Harry Potter and the Missing Book

So one does wonder, what do people think of as a movie adaptation. I won't deny that Alfonso Cuarón did an excellent job as far as making a *movie* was concerned. The thing is, he wasn't supposed to make just a movie. He was supposed to make a movie of the book. And that this movie was NOT. Three quarters of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is entirely absent from the movie. As for the part that is actually in there? Screwed up. Almost all of it is screwed up.

Once again, however, the casting was wonderful, although Trelawney could have been a bit more... insectlike. The vast majority of the school year was entirely absent in the movie. No finals. You would think they didn't even exist. The movie doesn't end where Harry is returning to the Dursleys' - a recurring image in the book that is quite important. There is no hint of the Quidditch World Cup that is to take place the next year, not to mention the fact that Quidditch is virtually nonexistent in the movie.

Also left out is the House Cup, as well as the final feast, as well as... Well, basically, school. We see a couple of classes (Lupin and Hagrid, the Defense Against the Dark Arts class where Snape substitutes, and none other). Basically, you have no idea that they are at a school, and there is no inkling of the fact that a year has passed. AT ALL.

Basically, this is a good movie. But if you want to go see a movie of the book, don't go see it. You will be severely disappointed. I certainly was.