I found OotP to be really good, but the first third or so felt choppy. It was like, they knew they had a crapload of pages to compress into the time available so they dove straight in running and took a while to really hit their stride.

I thought some of the choices they made for time compression were interesting if unexpected, primarily making Cho Chang the one who ratted out the DA. I can see some of the sense of it, but given the strong statement that Umbridge was interrogating students using veritaserum, I couldn't tell if she voluntarily gave it up or did it under duress...if under duress, then the rest of the students' reaction later on (blowing her the fuck off) seemed a little unfair. But c'est la vie. I couldn't stand Cho in the books, so I was more than a little glad to see her shoved out the way as quickly as expedient.

Loved the parts they chose to dwell on like the DA training montages. I do wish they'd expanded more on Mr. Weasely's injury, if only so we could have seen Neville's parents in St. Mungo's. I like Neville, so I would have liked to have seen him do even more.

Overall, though, my nits are much like Aimee's; things I would have liked to have seen, but their absence didn't really detract from the movie. As I told her in the car afterward, I might have made a different movie, choosing different things, but it wouldn't have been a better movie.

I was going to come in and rave, but lo, I am full of gronk.

Instead, I will point up and say "What They Say." I definitely agree with MM's statement that

I might have made a different movie, choosing different things, but it wouldn't have been a better movie.

Whoever said that they just shook a book until Luna fell out is exactly correct. Same with Umbridge and Bellatrix, who both gave me the heebie jeebies.

Spoilery: There was not enough Lupin for my liking. Sirius looked like the wizarding equivalent of Hugh Hefner (which is a good look for him). Bellatrix using the Avada Kevadra, which was somehow blocked by the arch? (it was late and I was tired) was NOT liked by me. Though I'm pretty sure I heard Sirius call Harry "James" in the thick of the fight, which killed me dead. All the evil guys have very nice suits. Daniel Radcliffe is incredibly hot, and did a good job keeping some of the tortured emo out of his sadness and isolation.

Best one yet. I can't wait to see it again.

It was difficult to watch Dolores Umbridge because she was basically exactly like my evil boss at my last job. Sugar coated malice.

My boss saw it at midnight when it was released (she said "I have insomnia and wouldn't be asleep before 3 a.m. anyway, and my daughters don't have to get up in the morning,") and I asked her if the movie got Umbridge right.

Her reply: "Oh my god, she was EVIL! She was so S&M-y!"

I said, "I think probably she was more S-y than M-y."

Ailleann, I wondered about the "Avada Kedavra" myself. Now, it's possible that in the book she did the curse silently, but they made it verbal for the movie. I also heard Sirius call Harry James. I don't remember that from the book, but if it wasn't in there, I'm fine with the addition because yeah - killed me ded also.

I also agree about Not Enough Lupin. And Tonks. Joe has a serious hard-on for Tonks. Which, can't blame him. Oldman was amazing and hotter than I don't know what.

Aimee!

I just checked out the SparkNotes this morning, and it says that Bellatrix fired something red at Sirius. I haven't reread in a while, but I thought that the AK was described as green in the books as well.

They really did right by Sirius. Oldman was fabulous. Seriously, all he needed was eyeliner. (Maybe he was wearing eyeliner? I disremember because I was waiting for Lupin to stop looming and jump him I was distracted by the velvet jackets.)

There should have been very much more Tonks. And also Ron, poor niblet.

Yes. Yes. Yes!

I'm nodding myself into whiplash.

Sirius saying James' name covered a HUGE piece of story, i.e. Mrs. Weasley's struggles with him at OotPHQ, Sirius' potentially dodgy motives for championing Harry so hard. In just one word. That was one of the most masterful strokes of condensation, I thought. And Harry's expression spoke greater volumes than I ever expected our Danny's skill to achieve. Phew.

One detail that gave me a huge, "huh. Why on earth shift canon with that, was implying that everyone had fallen victim to Umbridge's torture quill. Even to the extent that the Twins had scars on their hands. It didn't seem necessary to belabor the point that everyone had suffered at her hands. And that particular detail did not appear anywhere in the book.

Yeah, I would really have liked to see more Tonks.

As in see more of Tonks.

As in, see her naked.

Mmmmm.

Beej, I agree on the handwriting scar. It kind of took away the point that Umbridge was out to get just Harry and her obvious huge grudge against him.

OH! OH! OH! They also left out Umbridge's confession in the forest that she was the one who sent the dementors after Harry. I wonder why?

11 days til DR is legal!!

11 days til DR is legal!!

Isn't he already legal in England?