Actors that portray their characters well

Patricide · 03-12-2010 11:52PM

After seeing hp7 pt.1 today I totally agree. Fiennes doesnt fit for me. And bellatrix is just an over dramatization. This seems to be hellen bohnam carter in a lot of movies though.

Also may I add that this was the first harry potter film I actually enjoyed. The acting by the 3 leads went up about 10 points. Especially radcliffe. Hes still far from an oscar but he isnt irritatingly bad anymore. In fact hes nearly decent.

04-12-2010 05:30AM

fluorescence wrote: »

I like Emma Watson and Rupert Grint - exactly how I'd always pictured them ('cept Hermione's hair and eyebrows don't match the books at all :pac:). Snape, MacGonagle, Hagrid, Lucius Malfoy, Petunia and Vernon Dursley, Molly Weasley and Neville Longbottom are also perfect.

I hate hate hate Michael Gambon and Ralph Fiennes. They're just all wrong! Particularly in movie 5, Gambon is running all over the place, prone to outbursts of anger and is just generally completely un-Dumbledore-ish. He's rubbish. As for Fiennes, I just don't feel he fits. There's something very off about his portrayal that I simply cannot put my finger on.

Oh, and I hate Helena Bonham Carter's Bellatrix Lestrange. They've made a complete mockery of a very interesting character (from a psychoanalytical perspective). There's a lot of depth to Bella and the movies just utterly ruin that for me.

Surely that's the directors problem and not Gambon? As much as people like Harris, I don't think he could have pulled off a lot of the (badly written) scenes in the later books. Gambon is given an awful lot of unfair criticism for a lot of problems with the script and directors.

Fiennes is fine imo, tbh I pictured Voldemort as always being hooded before the movies so I didn't really have a picture of him in my head.

Bellatrix is also very good imo, really feel that she could pop off at any moment.

Fluorescence · 04-12-2010 01:18PM

Well the question was who pulls off their character well, and those were the actors that I felt let down their character. I admit the script dictates a lot of what the actors have to do, but Gambon just doesn't have that Dumbledorish quality about him. He always seems agitated and jumpy on screen whereas Dumbledore is a dictionary definition of serene, patient old man..

Faith · 07-12-2010 10:52PM

TrueDub wrote: »

Gambon is an awful Dumbledore! OK, it's tough to compete with Richard Harris, but Gambon's rushed and panicky character is miles away from the calm, unflappable person in the book, and indeed Harris' portrayal.

I HATED Gambon as Dumbledore. I mean, is there a more obvious choice for Dumbledore than Richard Attenborough? Gambon played him all wrong; all cross and short. He's supposed to be lovely and gentle and kind.

**Timbuk2** · 09-12-2010 03:16PM

I agree, Gambon was awful as Dumbledore. I have friends that have only watched the movies (and have never read the books!) who don't really appreciate the true Dumbledore. Gambon is far too jumpy and short-tempered, it's hard to put into words - but the Dumbledore in the book is the type of guy who you would suspect always has a plan, even if he says he doesn't, whereas Gambon-Dumbledore always looks lost and I would sooner trust in Neville Longbottom than him :P

I hadn't a clue what they were doing to the character in the 6th book - "Harry - are you and Hermione... involved" (made not be actual quote) - it is not in keeping with Dumbledore's character, not at all!

In Deathly Hallows: Part One, Xenophilius Lovegood is not what I imagined for him at all, but he did quite well in the role. Although the scene in the Lovegood house was not well done in the movie, it

failed to show Hermione's plan of revealing Harry but not Ron, so that the Death Eaters would not kill Xenophilius if they thought he was lying - which I think is quite important

Big Pussy Bonpensiero · 16-12-2010 09:25PM

None of them do, they're all shíte...:pac:

seriously tho

Daith · 17-12-2010 04:40PM

Maggie Smith could act circles around most the cast. Pity her character doesn't have that much to do. Hopefully in the next movie she'll get some nice moments

Ruu_Old · 17-12-2010 08:38PM

Brendan Gleeson done well with Mad Eye, stubborn old fool but brilliant. I guess the teaching experience came in handy.

I am unsure about Gambon as Dumbledore, HBP was cringe-worthy at parts when he was talking to Harry about growing up, girls, etc.
Overall I am glad that the cast is mainly British, all well established actors that we are used to seeing on telly over the years.

petebricquette · 17-02-2011 04:57PM

Emma Watson for me is very very weak. She acts exclusively through her eyebrows and, while it's great to have some eye candy, they need to get her to tone down her overacting a bit.

Alan Rickman is a great Snape. He's not quite as vicious as in the books but I think that's a scriptwriter's decision rather than any fault on Rickman's part.

Gambon is very poor as Dumbledore. He just doesn't have the gravitas to pull off the role.

I really like Ralph Fiennes as an actor but it bugs me slightly how he seems to have been written to be a bit thick in the films.

XcupcakeX · 01-04-2011 12:05PM

matthew lewis as neville....amazing!
Neville was always my favourite and I have not been let down at all by his portrayal in the films.
"oh my god! I've killed harry potter"

Acacia · 13-06-2011 11:09PM

fluorescence wrote: »

I hate hate hate Michael Gambon and Ralph Fiennes. They're just all wrong! Particularly in movie 5, Gambon is running all over the place, prone to outbursts of anger and is just generally completely un-Dumbledore-ish. He's rubbish. As for Fiennes, I just don't feel he fits. There's something very off about his portrayal that I simply cannot put my finger on.

Oh, and I hate Helena Bonham Carter's Bellatrix Lestrange. They've made a complete mockery of a very interesting character (from a psychoanalytical perspective). There's a lot of depth to Bella and the movies just utterly ruin that for me.

Agree a million percent! Was re-watching "The Half-Blood Prince" the other day, and I had to turn it off, I was so annoyed by Bellatrix. They've just turned her into this unbelievably over-acted charcater, and trying to bring some weird sexual quality to her that isn't there in the books. She reminds me of how she played Marla in "Fight Club" but not in a good way. I hate it!

The whole characterization of Dumbledore is a massive fail in the films, I think, and I s'pose it's not all Gambon's fault. They've just completely left out the complex relationship he has with Harry and turned it into something else entirely. It' s like he's a different character. That scene at the end of "Deathly Hallows", probably one of the best in the series, will probably completely crap in the film version because of this.

I also always thought Sirius was meant to be a hottie. Gary Oldman doesn't cut it for me , I'm afraid!:p He's got the actual character down pretty well though.

On a positive note, Alan Rickman has always been a brilliant Snape and Tom Felton has really grown into the character of Malfoy. I think he's the best of the ''kids''.
I'll never understand why Seamus Finnegan is portrayed as such a scobie though, with big skanger rings and everything!

Aisling(",) · 16-06-2011 11:43PM

Alan Rickman,Brendan Gleeson and Maggie Smith are the actors who came out closest to my visions of the characters when I read the books.

Though I've nothing against Bonnie Wright the actress who plays Ginny I just don't think she seems the sort of girl who'd attract Harry.In the films she always seems too meek or something.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 21-07-2011 06:23PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkAFjVWJy4c

Sums it all up really.

Mr. K · 21-07-2011 10:45PM

Mr Trade In wrote: »

Jason Issacs was fantastic as Lucius Malfoy, evil and arrogant.

This. He doesn't get enough credit for his portrayal; he looks fairly rough in both parts of Deathly Hallows!

Fluorescence · 22-07-2011 01:47PM

Mr. K wrote: »

This. He doesn't get enough credit for his portrayal; he looks fairly rough in both parts of Deathly Hallows!

He's supposed to look quite haggard and weary by the end of the series alright. He does do a great job the whole way through the movies, so kudos to him.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 23-07-2011 12:34AM

I didn't like the choice of actor for Mundungus Fletcher.

Aisling(",) · 23-07-2011 01:17AM

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

I didn't like the choice of actor for Mundungus Fletcher.

Me either!He reminds me a bit of Del boy from only fools and horses and I get why they did that but Dung didn't come that way to me he was more cowardy and sneaky!

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 23-07-2011 06:21PM

Hes also supposed to be dirty with long matted hair. The guy in the film was too clean cut in appearance.

IvySlayer · 17-09-2011 06:06PM

I hated Gambon as Dumbledore. From his voice to his costumes. Harris looked like how I imagined Dumbledore. Dumbledore didn't speak with an Irish accent...Harris nailed his voice. Also, he seemed very aggressive in the movies. If Gambon had of read the books, he could've understood the character better imo.

With Harris there was this aura that he was the most powerful wizard of all time....Gambon played a hippy version. I don't know how Harris would've portrayed his duel with Voldemort....

Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman and Robert Coltrane were perfect choices.

AllWasWell · 23-06-2012 07:30PM

Harris as Dumbledore was brilliant, Michael Gambon was such a disappointment..overall i think the cast was great, with the exception of Evanna Lynch as Luna! Im sorry but she is just not how i imagined her..like i know shes meant to be odd, but shes in ravenclaw, so she's supposed to be really smart, the way she was portrayed in the films was like she was a spaced out retard! and Ginny was just awful aswell, isnt she supposed to be witty and cheeky, and all the guys love her, and also pretty? she does not come across well in the films..no chemistry at all between her and radcliffe! even at the end with the 'nineteen years later' notice how they didnt let her speak in it? because she wudnt have been convincing! Fiennes, Coltraine, Rickman, Oldman and Bonham Carter were amazing! and mcgonagall 2, she was exactly how i pictured her!

AllWasWell · 23-06-2012 07:32PM

IvySlayer wrote: »

I hated Gambon as Dumbledore. From his voice to his costumes. Harris looked like how I imagined Dumbledore. Dumbledore didn't speak with an Irish accent...Harris nailed his voice. Also, he seemed very aggressive in the movies. If Gambon had of read the books, he could've understood the character better imo.

With Harris there was this aura that he was the most powerful wizard of all time....Gambon played a hippy version. I don't know how Harris would've portrayed his duel with Voldemort....

Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman and Robert Coltrane were perfect choices.

totally agree with u, gambon played the part so aggressive! especially in the prisoner of azkaban when they used the time turner to save sirius..dumbledore was meant to be gentle and patient! and really wise..gambon was a terrible choice!

Shinato · 24-08-2012 02:21PM

I think that Snape, Lupin and Sirius were great. They all portrayed their roles extremely well. As much as I love Micheal Gambon, he was probably the worst in relation to JKR's version of Dumbledore.

Draco was rather middlin too but he was fine.

Whatsernamex33 · 07-11-2012 05:59PM

I think Gary Oldman as Sirius was excellent, especially in the 3rd film/book. Was devastated when he was killed off in Book 5.

I've issues with Professor Trelawney. I can't decide whether I like her, or not. I think that the film portrayed her more of an eccentric character, than seen in the books. The scenes she featured in in the films, I struggled to watch through, while in the books, I thought she was an interesting character at most...

ConstantLove · 24-03-2013 06:19PM

Alan Rickman - Snape
Jim Broadbent - Slughorn
Helena Bonham Carter - Bellatrix Lestrange

IvySlayer · 01-04-2013 07:50PM

I recently re-watched all the Harry Potter films.

I agree with previous posts, the Weasleys are perfect. Molly in particular, she's exactly how I imagined her in the books. If only Gambon understood his character aswell as she did.

Maggie Smith played McGonagall well, she's underused though.

Best is Snape. Lupin, Luna, Sirius, Bellatrix, Ron honourable mentions too.

Hermione, Harry, Voldemort are meh. Not bad just not brilliant either.

Michael Gambon is just woeful in Goblet of Fire in particular. He flips out for no reason. Dumbledore only got angry once in the books iirc. In the films Dumbldore cowers and shouts at people....II don't get the criticism people had of Harris. I think him fighting Voldemort with someone as frail as Harris would have reinforced how powerful Dumbledore was. He had that presence. He had the beard, the hat, the proper robes. The aura, and his Irish accent was much less pronounced.They turned Gambons Dumbledore into an angry hippy.

ConstantLove · 05-04-2013 03:25PM

I pretty much agree with Ivy, especially with not the brilliant once.

ClashCityRocker · 05-04-2013 04:33PM

Mr Trade In wrote: »

Richard Griffiths is great as Uncle Vernon.

Actors that portray their characters well

Comments