Is there anything in the movies that you like more than in the books?

[Neptune]

So, the question for this topic is.... Is there moments / added parts / particular scenes, or anything in the movies that you like more than in the books?

I personally would take the books over the films any day, but there are some things I liked better when brought to the screen then when I first read it in the book.

Some of my examples:

* Every time I read about the Marauder's Map and the description of it I could never quite get it in my mind correctly, even though it was described, but I absolutely love the way it was designed in the film.

* I love Buckbeak's Flight in the film and prefer it this way to the way it is in the book. Then again it may not have been as exciting to read about as it was to actually see it.

* I like that, in the films, the students wear school uniforms with cloaks, instead of just robes. Also I like that the teachers and adults have more of a look and "costume" then just wearing a robe liked mostly described in the books.

* I liked the added scene in GOF for the dance lesson

There are more I can think of but I wont name them all now. I'm looking forward to what everyone else has to say....

[RoonibWazley]

Some of the scenes I like better than the book version are:

Diagon Alley and the chess game in SS.

The dueling club and the fight with the basilisk in COS.

The dementors in POA, as well as the Marauder's Map and Buckbeak, like you said.

The First Task in GOF.



As for scenes that were better done in the book, the Third Task in GOF really stands out, but that's about it.

[Neptune]

Originally Posted by RoonibWazley

The dementors in POA, as well as the Marauder's Map and Buckbeak, like you said.

I forgot that I did / do somewhat prefer the Dementors in the movie to how they were described in the books. I had a hard time when reading the books NOT picturing floating Ringwraiths, but I do really like the design of them in the films and I like that they can freeze things with their presence (since it was always decribe as being cold when they were around) and that they fly more then just float. I just wish they were a big taller looking....

[YellowRose]

To be honest no. The books are quite complicated and go into some detail, which is the thing I like about them. The films skim over details or completely ignore them (which I understand is how films are, but still the best bits of Harry Potter are all those niggling details)

[Neptune]

Originally Posted by YellowRose

To be honest no. The books are quite complicated and go into some detail, which is the thing I like about them. The films skim over details or completely ignore them (which I understand is how films are, but still the best bits of Harry Potter are all those niggling details)

So there is nothing in the films that you were pleasantly surprised about? Even an added scene, which was not in the book but you felt it was right for the film?

I mean, I love the books too and think they are above and beyond the films. I think the books are great just the way they are and would never want them changed for anything but I'm not going to let my love of the books stop me from enjoying the adapted version of the books to film.

For example. In POA (book) when Harry takes a ride on Buckbeak around the paddock it's short and, honestly nothing that sticks out in the story, but on film Buckbeak's Flight in POA was beautiful and something that actually stood out, where as it did not in the book. I don't fault the book version for this because really, it was not important and in the book it didn't need to be a long flight over the lake like it was in the movie, but I LOVED that part in the film. It was magical, beautiful, and almost a bit moving. Plus I loved seeing Hogwarts.

Now, I'm not saying Jo should go back and re-write this scene in the book to resemble what happened in the film, but I am saying I personally love how they made this scene in the movie compared to how it was in the book.

I'll name another thing....

My visual of Lucius Malfoy was basically following his description in COS, which sounded to me like he looked like a grown version of Draco (in my mind Tom Felton) But when the COS film came out and I saw how Jason Isaacs portrayed him and how he looked in the roll (long hair, clothes...) I changed my vision of him to Jason Isaacs version because he was so brilliant. I never pictured him with a cane which concealed his wand, but after seeing that in the film I thought it was a great idea and detail and have kept it in my vision. That right there is something I loved that the film did which was not in the book.

Please, don't let your love of the books stop you from enjoying the movies. Can you honestly say there has been nothing in the films that you enjoyed that maybe wasn't in the books, or something that was visually different than you had pictured when reading the books but ended up enjoying more after seeing the film version?

[pygmY_PufFer]

Hmmm let's see...

BTW, did you get this idea for the thread from another forum? Just wondering because I've seen this thread topic somewhere else before . Never mind, it's all right, you don't have to answer.

Okay. There are definitely things that I liked better or to describe more accurately, what I thought was fun to include in movie form, or certain things which are kinda hard to imagine just from reading, but put visually on screen to give me a better idea. I do love the books so much, and even though they'll always top the movies in my list, there are still stuff that I appreciate in the movies.

PS/SS

-The two scenes with Seamus blowing up something in PS/SS. Especially the way Hermione jumped back when his glass of water blew up and waved her hand at her nose. The second time, when Professor Flitwick wobbled on his stack of books and the feather just came flying down and Seamus having his face blackened and hair messed up.

- The chess scene. Hands down, my favourite scene in the entire movie. When I was watching it for the first time I was just like, "whoa, whoa..." lol.

CoS

- The "Diagonally" "Diagon Alley" Harry said when travelling by floo powder and after that when he emerged in Borgin and Burkes with his body coming in diagonally

- Ron's howler. The words and also the way it was folded to shape like a mouth. And the tongue sticking out at the end of it before it burst.

- The duelling club with the raised platform running down through the middle rather than just people scattered everywhere on the floor like in the book. Very cool. One little bit I'd like to add, I liked the way the camera angle was from topview when the snake flew up in the air. (I know the movie experts around here would be like, "that's nothing, man." But what the hell)

- The basilisk duel at the end. The added scene where the basilisk went down the tunnels and Harry threw a stone to lead it the wrong way. The set of the chamber. The way the metal snakes on the door leading to the chamber curled in one by one as the snake on the rim went around them.

- The almost hug but just hand shake between Ron and Hermione. So sweet.

PoA

- The way Aunt Marge blew up and flew out of the house into the sky, screaming. (I wonder where she flew up to, and how she managed to get back down? lol)

- The way the dementors made everything cold by freezing them. I thought this was a good way to describe how they made everything so cold like it's described in the book.

- Dumbledore making the candlelight disappear and reappear again with a wave of his hand (was he saying that darkness can be found in the darkest places if only one remembers to turn on the light? I forgot)

- The Fat Lady insisting that everyone listen while she tries to sing as loud as she can to break the glass she was holding

- Dumbledore explaining about strawberry fields to Fudge outside Hagrid's hut to give Harry and Hermione more time to free Buckbeak.

GoF

- The atmosphere when Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys arrive at the campsite for the QWC, with people juggling, singing...

- The tent, with the colourful furniture and the "feet off the table" by Fred and George. NOT the "I love magic" though, obviously..

- The QWC with people cheering in the stadium and the Bulgarian players doing a routine on their broomsticks (particularly Krum)

-The way the DEs looked.

- The homework club, especially when Snape kept hitting Harry and Ron's heads for talking.

- The dancing lesson.

That's about all I can think for now. Did I say too many scenes that were just comedy stuff? Oh well, didn't mean to. They just came to my head. Maybe it's true that the things you remember best are funny things. Ah well. I better stop here.

[jconnelly16]

I thought Voldemort's rebirthing was done incredibly!! I don't know if I liked it more in the book or not but it was just very well done.

[DarwinMayflower]

There really isn't much that really surpassed what the books did. In someways they are each on par or in their own way that I don't really associate or compare it with the source material for quality or my enjoyment. But there are a few things that really made me say wow...this is Harry Potter?

• Dementors (PoA): The entire idea of Dementors was quite weird for me. In someways I did find them to be frightening, but most of that was from Harry's perspective and personal involvement. There is a certain atmosphere about Dementors however it's mainly due to talking about them as opposed to actually seeing them work their deadly magic. Even though I still had that idea in mind, the actual design of what a dementor looked like or acted was more akin to a walking rotting corpse that could suck out your soul and your happiness.
  
  It seems a bit off considering that I considered Demntors to not act like the typical zombie, all ferocious or jittery and yet they have that mob mentality of zombies. Yet at the same time they seem entirely capable of sentient thought and discussion however instinctually animalistic they might be. The other problem is that there aren't many instances of Dementors attacking people or direct conflict with Harry so their presence on a visual scale would be minimized.
  
  When PoA came out I never really had an idea as to how the Dementors were going to be shown, in fact I didn't expect much of anything from the film. But when I saw them, they did an excellent job. I think that making them float was possibly the greatest choice possible. It skipped certain Ringwraith comparisons because they were less like...sniffing dogs as the Wraiths come off to be. They also became more ethereal and therefore more of a threat because it doesn't seem like a human/zombie that you could kick down. They seem more like a spirit or ghost that you cannot touch at all. And best of all you don't get the feeling that they are like an angry mob like zombies...but like a hive mind, cold and calculating like wasps or bees. Coupled with the constant reminder that the Dementors are out there, watching and killing life by their very presence shows how deadly they are without words.
  
  All in all Dementors became one of the most dangerous creatures in the HP movie universe because they managed to take the atmosphere of word and put it into film.
  
  
• Quidditch (PoA): It's amazing how 5 minutes of this Quidditch was 100x better than all the quidditch combined in the previous two films. It was quick, it was viceral, it was vicious and dangerous. Just what teens want from a sport and best of all it showed one of the best air chase scenes I've ever seen. It made me wonder if I was even watching HP at all considering how intense and well shot this scene was. The great visual appeal of an umbrella flying by while a Dementor passed quickly over the camera which makes you think..."wait a second...there was only one umbrella lost that match". There was trouble and came in spades. You can sense the desperation of Harry trying to get away from the Dementors when suddenly, wherever he goes, and whatever he does leads him smack dab in a swarm of Dementors. You actually felt trapped and you actually felt that Harry is going to be a stain on the stadium floor. It's times like these you realize that this is a film and not a children's movie just made for the sake of existence. Someone wanted to make a film and we got it.
  
  
• Time Turner Sequence (PoA): They managed to make something that was originally in the novel that was mostly waiting, waiting and more waiting into something kinetic. I love time travel sometimes when done smartly and correctly in such a way that it makes a significant impact. More importantly they made time travel far more significant a presence in the film that not only elevates the involvement of Time Travel Harry and Hermione with the time stream, but also the presence of Dumbledore in aiding them in his own little eccentric way. Most of all, it was fun...REALLY fun.
  
  
• The Dragon (GoF): I love dragons and they are my most favorite mythical beastie. Now in GoF I did have some gripes. In some way I did wish the first task was like the book as opposed to "Gone in 60 seconds with broomsticks and dragons" However in the book, the dragon that Harry faced never really seemed all that vicious. You have more fun seeing Harry outwit the dragon as opposed him defeating something so vicious. In some way it didn't seem so vicious at all, just protective. In fact looking back JKR didn't really seem to describe the movement of the Dragon all that great IMHO, but I guess we don't have any real dragons to reference.
  
  But in GoF the film, it's like they caught a real live dragon and put it in. Granted there was not point of reference as to how vicious Harry's dragon was compared to the others, but still it acted like a complete animal. It had intent to hurt Harry and instead of protecting it was taking the offensive. What I loved when they were on the tower roofs and the dragon is inching towards Harry. His movement and even lack of footholds/clawholds slow him slipping down the roof here and there which makes it seem more alive.
  
  
• The Merperson City (GoF): I liked the merpeople city. From JKR's description it just seemed like some kinda quaint village under the sea with cottages. However in the movie it seemed like an ancient lost civilisation.
  
  
• The Third Task (GoF): Didn't expect that did you now? What I loved the best about this part is that they made something particularly plodding into something terrifying. They made the hedge an actual threat and presence as opposed to the inhabitants within. The fact that nerves are required to battle what is inside makes for a thrilling scene that could have easily been bored by children oriented puzzles, riddles and little beastis which would have probably looked terrible.
  
  
• Voldemort (GoF): I loved it. Aside from the twins probably stole the entire show out from under Radcliffe and Co. Fiennes playing Voldemort brought a life and viltality to what was only hinted in the books. You see even though there is plenty of talk about Voldemort and how he acts, when you actually read the parts involving him, you never really get the idea that he is all that dangerous. He seems calmer for a psychotic but far more human with a bad mood than someone who loves to kill. Bellatrix seemed more evil than him. However how Fiennes played him...I really can believe him to be a leader of Deatheaters. His showmanship, his eloquence with wit and dialogue. He moved like a snake and channeling his Red Dragon self he was pure evil. He didn't feel like a villain who wanted to spank Harry Potter for destroying his body and leaving him to a lesser existence for 13+ years. He felt that he was someone who was very happy to come back and ready to kill him.

[Nellas]

Originally Posted by DarwinMayflower

[*]Dementors (PoA): The entire idea of Dementors was quite weird for me. In someways I did find them to be frightening, but most of that was from Harry's perspective and personal involvement. There is a certain atmosphere about Dementors however it's mainly due to talking about them as opposed to actually seeing them work their deadly magic. Even though I still had that idea in mind, the actual design of what a dementor looked like or acted was more akin to a walking rotting corpse that could suck out your soul and your happiness.

It seems a bit off considering that I considered Demntors to not act like the typical zombie, all ferocious or jittery and yet they have that mob mentality of zombies. Yet at the same time they seem entirely capable of sentient thought and discussion however instinctually animalistic they might be. The other problem is that there aren't many instances of Dementors attacking people or direct conflict with Harry so their presence on a visual scale would be minimized.

When PoA came out I never really had an idea as to how the Dementors were going to be shown, in fact I didn't expect much of anything from the film. But when I saw them, they did an excellent job. I think that making them float was possibly the greatest choice possible. It skipped certain Ringwraith comparisons because they were less like...sniffing dogs as the Wraiths come off to be. They also became more ethereal and therefore more of a threat because it doesn't seem like a human/zombie that you could kick down. They seem more like a spirit or ghost that you cannot touch at all. And best of all you don't get the feeling that they are like an angry mob like zombies...but like a hive mind, cold and calculating like wasps or bees. Coupled with the constant reminder that the Dementors are out there, watching and killing life by their very presence shows how deadly they are without words.

All in all Dementors became one of the most dangerous creatures in the HP movie universe because they managed to take the atmosphere of word and put it into film.

I lliked some of what thay had done with them, like how everything frezes and stuf, but one thing I cannot get over is that fact that they made them FLY..... WHY??? one of the things that struck me as frightening about them was the fact that they affected Harry in the way they did, even though they were 'far' away, no- I refuce to acccept the fact that they made them fly...

[mugglesrock]

Nice thread!

There are actually a lot of things. Some things I just couldn't visualize while reading were:
- Chess scene (totally love that one)
- Voldemort's rebirth
- Yule Ball...I mean I could picture some of it but the movie version was very good.

Another scene I loved:
- The first time Harry rides Buckbeak in PoA.

There are more but I can't think of them right now.

[SofiaR]

I was thinking of this the other day and one of the reasons I can't wait to see OotP is because I think the movie has quite some potential to be better than the book. Many descriptions and action scenes can be shown easily and more effectively on screen (the scenes in the DoM, for example). For the movie, everything will have to be streamlined too and since one of the problems with the book had to do precisely with editing, this will be something the movie will most likely do better than the book.

I like the uniforms that they have in the movies. To be honest, I never quite got into the imagery in the books. I never "saw" the characters wearing hats although I knew they wore them, for example, and I had a very feeble image of what school robes constituted.

I too loved what they did with the Dementors. They were really creepy.

The first task was terrific, it's one of my favorite scenes in the movies. It's not that I like it more than how it was in the books, but it was just so exciting to watch

[RoonibWazley]

Originally Posted by Nellas

I lliked some of what thay had done with them, like how everything frezes and stuf, but one thing I cannot get over is that fackt that they made them FLY..... WHY??? one of the things that struck me as frightening about them was the fact that they affected Harry in the way they did, even though they were 'far' away, no- I refuce to acccept the fact that they made them fly...

Dementors fly in the books too. Read OOTP when they attack Dudley.

[Neptune]

Originally Posted by RoonibWazley

Dementors fly in the books too. Read OOTP when they attack Dudley.

Actually in OOTP during Dudley's attack it says that....
"the hooded figure was gliding smoothly towards him, hovering over the ground"

Later it goes on to say that it "swoops" away.

We've always been told that the Dementors hover or float but it's never been described that they actually can fly as they do in the film. That was entirely made for the POA movie. In the books they are never said to fly through the air (like they do during the Quidditch scene in the POA movie...) but, IMO I like that they fly more then just float. I think it works, so no complaining here.

Originally Posted by pygmY_PufFer

Hmmm let's see...

BTW, did you get this idea for the thread from another forum? Just wondering because I've seen this thread topic somewhere else before . Never mind, it's all right, you don't have to answer.

I sure did. I got the idea from reading a similar thread over on the Leaky Lounge. I saw that this topic wasn't posted here on COS so I though I would start it here. We need something new to talk about anyway

[crazy_ned]

Hmmmm...as a rule I much prefer everything in the books since the movies, while entertaining, are primarily a cash cow for WB.

But I did enjoy the feel that Cuaron's PoA invoked, which seemed less Hollywood (especially compared to Columbus's awful work) and more of an "indy" or "European" type feel (it's sort of difficult to explain). I also liked movie Lupin, especially the music he played in the classroom when he introduced the Boggart.

[Neptune]

Originally Posted by crazy_ned

But I did enjoy the feel that Cuaron's PoA invoked, which seemed less Hollywood (especially compared to Columbus's awful work) and more of an "indy" or "European" type feel (it's sort of difficult to explain).

I completly agree, and I know exactly what you're try to say.

Originally Posted by crazy_ned

I also liked movie Lupin, especially the music he played in the classroom when he introduced the Boggart.

OOOOO I agree. I LOVED that added bit to Lupin's Boggart class (and film Lupin in general). I forgot about that. It's such a Lupin like thing to do. I can't wait to see him back in OOTP.

[Hysteria]

The dueling club in COS and the second task in GOF for me. I found both of thse incredibly boring/confusing to read but I think the movie presented them excellently.

[psycha]

A lot of things, I guess. The thing is though, I'm more creative when I read books (it's my job to be), so half of the time original scenes I see in the movies are similar to the kind of stuff that I come up with in my head when I pause after reading about halfway through a chapter or so. Same with stuff like locations and clothing. So I can't really remember which stuff was not originally in the books. I've only read tem once. This is part of why I'm baffled at so many fans' vicious reactions to things in the films. I thought everybody did this when they read; you know, put the book down and play out a detention that Ron had with McGonagal that Jo only refers to but doesn't write about. That sort of thing. Half of the time my imagination of the characters completely contradicts the physical description they're given by J.K. Rowling. For example, my Slughorn is a flamboyantly homosexual short young chubby Indian man with no moustache or beard. I modeled him after one of my University professors who is almost exactly like him. I tried to picture him as the slow talking walrus that she describes, but I just couldn't.

I never read the first two books, so from the more recet movies I guess I liked the Stones near Hagrid's hut and all the 'getting dates/dancing lessons' material for the Yule Ball. Especially the scene with Snape smacking Harry and Ron. That was my absolute favorite scene probaly out of the entire series so far.

[Altjeringa]

I agree about the Buckbeak scene in PoA. I think that Cuaron actually made better use of him than JKR did. It was a great way of letting the audience know that Buckbeak wasn't the vicious creature the Malfoys were making him out to be.

I thought that the dementors were pretty much like the way they were described in the books, although I did really like the fact that they were able to fly.

The turning of the third task in GoF into a psychological test of sorts was a great idea and far more effective than it would have been if they had left it the way it was described in the book. Very atmospheric and very creepy.

[mugglesrkewl]

The entire POA was brilliant. Scenes og Buckbeak's flight, Harry and Lupin scenes etc, though the only part I didnt agree with was Harry crying. Rest of it all was brilliant.

[MrSleepyHead]

Originally Posted by RoonibWazley

Dementors fly in the books too. Read OOTP when they attack Dudley.

Well, I did and this is what it read:

OotP, Dudley Demented, Pages 17, 18, and 19, American, HB A towering, hooded figure was gliding smoothly toward him, hovering over the ground, no feet or face visible beneath its robes...and as the stag charged, the dementor swooped away, batlike and defeated...like its fellow, it soared away and was absorbed into the darkness.

also:

OotP, The Hearing, Page 144, American, HB Dementor's don't run, they glide

I think that this is enough evidence to show that dementors do not fly, they glide (which means they merely hover above the ground). I, unlike many, did not like the portrayal of the dementors because they did fly. It created an eerie feel, but it just looked wrong during the Quidditch match...

Originally Posted by YellowRose

To be honest no. The books are quite complicated and go into some detail, which is the thing I like about them. The films skim over details or completely ignore them (which I understand is how films are, but still the best bits of Harry Potter are all those niggling details)

Well, I agree with you in the sense that the books are amazingly detailed whereas the movies must cut out certain things. But there are a few things that the movies included that the books did not, which enhanced the movies and sometimes the books. Some of the added parts in movies I enjoy are:

• Dumbledore's 'point awarding' at the end of SS where he says, "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends." - I believe that this is very true, whereas the book merely states that standing up to your enemies is equal to standing up to your friends. I like the movie's rendition, where standing up to your friends takes more bravery.
• The Howler that Ron received - I got the feeling while reading that it was merely an envelope with a voice echoing out of it. It was much better to see the envelope form a mouth/face - it created a very magical feel.
• Aunt Marge flying outside was priceless and much more humorous then in the book. Although it may seem a bit odd how they deflated her, it was good at that time.

Well, unfortunately that is all I can think of off the top of my head. When I watch the movies again, however, I shall make sure to look for more answers to this question.