I finally had the chance to sit down and put together some thoughts on the new Harry Potter movie (spoilers inside)…

I loved the movie! Suprise, surprise. I thought it was a much more superior film to the first two — it reflected the mature theme of the book and matched its darker tone. The movie flowed well, the humor was sharper, the scenery was gorgeous and looked more real and the kids have all vastly improved in their acting abilities, especially Dan (as much as I love him to death, I did find him to be a bit stiff in the earlier movies).

So my lists…

Things I Would Have Changed…
— The Shrieking Shack sequence, which seems to be a common gripe within the fandom. I just felt that it was a little rushed and not enough details were given. I mean, it wouldn’t have extended the movie by that much longer to have had more dialogue regarding the relationship between James, Sirius, Remus and Peter. Plus, it would have better explained why Snape was so angry with Sirius and Lupin.

— There was just not enough Ron. I know his part was minimized since the whole Scabbers/Crookshanks fight was downplayed as well… but still. I like Ron.

Things That Made Me Laugh…
— Ron and his dream about the spiders. Hee!

— Hermione: “Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?” A bit out of character for BookHermione but just perfect for MovieHermione.

— The Weasley Twins and how they finished each other’s sentences.

Things I Liked…
— The casting for Sirius and Lupin. Though Gary Oldman and David Thewlis do not look *at all* the way I pictured the characters to be (I imagined them much younger and more attractive, lol), I thought they both did a great job.

— Buckbeak. He looked *so* real. Go ILM!

— The way the changing of the seasons was shown, especially when the snow started falling down as Hedwig flew across Hogwarts.

Things I *Loved*…
— The very beginning of the movie when Harry is trying to be discreet about studying under the covers. I suppose it was a good sign for the rest of the movie that I already had a huge giddy smile on my face during this scene. 😀

— Harry walking down Privet Drive after blowing up Aunt Marge. The way the camera showed the empty environment around him just emphasized how alone he was. *shiver

— The Gryffindor boys eating the candy in their dorm room. Too. Cute. And Ron’s hat! Loved it.

— Harry flying on Buckbeak. I adore Happy!Harry.

— All the references to time… the cuckoo clock at the Dursleys, the clock tower at Hogwarts, the sundial near Hagrid’s Hut…

— The Harry/Ron/Hermione hug after Buckbeak is executed. Just, aww.

— Harry and Hermione. My OTP. *happy sigh* I just loved them to pieces. Hermione kneeling in front of Harry in the snow and removing the invisibility cloak. Hermione’s little slap as Harry tries to reach for the time-turner. Harry reaching behind her in the Shrieking Shack to grab her wand. The two of them holding each other as Buckbeak attacks Werewolf Lupin (this scene, in particular, was *so* gorgeous). GUH.

Anyway. I’ve already seen the movie twice now and I’m hoping I’ll get the chance to see it again. So… is it November 2005 yet? 😀