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although Harry Potter The films tried to stay as close to the book’s story as possible, focusing on the central plot of wrongly adapting several characters. While many of them still do many of the things they did in the books, they lack the same spirit, humor, or wit that made them so relatable or interesting to fans in the first place. The films stripped some of the characterizations from fan-favorite main characters and showed distorted or elaborate versions of their book counterparts. Ron and Ginny Weasley might be the best examples of characters that have been darkened by movies.
The movie version of Ron is portrayed as comic relief without much depth, and Jenny is a background decoration until she needs help. Otherwise, Harry loses the sarcasm and wit that allow him to emerge as a major character. While the book portrays Hermione as studious, she is also flawed, like everyone else. The film counterpart embraces perfectionism, being right all the time in every way, rather than coming across as an imperfect human being. Snape may be close to his counterpart in the novel, yet the films lack interest in his darker side in an effort to redeem him.
Harry: irony and wit
The boy who said, “You don’t have to call me sir, professor,” is nowhere to be seen in the movies. The movie version of Harry lacks the jokes and comedy that the book version did as a way to keep the drama on screen. Unfortunately, eliminating this element of personality means taking away the best things in it. Instead of showing Harry to have his own sense of humor and ability to be sarcastic, the films show that he can find others funny and may have a light-hearted side, but the films primarily portray him as serious.
Ron: Useful
In the novels, Ron uses his intelligence and loyalty. He certainly has his faults, but he also has positive traits that show his good side and intentions. Rune is useful in novels, even if he makes many mistakes. In the movies, Ron is pushed aside as occasional comic relief without any of his redeeming qualities. In the movie, Harry and Hermione could have done everything independently without Ron and would have had the same results. In the books, Ron is an integral part of the team.
Hermione: Flaws
Hermione remains an academic genius in both iterations. But in the movies, Hermione is so wise that she’s never framed as wrong. Hermione is always either right or justified in her actions. Even in the moments when Hermione is seen as opposed to Harry, as in Half-blood princeHowever, it has been amazingly toned down from the way it is presented in the novels. In the books, Hermione is as flawed as everyone else. She’s still developing, but her mistakes appear to show her as a human beyond her academic strides.
Jenny: Personal
Due to time constraints and an inability to provide a side depth to the character, the character of Jenny was scrapped. Instead of being quick with magic and having a history of stealing her brothers’ brooms, Jenny is barely in the story. She hardly even appears Order of the PhoenixAnd, even then, her role is far less important in the grand scheme of the movie, though she is part of a small group to infiltrate the Ministry.
by the time Half-blood prince There were no real justifications for continuing the course of the novel to turn Harry and Ginny into love interests, as Ginny had only been Ron’s little sister and a background character in every previous film. Ginny even takes a back seat in this movie for being anything other than Harry’s love interest.
Dumbledore: Layers
as movies Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Don’t focus too hard on the revelations surrounding the dark background of Dumbledore’s drama. Dumbledore was a complex man who fought for the light but was once tempted by the darkness. He understood that absolute power, such as the position of Minister of Magic, would not be an excellent job for him, as power could easily be tempted or corrupted.
However, the films do not depict that even the Lord of the Light could be infatuated with the Darkness or its effects on Harry. Instead, Dumbledore is mainly depicted as a grandfather figure to Harry, and only at the end is it revealed that Dumbledore has practically raised Harry like a pig to be slaughtered, which is only a brief reference.
Snape: The Full Range of Villain
Snape is one of the most controversial characters in the world Harry Potter. Fans tended to be divided between determining whether he was a hero for Lily’s love or a villain due to his actions and history, and that his feelings for Lily were more aligned with obsession rather than love. The film wants the audience to feel empathy for Snape and confirm that he really was on Dumbledore’s side in the war all along, providing memories that show Snape at his best.
Except it doesn’t quite work there either. Showing Snape walking past James’ dead and Harry crying for holding on to a dead lily is not the romantic moment the movie wants. Additionally, the film leaves out Snape’s history of practicing dark magic as a student at Hogwarts, proving that he wasn’t an innocent victim, insulted Lily, and brutally bullied Neville, Hermione, and Harry countless times.
Fred and George: Determination
The duo of jokesters have been relegated to this extent in the movies. They exist mainly for comic relief without the depth and character growth that the books give them. Sure, Fred and George are pranksters in the books, too, but the novel’s counterparts to the characters receive a more serious approach regarding their desire to open a joke shop.
Fred and George’s determination to cheer up the Wizarding World in its time of peril and their realization that they need not stay at Hogwarts, especially while Umbridge runs the place, gains more backstory than the duo’s thrilling escape in Order of the Phoenix film.
McGonagall: Humor
Despite Professor McGonagall being portrayed as a no-nonsense person in each iteration, the books offer the character a bit more humor during each segment, especially in regards to her dislike of Umbridge. McGonagall is more than pleased to offer Harry a cookie after he tells Umbridge, insults Umbridge directly to her face, and encourages mayhem as Umbridge tries to take over the school. While fragments of McGonagall’s humor appear in the films, they don’t include all that she had to offer.
Draco: Despair
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince does an excellent job of highlighting Draco’s descent into despair. His life is turned upside down with Lucius in Azkaban, and Draco has to prove himself a capable Death Eater over Voldemort, or the Dark Lord will kill Lucius and Narcissa. He longs to protect his family and save his life.
But all the time Deathly HallowsThen, Draco begins to understand exactly what he’s got himself into, and he can’t go on. He can’t let go of Harry, and when it counts during the war, Draco eventually switches sides, unable to follow through on being the assassin he’s destined to become.
Lord Voldemort: Motivation
The books delve into Voldemort’s past as Tom Riddle, so by the conclusion, readers know all the blanks in the villain’s backstory, along with the motivation behind his actions. Although Voldemort’s actions were wrong and unforgivable, time was taken to understand the story’s central antagonist. Although the films offer slight hints about Voldemort’s backstory, they lack the subtle key details that fill in the entirety of his motivation and make Voldemort come across more as a one-note villain.
