MSN Asks "Has Harry Potter Lost the Magic?"
Movies
Posted by: sue
June 23, 2009, 09:24 AM
The MSN Mom & Pop Culture Blog for Family Entertainment has an
opinion piece today based on the question " 'Has Harry Potter Lost His
Magic?.' " The article starts by mentioning the huge interest and media
attention paid to the Twilight series, then discusses the delay of
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, wondering if this would cause
waning in the love of the series and films. The author notes that while
some had been planning a boycott when the movie opens next month, the magic remains strong and firm for
many of us, and mentions our own recent LeakyCon convention held last
month in Boston. Quotage:
But on the other hand, there is reality. Harry Potter still has passionate
fans. The Web site, TheLeakyCauldron.org reports more than 75,000
members in its online discussion community. These fans not only have no plans to
boycott Warner Bros. for delaying the movie, some of them also traveled to
Boston a couple of months ago for "LeakyCon," a convention that raised money for
charities and featured the musical stylings of an astonishing number of Harry
Potter tribute bands.
...
The event, put on by TheLeakyCauldron.org, wasn't just about bands, though.
Two major names in young adult literature, Cheryl Klein and John Green, gave a
keynote speech on the writing process. Klein was on the U.S. editing team for
Harry Potter, and Green is author of "Looking for Alaska" and "An Abundance of
Katherines" and "Paper Towns."
The author then goes on to note a feeling that is shared by so many of us:
As impressive as this is, conventions aren't proof that the boy wizard
retains his magic. That lies in the stories themselves, where the magic remains
in abundance...I picked up "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" again to get myself
ready for the movie, and loved it more this time than I did the first. Once you
know how the series ends, you can see the incredibly way Rowling structured the
story, weaving little bits into the tapestry that would have great meaning
later. All the while, she stayed true to her central theme: that a mother's love
is the most powerful magic of all. And she keeps things refreshingly complex.
Many secondary characters are a mix of good and evil -- sort of like how people
are in the real world.
These books are good enough that they should be considered classics. The
movies, for the most part, have been good, too. This is why I'll be at the
theater the day "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" opens. For me, at
least, the magic is as strong as ever.
Hear Hear! Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens July 15th.
Thanks Jenny and Samantha!
137 Comments
385 Points
HEAR, HEAR, Harry Potter’s magic will never cease to amaze the hearts and minds of both young and old. This series is a true modern classic and has left its mark on the literary world that will stand the test of time.
2906 Points
TWILIGHT SUCKS!!! (no offense to twilight fans.. :D Its just my opinion)
HP ROCKS!!
24135 Points
Well, i don’t think they have anything to worry about. I think the anticipation for this film has only added to the magic!
A little bit…. But it’s all because all this delays. They must have made an extraordinary movie to win the fans again. Because there is only the movies left to be some amusement for the fans. There won’t be more books and the films have big time space between each other so we’ll see how long it will last.
1290 Points
And I think that the point that the author mentioned, that jkr had everything in her head and added little details that will mean a lot and all that…. That’s not in the Twilight series. Compare it :)
The seven HP books all belong together while Twilight are four books for themselves.
GO HP :) (no offense I like the twilight stuff :])
7475 Points
Twilight and Harry can co-exist…
the big big BIG difference…Harry potter attracts young, old, male, female whilst twilight attracts tween to teen girls…hmmm which one will last longer??
I tired reading Twilight and i jsut couldn’t get past the first book…it was too dull..harry potter spoiled me i think haha
731 Points
Harry Potter will always have its magic no matter how old it gets. Harry Potter has a bigger fan base to begin with. Twilight is geared more toward teenagers and ‘moms’. Where as Harry Potter has touched the lives and souls everyone from elementary ages to grandparents. Twilight will never beat that. Harry Potter is just that good!
415 Points
woot woot!
well said.
and twilight is totally not as big as HP. It’ll die out
346 Points
i don’t think that the magic has died nor will ever die.
Harry potter has its place in history as a story that not only inspired people to read but also to do great things.
before harry potter came there were no books that people were willing to wait in line to get and these days every body has either herd or read the series or at least seen some of the movies.
this series is readable for both young and old, men and women where the twilight series (and i don’t mean to sound like a twilight hater, even if i don’t like the books) seems to have more attention by younger girls and this is why i could never compete with any of the harry potter books.
348 Points
There is no comparison btwn Twilight and HP. Though I read Twilight,and rather enjoyed it for the most part, It doesnt attract the broad spectrum of readers like HP does and never could. I turned my boyfriend into a huge HP fan and I dont think he’d make it through the first chapter of Twilight. Its definitely geared towards the female population and there is nothing wrong with that. But Harry Potter, anyone any age can open those books and be taken to that magical place!!!!
3048 Points
This report is nothing less than a provocative article designed to gain hits than to actually contribute anything to a cultural dialogue; of course, other fandoms and cultural items have surfaced that have distracted people, but at the end of the day their passion for all things Potter remains stable and unwavering. Harry Potter possesses a magic that will attract people for decades to come, and I agree with the author that these books are fated to become classics.
125 Points
What effing crap, seriously!
Twilight can NEVER match up with it, as strong as the media attention is towards the Twilight “Saga” these days, it’ll fade even faster,
Whereas Harry Potter, like The Lord of the Rings, will hold the same position in the fans’ hearts forever. There we go :D <3
93 Points
My love is definitely not going down, if anything it’s going up. I know many other people who are the same way.
8736 Points
The magic will never die! Harry Potter fans are a loyal bunch, we love the books and deal with the movies, and HP is a classic, Jo’s character’s grew up with me,they’ll never leave my heart.
2525 Points
Nothing compares to Harry potter. I mean it has been around for a decad. nothing can replaces EVER!! I have just finshed reading all the books for the 20th time and each time they get better and better. Belive it or not some people still havent read the books and i am making it my life misson to spread harry potter. LONG LIVE HARRY POTTER!!!!
HEAR, HEAR, Harry Potter’s magic will never cease to amaze the hearts and minds of both young and old. This series is a true modern classic and has left its mark on the literary world that will stand the test of time.