GM Forum - Buick, Cadillac, Olds, GMC & Pontiac chat - HP and the Order of the Phoenix (No spoilers)

Okay, I've just returned from seeing the 5th Harry Potter film in an IMAX dome and here's the run-down:

I repeat, there are NO Spoilers here...

The IMAX domes are apparently different than the typical IMAX screens when it comes to the 3D aspect of the IMAX films (the battle in the Ministry of Magic is supposed to be in 3D in the IMAX versions) so we did not even get to see the 3D aspect (At least that, or they just did not bother!). Also, the domes are a big letdown because it doesn't actually use the dome, it's just the same widescreen presentation on a giant dome screen, which looks REALLY weird. Lastly, I will give you opinions based on the three primary categories of people that will view the movies...

People who are seeing OOTP as their first HP film, and have not read the books:
Basically it's a fair stand-alone movie, the plot is apparent and the story is told fairly well throughout the movie. However, most every scene is short-lived and the parts that are supposed to be emotional are void of it either due to the haste in which the scene was done or the lack of building up to the moment, so the climaxes and 'shocking' scenes are far less effective.

People who have seen all the other movies but have not read the books:
The movie seems to fight to maintain continuity from the first 4 films (There have been 4 different directors on the Potter series as of this release), but does so in an acceptable manner. Same comments as above apply here as well. This director (David Yates) seems to have tried to cram way too much into way too short of a timeframe.

People who have read the books and (probably) have seen the previous films:
Of course, no one can expect a great translation from book to movie, there's just too much that will either have to be cut or cannot be translated through physical acting. The main plot and story is outlined well, however. There are obviously many things missing, due to the fact that this is the longest HP book, yet to-date the shortest HP film. Because these things are missing, the movie seems to jump back and forth in the timeline attempting to cover all the important parts from the literature. This is another reason for the rushed sense of the movie as I mentioned above. This was a much less character-driven movie, as all the budget seems to have gone to the special effects and action.

I hate writing such a negative (it seems) review on this movie, as I am a HUGE HP fan, and I am typically an easy-to-please movie-goer. However, I guess I feel that since I put so much respect and admiration for the HP story, I just have higher expectations than I normally would. I do sincerely think that David Yates (director) did a great job in putting text to film, but perhaps was fighting for continuity too much from the first films, and in doing so, he didn't realize just how much he was trying to cover in as much time as is allotted for a feature film. On a final note, the special effects were quite spectacular IMO and the action kept you interested.

I do recommend seeing this movie to anyone, but don't pay the IMAX prices for it. It's well enough to see on the regular big screen. Happy Viewing!