BEDA 12- Re(re)-evaluating Harry Potter (1-3)

(there will be spoilers in here up until the end of the third HP book in case you are wondering [so valerie you are ok])

I JUST finished reading Prisoner of Azkaban for the third time in my life (the second being last year and the first being when it came out). I'm reading the series through for the third time and then watching each movie as I finish a book. I'm getting a better way to think about the books/movies overall instead of how excited I was when each came out.

The first book theres nothing you can really do to it. It has to set everything up and I have no problems with it at all. The movie is kind of lame but its still got a kid's movie feel to it and I get that. No problems there really.

I've always loved the way the second book is put together and I've reaffirmed that with my third reading of it. Its kind of murder mystery ish and everything fits together so cleverly at the end. The movie is still just another visual cliffnotes version of the book just like the first movie. It's alright but nothing too special.

The third book i've never cared for too much and at least I know why that is now. The whole big scene at the end that we expect to get from reading the first two books doesnt really happen. All the excitement is just a bunch of people in a room talking and then there's some time travel but it's not all that gripping. There are also TONS of quidditch matches in the book and it just kinda drags on with the only real plot line being serious black (obviously). The book really harps on how important the firebolt is when harry keeps going to look at it and finally gets it and uses it etc etc but the movie completely destroyed ALL OF THAT. Which is one of the things I hate most about all the HP movies was the whole firebolt thing was ruined.

The movie does justice. It kinda prances around the storyline instead of following it word for word (in some parts) like the first two films did. It cuts out some of the crap and sums things up nicely in a few scenes. However there are so many random things in the movie that do not need to be there and changes that were made for no reason. Overall though (dont think i'm being blasphemous for saying this) I think the movie for Prisoner of Azkaban is even better than the book. They changed the way some of the time travel/plot unraveling at the end happens and made it way easier to follow. The ending in the movie seems more exciting than the ending in the book as well. The movie did some really cool things that the other films dont have while the book is just kind of a drawn out version of filling in some characters and taking space until the 4th book happens (which is probably my favorite book. going to decide after i'm done with the series again).

I've always loved the 4th book and the film for it is just ok. It could have been better but anyways i'm going to go read it and see what the movie did to ruin the book.


Reading: did tons of it today
Last song scrobbled: "Your Belgian Things" - The Mountain Goats