Lisa Hood

We went to see Harry Potter yesterday afternoon and I really liked it. It was one of the darkest entries in the series, but I enjoyed the more edgy, grown up feel of the film. Plus, Daniel Radcliff had an opportunity to ACT, showing considerable teen angst and turmoil. I remember being annoyed by his morose attitude and anger when I read the book, but it didn’t bother me when I saw his depth of feeling. It just didn’t seem to go on and on and on…

There was too much else going on. Harry returns to Hogwarts and learns of a summer long smear campaign waged by the Daily Prophet and Ministry of Magic to discredit his claims of Voldermort’s return. The Ministry is interfering with lessons at Hogwarts, a sadistic new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Dolores Umbridge, makes Snape look like a pussy cat, and Voldermort is invading Harry’s dreams. In fact, there is so much going on, little background or detail is given on the members of the Order of the Phoenix, the evil little house elf who haunts the Black estate or the Death Eaters.

If not for reading the book, the movie would have too much story and too little substance. Alan and Tay left the theater disappointed. Alan wanted more story about the school and less political intrigue.