Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Sneak Peeks

[kirbilicious]

Right, it was such a big deal that Sirius escaped Azkaban, but I don't think, after all the commotion over it, that they even explained how he escaped in the film!

It was sort of just expected that the audience would piece together the puzzle - Sirius + Animagus + Dementors = Freedom ??? Or was it that we were just expected to forget that Azkaban is supposed to be inescapable?

Wow - I actually never realized that before. I guess I just didn't pick up on that since I know the story so well. I actually do think POA is my favorite movie though and would be quite happy to see Alfonso Cuaron return for DH. David Yates better be no where near that movie.

[kirbilicious]

I just watched the video too showing off the Quidditch uniforms. They just seem bizarre and rather uneccesary - a little too muggle-ish, if that's a word.

[sediment]

I just watched the video too showing off the Quidditch uniforms. They just seem bizarre and rather uneccesary - a little too muggle-ish, if that's a word.

Even more unnecessary is a video sneak-peak of the Quidditch uniforms. Does anyone besides the costume people think we care that much about the uniforms?

[Goofy Daddy]

Even more unnecessary is a video sneak-peak of the Quidditch uniforms. Does anyone besides the costume people think we care that much about the uniforms?

Whether we care about them or not, I think the point or concern should be that Quidditch uniforms have already been established. We have seen several matches now, including a professional level match (the World Cup) and there was no sign of those ridiculous "safety pads" in any match, yet we are all supposed to accept them suddenly showing up as "standard gear" now in movie #6.

[sediment]

So, this would more likely be seen as negative than positive. Bright marketing folks, there.
More evidence that JKR is not anywhere near the production.

[kirbilicious]

Whether we care about them or not, I think the point or concern should be that Quidditch uniforms have already been established. We have seen several matches now, including a professional level match (the World Cup) and there was no sign of those ridiculous "safety pads" in any match, yet we are all supposed to accept them suddenly showing up as "standard gear" now in movie #6.

Yet another problem of having multiple directors in the same series. Each one wants to make the movie he wants to make with little regard to what has been done before or what will happen in future films. I will admit though, I did love what Alfonso Cuaron did to the Hogwarts landscape.

You just reminded me that the World Cup was cut out of GOF.

[kirbilicious]

So, this would more likely be seen as negative than positive. Bright marketing folks, there.
More evidence that JKR is not anywhere near the production.

I don't know about that. Whatever Rowling's power is regarding the films, even if she had total control of the script, I doubt she would have much control over costumes.

[sediment]

You just reminded me that the World Cup was cut out of GOF.

Meh. Read the book for what happened.
More importantly, Ludo Bagman and the twins and the Leprechaun's Gold storyline were cut out.
And how Rita Skeeter was finding out all of the secrets and how Hermione discovered it was cut out.

Oh, I'd like to make a list of cuts to the movies that are critical to the books' storyline.....
I might kill MiceChat doing so, though.

[sediment]

I don't know about that. Whatever Rowling's power is regarding the films, even if she had total control of the script, I doubt she would have much control over costumes.

A simple, "Don't do that," should be all that's needed.
That an effort to do this is being done probably means less will be done elsewhere.
I'll still likely see the movie, as Warner Bros expects, regardless of how they ruin it.

[BC_DisneyGeek]

Well, sports uniforms do change in real life. It's certainly within reason that the school uniforms could change over time, so I can accept this as not being some sort of continuity error.

[Goofy Daddy]

Well, sports uniforms do change in real life. It's certainly within reason that the school uniforms could change over time, so I can accept this as not being some sort of continuity error.

Sure thing. There is no mention of change in the source materiel (books) however so why would they bother to change it in the movie other than the director feeling a need to justify the costume designer's salary?

I know and already stated that I expect the films and books to have differences, but I do HOPE the differences are for a reason of production or due to transfering from one medium of story telling to another. Altering sports uniforms that are pretty well established just seems a frivolous waste to me.

[Twist_of_Fate]

Sediment, while it would be easy to compile such a list, now that we've seen how the whole series has been played out, the changes don't have to gel with the books. The changes have to gel with the rest of the series. They have downplayed (and emphasized) parts that were/weren't in the books all to the supposed "grand plan" of Rowling.

As for the issue of the uniforms...meh. It doesn't bother me too much. If we get a decent Quidditch match in this one, I'll be glad. I'm not a big fan of the helmet thing, but I kind of like the pads. Sure, they're completely frivolous, but it makes a hell of a lot more sense in regards to the sport, IMO.

Frankly, what I'm most concerned is how they are going to salvage Snape as a sinister character. Other than his scene with Karkarof in GoF, he has basically been relegated to comedic relief, yet he has to do what HP fans thought unthinkable in HBP. Draco has to man up some too, but not to the same extent.

[MasterGracey]

Draco has to man up some too, but not to the same extent.

I feel Draco has to "man up" even more than Snape. I think Alan Rickman has managed to get across the point that he loathes Harry and is capable of "bad" things despite his under usage in the films. Draco, on the other hand, comes off as all talk. I think the most damaging scene in the films in regard to Draco's character is when Hermione punched him in PoA. Not only was that entirely out of character for Hermione, but Draco would have never whimpered and ran away like he did.

It's going to be hard to believe that film Draco is actually breaking Harry's nose at the beginning of Half-Blood - that is, if that scene is even kept. It's going to be doubly hard that anybody, especially Voldy, would entrust whimpering Draco with killing off Dumbledore, even if Voldy didn't really think Draco would follow through anyway.

[sediment]

It's going to be hard to believe that film Draco is actually breaking Harry's nose at the beginning of Half-Blood - that is, if that scene is even kept.

I think that scene will be kept, as it's seen in the sneak peeks. There is a shot of Draco pointing upward in a train cabin shouting "petrificus totalis." Not sure if he will break Harry's nose, or whether blasé Tonks will find him, fix his nose and escort him up to the castle after sending her patronus ahead of them. Will Tonks's story get cut, too?

[Jazzman]

At this point the seventh movie is being set up to carry as much weight as a Kleenex. Certain beloved characters die and their deaths are meant to show us how everyone sacrifices and everyone is vulnerable, but the films have completely ignored those characters so whether they die in the movie or are cut out entirely it'll just be a big "Meh, no big deal." Plot points and absolutely imperative storylines have been passed over so much that the final movie will either have to throw them in and feel forced and contrived or come up with some completely new reason why things end up the way they do which again will just feel contrived and stupid. I hate it, but this series that started out so strong and well crafted has completely jumped the shark. We (The Wife and I) regularly watch Sorcerer's Stone through Azkaban, but rarely do we watch Goblet and we don't even own Phoenix. Prince and Hallows are (sadly) simply shaping up to be even more craptastic dreck. I almost don't want to even watch them for fear of forever ruining the books. Blech.

As for Rowling, she basically showed how little she cares for the fans with that whole "I wrote a book that nobody gets to read!" crap. She's got her billion dollars and obviously doesn't give a skrewt's @$$ about anything at this point, so whatever "final say" she has over the films is meaningless and I have no faith in her whatsoever. She's allowed the last two movies to suck the big one, so why believe that the next two won't as well.

The biggest spoiler of all is that cinematically Harry Potter is dead. He just doesn't know it yet.