I think as with all the new characters in POA (sirius, Lupin) we have to wait until book four for Sirius and then five for sirius and lupin to see what they're really like. they don't spend enough time establishing the characters in the films. there just isn't enough exposition, so we're left hanging. I don't like the character of Lupin so far, but in the three seconds we saw Sirius, i thought Gary was great. however he will always be Sid Vicious to me!!!!!

Although Gary was not AT ALL what I pictured Sirius to look like,I must say,he did a very good job with the acting.

I totally agree!

@ruperts_babe: Thanks, that calmed my doubts.

It's not Gary Oldman who is too short, it's David Thewlis who is too tall!!!

Yeah David Thewlis is extremley tall so thats why it looked so odd on screen.

It's official. I'm literally the only person who didn't like Gary Oldman's performance. I just read through this entire thread and everyone said he was brilliant.

I thought he was really great when he was 'calm' Sirius, but when he was the 'crazy' Sirius - it just didn't do it for me. I'm looking forward to the fifth movie though, because Gary's a great actor and will probably portray Sirius' sulleness well, but I just really didn't like him in this film. I wish I did though, seeing as I'm obsessed and all

I thought the 'craziness' of Sirius was just as good as the calm side. And there are probably loads more people who didnt like him as well.

@Siriusly in Love: You must sorta feel alone by now What surprises me is that you've got all those pics of him as your Avatar and in your sig (once you had that picture in your sig where Sirius sorta looked like me... I really liked it! )
My sister complained about him in Dracula, does that comfort you a bit?

Lol I think it may do her some comfort

If I remember correctly Oldman said that he wished that he had read the later books before doing the role because then he would have made a slightly different approach to it, as he would have known the character better. (I think he only read PoA before doing the movie)

::cires:: Finally, some sympathy! Usually when I say I don't like Gary - I get thwacked. I'm like, "I'm sorry - but Sirius is my all time favorite character, I was always going to be picky about who played him!! It's nothing personal."

I'm sure you're right - but, I've been on at least three sites and ranted, and no one has agreed. It's rather depressing, it makes me feel like I'm just being a pessimist or something, but I'm not doing it just to start trouble. I wish I liked Gary because it would have been so cool to have an actor play Sirius the way I imagined, but he just didn't capture the way I'd pictured Paddy.

Yeah, for a while I refused to use him because I'm like, "he's not my Sirius" but I gave in because I wanted to make some stuff for my siggie and avatar, which I'd never done before.

Yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. You can't tell someone who's obsessed with Sirius that you look like him without expecting them to ask you - are you single? Just kidding. That artist who drew the pic that I had as my Avvie draws young Sirius exactly how I imagine, so I really love her work.

He gave an interview with Empire magazine where he was talking about acting in a Harry Potter movie and he said, "There's a style to it; it is bigger than life. You don't want to be too clever with it: I'm playing him as the bad guy." And I think that's why I didn't like him - that came across on the screen to me. I know he had to play him as the straight-up murdering lunatic to trick those who hadn't read the books, but there is a way to do it so that those who have read them can see that other side to Sirius in the Shack and I didn't feel that.

No, I didn't see that in the shack either, but I saw it afterwards which made it for me Yes, I love Sirius too, but you're right about him having to play scary in the shack to fool those who hadn't read the books, I saw it like that too. And another thing, -think of all the rage, frustration and need of revenge he must have been feeling after all those years in Azkaban, (the place being so much worse than any "muggle" prison too) . Not only was he innocent, but he also knew who the guilty was and couldn't do anything about it. No wonder he was acting like a lunatic!
So, I forgave Oldman portraying dear Sirius like that as I thought it seemed very realistic. I think we will see a different Sirius later
But yes, I see what you mean

Yes, I agree that he is going to act crazy, but think of the books. In the Shrieking Shack scene he is only really raving mad until Remus shows up, at which point he begins to calm down a little. By the time they're getting ready to kill Remus, he's even crying a little. You didn't see any of that in the movie.

Yeah but then you did the much calmer and more gentle side to him when he was talking to Harry. I felt that that particualr part of the movie was very important as it showed that he wasnt just a crazed lunatic that he was shown to be in the Shrieking Shack scene.

im sure he is a good actor i just really didnt like how his character was developed in the movie... im really not liking this movie

Why didnt you like him though?

I know that is so annoying!

They are all groupies lol!

no its only because they werent good in the movie lol hate me if you want but im entitled to my opinion... if any other actors sucked then i wouldnt hesitate to say so no matter who it was...

No offence, but then you cant tell who or what a good actor is if you call the likes of Gary Oldman, David Thewlis and Alan Rickman actors that 'suck'

I think he did an okay job, although he was a bit hyperactive in the shrieking shack and overacting like a crazy man, and then suddenly when he is saying goodbye to harry he is all calm and this fatherly person. A bit to mood swingish for me.

Well he had been in Azkaban for 12 years

well yeah, he was in azkaban for 12 years, but now i see him only as a madman, how am i meant to see him like a father or big brother to harry if all i can see is him screaming and going crazy?

^Lol, didn't you see him at the end, talking with Harry? THat was a real heart to heart talk, I think...

I think he did an awesome job. THroughout the whole movie I thought he was a madman and at the end, I saw that he was a loving, caring person. (Even though I've read the book and already knew what was happening.)

So, overall, I really liked him. And I want to see how he does in GoF.

Oh my God... I love you! Finally, someone feels the same way as I did. That's exactly how I felt about it. In the books, he calms down slowly.... I realize you don't have as much time in the movie, but Gary was on full throttle the whole scene and then BOOM switches to this relaxed, fatherly character. There was no transition at all, which really bothered me.

Right, but Sirius never went crazy like everyone else in Azkaban. Even Fudge said, "I was amazed at how normal he seemed. It was unnerving." And, at the time he met Harry he'd had several months to begin to recover from the effects of the Dementors. Sirius was only angry and extremely impatient in the Shrieking Shack, not psychotic - Gary acted like a lunatic.