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Home > Blogs > Sir Critic on Cinema > Archives > 2008 > September > 09 > Entry
Trouble with Harry Potter 6? - UPDATE
Many Harry Potter fans are still reeling from the news that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince got pushed back from this fall to next summer. I sympathized with their having to wait a lot longer, although I scoffed at their boycott threats that essentially said, “We want to see the movie NOW, but if we have to see it later, we’ll boycott so we won’t see it at all!”
Uh huh. That makes a lot of sense. Here’s an interesting story about some of that vitriol. Expeliarmus, say WB execs!
That little rumble may be nothing compared to what’s brewing right now. According to Ain’t It Cool News, a test screening of the movie has been held in Chicago, and early reactions aren’t just negative - they reek of dismay. If the reports from the people who have seen it are to be believed, major changes have been made to the ending of the book.
I’ve read the book, and if - IF these reports are true, then the filmmakers are making a major mistake that can only be amended with significant additional shooting. While I’m not one for conspiracy theories, I can’t help but wonder a little how legit the given reason for the move (“we needed a summer movie”) really was. Then again, this IS AICN, so take it with a chunk of salt.
I can’t discuss this story further without getting into spoiler territory. So if you don’t know about the ultra major life altering event of Half Blood Prince, DON’T click on the jump.
Just to make sure ….
SPOILERS AHEAD
WRONG WAY
FALLING ROCKS
BLASTING AREA
BRIDGE OUT AHEAD
Alohamora, eh? OK. First, here’s the AICN story.
Some of the changes these folks are complaining about sound like they might be feasible to me. But there is one in particular that sounds downright foolish. Here’s what the viewers had to say:
“I had the most problems with the film’s final third … there is no funeral for Dumbledore. It’s been cut … A woman in our post-screening discussion of about 20-25 people said she usually cries at movies, but didn’t react at all when Dumbledore died.”
A second viewer says:
“And the ending. Good God, the ending. Not only is the fight between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix completely removed, but so is Dumbledore’s funeral. The last third of this movie is so incredibly mishandled that Dumbledore’s death feels more like an unfortunate accident than genuine tragedy. No one in the film seems even remotely upset that he’s gone and the Death Eaters who murdered him … walk out of Hogwarts unmolested.”
I usually roll my eyes at fanboy/girl griping, but I must admit - if these reports are accurate, I have to agree with the complaints. I haven’t read the last book yet, but Dumbledore’s demise and its aftermath make for the most powerful emotional wallop of the series before Deathly Hallows, and it sets the stage for the final turn of events. That climax can’t be underplayed or saved for later. If the movie botches that, there won’t be half-blood.
Again, I don’t know how much of this to believe - part of me is skeptical that the normally savvy filmmakers would make such a blunder, and I have to reserve some judgment because I can’t see for myself how the film plays out. But I confess … I’m concerned.
Are you?
UPDATE: Commenter “Brewboy” below pointed us to the fansite MuggleNet, which has its own review of that test screening - and it’s very positive. Here’s what it has to say about the climax:
“Finally, the climax. It, too, is adapted very well. There is such emotion behind it and, when the score is completed, I’m sure it will be one of the defining moments of the series. I liked watching it much, much better than Sirius’ death scene. There was a funny moment for me at the Burrow with Lupin and Tonks and Mr. Weasley in the room when I thought, “Hey wait a minute, where’s Gary Oldman?” Dumbledore’s death will stick.”
Hmm. So are we just dealing with sticklers who go up in arms anytime even the most minute detail of the book is changed? Only time will tell.
Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment | Categories: Coming Attractions
Comments
By leah
November 25, 2008 2:54 PM | Link to this
i agree with you areya. harry potter is great and i know that the hbp will be a hit! i prey every night so all hose stupid reviewers can keep their gob shut becuse in case you have read all of the other reviews, they are all pretty positive to me and ootp was SICK!By Angel
September 15, 2008 5:38 AM | Link to this
Believe me, I have been following the reports of the screenings pretty closely and the only negative report came from Ain’t It Cool News. Of course, if some of the commenters here have already decided they want to hate the movie, they will latch onto this negative report and disregard all the other very positive reactions. But to claim that all the reports are negative or that “many” are saying the movie is bad is at best inaccurate and at worst a blatant lie. I’m reading reports that are saying things like, “beautiful,” “great,” “my favourite of the Harry Potter films,” and “will be worth the wait.” I don’t know what other reports some of you have read.By spirit
September 14, 2008 6:10 AM | Link to this
I want to believe the reports are not accurate but I can’t. Mugglenet has a history of worshipping everything HP, no matter if it’s good or bad, so I’d rather trust reviews of non-hardcore fans and since there are quite many who indicate that the movie is so/so or bad, I can’t help but be really worried and hope WB will take the time to fix things as good as they can. They should also remember that not all fans/viewers are squeeing teenagers that love romance no matter how, but that there are also a lot of people who actually care about the story….By Angel
September 14, 2008 4:52 AM | Link to this
Michelle, there are a few things you said in your comment that bear clarifying (minor spoilers): For one, that Leaky review that you call “mixed” is actually very much more a positive review, especially when you consider that the same reviewer stated in a comments thread a day or so later, “…this film only needs a small number of cgi additions to be screen worthy. In fact It was so much better than I thought it would be that I can’t wait to see it again. I was honestly expecting to only see it once because, hey its more Harry Potter, but despite all the changes and cuts, it is by far the best and most beautiful Potter film out of the last three that came out. Much more editing might ruin the great film they already have.” As for the reports that were posted on IMDb, I read those as well, and those were all pretty positive. Even the reviewer who you quoted as the “official word” of the movie said later that he really enjoyed the experience of the movie and has decided that Half-Blood Prince is his favorite of the Harry Potter films thus far. From the sounds of the other two reports posted on IMDb, the audience really enjoyed the film, especially the humorous moments, which for the most part are tied in to the romantic subplots. According to their reports, Ron, Hermione and Lavender drew lots of laughs and positive response from the audience. So I think it gives the wrong impression to insinuate that the only positive review has been the Mugglenet one. It actually appears that the reverse is true, and the Ain’t It Cool News report was the only negative. It looks like on the whole, people are really liking what they’ve seen. And I think we can rest easy that it certainly doesn’t look like any major reshoots will be needed. Another thing about the complaints about the romance: first of all, not having seen the film myself, I still feel safe to say that stating the “romance punctuates every single scene” is an exaggeration. I’m quite sure romance does not “punctuate” the Sectumsempra scene, the cursed locket, the Astronomy Tower scene, the Pensieve scenes of young Voldemort, etc. Second, if you did read the spoilers, and then go back and read Half-Blood Prince, you will find that the amount of romance and ‘making out’ is markedly LESS than what was in the book. I’ve only heard of one kiss between Ron and Lavender described for example, when in the book, they barely ever surfaced for air. Which brings me to my next issue with the romance complaints. Whether you want to believe it or not, in Half-Blood Prince, the romantic subplots were given quite a bit of prominence by JK Rowling herself. I know it may not be everybody’s cup of tea. Some people are made squeamish by anything more intimate than a hearty handshake between characters. But the fact remains that it’s there in the book, and to a lesser extent in the movie, and it contributes to the wonderful realism, the “flesh and blood” quality that Rowling imbued her characters with. It’s part of the reason they are so beloved, because they feel so real. They’re wizards and witches, yes, but they are also teenagers who “flirt and fight and fall in love,” as teenagers have throughout time and always will. So let our young heroes bungle their way through this new romantic territory and give us a few laughs along the way. There will be plenty of time for tears and tragedy when the final installment hits the screens in the Deathly Hallows.By Areya
September 13, 2008 11:51 PM | Link to this
I am a filmmaker and a Harry Potter fan. I am also somewhat of a purist when it comes to adapting books to films. However, as a filmmaker, I understand the cuts and changes to the story to make the films work. In my opinion, OOTP was the best HP film, although I do agree that Sorcerer’s Stone was the best ADAPTED one (it could have been darker, that’s all). I was disappointed at the shortness of OOTP, but that film was the one I enjoyed the most. It was my favorite book, so believe me, I know it from back to front. Still, I really enjoyed the film and believe that it is an excellent film adaptation. It still captured the psychology and emotion of the story, which is why I’m SO happy that David Yates is directing the rest of the films. As for HBP, I am cautiously optimistic that this film will be satisfying despite the changes. I am one of the few people who is not upset that the film will be released in the summer of 2009, especially if that means that they are taking the suggestions of fans now (from the Chicago screening) and making appropriate alterations or additions. I can wait, especially if it will be a better movie for it. Some people may not be able to understand the changes and cuts made to these films because they simply do not know what it is truly like to make a film, particularly an adaptation. Every person on the set can be 100% dedicated to reproducing every single line and moment from the book onto the screen and STILL come up short; that is just the nature of the film medium. Things ALWAYS go wrong, EVERYTHING costs money, EVERYTHING takes time, etc, etc. It is simply not possible to fit every little thing into a 2 1/2 hour film. Granted, I personally thought that WB should have made the decision to split GOF into 2 films (as they were discussing this), and I think GOF suffered being one film. However, I also thought that OOTP should be two films, but it turned out excellently as a single film (short though it was) because the core atmosphere and meaning was preserved and the most important scenes were included. I am very happy that DH will be split into two films. I think that decision (among others) shows the fans as well as the general movie-going audience that the Harry Potter franchise is in good hands, and that fans should take this release delay of HBP as a blessing, so that the filmmakers can make it the best that it can be.By witchy witch
September 13, 2008 8:32 PM | Link to this
I was extremly upset @ 1st bout the push back given the stupid reasons… 1. It’ll make more $ in da summer 2. We don’t want radcliffs other roles 2 b connected with harry potter. 3. This was the good 1 they had 2 edit all the scenes cuz there was a guy dressed as where’s waldo hiding in thm lol…. but if they r postponing it cuz they messed up the whole story plot then I can be understandable and wait even tho goin 2 c the movie in november was my bday present 2 myself :(By Michelle
September 13, 2008 5:12 PM | Link to this
I wouldn’t immediately go with Brewboy’s word that MuggleNet is golden. That is one review that was somewhat positive. I have read a Leaky Cauldron report that was mixed, I have read other non-Potter fan reviews on IMDB, as well as those from fans on IMDB, and if there is any official word on this movie, it can be summed up by this statement I read: “This film feels more like it was “inspired by events in the book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, rather than an actual adaptation of it.” While most everyone has said they enjoyed parts of the movie, the biggest complaint I’ve read is that the whole movie is, in fact, a romantic comedy. The romance aspect apparently punctuates every single scene, and the mystery plot and heavy drama is nothing but anecdotal. Draco and Snape have their roles, but they’re not as they should be. Snape’s line, “Don’t call me a coward!” was entirely removed! The entire battle at Hogwarts is removed. The Sectumsempra scene doesn’t have the intensity between Harry and Snape as in the book because McGonagall arrives too, and Snape doesn’t seem to know about his potions book. Apparently Ginny goes and hides the potion book in the Room of Requirement. That being the case, I’d really love to know how Harry is going to know about the diadem Horcrux in Deathly Hallows if he’s never seen it before, considering he wasn’t the one to hide it. Unless the producers would like to give Bonnie Wright even more to do by making her retrieve the diadem and completely scrapping the whole burning of the RoR in Deathly Hallows. I’d love to know how much more the producers would love to change which will do nothing but make more work for themselves?! And did I mention just how much goofy focus is on the romance, and how little focus is on the drama? From what I’ve read of the film reviews, I’m prepared to see a movie that is nothing like the book it is based on. I might enjoy what they did, but I’ll be unimaginably disappointed that the most easily adaptable book in the series has been ransacked. I say to the WB, re-shoot parts of the film. Freaking call in Alfonso Cuaron and put him to work!!! He knew what he was doing!!! Fix this movie! That’s what I say. They have time. Go to!By Brewboy
September 10, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
Go to www.mugglenet.com and read the review posted by one of the staff members who was actually at the viewing. I trust them more than any other source.By Kim
September 10, 2008 10:52 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the info, Eric. I really had the impression that she has more input than that. Perhaps she was so involved in that first one because they were setting up the world of Harry Potter for the first time.By Sir Critic
September 10, 2008 10:35 AM | Link to this
Kim: From what I understand - and I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong - Rowling has never had “veto power” over the movies. The filmmakers will run ideas by her, and she’ll tell them if they’re off track. For instance, they were going to cut Kreacher out of OOTP, but Rowling told them that would be a bad idea, since he’s important later. That said, the production team makes the final call about what does and doesn’t go into the films.By Tony
September 10, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this
I really hope they take fan reactions to the test screenings and use them to fix this movie. As book 6 was my favorite book, I will be very upset if movie 6 is not my favorite movie.By Kim
September 10, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this
And what I find myself wondering is - where is J.K.?? She maniacally went over every last detail of the first movie and it remains the most true to the series. I thought she retained creative control over how the movies were done. Has that gone away? Does she just not care any more now that she is done writing them?By April
September 10, 2008 7:41 AM | Link to this
This is what happens when a franchise starts caring more about money than quality.By Michael
September 10, 2008 1:18 AM | Link to this
Heck, after the way the messed up the OOTP, I don’t even want to see this one.By Anon
September 9, 2008 9:13 PM | Link to this
I knew this…I absolutely knew from the moment of postponment this movie was absolute rubbish and I’m still convinced of it. Lately they’ve been slopping these movies together like mad and I’m glad it’s finally caught up with them.By WannaBHermoine
September 9, 2008 3:02 PM | Link to this
concerned? i’m apoplectic. the only good news here is that maybe they KNEW they had a big problem on their hands and are choosing to do something about it. I preferred to believe the Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) naked in Broadway’s Equus explanation for the push-back, but this works too. i’m all for artistic freedom, too, but this is Harry Potter, NOT twilight or some such nonsense.By jennymac
September 9, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this
Yes - I’m concerned. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and have gobbled up all the books as soon as they came out. The last few movies have left me disappointed - so many things were cut out. I know that has to happen sometimes to fit everything but many times the true meaning of the book is lost and in this case that is a HUGE shame! The battle and Dumbledore’s deather are very important factors in the story overall and in Deathly Hallows. I don’t care if a movie is 5 hours long - as long as it sticks to the book and all parts are included - I would have any problems sitting through the whole thing. Heck I’d even pay double for it!By Kim
September 9, 2008 2:31 PM | Link to this
Well yes - I’m very concerned. I found 5 to be a bit of a disappointment in it’s shortness - sometimes making the plot feel more abrupt than it should have been and reducing entire plot lines to just a sentence of dialog - if that - colorful characters were completely omitted or downplayed. It just felt like there was lots missing - and I asked many who hadn’t read the books how well the understood the movie. I KNEW all of the missing back story and thought it would have to be somewhat confusing without it. Turns out - it was. I was glad to hear that the final book was being made into 2 movies - but if they botch this major stepping stone then it won’t do them much good! Dumbledore’s death is one of the defining moments of the entire series - don’t tell me they have screwed that up too! I definitely don’t mind waiting longer if it means they will get it fixed!