Digital Fortress

Sa lahat ng tinatanong ko kung maganda ba yung movie o hindi, ang sagot lagi nila sa akin: “Ok lang”. And it was also my response when my sister asks me how was the movie. Sabi nya: “Ay okay lang? Siguro panget…”

Well, not exactly. It’s not too good and it’s not too bad. Many people (mostly non-readers of the book) will be disappointed if they compare OotP to the two previous movies which are both equally impressive. This movie is a decent adaptation of Rowling’s longest novel. I like how they trim the story in just 2 hours and 15 minutes. Personally, I thought that book was overly long and it could have been shorter. I also think Rowling realizes that there’s not enough action moments in her book so she throws in this battle at the Ministry of Magic in the final chapters to compensate. That is exactly how it played out in the movie. No more big action scenes like the one we expect in a summer movies. The main focus of the film is Harry’s emotional journey and how he handles the present situation. He is taking more responsibility in his actions and he’s now on his own. And I have to say that Daniel Radcliffe impressed me more than the previous films especially on the scene where Voldemort possessed his body near the end.

The new director isn’t the one to blame if some people were disappointed. I guess it’s in the source material. I always thought that Rowling slows down the story by making the Ministry of Magic refuses to believe that Voldemort’s back. Maybe it’s her way of making the series longer so it will last until Book 7.

I wasn’t even disappointed in this film. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the movie that disappointed me. But in this movie, I’m a bit prepared of what should I expect. What makes this film special is the realization of the character of Professor Dolores Umbridge. Imelda Staunton fits perfectly and totally upstaging familiar characters. She’s not the typical Ms. Minchin teacher but rather ’sweet’ and ‘pink’. Alan Rickman’s Snape doesn’t fail to impress me either. His one-liners are the best.

With just almost two hours, they managed to capture the atmosphere of the film but there are times that I felt that some moments were too abbreviated. The “Snape’s Worst Memory” part is too fast that I can’t hardly breath during that little clip. It would be very interesting if they lengthen it. I really like the little flashbacks from the previous films. They were effectively used in the final moments in the Ministry of Magic (”I feel sorry for you…You can never learn love..and friendship”).

Next year, I think mid-November, the 6th installment will be released and David Yates will once again helm the director’s chair. I would have love if other director to step in for the project or Alfonso Cuaron to come back…

For me, Transformers is still the most entertaining movie of the year. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix lacks the action that we expect but is actually a decent addition to the Potter franchise.

RATING: (out of 10)
Stone: 7
Chamber: 6
Azkaban: 9
Goblet: 8
Phoenix: 8

This past few weeks, I’ve been under the Harry Potter fever. I’ve decided to read the fifth Potter book before the movie trailer comes out. But then, I become fully immersed (again) in Rowling’s world that I’ve finished the book before the deadline that I have set. I thought I’m gonna finish it 20 days given that I’m reading the book…an e-book actually…in the computer. Surprisingly, I finished it in 5 days and got to move on to the next book: The Half-Blood Prince.

Imelda Staunton as Prof. Dolores Umbridge
Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange

Source: Studio to film Angels & Demons

After the success of “The Da Vinci Code”, Sony is now planning to adapt another Dan Brown novel “Angels and Demons”. However, the studio has plans on reuniting the production team! And worst, Akiva Goldsman will be returning for the movie’s screenplay!! Noohhh!!
Nagbabasa ba ng reviews itong si Mr. Goldsman? Alam ba nyang screenplay nya ang nagpapangit sa movie version ng Da Vinci Code?

I hope Ron Howard isn’t directing this movie. Angels and Demons is a great book na hindi dapat masayang sa isang walang kwentang adaptation. And besides, A&D is more Hollywood-friendly than DVC. I’m just worried on how are they going to portray the last few chapters of the book or the “climax”. I’m sure it will turn out to be very silly if it isn’t handled well enough. (The crowd at the Vatican, the explosion etc…)

My dream cast would include:
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I have to admit that I am very disappointed. This film is supposed to be a thriller, right? But where’s the thrill? I was expecting to be entertained and to be in the situation of the characters themselves. The critics are right. The movie is boring. Of course, the first viewing will be fine. But if viewed multiple times, this film is likely to bore anyone to death.

I’ve read the novel from which it was based and I can say that if this film was viewed by a non-reader, they will be lost and confused. I have a feeling that most of the people (apparently non-readers) in the theater I was in didn’t understand the movie well. They just come in to check out about the film and satisfy their curiosity or to simply put it: nakikiuso. If a reader like me was disappointed…e panu pa kaya sila? I’m sure sasabihin nila “Ay? Yun lang yun?”

There are several reasons why I really want to see this. 1) To see how they present the key scenes 2) To see the locations! 3) To compare my own vision of the film vs the director’s vision (just like any other movie adaptations) 4) To see Ian McKellen on the big screen for the first time since The Return of the King…hehe 5) To see how they handle the mystery of the Holy Grail or whether they will stick to Dan Brown’s theories or not.

As you may notice, I’m not after the film’s faithfulness to the source. I actually didn’t mind it now after I got used on LOTR and Harry Potter were adapted. HP2 is very faithful to the book that it takes away the excitement from the viewers. They never let the viewers engage in breaking the codes. Many fans hate HP4 because it deviates from the book but I say, it is the best movie in the Harry Potter franchise (as well as HP3). In DVC, it’s like I’m watching just to see how things will go, there’s a little element of surprise. I want to see more. The movie is too long. It would be better if they removed the “Robert the claustrophobic” subplot in the movie.

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