HP7 Part I

[Phantom]

Okay, I was surprised there wasn't a thread for this already. I figured I'd separate it from the basic Potter thread since the movie coming out was a big event.


What did you think of the movie?


I know it's different from the book, but I prefer the way Hedwig died in the movie better than the book's version. I was upset that polyjuice potion was hardly used. IE the wedding and in Godric's Hollow.

Also was sad that they didn't show Luna Lovegood's room, with all the paintings of "friends". I thought that was a really touching bit in the book, sad it didn't make it to the movie. Also the bit's where they are really nice to Kreacher and give him Regulas' locket.

 

[ultraviolet]

I saw this on saturday and I really enjoyed it; while it's a shame that they took out bits and pieces or changed them (which has to happen - it's a movie, they've done that for the other ones too), overall it was pretty excellent.

I think I enjoyed all the scenes with fred & george the best (I always do), particularly the scene with harry and ginny kissing and george is... there. xDD all the death eater crew are played really well (particularly voldy, bella and lucius) but I still hate whoever plays narcissa.

 

[Zeph]

Oh yeah, it was definitely pretty good by the films' standards. I generally really enjoyed it; in fact pretty much the only thing that really irked me was that

Spoiler

Hermione wasn't nearly angry enough with Ron. I guess that might just be Emma Watson, though.

Speaking of Hermione, the start bit with her parents was, for me, perhaps one of the saddest moments of the films. The other being Dobby's death, of course.

Also, I thought that the animated sequence with the Tale of the Three Brothers was pretty cool. At first I was kind of like "...What?" but then the whole stylistic-ness of it grew on me, and I was almost kind of sad when it ended.

Also also, this isn't exactly relevant, but I will be so angry if "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH" is not included in the second part. And when I say "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH", I mean "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH", and not some vague, half-arsed show of Molly going after Bellatrix without the legendary line...!

 

[Kinova]

Been waiting for this thread to show up since Friday. :B

Also really enjoyed it! I thought it was definitely the closest they've kept to the book throughout the films (probably because they had more time to play with), was well acted (the trio have improved so much; Philosopher's Stone was on television the day after I saw DH and I had a right giggle at their old performances - though Ron's little squeaky voice was entertaining enough by itself) and paced pretty well. I felt it had less of a 'wandering the countryside for ages' section than the book, which was probably for the best - it did get a bit tiresome and though the movie made Ron's walkout seem a bit out of the blue timeline wise, it made up for it by mentioning the effect of the Horcrux a lot more. Oh, and the radio thing was clever.

I really liked the Three Brothers animation thing; I had wondered whether they would have Lovegood briefly explain it or Hermione do some kind of vague summary, but the little storytelling session was engaging and made the Deathly Hallows a lot more significant to the plot in my mind.

@Castform: I did think that about Hermione's reaction for a moment, but her 'Where's my wand?!' line still got a chuckle from our cinema. :P And very much with you on the Molly line.

Cool characters: I liked what they did with Scabior (I always sort of dismissed him as a no-character), particularly with that extra scene with him and Hermione and her perfume. I know he kind of nicked Fenrir's part as 'chief Snatcher man' but ennnngh I don't like Fenrir much anyway. The three actors who played the Polyjuiced trio were really good, I thought, aaand the bits with Ron and his 'wife' were great.

Ahhhh the scene at Bathilda's house. Creepiest thing. Everyone jumped a mile at the snake (I was convinced it was going to drop down from the rafters but noo) but whatever Hermione found in the room downstairs was a whole other realm of creepy and I didn't realise quite how dark the whole scene was until they got out of there and I was all '... cripes'. Also Bathilda herself. Euurgh.

Extra Dobby scenes hurray...! Of course that made his death scene twelve times worse but. Yeah.

I think my favourite thing about this film was that while you were aware of the war situation throughout there were a lot of dry jokey moments and I dunno, even facial expressions (Ron) that allowed you to take a step back from the seriousness of the thing.

@UV: '... morning! |D'

 

[Harlequin]

I really quite enjoyed the film. I loved how Dobby was all I'M AN ELF! and then he was all I'M DOING ELF STUFF! and then he was all friends :3

I prefer film!Deadwig. She died in a much better way. <3

 

[Blaziking the God General]

I saw this yesterday and loved it. I loved Dobby's extra parts in the movie, especially Luna's "Whenever you're ready sir," and Dobby being all "I like her".

I thought the film ended excellently, building up for the final one. Also, I can see why they gave Dobby extra screen time so that would make their death more sad and climactic at the end.

Also liked Hedwig's sacrifice at the beginning. It added more emotion to a death that was already sad.

BUT ONE OF THE SADDEST PARTS WAS HERMIONE WIPING HER PARENT'S MEMORIES. I'm very glad they showed that because it was only mentioned in the book, and it was very well done. Especially later on when she wiped the two death eater's memories, and she was hesitating. I don't know why, but they were great moments.


Also must note that I loved the performances of Draco, Lestrange, and Umbridge, which I feel like mentioning since they weren't leads.

NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH is one of the main reasons I want to see the next movie, so they better put it in.

 

[Zeph]

I prefer film!Deadwig. She died in a much better way. <3

Have to agree - in the book she kind of died pathetically in her cage - in fact it even says "[She] lay motionless and pathetic as a toy"; on the other hand in the film she deliberately sacrifices herself to save Harry and Hagrid which just seems... more right.

Oh, another thing I liked was how Hagrid said that thing about he and Harry arriving at Privet Drive on the bike when he was a baby, and how he felt they should leave together the same way. That was nice.

 

[Arylett Charnoa]

It was great! I loved it very much and in my opinion, definitely the best and most accurate movie. Probably because they had more time to play with... as Cake said. Agreed with what everyone else has said about Hedwig. Thought it was particularly brilliant about how that's how they recognized it was Harry rather than him using Expelliarmus.

My favourite part though was when Harry and Hermione danced together in the tent. It was just such a cute moment, and I think the actors played it out really well. It had enough friendship chemistry, and didn't seem romantic at all, which it could've been taken as. Also agree with Castycal about Hermione's parents. That... got tears out of me. I thought Hermione's actress was brilliant though. I had CHILLS when she was being tortured by Bellatrix. Her screams went straight through my heart and I felt it so much. Bellatrix's actress was also good. I could feel sort of... the insanity in her performance. She was insanely appropriate. I thought everyone was just top-notch brilliant. Although I agree with what my sister said about most of the people in the movie looking like crack addicts. Especially Ron on that locket. XD

Speaking of Ron, the moment where he killed the Horcrux was... it was very powerful. Almost exactly as I imagined it in my head. Harry and Hermione's kiss... god, wow.

A little random line I liked too was Luna's, when they were at the wedding and she was all: "Come on daddy, let's go. Harry doesn't want to talk to us and he's just too polite to say so." I love her. Definitely agree too about all the dry humourous moments, they made the movie better inbetween tenseness.

And I think they ARE going to keep the legendary line. They can't have the movie without Molly saying that, they really can't.

 

[Harlequin]

NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH

if it isn't in the next one I'll actually kill someone, I'm not joking

I really, really loved Deadwig. <3 I went to see the film with the Harry Potter Society so we were all pretty vocal about what we liked and disliked, but pretty much everyone was pleased with the change re: deadwig.

I was really annoyed with the bit with Xenophilius Lovegood though. FRIENDS. FRIENDS. FRIENDS. Damn it I wanted to see it.

OH and I loved the bit where we got to see the beginnings of BAMF Neville.

 

[Zeph]

OH and I loved the bit where we got to see the beginnings of BAMF Neville.

While I agree here, I couldn't help but think "Trying too hard, Neville." when he said that. I mean, seriously? "Hey, loser! He's not here!"? 'Least he'll make up for it later on with the whole talking down to Voldemort thing.

Oh yes, that also! I must make agreeing with Arylett about Luna's line at the wedding. Captured her personality quite brilliantly.

 

[nastypass]

DOBBY IS A FREE ELF

;_____________________________________;

 

[Blastoise Fortooate]

uughgh yesss

I really liked the liberties they took with this one, there's not a single change I spotted that made that part worse than the book counterpart. The animated bit was brilliant. (Death was all 'grr I'm general grievous' and it was great) The only complaint that I have at all is in the line 'I like her' from Dobby really should have been 'Dobby likes her'. BUT THAT'S ALL SO I'm fine.

Also, you guys, don't worry. I'm pretty sure that the ambient power of the fandom makes it intensely impossible to leave that specific line out. (Also the dragon, from what I've seen, will look awesome)

EDIT: One more complaint: There was no brick wall from the motorcycle.

 

[Lord Shyguy]

@Arylett: A few days before the movie opened, our local paper had a little article about Hermione kissing Harry. It was completely random, which made me laugh. How it was worded was hilarious.

I really liked how they did this one. When Bellatrix was torturing Hermione, added the bit where she got "Mudblood" carved into her arm really made the scene better. It gave me chills.

 

[Butterfree]

Am... I the only person who didn't like the change with Hedwig? ;_;

Spoiler

It was so tragic before! It was so heartwrenchingly pointless and unnecessary and just cruel. I mean, I didn't exactly hate it; it just seemed to rob her death of its cold, raw impact in the book. Everybody else dies doing a heroic sacrifice; she died just because she was there, and that set her death apart. Now she's just another character who dies sacrificing herself for Harry.

On the other hand, what I did hate was that

Spoiler

they made Hedwig give the real Harry away, because the fact it was Expelliarmus that did it was one of my very favorite things about the book. Harry being given away by his owl flying in to save him is a standard, expected answer. Harry being given away by his signature spell that we've cheerfully watched him use throughout the series and never given thought to how it identifies him was a 'whoa' moment: the villains were actually being clever, and a little cleverer than the reader at that. Same with how they track down people who say 'Voldemort'; it was something actually ingenious, and these little things did wonders for the smothering atmosphere of real threat looming over the whole book. (I'm guessing the revelation about the Voldemort thing will be in the next movie, since they did take care to have Hermione say "Voldemort" in the diner, but I was a bit sad not to see it in this one.)

I really liked the Three Brothers animated sequence and most of the choices of things to include and cut, though I really would've liked to see the full Kreacher scene from the book; it all hung together pretty well, the Ministry sequence was hilarious, and the dancing scene was so utterly Narmy yet somehow adorable at the same time. Mostly I felt it suffered for the fact it's a film of the first half of a book: it was pretty much just "stuff happens, then more stuff happens, then even more other unrelated stuff happens", with no proper climax where plot threads come together or a real sense of conclusion.

I do wish I'd read the book more recently; I'd completely forgotten about the Luna 'friends' thing until I saw you mention it here. D:

 

[Flora]

My dad and sister went to see the midnight show!

...apparently it melted or something ten minutes before it ended.

 

[Teh Ebil Snorlax]

Got back from it a couple of hours ago. I was blown away. Even the bits that they retweaked were good. Especially impressed with extra Dobby.

Annoyed by some guy right behind us who hadn't seen any of the other movies and then complained that he didn't understand what was going on. Well fucking duh! Jesus Christ, they didn't even refer to some characters by name. I think they mentioned Umbridge's name all of one time! You don't start watching a franchise with the penultimate film. What a moron.

 

[Dannichu]

SPOILERS! SPOILERS EVERYWHERE!

Things I loved:

• Hermione's obilivate scene. That was the most powerful scene in the whole film for me.
• The magical government/fascist government symbolism. The statue was excellent, the leaflets were good, and the scene with the woman who'd been a witch all her life was really excellently done.
• The sense of being on the run. The sense of absolutely nowhere being safe was there from the get-go, with the Dursleys moving out, and the isolation with the trio's hiding places was really good.
• BILL NIGHY FOR MINISTER OF MAGIC.
• The little toy soldiers in the Cupboard Under the Stairs
• The scene with the Muggle Studies teacher. Horrible stuff.
• The scenery. Christ, the locations were beautiful.
• I liked that they all looked a bit like crack addicts. I've been camping for weeks on end, and you don't look pretty by the end of it. It wasn't Lost, where you can plug your straighteners into trees (or whatever they do to look so perfect on a desert island).

Things I found lulzy but can't help but love:

• CAR CHASE SCENES? IN MY HP FILMS???
• The 'WHEN MUGGLES ATTACK' book in Umbridge's desk.
• Harry's decision to get the sword and drown trying.
• Naked snogging Harry and Hermione.

Things that made me unhappy:

• A personal thing, but some of the camera work irritated me. Spinning cameras do my head in, and rather than build the tension in the 'smelling Hermione's perfume scene' (at which we all said, at the same time "She's camping in the middle of nowhere why is she wearing perfume?", it made me get irritated. There were a few other examples, but I can't think of them.
• People will hate me for this. I'm not a huge fan of the Trio. Especially in the films, where they have so many utterly amazing veteran actors playing characters I adore, I sort of wish we didn't have to spend quite so much time watching these not-as-capable teenage actors play very whiny and occasionally unlikable kids - I want to see the grown-ups being cool and awesome as the supporting cast that really make the series. And, despite the things I said I loved above... I didn't dig watching three angst-ridden kids sitting in a tent for half the film.

But, honestly, I *did* enjoy it. And can't wait for part two.

 

[Zeph]

I just remembered another! Did anybody else love "Dobby does not wish to kill! Dobby only wishes to maim...! Or... seriously injure...!"?

 

[Teh Ebil Snorlax]

SOMETHING THAT ANNOYED ME

Instead of his last attempt to defend Dumbledore and keep the Elder Wand out of Voldemort's hands, Grindelwald fesses up to Voldemort while cackling so evilly he should have been given a handlebar moustache to tweak.

 

[nastypass]

SOMETHING THAT ANNOYED ME

Instead of his last attempt to defend Dumbledore and keep the Elder Wand out of Voldemort's hands, Grindelwald fesses up to Voldemort while cackling so evilly he should have been given a handlebar moustache to tweak.

I'll be perfectly honest here, I would pay extra to see a version with a mustachio'd Grindelwald.