HP: HBP Missing Characters?

[RoJoHen]

I have not read the books, so please do not post any spoilers for "Deathly Hallows." Thanks!


Now, I just watched my DVD of "Half-Blood Prince," and I have a couple random questions for those who have ready the books, primarily: What happened to _____ between "Order of the Phoenix" and "Half-Blood Prince"?

-Cho
-Lucius Malfoy

-Dumbledore's Army: now I realize this one was a result of what's-her-face taking over Hogwarts in OotP, but I was still hoping the kids would be around. HBP was really lacking a lot of the minor characters that have been around since day 1.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I think you nailed the biggest problem with the movies. Obviously, HP has a LOT of secondary characters and to try to fit them all into a two-hour movie isn't easy, but it seemed like, in some cases, they couldn't even be bothered.

Take Trelawney. They firggen bothered to get Emma Thompson, but couldn't bother with any of her story--even her significant parts in HBP.

Or Tonks. I think between the two films she's probably had three minutes of screen time, but she does play a very significant part in the books.

 

[Daneel]

I haven't read the books either, so I'm not sure how much help I can be.

Cho: no idea. Lucius Malfoy: don't they state in Half-Blood Prince that he was arrested (and, I presume, sent to Azkaban)? I imagine this would've happened immediately after the battle at the Ministry of Magic.

 

[RoJoHen]

I think you nailed the biggest problem with the movies. Obviously, HP has a LOT of secondary characters and to try to fit them all into a two-hour movie isn't easy, but it seemed like, in some cases, they couldn't even be bothered.

Take Trelawney. They firggen bothered to get Emma Thompson, but couldn't bother with any of her story--even her significant parts in HBP.

Or Tonks. I think between the two films she's probably had three minutes of screen time, but she does play a very significant part in the books.

Well, obviously, they're telling an abridged version of the story. As I have never read the books, I'm not even aware of Trelawney or Tonks' main purpose, and I certainly don't miss them when they're not around. That's fine.

I'm mostly talking about characters strictly within the context of the movie. Cho is the most glaring absence in my opinion, especially after how she was developed in the previous two movies...to suddenly just not be around kind of bothers me.

And Neville. He was a badass in OotP, but he serves absolutely no purpose in HPB.

It's one thing to adapt the story for the purposes of a film, but in a lot of cases I feel like previous films are being ignored.

 

[captcalhoun]

you really ought to read the books to get the full story. ginny is seriously under-used in the movies considering she's Harry's freaking girlfriend!

and that's without the underuse of Sirius and the dropping of major plot points.

 

[ParticleMan]

I'm re-reading the series now (nearly done with OotP) and I think that Cho pretty much disappears for the last two books anyway, right? Other than some passing mentions in HBP perhaps...I took the character as the "practice run" for Harry so that the Ginny relationship wouldn't have the awkward "first date ever" business...

And Lucius Malfoy becomes basically a background character as well...his wife comes more to the forefront than he does...

 

[ParticleMan]

And Neville. He was a badass in OotP, but he serves absolutely no purpose in HPB.

Neville fades to the background for HBP, but he's got plenty more to do and retains his badassery down the road...

 

[DS9Continuing]

As I understand it, Lucius was captured and sent to Azkaban. That was the reason Voldemort specifically assigned Draco to kill Dumbledore - as a punishment on Lucius for failure, more than anything else.

 

[Joy]

The reason Trelawney was not in the HBP movie was because Emma Thompson opted to focus on her Nanny McPhee sequel instead of working on HP again.

And, yeah, Neville and Luna both were hardly there in the HBP book. They show up on the train in the beginning, asking if Dumbledore's Army would still be meeting, and Harry basically tells them its purpose is done (aka everyone learned what they needed, and it was primarily a rebellion against Umbridge).

Lucius is in Azkaban in HBP, and I honestly don't even remember if Cho was in HBP or not, and I just re-read the darn book!

Joy

 

[ParticleMan]

Spoiler: Cho in Deathly Hallows

She's mentioned when Harry gets back to Hogwarts before the final battle. Harry needs to get into the Ravenclaw common room and Cho volunteers to take him, but Ginny steps in and has Luna do it instead...unless I'm misremembering it, I think that's the extent of Cho post-Order of the Phoenix...

 

[The Fatman]

Yeah, now that they're broken up, Cho really serves no greater purpose in the story, so she's pretty much left by the wayside.

Now, having not seen the HBP movie yet... Trelawny isn't in it at all?!?!? Is the big reveal before Harry and DD leave for the cave completely ignored?

 

[ParticleMan]

Yeah, now that they're broken up, Cho really serves no greater purpose in the story, so she's pretty much left by the wayside.

Now, having not seen the HBP movie yet... Trelawny isn't in it at all?!?!? Is the big reveal before Harry and DD leave for the cave completely ignored?

Nope...not at all...no big reveal or anything...amongst many other things left out of the film...

 

[Jenee]

Wasn't Trelawny fired by Umbridge in OotP? Just before the twins let all hell break loose.

Damn, it's been a long time since I read the books. I should go back and reread them.

 

[CaptainCanada]

Wasn't Trelawny fired by Umbridge in OotP? Just before the twins let all hell break loose.

Yes, but she got it back (well, co-sharing with Firenze, but he's not in the movies) when Dumbledore returned.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Don't forget Bill Weasley (or is it Charlie?) and Fleur Delacour.

 

[TheSeeker]

you really ought to read the books to get the full story.

Totally. They are really a fun read, even if you've seen the movies.

 

[melancholymecha]

I havent read the books but I know about some missing bits and pieces from my online research of the movies...

I wish theyd have more about Tonks & Lupin, also are they going to completely leave out the importance of Snape's

Spoiler

past relationship wth Lily?

b/c that is kinda important to Snape's character, his motivation & everything.

 

[RoJoHen]

you really ought to read the books to get the full story.

Totally. They are really a fun read, even if you've seen the movies.

Meh. I read the first one and thought it was awful. I have no desire to continue.

The movies are enough for me.

 

[ParticleMan]

I havent read the books but I know about some missing bits and pieces from my online research of the movies...

I wish theyd have more about Tonks & Lupin, also are they going to completely leave out the importance of Snape's

Spoiler

past relationship wth Lily?

b/c that is kinda important to Snape's character, his motivation & everything.

But we don't get a really deep sense of what you mention in the spoiler tags until the end of Deathly Hallows, do we? So I guess they can toss it in at the appropriate place during Part II of that film...

I still hate that we didn't get a more detailed scene of Snape's Worst Memory in OotP...it explains the antagonism of Snape toward Harry so much more...but then, I think Snape is seriously underserved in all the movies to be such a pivotal character in the books...particularly when you have the Genius Alan Rickman portraying him so well...

 

[CorporalClegg]

.particularly when you have the Genius Alan Rickman portraying him so well...

My thoughts exactly.