Question for Harry Potter Fans

[kristie]

There have been some fringe characters that I really liked. Mad Eye Moody is a great example. I also liked Gilderoy Lockhart and Dolores Umbridge.

I enjoyed Dobby as well. I think without a doubt though my favorite fringe character has been Luna. She is so quirky you can't help but enjoy her.

she's such a space cadet, but she's one of my favorite characters too along with hermoine.

 

[CliffnDallas]

"Question for Harry Potter Fans"

Okay I have one.

Why?

 

[Kevinicus]

"Question for Harry Potter Fans"

Okay I have one.

Why?

Because it's good.

 

[Hostile]

"Question for Harry Potter Fans"

Okay I have one.

Why?

For the same reason anyone likes a book or movie, they feel entertained.

I was an English Major. One of the books we read for one class was Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." Most people in the class hated it. I loved it. I have read it a half dozen times. My daughter's HS English class will begin reading it Tuesday. She has listened to me praise it and her Mom, my wife, pan it all her life.

No one, not even you, get to determine what someone else is entertained by. I am not a fan of science fiction or fantasy literature at all. I still found this series to be entertaining. Nothing will ever top "The Hobbit" or the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy for me in the fantasy genre, but this was very well done as a book and as a movie series.

 

[CliffnDallas]

For the same reason anyone likes a book or movie, they feel entertained.

I was an English Major. One of the books we read for one class was Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." Most people in the class hated it. I loved it. I have read it a half dozen times. My daughter's HS English class will begin reading it Tuesday. She has listened to me praise it and her Mom, my wife, pan it all her life.

No one, not even you, get to determine what someone else is entertained by. I am not a fan of science fiction or fantasy literature at all. I still found this series to be entertaining. Nothing will ever top "The Hobbit" or the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy for me in the fantasy genre, but this was very well done as a book and as a movie series.

Well. If you put it that way...

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

Nothing will ever top "The Hobbit" or the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy for me in the fantasy genre, but this was very well done as a book and as a movie series.

Maybe it's because they are more recent, but the Potter series has done that for me. I never thought any series could, but I would re-read the Potter books (again) and rewatch the Potter movies (again) before the Tolkien stuff.

Interesting similarity is that in both cases I would gladly sit through 'Director's Cuts' of the movies as I'm sure most fans of either/both would. Not many movies are worth that. Especially considering how long they are to begin with.

 

[theogt]

Maybe it's because they are more recent, but the Potter series has done that for me. I never thought any series could, but I would re-read the Potter books (again) and rewatch the Potter movies (again) before the Tolkien stuff.

Interesting similarity is that in both cases I would gladly sit through 'Director's Cuts' of the movies as I'm sure most fans of either/both would. Not many movies are worth that. Especially considering how long they are to begin with.

How could they top LOTR when they blatantly steal material from them?

The Hobbit was written as a children's book, so it seems like it would be on par.

 

[TheCount]

Maybe it's because they are more recent, but the Potter series has done that for me. I never thought any series could, but I would re-read the Potter books (again) and rewatch the Potter movies (again) before the Tolkien stuff.

Interesting similarity is that in both cases I would gladly sit through 'Director's Cuts' of the movies as I'm sure most fans of either/both would. Not many movies are worth that. Especially considering how long they are to begin with.

You're talking about on film right?

Are there even directors cuts of the Potter films?

 

[theogt]

You're talking about on film right?

Are there even directors cuts of the Potter films?

Pretty sure he's talking about the books.

There's no way the movies have surpassed the LOTR movies (though the idea of the HP books surpassing the LOTR books seems laughable as well).

 

[TheCount]

Pretty sure he's talking about the books.

There's no way the movies have surpassed the LOTR movies (though the idea of the HP books surpassing the LOTR books seems laughable as well).

Film I could understand, different strokes for different folks and all that but to say Harry Potter as a series is in any way better than the LOTR series is blasphemy.

 

[Kevinicus]

Film I could understand, different strokes for different folks and all that but to say Harry Potter as a series is in any way better than the LOTR series is blasphemy.

I'd say the books have a better shot of besting LOTR than the movies. The LOTR movies are so far beyond what the Potter movies are. The Potter books are so far beyond what the Potter movies are as well.

I prefer the LOTR movies to the books (which have some really stupid parts that were removed for the movies, and their structure forces that story not to be as gripping as it could be.

 

[Hostile]

Maybe it's because they are more recent, but the Potter series has done that for me. I never thought any series could, but I would re-read the Potter books (again) and rewatch the Potter movies (again) before the Tolkien stuff.

Interesting similarity is that in both cases I would gladly sit through 'Director's Cuts' of the movies as I'm sure most fans of either/both would. Not many movies are worth that. Especially considering how long they are to begin with.

I would never have any problem with you liking the Potter series better. It is a matter of taste. I am saying I like the "Lord of the Rings" series better and I am speaking mostly about the books. While I do like the movies, I feel the books are some of the best written I have ever read.

 

[TheCount]

I'd say the books have a better shot of besting LOTR than the movies. The LOTR movies are so far beyond what the Potter movies are. The Potter books are so far beyond what the Potter movies are as well.

I prefer the LOTR movies to the books (which have some really stupid parts that were removed for the movies, and their structure forces that story not to be as gripping as it could be.

True that the LOTR books can be a bit slow or meandering at times, but they weren't really produced for mass consumption like the Potter books are/were.

However, the depth of Tolkien's world is unrivaled.

 

[Reality]

I think one of the biggest differences in the LoTR books versus the Harry Potter books is that the LoTR books are more detailed oriented which presents a slower progression and is less likely to be enjoyed by people less than 30 years old that grew up on fast paced video games, movies, television shows (and 200+ channels), etc. being the "norm" for them.

People older than 30 appreciate the attention to details and tend to be more patient with parallel events/scenes in books where younger readers tend to want linear stories that move along at a decent (not too fast, nor too slow) pace. Younger readers also want books that focus more on the important details and less on the not-so-important details.

Another variable in this is that most older people read LoTR before ever seeing the movies because they read the books long ago. Most Harry Potter fans saw at least one or two movies before reading the books. This means that to them, the locations, scenes and characters were already established for them from the movies. Most fans of the LoTR books read the books first so they saw the books come to life in a sense creating a grander and more appealing appreciation.

This by the way is not meant as a criticism of either style of reader .. it simply explains the preferences of people tend to follow age groups and/or how they were introduced to each of the fantasy stories.

Personally, I like the books of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter a lot more than the movies of either. I think that both sets of movies succeed at reproducing their respective fantasy worlds but the pace of the movies tend to rush the stories along and fail to provide a true feeling for the amount of time that passes between events. In fact, most people are absolutely stunned when you inform them how much time passes between events in LoTR.

-Reality

 

[VietCowboy]

I'm always drawn to the conflicted characters. So, Snape (like everyone played very well by Alan Rickman) is my favorite, and always thought that because of his love for Lily, that he was never "evil" in the sense of betrayal.

This is gonna be squicky, but given the longevity of the wizards, I always thought he was a better match with Hermione (eventually, when she grew up). My least favorite aspect of HP (outside of Snape's demise) is the fact that Hermione and Ron became a pair, even though JKR made it inevitable.

 

[burmafrd]

Yeah Hermione and Ron is just wrong. And frankly I see Hermione taking a long drink and gagging. Not only is he nowhere near smart enough for her, he will bore her to death in a year.

My strange pairing from the HP world would be Lucius Malfoy and Hermione. He is ruthless and brilliant; she is brilliant and a lot more Ruthless than people want to admit. That would be a match worth watching.


Books allow so much more development and detail. Only in a long TV miniseries is it possible to get even close. And since 12 HR plus TV miniseries are a thing of the past, that is the way it will be.
Can you imagine a LOTR TV miniseries of about 24 HRs?

 

[theogt]

True that the LOTR books can be a bit slow or meandering at times, but they weren't really produced for mass consumption like the Potter books are/were.

However, the depth of Tolkien's world is unrivaled.

It's a bit like comparing a Van Gogh to a photoshopped picture of a supermodel (an admittedly extreme analogy). One may be more pleasing to look at initially, but they're not in the same league.

 

[TheCount]

I'm always drawn to the conflicted characters. So, Snape (like everyone played very well by Alan Rickman) is my favorite, and always thought that because of his love for Lily, that he was never "evil" in the sense of betrayal.

This is gonna be squicky, but given the longevity of the wizards, I always thought he was a better match with Hermione (eventually, when she grew up). My least favorite aspect of HP (outside of Snape's demise) is the fact that Hermione and Ron became a pair, even though JKR made it inevitable.

lol, there's still no doubt Snape hates Harry. He loved his mom, but hated Harry's Dad and his offspring.

 

[Temo]

I think Snape's longing for Lily was probably my favorite part of the series. Strange as it is to say for a series centered on magic, I found it the most realistic, human part of the story.

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

How could they top LOTR when they blatantly steal material from them.

What specifically is stolen from LOTR that is not part of mythology in general?