the characters should be. And of course the story it is almost the same, but many small things are out, which play an important role, and change a lot, the movie is full of effects , and out of story ....... Behhh
i also agree with most of u ppl.... im reading the 7th book 6 times if i remember correctly. the movie makers are making a fool out of every1... the world in which u go while reading is fascinating...
i liked the 1st 2 movies. the 3,4,5 and 6 were not bad but the 7th movie is a complete shit and nothing but disgrace to hp books...
i think it wud hve been best if directed by Peter Jackson(LOTR). jst waste of time watching this movie...
idk hw come the movie is in box office hit list....
atlest its not like eragon(i didnt even see a single drawf/elf in the movie)
my best advice is never to make movies out of books...with useless directors.....
I support everything you say about Yates being an idiot, but let´s not forget Steve Kloves the idiotic writer...who left important things out and made out stuff like "ginny tie my shoes" and "hermione , let´s grow up old together Harry or the stupid Harmonian dance!!!! He is guilty as well.
#1. They wanted to show that anyone is under the threat of being attacked by Death Eaters. They did this by attacking the Weasley house. Aside from that adding more emotion, I do admit it does add some realism, plus it just gives Bellatrix another opportunity to annoy Harry and possibly kill him. Remember how she doesn't know she is not to kill Harry until the beginning of DH Part1 (In the movies)
#2. I agree with you here, they did leave out a whole part.
#3. I didn't find this too annoying. The fact that they didn't include Dumbledores hand was but they included the memories that were necessary.
#4. It wouldn't be wrong to assume that allowing Dumbledore to apparate in and out of Hogwarts would save a whole lot of money. They'd need more sets and re-cast or call the actor for Madam Rosmerta again (thats even if they included her) Although it did bug me that they just bypassed the charms of the school it makes sense, and like I said above you do need to think about the budget they're on. (Even though they're making /the/ Harry Potter movies.
I assumed here that Harry took Dumbledores advice to trust Severus. You need to remember that Harry respects Dumbledore very much, and in his weakened state the last thing Harry would want to do is disappoint or worry him by going against his advice and getting McGonagall. That would've ruined the whole plan had Draco not barged in so early.
As for the fight between the OOTP and DE's, the makers said that they didn't want to have this huge fight between the two groups and then have it almost similar to the Battle of Hogwarts in Deathly Hallows Part 2. They cut it out to ensure that it didn't seem even slightly repetitive for the big climax at Hogwarts at the end of the series.
Otherwise, I agree with you for everything else!
I must say thought that the music in DH moved me. I liked "Obliviate" in the first Part and "Courtyard Apocalypse" in the second part the most. These two pieces were just wonderful and Obliviate even gave me nostalgia, I don't know why, but it did.
Even with the differences from Book to Movie I love the Harry Potter series, I would've loved the books had they not been a movie. But with the movie came so many memorable moments, moving pieces, unbelievable graphics, humorous dialogue, nostalgic feelings, emotion, worry and mostly love. Long live Harry Potter!
#1. So instead of showing attacks on actual people they make one up. Wasting budget that could have been used to do the aparation into Hogsmead/flight into Hogwarts. Which, since it happens near the end, would deffinately lend to a building of the climax.
#4. One word and a bolt of CGI light makes this right. That is all it would take. Adding that stuff with Snape is so wrong. Snape doesn't know Harry is there and that is how it is supposed to be. It loses so much of the drama by making Harry look like an idiot by just standing there. You say they did this to show Harry respecting Dumbledore. I say it is cause this clown couldn't direct his way out of a wet paper sack. The DE are coming in the only door so Harry couldn't have gone and gotten anyone.
HBP didn't spend enough time on Draco. Harry, in the book, is consumed with figuring out what Draco is up to. In the movie it glosses over it with small glimpses of Harry staring at the wall where Draco had just entered the Room of Requirement. I felt like this was a major part of the plot and should have garnered more attention.
DUDE! shorten the little explination things for me will ya
Joe 2 years ago
Unless i didn't read it, you missed the biggest flaw. Skipped the entire ending of the actual book, unless they're saving that for the opening of the 7th, which would just destroy the flow