The critique of the "chosen one" archetype is particularly genius, especially when you bring Neville into the equation.

With the inevitable success of FBAWTFT, I'm thinking JKR is fianally going to see how profitable and artistically-worthwhile it would be to keep expanding her world.

I like it, removed from the film in which its placed. It's all well-acted, and it's always good catharsis to watch the characters finally act on feelings we known they've had for a while, but it just doesn't fit in the movie.

Yeah, HBP was never going to make a good movie. The book was awkwardly paced, and the titular plot was an after-thought at best- but they had to give screen-time to it because… well, because it's the title.
The book also didn't have enough action to carry a film (which is why they added in the silly Burrow-on-fire…

Most definitely. If WB had waited, the movies would've been incredibly different. I tend to think they would've been a lot less condensed, since the producers would know what important early details (Ginny, Dobby, the Marauders, etc) not to skimp on so they'd have better/bigger impact in later films.

Oh, sorry- I was talking about the fight at the end of DH2, between Harry and Voldemort. Apologies for the confusion.

I want a series too, and I want it before I'm too old to appreciate it.

I listen to the audiobooks every year and I always imagine Harry and Voldemort slowly circling as the camera swoops in circling the other way, all while the music builds.
And the way everyone was watching silently, just waiting to see what would happen? And the final, significant THUD Voldemort's body makes when it…

I would agree with almost everything you said, except that the changes Yates' made to the ending fight with Voldemort had me seething. Rowling had already written a gorgeous sequence that was nothing if not cinematic, and they botched it up so badly. Between that and Harry snapping the Elder Wand (good) before fixing…

You lost me when you listed Goblet of Fire as the best film. I just can't abide that. It's so bad, from Newell's poor attitude practically leaping off the screen to the smaller things like the awful 2004 shaggy hair on all the boys.

"Is that my voice? IS THAT MY VOICE? Oh well."

Taken out of the context of the film, "A Guy Like You" is a pretty good song. It's got a fun tempo and clever lyrics, but it definitely doesn't belong in the movie it got placed in.

"WHAT ARE THE ODDS THAT TRAP DOOR WOULD LEAD ME OUT HERE?!"

I deeply hope you're right. I like Miranda's writing fine, but I just don't like his singing voice. For all his experience- he sounds very untrained. He's singing on the "We Know the Way" song in Moana, and he sounds very out of place. Perhaps that's because his earthy voice doesn't jibe with the Hawaiian vibe of the…

I can definitely see where you're coming from, even if I still disagree. I guess I always saw TLM as Triton's story. He's the one who changes throughout- heck, it's his brashness that he needs to get under control that drives Ariel away in the first place.
Ariel's always read as a pawn to me. I still enjoy the movie…

My vote for worst goes to pretty much all of Princess and the Frog and Home on the Range.

I spoke to this somewhere upthread, but suffice it to say:

"Do You Wanna Build a Snowman" is fine, but I've always thought that it was meant to be a "Belle"-style opening number that establishes everything, but then it just… trails off and ends while all the heavy (if incredibly cliched) lifting is left to the visuals. If you were just listening to the song, you wouldn't know…

"Well, he ain't gettin' any deader!"

Belle only falls for the beast when he stops being a jerk to her, and when he lets her go, she leaves. She comes back because of her genuine feelings for him.