Celia: I doubt Emma knows much about Hermione if she thinks she’s a feminist. In fact, Hermione is not really kickass at all. I don’t recall Hermione punching Draco, but rather slapping him, which is a very, if you don’t mind me saying, effeminate gesture.

Throughout the books, Hermione is always grabbing onto Harry and Ron’s arms, squealing, being afraid of heights, crying and whatnot. She may be smart, but she’s always guided by Harry. Only in the movies is she directing and uncharacteristic. Not to mention, ruined even further by bad acting.

Ron isn’t very smart like Hermione, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any “good stuff”. And Hermione isn’t as perfect as you would like to think. I have to say that you are a very biased reader, and from what I gather, I think you can’t tell between the movies and the books anymore. Ron AND Hermione come up with Dumbledore’s Army, even though it’s not shown in the movies, it is WRITTEN in the books. It’s a little hard to like a character as much as Hermione, because she’s had a reasonably better childhood than both Harry and Ron. But she’s also high-maintenance, bitchy, bossy, prude, sniffs a lot, and loves ignoring Harry when she thinks he’s wrong. She’s ratting him out, being annoyed at his potion making, thinks he’s being naive when he talks about his theory about the hallows. She doesn’t make many jokes as a character, and is serious.

But I still love Hermione because in the books, I like her nerdiness, and her desperate hand shooting up to answer questions, and looking smug at knowing all the answers… all of which is never shown in the movies.

As for Ron, I find him a wholesome character. I’m very attached to insecure people—those who grow up poor, are sensitive and gets embarrassed easily. His character is fun to read, because he’s not clumsy (as made on in the movies), but he’s got wit in his humor. He’s fun to read about, has his own endearing story about overcoming insecurities, and afterall, he comes back to Harry in the end. While Hermione and Ron are loyal, we know Ron was the one who stepped up first in Year 3 to give up his life. He is always agreeing to Harry’s decisions, while Hermione questions him and only knows one place to go to (books). He’s versatile, and it’s a pity you can only enjoy a character that suffers the least.

WORLDWIDE GROSSES Please notice who is top and who is bottom.

Rank Title Studio Worldwide 1 Titanic Par. $1,845.0 2 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King NL $1,119.3 3 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest BV $1,066.2 4 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone WB $976.5 5 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End BV $961.0 6 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix WB $938.5 7 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers NL $926.3 8 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Fox $924.3 9 Shrek 2 DW $919.8 10 Jurassic Park Uni. $914.7 11 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire WB $896.0 12 Spider-Man 3 Sony $890.9 13 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets WB $879.0 14 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring NL $871.4 15 Finding Nemo BV $864.6 16 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Fox $850.0 17 Spider-Man Sony $821.7 18 Independence Day Fox $817.0 19 Shrek the Third P/DW $797.7 20 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban WB $795.5

@ celia I think you misunderstood and twist my word around

about flying scene: I know all about Visual excitement (since I’m in film school) but think about this, they were flying next to a freaking boat. Hmmm.. what would the passenger said when they see 7 people flying WITH A BROOM? crazy?

i bet when you think about it, you’ll feel kinda stupid. They could’ve create the same scenery from flying above the sky. Though it’s not the same, it would still beautiful and not making us dumb.

All the people here are saying kloves didn’t follow the book for Ron. Hey, Goldenberg didn’t follow the rules for wizardry. SO it’s okay to flaunt that you’re a wizard, but it’s not okay just to change a little dialogue?

about Kreacher: Hey if you want to put him in, at least make him do something, not just grumbling some random stuff. I know he was put in later, but it’s not an excuse not to create a better story?

about cho chang: you got me wrong here. I don’t have a problem with cho chang being a snitch. but They made a big mistake by not solving her character in the end. They just leave her behind. We never even saw her again after the punishment by Umbridge.

So how would we feel for Harry Potter’s feeling bad, when he can’t show it? (since cho Chang nowhere to be found)

A bout the last battle: what are talking about? 2 & 1/2 minutes battle? you called it awesome? where’s the brain room? I told my friend who never read harry potter before that the climax would be awesome, when he watched it. He said it was awful. Where’s the golden statue? I think you need to see them again. coz the first time you watch HP, there’s this rush. so everything is good.

About Dobby: if they cut dobby out in 7, they’re stupid. Dobby’s scene will be the most dramatic scene in 7 coz all along we know dobby is crazy elf. so when he finally become a hero and die, it would be so powerful. do you honestly believe if Kreacher save harry, it would be as dramatic?

or when we see kreacher leading a bunch of houseelf for the first time, would it be the same as i we already see him before? and making kreacher save them would ensue more question. how did he escape from the house? who told him that they’re there?

There’s a lot more stuff that i couldn’t even remember that makes OOTP a HP film with a beautiful scenery, & cinematography but lacking in the story area.

Oh dear. Looks like I’ve been put in place by a canon “expert.” Thanks so much for that, Celia. I never realised that Hermione punched Draco in book three instead of slapping him. Silly me.

"Ron is always scared and nervous,"

Yeah, and I’m Tutankhamun. Look, your inability to tell the difference between the books, the films and your own fantasies are your own loss. Not to mention the difference between characterization and plot device (I notice those who worship Hermione as a Mary Sue have this problem a lot.) And the correlation between girl power and physical violence makes me sad. Have fun, though!

Goldenberg butchered OotP. Kloves was more true to the books than him, although there was a lot of stuff left out there also. OotP had so much changed, the first scene taking place in a viaduct of some sort, Neville finding the Room of Requirement, Dobby’s absence, The WEAK “MoM” battle, Ron and Hermoine looking like they were mad at Harry throughout the movie, Umbridge giving the O.W.L. examinations. The list goes on and on. The only way to do the book (DH) justice, is to get someone who will stay true to the book and keep in the key points. This is the end of an extremely fantastic series. It needs someone who has read the books through a few times and understands the way JKR Writes and thinks and how much us fans love the stories. We were short changed on OotP. Don’t let the Finale be the same! Please!!!!!!

Wow! I need to read comments more often. Didn’t know there were so many others who are sick of Kloves’ interpretation of the books, thinks he misrepresents Ron dramatically (when he bothers putting him in at all), and would really like Hermione better if she was written as Hermione (not an all-knowing Wonder Woman).

Kloves also seems to ignore Snape (certainly after the first two movies). Not sure how lightning struck tower will play out if he pares down his role much more. Maybe he’ll only get to say “Avada”; the whole spell would keep Rickman on screen too long.

Please: no Kloves (although that doesn’t seem likely). No Cuaron (director of the most boring HP film ever – slept through end twice and never bothered watching again). And no Del Toro (he thinks Cuaron did a great job & is excited by the way he completely ignored the book to go off in a totally different direction).

Spielberg could be interesting.

Like Yates a lot, but 3rd film probably too much. Liked Chris Columbus - did not find him pedestrian and unimaginative, just true to the books (plus he had to develop the whole visual HP world from scratch) - but no chance there.

but…but… Kloves is the worst thing about the entire franchise… Why would they do that to people who enjoy the books?

“I doubt Emma knows much about Hermione if she thinks she’s a feminist. In fact, Hermione is not really kickass at all.” burningpumpkins

No you’re right, she isn’t kickass; she betrays an uncertain side in pressured situations and does look to Harry for leadership. As does Ron, too, though.

You don’t need to be kickass to be a feminist though; you can even be feminine and be a feminist. Hermione is feminist with a small f in that, from time to time, she does leap down the boys’ throats when they appear to make sexist comments (or she interprets perfectly innocent remarks as sexist!), eg in GOF when discussing potential Yule Ball partners, or HBP when discussing the gender of the Prince.

By the way, I don’t think Hermione and Ron are equals in DH so Kloves will be in his element. I think Hermione has a really crucial role to play in the book, almost as important as Harry, whereas Ron is nothing. It’s not just her knowledge but her support, loyalty and care for Harry that becomes important.

But Hermione’s softer side is something they don’t get right in the films and I hope they get it right for DH. I love her in DH, especially when Harry’s going through that crisis after Godrics Hollow. She takes over from Ron in the loyal and supportive role (she does in GOF too, come to think of it); I do wonder why people think it’s Ron who’s thought the loyal one.

Good to see the harmoanians out it force

Okay clearly my comments affected alot of people, but whatever!

@burningpumpkins: Okay first of all I just listened to JKR’s interview with podcast and it came from the CREATOR herself that Hermione is a feminist!! I mean seriously how could you not think Hermione isn’t a feminist??? She believes in education more than “looking pretty” and flirting with boys and primping in front of a mirror! And I think it’s perfectly NORMAL for her to get scared when she’s riding on the back of a hippogriff and a dragon when she can be bucked off at any second i would be scared to death too. All the situations in the book where Hermione is scared, everyone else is or would be scared. The only person who isn’t is Harry and we all know he has this freakin’ unnatural bravery. He’s not scared of anything.

and i’m not surprised you brought up the bad acting thing, because i suspected that this was probably a jealousy issue involving emma watson and you’re just taking it out on Hermione. I think all the trio are awesome actors by the way. And I never said Hermione was perfect. she’s one of my favorite characters but she DOES have her annoying moments like Harry and Ron. Like in book 6 when she and ron didn’t believe Harry about draco that was annoying and in book 7 when she was reluctant to believe Harry about the Deathly Hallows, that was a little annoying until we found out that dumbledore had wanted that to happen in the first place. But I don’t think any of the characters are perfect, they all have flaws. I just happen to love the character of Hermione because she represents the strong females in the books and there aren’t that many of them and Hermione is the main one.

and i’m still confused about what everyone has against the movie Hermione because I think she’s just as clever and annoying in the movies as she is in the books. So what’s the deal seriously?? they don’t put in every single funny thing Ron says or every little mean thing that Draco and Snape say either, so those characters aren’t precisely like they are in the books either. the only one who is pretty much identical to the book character is Harry because in the movies they focus primarily on Harry’s journey and all the other characters are pretty much secondhand. But I think Hermione in the movies is spot on and so is Ron, but obviously that’s just me.

@ hagiz: yeah i know what you meant about the flying scene i was just saying i didn’t care about it technically “violating wizarding laws” because the lighting from the boat and the city lights made the scene look amazing onscreen. And if they had been all the way up in the sky then it would have just looked like that scene on the thestrals at the end.

About Kreacher…hmmm…i’m trying to think of what exactly he DID in book 5 other than wondering around and mumbling random stuff, but for some reason nothing else is coming to mind. it might because he DIDN’T do anything else but that, unless you count that part when he lies to Harry.

Again about Cho, I don’t recall Harry and her really wrapping things up in the book either that’s why they kind of avoided each other in book 6. but i mean when snape says in the movie, ” you used the last of my veritaserum interrogating ms. chang” harry looks shocked and guilty. so that wrapped it up for me. i personally didn’t need to see a scene with harry apologizing especially since i already knew he would end up with ginny anyways. so who cares.

about he battle, like i said I thought it was awesome. I saw the fountain in that dumbledore and voldemort battle it just didn’t spring to life, but again i didn’t really care about that because i didn’t really like that part in the book anyways. but i saw the movie 3 times in the theaters and that battle scene was amazing everytime i couldn’t even breathe. especially on that part when voldemort breaks all the glass and then dumbledore turns it to stone. freakin’ awesome.

i don’t really care about dobby. i really think they may cut him out of movie 7 altogether to be honest and i really don’t care. i mean i like him in the books, but he’s just null and void in the movies. the books and movies are two completely different things, so everything isn’t going to be in there. i’m a huge fan of both of them and i don’t even think about the books while i’m watching the movie. i mean you said you were a film student so i would think that you would do the same. you should know that what works on paper does NOT always work onscreen.

@anne: i agree with you; however i think hermione’s softer side is in the movies. i see it atleast. she has the same type of mothering role in the films as she does in the movies. but as far as loyalty goes i think Hermione is alot more loyal than Ron. ron is definitely loyal, but Ron also gets jealous of harry alot which leads him to get angry at harry for no reason and therefore basically abandon him. I mean Hermione never left Harry once the whole series except for that time in book 3 when harry and ron were mad at her but that wasn’t her fault. But Ron left harry twice, even dumbledore knew that even though ron was very loyal to harry, he wasn’t the most reliable person which is why he gave ron the deluminator.