I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last night. I was pretty well pleased. I felt that this installment rang true to its book bound counterpart better than any of the others. Granted, I was upset going into the movie knowing that all the Quidditch (including Ron's debut as Keeper) had been cut from the film altogether, as well as the usual inconsistencies due to time allotment. But overall, it didn't detract from the storyline. I was very pleased however that the film retained some minor aspects that just gave the books their spark. For instance, I loved Hermione's line from the book regarding Ron having "the emotional range of a teaspoon". I was delighted when Emma Watson quipped the line in the film. There were numerous other instances of book-to-film direct adaptation. For me, these small trifles were what made the movie legit. So all in all, I was happy with the finished product.Another honorable mention would be the soundtrack. It got horrible reviews on amazon.com, yet during the film, I recall being really drawn in by several of the scores. After obtaining a copy for myself, despite warnings from critics, I must confess that I don't quite know where they're coming from. The music is once again a different style, as it is once again a different composer. While the critics do lament that OotP composer Nicholas Hooper is a small improvement over Patrick Doyle's work for GoF, they nonetheless are slanderous in their critiques. Personally, I found Doyle's work a great degree different from John Williams obviously. But "Harry In Winter" spoke to me in a way that a musical score had not in a great while, thus compelling me to investigate the rest of the album. And now I listen to it frequently. Granted, it took a little more time to grow on me than Williams' scores ("Window to the Past" was a instant soul-seeker)
but in time, I came to enjoy it as well. Similarly, Hooper's music requires a little tweaking of the ear. But while Doyle's work had a flare of its own that reached beyond the gates of Hogwarts at times, Hooper's scores just sound like Harry Potter. There's no denying that. True, it takes a trained ear to appreciate the deep, more quieter, less abrasive style, but when you do, it fits the darker theme of the movie just fine.
Anywho, ow I eagerly (like so many others) await the release of the book. I plan to barricade myself in my room for a day and read. While it's sad than the series has come to an end, I can't help but feel a little relief. It's a weird personal quirk I have, but when I something that I really care about or love suddenly becomes a "craze" or the "it" thing (which has happened so many times) it gets to me. Suddenly the world is filled with lunatic people who claim to be "the biggest fans" and obsessed and stuff. Which is fine, but what I hate is that it somehow manifests this culture... that I can't really explain. It just annoys me. It's because I care too much about it to see it become that way.
In the meantime, I'm browsing every gaming outlet site for competitive prices on the OotP game for PS2. Although also receiving some harsh criticism, I've heard a lot of good things about it as well. I'm not one to take advice from the critics anyways. I expect I'll have my copy of the came before the weekend runs out...
