I saw HP-POA twice this weekend, with 2 very different audiences.
Some observations:
Saturday, 10:45pm showing -- adults and adolescents. I was with 7 other adults, 4
had already read the book, 2 had neither read any books/ seen any previous movies.
Pre-Readers: obviously lots of details have been omitted/compressed, but visual
additions (not in book) add great flair. Non-readers: "what was missing? I guess
I'll read the book now." In other words, NO movie gives you a complete back-story;
you always have to figure out stuff from the context and what's inferred.
Audience very attentive and involved. Cheering and applause at 2 points in movie;
when Hermione decked Draco, and when Harry realizes his Patronus power.
Sunday: 4pm showing -- place was mobbed since it was a damp/cold day. Tons of kids,
many too young (WHY do parents bring pre-schoolers to what is obviously advertised
as a scary movie?), often accompanied by adults who had not read the book.
Audience very. . . busy: eating, talking, coming/going to bathroom, etc.
Lots of (not always quiet) conversations, e.g., "what's happening?" (sometimes
child explaining, sometimes adult). Levels of humor/appreciation/awareness of
visual details vary widely. Wild cheering when Hermione decked Draco; the 10 yr
old behind me yelled "Girls rock!!"
Side note: one of the ushers is a former student. He told me that he noticed
major increase in parents telling kids before movie: "Go to the bathroom NOW; I am
not walking out in the middle of the movie."
Overall:
1. This is NOT a movie for little kids. FWIW: the psychiatrist with us on Saturday
night said he now knows how to explain panic attacks: as dementors.
2. Much more fully-realized than first 2 movies; less 'exposition,' more story
and character nuance.
3. Much darker in both tone and color than first 2 movies. Yet in many ways, much
more realistic-looking, even in fantasy elements.
4. Great use of visual effects, which added immensely to story, theme, and mood.
5. I loved it (even on 2nd showing); I think it's the best one so far!
For a very thoughtful and comprehensive review, see http://tinyurl.com/2y5r8 ,
by Stephanie Zacharek at Salon.com
Alice Yucht, lifelong Teacher-Librarian
aka *Alice in InfoLand,* somewhere in central New Jersey
Information Skills/Library Management consultant, writer, and presenter
Author: FLIP it! info-skills strategy (Linworth, 1997)
email: aliceinfo at excite.com
website: http://www.aliceinfo.org
"We may be service-oriented, but we don't have to be servants."
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