I had to check Mike's blog first to see if he'd gotten the scoop. He hadn't. Here goes:
More professors, good. You actually get to see them in class and the adults seem to have somewhat of a character, particularly if they are played by Maggie Smith (sigh) or Kenneth Branagh (particularly girlish and giggly sigh). Also, all of the banquet/dormitory scenes still look like Yale, particularly anything that takes place around Christmas. I have a very soft spot in my heart for Gothic architecture. . .
Like Mike and like Joan, our moviegoing partner, Book Two was the only one I couldn't remember either, although the concluding scene with the phoenix was very well-done indeed. The part with the giant spiders definitely could have been edited, though perhaps that was their bid to compete more effectively with "The Two Towers." In addition to being a sucker for Gothic architecture, well-educated women with English accents and Shakespearean actors, I am also a sucker for Hermione. Too long has the world been without heroines with messy, wavy hair! And a bookworm to boot! Huzzah, I say! Sure, you people with arrow-straight hair complain, but little do you know how lucky you are. Your hair has made a decision. It is straight. We wavy people are completely at the mercy of the weather. The one good thing about living in Florida was my hair was pretty definitely curly. But I digress. .
As for the special effects, yeah, the claymation car sucked rocks. But the Cornish pixies were amazing, as was the basilisk, the phoenix, and the landscape shots of the castle. Dobby the Elf was a little too reminiscent of Jarjar Binks, but you can't have it all.
All in all, a good flick. If you're looking for something else visually stunning to see, might I recommend "Frida," done by Julie Taymor of "Lion King" fame. Also, "Punch Drunk Love" is lovely to behold, and Adam Sandler refrains from any references to masturbating with baby oil (let's see what kind of search queries THAT turns up, shall we?). Next on my list? "Two Towers," the new James Bond, Veggie Tales movie (still haven't seen it!) and anything else with Kenneth Branagh in it.
Posted by Meredith at November 19, 2002 12:44 PM