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November 26 2001 |
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November 26 2001
I'm one of those people who never read a Harry Potter book. I know, I suck. So I went into this film with as little expectation as possible. I should also mention that I have an aversion to fantasy. I don't get into fantasy that much. Dragons are cool, but I like the Asian dragons who are wize and majestic rather than the European dragons who are beasts to be tamed and hunted. I will play a little D&D if we ever get a campaign going again. But I don't really jump up and down for fantasy (which is weird because I'm jumping up and down for The Lord of the Rings). Indeed, I was ready to not be impressed.
We managed to catch the movie opening night at about 12:30 am which would make it after opening night sorta. I think it's close to three hours long, but the time truly flies. Not knowing anything about Harry Potter or the plot didn't really detract from my enjoyment. I am told that I didn't quite get everything and that there were parts left out, but overall, I really enjoyed this film.
The movie opens with three seemingly magical beings delivering a child to the front door of some unasuming house. They talk about the child as if it were some sort of magical gift of true power. We know that this kid is Harry Potter from the get go since that's what we paid our eight bucks for. Flash forward to a few years later and indeed we see Harry Potter living under a stair case with some truly unsavory relatives who generally use Harry as a punching bag. Harry's uncle, aunt, and cousin are great character parts that you love to hate. You just want to reach in and skin them alive from the moment they come on screen to the moment we leave them huddling in a dank tower.
We discover that Harry Potter has some hidden talents when we are treated to a zoo visit. Harry's cousin is yelling and screaming at a snake in the reptile house who seems content to just stare at the brat. The cousin leaves, cursing the snake all the while. Harry appologizes to the snake who in turn responds by waking up and nodding to Harry. Harry and the snake have a right nice conversation which is rudely interupted by the really SH!TTY cousin who sees the snake moving and runs back to the window pushing Harry to the ground. Harry looks up rather angry at this and we are treated to the first hint that this Harry Potter is more than a mere muggle. Harry's gaze causes the glass to disappear. Assmunch cousin is leaning on the glass and falls into the snake pond as the snake escapes. Before he goes, he says his thanks to Harry and slithers off. The glass reappears and the cousin screams when he realizes that he's where the snake used to be.
More hateful scene with his surrogate family. We get to the part where a big dude knocks down the door to the relative's place to take Harry away to Hogwarts, the local magic academy. Before he can enroll, there are a few items Harry needs to buy. The big dude takes Harry to the magic market and shopping ensues. The strange thing is that everyone Harry runs into seems to know him. He's famous and he's only ten years old. The explanation is in the scar on his forehead. And with that, the movie starts to get much more interesting.
Though I did really enjoy this movie, there were a few things that didn't sit well with me. Number one, there was way too much CG, enough so that I noticed. Of course, I'm a real snob when it comes to digital effects, but there's no reason they couldn't have come up with real life solutions to the shots they used CG for. The quittich game was the biggest example. There's a witch game that's sort of like rugby, dodgeball, and basketball all in one with the players flying around on brooms. The close in shots were done very nicely. But when the camera panned back to show full body shots, we're treated to some very shoddy CG. I know CG has done wonders for George Lucas's pocket book, but can we please get back to the days when effects were done with real objects. What would have been an otherwise excellent scene turned into a showcase of awkward body movements. The CG really detracted with the authentic feel to the film.
Number two was the fact that plot points and character development seemed rather hurried. Though they did a nice job of establishing the hard-luck nature of Harry Potter in the begining, the character failed to develop much beyond that. I realize that this is probably much better done in the book and that you can only fit so much in a three hour film. But I would not have minded a few more hours for more depth. Hell, this could even have worked as a mini-series. But we all know the money is at the box office, not the home theater.
My third problem has not a whole lot to do with the plot or production of the film. I'm just tired of seeing movies about white kids. Sure, there was a token black kid who did commentary for the quittich game. But I need to see more than token. In a time where we try to put asside our differences and stand united, Hollywood seems to be a whites-only club. Very few of the top actors today have any melanin content in their skin. Yes I realize that there are Black-only films as well as one or two Asian-only films. But the films in which we are treated to a diverse cast of characters are few and far between. And don't give me any bull about films reflecting the demographics of the movie going public. Movies are about money. And it seems that all the top producers in Hollywood are white so they fund movies that reflect their tastes. Ah, I'll do this another time. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, this movie is not without stink.
Overall, I'd say you should go watch this thing. It's fun and entertaining and few sore spots aren't so bad as to make me want to poke out my eyes and demand my money back. And even though I haven't read the books, I found the whole package rather enjoyable. So go sink some more money into what may turn out to be the highest grossing film yet. And take the kids. See ya in the theater!
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