First time at movies in a while: Two BIG films and I walked out of one (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

I can understand what I posted may have been
misunderstood and I apologize for not wording my
thoughts correctly.

Let me clarify....

There was nothing climatic about Harry Potter
throughout the 2 hours I spent watching it. The
action sequences were brief and never became climatic.

I spent more time fidgiting in my seat waiting
for Oldman to appear than actually enjoying the film.

Yes, I walked out. No, I did not see the end. But
to be honest, if the film wasn't holding my interest
up to this point it probably wasn't worth waiting for.

....based on what I have read here I don't think
I was wrong for walking out.

Hope that explains things better.

 

[Jason_Els]

My beef with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is that it WAS rushed. In the late scene where Snape appears out of nowhere I was jarred so badly I wondered, 'Where the hell did he come from?? What is he doing there?' and there was never an explanation. I could tell straight away I was going to have to read the book because it was obvious how much was missing.

I'm also not fond of moving everything around. I think they should have stuck with the same set for continuity purposes. I had no idea Hagrid's shack was Hagrid's shack until far into the movie and I assumed the whomping willow was another tree altogether. As always the kids are great and I loved the performances from everyone else, but this is the only one of the Harry Potter films where I thought the film didn't equal the book.

Columbus gets a lot of flack for being "slavish" to the books but with Rowling that's no bad thing. Rowling's world is so lush and her characters so distinct that I think it would have been a mistake to take liberties. This latest film proves it.

As for Shrek II, I had a lot of fun but it wasn't the Shrek I knew and loved. The product placements just reeked though they were pretty funny. Many people point out that contemporary-reference humor is low-brow but it's like a Disneyworld ride; everything's ersatz but it's a lot of fun. Trying to catch all the references became a contest for us and kept us busy but I wish that hadn't been necessary. This iteration I thought was too modern and not in keeping with the feeling of the first film. Ah well, it's just a movie.

 

[Jason_Els]

My beef with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is that it WAS rushed. In the late scene where Snape appears out of nowhere I was jarred so badly I wondered, 'Where the hell did he come from?? What is he doing there?' and there was never an explanation. I could tell straight away I was going to have to read the book because it was obvious how much was missing.

I'm also not fond of moving everything around. I think they should have stuck with the same set for continuity purposes. I had no idea Hagrid's shack was Hagrid's shack until far into the movie and I assumed the whomping willow was another tree altogether. As always the kids are great and I loved the performances from everyone else, but this is the only one of the Harry Potter films where I thought the film didn't equal the book.

Columbus gets a lot of flack for being "slavish" to the books but with Rowling that's no bad thing. Rowling's world is so lush and her characters so distinct that I think it would have been a mistake to take liberties. This latest film proves it.

As for Shrek II, I had a lot of fun but it wasn't the Shrek I knew and loved. The product placements just reeked though they were pretty funny. Many people point out that contemporary-reference humor is low-brow but it's like a Disneyworld ride; everything's ersatz but it's a lot of fun. Trying to catch all the references became a contest for us and kept us busy but I wish that hadn't been necessary. This iteration I thought was too modern and not in keeping with the feeling of the first film. Ah well, it's just a movie.

 

[Citizen87645]

I have yet to walk out of a movie. I'm wondering when the day comes which movie it will be? I suppose if I was able to sit through the horror that was Charlie's Angels I probably never will

All I can say is, "To each his own." I enjoyed both films but there's always going to be a difference of opinion. All I can say is I hope your next theater experience is better!

 

[Citizen87645]

I have yet to walk out of a movie. I'm wondering when the day comes which movie it will be? I suppose if I was able to sit through the horror that was Charlie's Angels I probably never will

All I can say is, "To each his own." I enjoyed both films but there's always going to be a difference of opinion. All I can say is I hope your next theater experience is better!

 

[Jerry R Colvin]

The first Shrek is a masterpiece. You need to see it more than once to take it all in.

Shrek 2 is mildy entertaining, but with too many movie parody bits and topical references, and strangely ending with that lame song that was popular SIX (not two) years ago. In my mind, Shrek 2 is to Shrek what Austin Powers:TSWSM is to Austin Powers. Forgettable.

I liked the new Harry Potter movie... but it had a very dark tone (story-wise and visually) that apparantly isn't to everyone's liking. Haven't quite decided how it will hold up for me. Looking forward to the rest of this series.

 

[Jerry R Colvin]

The first Shrek is a masterpiece. You need to see it more than once to take it all in.

Shrek 2 is mildy entertaining, but with too many movie parody bits and topical references, and strangely ending with that lame song that was popular SIX (not two) years ago. In my mind, Shrek 2 is to Shrek what Austin Powers:TSWSM is to Austin Powers. Forgettable.

I liked the new Harry Potter movie... but it had a very dark tone (story-wise and visually) that apparantly isn't to everyone's liking. Haven't quite decided how it will hold up for me. Looking forward to the rest of this series.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I walked out of "The Mummy Returns" after about 10 minutes.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I walked out of "The Mummy Returns" after about 10 minutes.

 

[TheLongshot]

And even tho I was seeing it for free, I sat through the whole damn thing. :b

As I said, I don't walk out of movies, even awful ones.

Jason

 

[TheLongshot]

And even tho I was seeing it for free, I sat through the whole damn thing. :b

As I said, I don't walk out of movies, even awful ones.

Jason

 

[Pete-D]

I don't walk out of movies, but I really don't understand walking out of those two.

I mean Harry Potter 3 and Shrek 2 are at least comparable (some would argue better) than their predacessors.

The crowd I saw Shrek 2 with was rolling in the aisles. It's not what I'd term "great cinema", but I thought it was a fun time and I thought the CGI landscapes were breathtaking at times (especailly the moon shots).

 

[Pete-D]

I don't walk out of movies, but I really don't understand walking out of those two.

I mean Harry Potter 3 and Shrek 2 are at least comparable (some would argue better) than their predacessors.

The crowd I saw Shrek 2 with was rolling in the aisles. It's not what I'd term "great cinema", but I thought it was a fun time and I thought the CGI landscapes were breathtaking at times (especailly the moon shots).

 

[TheBat]

I found the villains in shrek 2 very uninspiring.. puss in boots was cool.. perhaps they could do a spinoff movie, with donkey and puss in boots? they were the most interesting characters in shrek 2.

I prefered troy and day after tomorrow over both shrek 2 and harry potter 3. I felt the third harry potter was a bit overlong towards the end, and I like the first two movies much better.

JACOB

 

[TheBat]

I found the villains in shrek 2 very uninspiring.. puss in boots was cool.. perhaps they could do a spinoff movie, with donkey and puss in boots? they were the most interesting characters in shrek 2.

I prefered troy and day after tomorrow over both shrek 2 and harry potter 3. I felt the third harry potter was a bit overlong towards the end, and I like the first two movies much better.

JACOB

 

[Travis_S]

Me.

 

[Travis_S]

Me.

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

Ashame you picked a good movie to walk out on instead of so many of the bad ones that are released weekly.

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

Ashame you picked a good movie to walk out on instead of so many of the bad ones that are released weekly.

 

[Rob Lutter]

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, from the perspective of a photographer had some of the most beautiful cinematopgraphy I have seen in a movie this year, right next to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The difference between the cookie-cutter filmmaking and, in my humble opinion DUMBED DOWN script (how many times did they need to reinforce every plot element in the first 2 films?) was EXTRAORDINARY. I wish that Cuaron could have directed ALL of the Harry Potter films. Shortening the length brought new breadth from the chuggy first 2 films when we saw *gasp* an actual filmmaker onboard.