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Ariel : You don't need to mark things spoiler if it's from the episode or movie we just watched.
Only if you're bringing up something from one we haven't watched yet.
)
What did you think of the movie?I really loved it! First time I watched it and even now after, gosh, I don't know how many times! I didn't realize how many times I've seen it until I found myself saying some of the lines along with the characters!
What expectations or theories did you have that either ended up right or wrong? I didn't have specific expectations going into it as I hadn't read the books. I was expecting a good story and a good movie as it was the only book series I could get my little cousin (the one I'd half-raised) to read. He actually really enjoyed them and I would always buy him the next one as soon as it was released. I'd always look forward to his updates, asking him every time I saw him "so what happened since you last updated me?" I've always loved this fantasy type of genre with magic and secret worlds built around it so I knew I'd enjoy it!
I don't recall having any theories. Since my cousin would give me the run-down albeit some facts a little mixed-up as he was still fairly young when reading them, I knew the characters and what was going to happen.
Who was your favorite character and why? Least favorite?It's really hard to choose and I can't remember who had been my favorite back when I only knew them from this first book/movie. This is a series that has such amazing, deep characters that are well fleshed out and so real. I think Dumbledore and Hagrid were my favorite. I loved Dumbledore's quiet patience as he delivered such great speeches and that twinkle he always had in his eye. Hagrid was just a big teddy bear that cracked me up. He seemed so sweet and childlike with his "I shouldn'a said that's" and his boy-like love of all animals, even the big, scary three-headed dog. Fluffy! Lol! You named it Fluffy? So great!
Snape was always a favorite from the first moment he was on screen. He's just played in such a wonderful, fascinating way that even though we knew hardly anything about him and there was the possibility that he could be a bad guy, I still really liked him.
Least favorite, I don't think I really have anybody I don't like! Hermione was really snooty the first time we see her on the train. Nose practically in the air with her "you're doing magic? Let's see then." Not that I disliked her but she was a little bit annoying and stuck-up sounding with this air that she thought she was so much better than Ron and Harry. I know she's a know-it-all and very smart but for some reason, that introductory scene to her was perhaps a little too over-the-top.
What scenes or situations did you like best? Least? The whole scene toward the end with real life Wizard's Chess and all that. I love puzzles and love to watch them play out on screen, with the characters piecing everything together. Dudley falling through the glass into the snake cage was immensely satisfying as well!
I also really liked the scene where Harry gets his wand. Very funny and when we learn from Ollivander that the one and only brother of his wand belongs to the baddie, well, that was just fascinating and such a brilliant plot bunny! One of many. JK Rowling is truly an amazing writer. You could just tell that she had the entire series mapped out in her head from start to finish. These characters and this world is alive in that brilliant mind of hers, constantly going and constantly growing.
As far as least, there really isn't anything I can find fault with as it's just so good. I think the only thing that bugged me a little was when the ghosts first appear after the sorting. It was done in such a silly, hokey way with them all jumping out at once with their cliche booooooo like sounds that it took me out of the movie a bit. It took away from the seriousness and realness of this world. After that immediate introduction, the ghost interactions were perfectly fine and the ghosts acted like normal people. Well, normal for who they were from the time they come from.
What were some of your favorite quotes?Hagrid's repeated "I shouldn'a said that" lines one after the other like he just had no control over the words coming out of his mouth, lol!
Almost anything Dumbledore said but his "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends," quote is definitely one of the best quotes ever. Movie, TV, history, you name it. Just so simple and yet so very true.
Hermione's "It's 'leviOsaw'. Not leviosAW'!" We randomly say that to this day!
Draco: "You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't wanna go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
Harry: "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks."
There are so many more great lines but it's hard to remember off the top of my head and I didn't feel like sitting with a pad of paper and pen during the movie to jot them down. I just wanted to be absorbed and enjoy the ride.
How do you rate this movie compared to the rest in the series? (Not really applicable to very first movie but feel free to compare to the trailer)First movie so I'll compare to the trailer. Kinda already answered this at the beginning but they did great on the trailer and it only served to make me more excited to see this book series come to live on the big screen! It went beyond my expectations and I couldn't wait to see more! So funny how then, it felt like waiting FOREVER for the next installment and here we are, years after the whole series has played out, thinking, well, that's it, but we're being blessed with more! Three Fantastic Beasts movies. A play. I'm so very glad that Rowling has released more of this world that was growing and thriving in her mind so that we could see what she's been seeing. How great it would be to walk around in her mind!
If you've read the book, how do you rate this movie compared to the book? What did they leave out? What did they change?I actually don't think I ever read the first few books. I waited for the movies because I wanted to be totally surprised by them. I didn't want any spoilers beyond what my little cousin told me. But by the time the third one came out, I just totally lost patience, lol! I started listening to the audiobooks for Goblet of Fire and the rest as they released. I never went back to listen to the first three and though I'd love to in order to be fully enriched with details you can put into a book that just can't fit into a 2 hour movie, I just don't know if I'll ever have the time.
Spoiler-ish territory of future movies below... (note, now that I'm finished writing it all, not really any spoilers below)
What do you think of the movie now that you've seen the whole series? I still really enjoy it. There's just something about the introduction to this world that is extra, well, magical.
You can really see how far the main three have come with their acting abilities. Daniel probably grew the most. His acting was a little choppy in a few places in the first movie that really stood out to me, like at the station when he's talking to Hagrid, only Hagrid had left. His head does this weird jerky thing like he's having trouble remembering not looking toward where Hagrid used to be because he's supposed to think Hagrid is still there but he knows he's not and when he does finally look up, he does this over dramatic gasp. That scene, as well as a couple others where he's supposed to be serious, you could kinda see this hint of a smile or this look about him like he's feeling awkward about keeping a straight face. Overall, he does fine though. It's just little bits here and there.
Also, I noticed an improvement in the graphics. It always looked a little funny when they put the Sorting Hat on the kids' heads. Right where the hat and the kid's face meets, it looks a little weird. I remember noticing that the first time watching.
With the advancements in effects, other little things stick out too, like Fluffy when they first see him and he stands up. It looks so fake now to my eyes.
Doesn't bother me as I know it's a product of its time and budget of a first film in a series.
Did you find anything new you didn't catch the previous time(s) watching?Nope. I've seen it so many times now that if I haven't caught something new by now, I probably never will!
How did the movie stand the test of time?Still really good! Only the effects that I already mentioned but that's such a minor thing. This world and this story and its characters I think could very well live on forever. It's a timeless story and just so darn good. I hope they never decide to remake this series simply because it just doesn't need it. Like I said, timeless. I'd rather they expand the world like they're doing with Fantastic Beasts and I hope they eventually make a movie out of Cursed Child. How freakin' awesome would it be if they make that when Daniel, Emma, and Rupert could reprise their roles and pass for the ages they are supposed to be? PLEASE make that happen!
)! I`m a big book nerd so I love how close this one is to the books. I also love The Philosopher`s Stone because this is the movie that introduces a lot of main characters that will steal our hearts from movie to movie.