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In which it's all over forever and ever and wah
I guess I'm maybe a bit disappointed? Because I'm not like, RAGH BEST EVER, although there's nothing I can pinpoint and say, 'well, that's where they ruined the whole film, isn't it?'.
Things I loved:
The dragon at Gringotts, oh my god, I loved everything about it - the raw mess the chains had made around its neck, the rattles the goblins used to condition it, the way it was breathing heavily after breaking out of the top of the bank. It was just amazing, they did such a sweet job on the CGI there.
The goblins were fantastic too, loved the makeup, Griphook was awesome.
The exploding gold was great.
Ollivander was great.
I thought Dan did a bang up job making Harry seem like he's no longer a child anymore. Maybe it was the stubble.
Hermione-as-Bellatrix was adorable.
Disguised!Ron was somehow a turn-on?
Aberforth casting was spot on, far out, those eyes; in one close up I could swear they were exactly like Gambon's.
When Harry gets to Hogwarts -
Neville: What's the plan, Harry?
Harry: Okay. There's something we need to find. Something hidden here in the castle. And it may help us to defeat You-Know-Who.
Neville: Right, what is it?
Harry: We don't know.
Dean: Where is it?
Harry: We don't know that either. I realise it's not much to go on.
Seamus: It's nothing to go on.
OH GRYFFINDOR BOYS ♥ PS: phwoar Dean *_*
Ok, the scene with Snape in the Great Hall. Argh, there were bits I loved and hated. McGonagall was obviously awesome. As were the people who stepped in to defend Harry after Voldemort spoke to them.
McGonagall: I've always wanted to use that spell. OH MY FUCKING GOD, I LOVE HER SO MUCH.
All the professors (and Molly) shielding Hogwarts <3333
The Grey Lady was very beautiful and sad-looking.
YAY NEVILLE.
The shadows as Nagini strikes Snape over and over, oh my, it was horrible.
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, seeing Fred, Lupin and Tonks dead was horrendous and I remember being pissed when I found out no one got a death scene but this way was so much more powerful, I thought. I actually let out a for reals gasp-gasp-gasp-sob in this bit, holy cow it hurt. Rupert Grint fucking NAILS anguish.
The Prince's Tale, another bit I have mixed feelings about. I thought Alan Rickman was amazing though. Finally, FINALLY, some emotion. I'd wondered, for years, why he played Snape so stoically. I mean, yeah, that's Snape, but he was far more...let's say lively, for lack of a better word, in the books than he's ever been in the films. And this is why. Because as one of the only people who knew how Snape's journey had gone, he knew he'd have to bring it in the last film to show just how much Snape loved Lily. At times, his tears almost seemed over the top, but I genuinely think it's only because we're so unused to seeing him without his expressionless mask.
I cried all the way through the memory though, oh lordy.
And then I cried through the resurrection stone scene because that is hands down the most emotional part of the books for me and I cry every time I read it. It wasn't perfect (how did Harry know Lupin had a son, gah, film, whywhywhy) but it still slayed me.
That bit of Voldemort in King's Cross was REVOLTING.
Ahaha, awkward Voldemort hugs.
Things I didn't love:
The Hufflepuff cup was too skinny for my liking. How much of a twat does it make me that this is one of my dislikes?
Why couldn't they just show Bellatrix's wand at Gringotts?
The Great Hall scene - like I said, McGoogles was awesome fighting Snape but then she did that flourish and the candles lit and everybody started cheering and the whole thing turned horrifically cheesy.
Painful!Whispering!Voldemort didn't really work for me, I always thought his voice would be magnified.
Ron: Harry talks in his sleep, have you noticed?
Hermione: No, of course not.
I...don't understand what that bit is all about. Are they trying to imply that Ron pays more attention and is therefore smarter than we give him credit for? Is Hermione supposed to be lying (what's with her reply?), and if so, why? I just...don't understand.
The kissssss. No, okay, I liked the setup, I was perfectly happy with the kiss coming from the adrenaline of the moment, but they barely look at each other right before and you couldn't even see the kiss because Grint's head was blocking it and Yates has such a boner for putting in 'real moments' of the actors giggling (ootp - emotional teaspoon scene, hbp - dumbledore's 150 give or take a few years), that when Ron and Hermione smile at each other afterwards, it doesn't feel like them, it feels like Grint and Watson.
The Prince's Tale - it jumped around so much, I felt so sorry for people who aren't book fans.
King's Cross was too CGI-bright. That's such a shitty thing to complain about, but there you go.
Overall actually, this scene didn't really do it for me like it did in the book.
Okay, so awkward Voldemort hug was funny but NO. Voldemort does not hug. Ever.
Neville's speech was cute but too cheesy for my liking.
Harry and Voldemort jumping off the building was as unnecessary as I thought it would be.
I'm still undecided in how I felt about the way Voldemort died. In the books there's a body, right? I think I prefer it that way, although I suppose evaporating this way is more dramatic?
HARRY, Y U NO FIX YOUR WAND BEFORE BREAKING THE ELDER WAND?
19 years later - ultimately didn't work for me. I thought Emma looked great and Dan passed but Bonnie looked like a kid playing dress-up and whaaaat, Ron Weasley got fat? Kids were all super adorable though, so that's a plus.
Final verdict:
I'm glad I'm a fan of the books or I wouldn't have known what the hell was going on. It was an enjoyable film but it's not my favourite, nor would it be in my top three (DH pt. 1, OotP and PoA). I'm seeing it again next week probably, so maybe that'll change.
WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS?
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Paul Rudd. :D
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And pretty much agreeing with everything you said. McGooglypants was my favorite, and the dragon! What really got me, weird enough, was seeing Hogwarts on fire and everything. Because. IT'S ARCHITECTURE.
HARRY NOT FIXING HIS WAND BOTHERED ME SO MUCH KAFLSFK;LAFLF.
The other thing was we didn't get to see Percy come back. I haven't seen HBP or OotP so I don't know if they went through the whole family split thing in the movies, but I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. D:
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Hogwarts on fire was so heartbreaking!
LHNSDHPI RIGHT? I guess in movie canon he kept Draco's wand?
Yeah, they'd cut Percy's story from OotP. But he was actually at Hogwarts in this one, at the battle. Which I guess is a little thrill for book lovers.
Why haven't you seen OotP and HBP though?
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OFFICE PROFESSIONALISMEVIL VILLAINY.If I was still...twelve and a giant Harry/Draco shipper, I'd be going MAD over the wand stuff. HAHAHA.
I'm actually not a big movie person really (like, for all movies, not just HP). I was excited when the first few were released*, but by the time OotP and HBP came out, I wasn't really fussed about seeing them; I'd probably like them if I saw them now. I just finally hauled my ass over to the movies because DH1+2 were the last ones! (This was also my first midnight HP ANYTHING, which was exciting!)
*I still have the first movie on VIDEO CASSETTE. HA! And I used to keep a cutout of Rupert Grint in my diary when I was wee-er.
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Things I liked:
dragon; same as you basically. I felt so sorry for it, the whole time I was like "aaaw the poor thing!" and then when it gets out into the fresh air and just breathes, lovely.
Snapes memories; I wished they'd included all of them and I didn't like the dramatic crying over Lily's dead body bit but compared to how they completely butchered "Snape's Worst Memory" in OotP I thought they did a pretty good job of this. Also with what you said about Alan Rickman's acting- he was so expressive/emotive in the memories and it was such a brilliant contrast.
McGonagall; fuck she is awesome, and how she got all giddy about doing that spell and Mrs Weasley is like "daaamn this witch is wack" haha. However I was majorly disappointed that they didn't have her react to Harry's dead body the way she does in the book :'(
The close ups of Ron in Gringotts when they are trying to get in, he was so intense and I thought this scene was well acted.
HELENA BONNHAM CARTER utter fucking genius as Hermione; she got all the mannerisms and everything really right. Perfect stuff!
Snape getting absolutely anihilated by Nagini without actually showing it; so effective and just had me sobbing.
The shot of Snape at the start looking out over the incoming students, and the music in the background, was tearing up!
Kings Cross; I actually really liked the over white thing they did, thats pretty much how I saw it in my head so I didn't mind it like that. Also disgusting baby Voldemort was awesome.
Things I hated/disliked:
The fact that they completely rushed all explainations in the start "oh hey there totally must be a horcrux in Gringotts, oh and I reckon there must be one at Hogwarts too", RARGH SO INFURIATING! I do not know how people follow these movies if they haven't read the books. When I saw it the second time I went with a friend who hadn't read DH since it came out and she was so confused as to what was going on. I hate that they didn't explain it was Hufflepuffs Cup and the significance of Voldemort picking Hogwarts relics, they breezed right over that and just had Harry "sense" that there was a Horcrux in the vault :/ then they put so much focus on the Grey Lady and the Ravenclaw diadem it was like Voldemort had an epic boner for Ravenclaw.
The reason for rushing all the explanations(imo): lets have a long drawn out battle that takes up 3/4 of the movie because THIS IS THE LAST MOVIE GUYS IT NEEDS TO BE FULL OF DRAMATIC ACTION AND SHIT, so explainations and stuff dont really matter, special effects matter more. Oh and Harry and Voldemorts duel around the school was ridiculous!
Voldemort being able to feel the horcrux's being destroyed. Erm what? No thats the point he is not supposed to know (not to mention Harry dramatically feeling them as well). Also it had me feeling sorry for Voldemort when he was so obviously getting frailer by the second and ITS VOLDEMORT FOR FUCKS SAKE, I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO FEEL SORRY FOR THE MOST EVIL WIZARD ALIVE! But I did, and I was liking him too when he was being all funny with hugging Draco and shit, I got this whole "oh silly uncle Voldemort is at it again" vibe which didn't sit well with me because he's the fucking Dark Lord!
The fact that they even bothered including the little snippet of Ariana, it had no impact because they hadn't built it up with Skeeters story etc in the first part. Furthermore they never fully explained Dumbledore's connection to Grindewald and "the greater good" and all that.
Harry dramatically revealing himself in the school like that, what was the point of him even sneaking in through the tunnel if he was just going to do that, he could have walked through the front doors. But I'm expecting these movies to display logic when they haven't in the past so *shrugs*
cont because I wrote too much...
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Harry's dad having pretty much no presence in the forest scene, and they all had a kind of stand offish vibe. What I wanted from that scene was just a warm and loving vibe and it just wasn't there. Also the inconsistancy that you pointed out about Harry knowing about Teddy. Like you this is a really emotional scene for me in the book but I think it was a little too empty on screen for my liking. It was nice to see Sirius again though.
I was pretty indifferent about the epilogue; I found it ridiculously cheesy in the book so it didn't really offend me when it was as cheesy on screen. Also I found Rons pot belly kind of adorable haha.
Anyway, pretty sure I've filled up enough space on your entry now lol. I just have so many feelings about it, and need to let them out and keep talking about it!
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ok, I'll shut up now.
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I'm sorry you were so disappointed.
I completely agree: I have no idea how you were supposed to competently follow along if you had not read the books. And even if you could...I don't know, watching it, all I could think was how I felt so sorry for people who hadn't read the books because they were missing out on some wonderful details.
Yeah, I'm not quite sure how Voldemort figured out about the horcruxes here. I mean, he felt them, but why then? Did he go into Harry's mind? IDGI.
Oooh yeah, okay, I do remember feeling a bit awkward that Harry barely looked at his Dad. He's such a Mama's boy.
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BUT! I already have feelings about it AND THESE ARE THEM:
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...I have a lot of feelings about that moment. I don't really know why.
Disguised!Ron was somehow a turn-on?
You mean in Gringotts when he had a beard? OH, GOD YES.
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I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY HE LOOKED SO GOOD. THAT IS NOT MY TYPE. BUT RAWWWWR!
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And yet there's something about it that just does it for me.
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Disguised Ron reminded me of Sirius :-S
McGonagall <3 <3 Molly killing Bellatrix <3
I think they couldn't show Bellatrix's wand because Bellatrix must have informed Gringotts that her wand was stolen and that someone might come disguised as her and try to use it.
I really thought one of the main reasons they split the movie was to give The Prince's Tale enough time, but yeah, didn't get why they rushed through that so much.
And I don't remember if they showed it in the movie, I think they did didn't they.. the part where Remus comes to Grimmauld Place and announces that Tonks is pregnant or has had a kid or something. I think that's how Harry knew.
And I honestly loooooooooooved the epilogue. I was scared they'd screw it up, but I don't think they could've done it any better. Anyway, I left the movie theatre with a teary smile on my face :)
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Ooh, good point on Bellatrix, that could be the reason.
But no, to my recollection the first time we hear about his kid is in that scene. In DH pt.1, Tonks starts to announce it and then gets cut off. That's all there is.