So, about that movie. Yeah, you know the one I mean.
Thanks to Transformers, the new Harry Potter doesn't release in IMAX for another week and a half, so Sarah and I opted to go ahead and see it while we can, since both of knew there was no way we were waiting that long to see the thing.
Overall, it was good. Good, but not great. I was somewhat disappointed at first, but after some discussion and thought, I'd give it a rating somewhere between 6-7/10.
I knew I wouldn't love it, mostly because HBP is my favorite book. There is so much that happens, and through it all we get so much character development from everyone. The Harry that left the Ministry at the end of OotP is not the same Harry that walks away from Dumbledore's funeral, and the same could be said for all - and I do mean pretty much all - of the characters. And so much of that was left out of the movie. Understandably, because really, how many people want three chapters worth of Harry angsting over Ginny. However, I still feel like they could have done more.
What I did NOT like:
The Death Eaters. Just waltzing out of Hogwarts. Hello? Anyone? Giant badass battle sequence? Yeah, that happened there. WHY IS THIS NOT IN THE MOVIE.
Harry/Ginny. I 150% support this relationship, but I didn't feel like they did Ginny's character justice. Except for the whole running like a madwoman after Harry (who was running like a madman after Death Eaters) in the scene-that-should-not-have-been-added, the whole secretive kiss thing in the Room of Requirement is SO not Ginny, who is, basically, the slightly more sane female version of the Twins. It happened in front of the entirety of Gryffindor, and THAT is why she is Ginny. Also, Spiderman ending anyone? She should have been there with them in the tower scene at the end. Pretty much just MOAR GINNY.
Ron. To quote the fabulous cleolinda, who shares my opinions: "Ron's all in the background like, "Remember that last movie, when I actually got to say things? Good times" Rupert Grint proved to me in GOF that he is, without question, a better actor than Emma Watson. MOAR RON. The scenes he was in were hilarious, especially (omg so especially) the love potion. Hermione's best scene was with Harry after Ron & Lav's first kiss, that was VERY well acted, but otherwise, I'm sorry, but she's passable at best. She does a good standard Hermione, but when it comes to the more emotional scenes she's weak. Ron is better.
I think I pretty much just love any character who is part of the immediate Weasley family. MOAR WEASLEYS.
What I DID Like:
Little Riddles: REALLY fantastic. Especially Littlest Riddle.
Ron. Did I mention I loved the love potion thing?
Draco Malfoy Of ALL the actors involved, I think Tom Felton has shown the greatest improvement in ability as of this movie. Daniel Radliffe we always knew was good, and Rupert Grint was decent from the start as well, but Malfoy has gone from a snippy little git to a really developed character over the last couple of movies. There wasn't nearly enough of him in OotP, but this more than makes up for it. I am SO GLAD they left in the Sectumsempra sequence, because Tom Felton's acting was PHENOMENAL in that, going from just despair to rage in the split second, and the scene at the tower, how close to breaking he was - oh he did just so good. And this is one of the reasons why I love HBP, because Draco suddenly becomes a character with emotions and not just some evil jerkface.
Luna. Dear lord I love Luna. The Lion Hat (which did NOT ROAR WHYYYY!), the spectrespecs, the dress...oh man. They needed more of her AT the party though. Talking to Rita Skeeter about vampires.
Lucky Potion. Whoever decided that Harry Potter taking Felix Felices was equivalent to Harry Potter on CRACK is GENIUS. FUNNIEST. EVER. That was another sequence that was pretty spot on, with Slughorn and Hagrid and oh god they sang "Odo the Hero" and I nearly fell of my chair. The goldfish story was...strange and unnecessary, but it set up a nice segue for getting back to Lily Potter.
Slughorn. Was a chair. I love Jim Broadbent.
Dumbledore's Death. Being that this was, really, the biggest scene in the movie, it was well done. And the aftermath, the lighting the wands thing. I cried. I did. But again, where was the battle?
I could go on, I'm sure, but really, I think everyone else pretty much agrees with me. It was poorly paced. Yes, there really isn't much "action" that happens until the later parts of the book, and I know that's why they showed the bridge and made up the attack on the Burrow, but there doesn't have to be "action" if you really make the story interesting, and they didn't. And then when there WAS good action, they left it out. As far as the movies go, Order of the Phoenix is still my favorite, if nothing else than for the sheer awesome that is Imelda Staunton as Umbridge, but because it managed to remain true to the story while still being able to juggle the various character stories and make it all interesting, even if we didn't get as much from it as we wanted.
On a related note, the soundtrack is pretty good. I kind of don't want them to bring John Williams back for the last movies...I like what Nick Hooper has done with the last two... but we'll see.
Overall, it was good. Good, but not great. I was somewhat disappointed at first, but after some discussion and thought, I'd give it a rating somewhere between 6-7/10.
I knew I wouldn't love it, mostly because HBP is my favorite book. There is so much that happens, and through it all we get so much character development from everyone. The Harry that left the Ministry at the end of OotP is not the same Harry that walks away from Dumbledore's funeral, and the same could be said for all - and I do mean pretty much all - of the characters. And so much of that was left out of the movie. Understandably, because really, how many people want three chapters worth of Harry angsting over Ginny. However, I still feel like they could have done more.
What I did NOT like:
The Death Eaters. Just waltzing out of Hogwarts. Hello? Anyone? Giant badass battle sequence? Yeah, that happened there. WHY IS THIS NOT IN THE MOVIE.
Harry/Ginny. I 150% support this relationship, but I didn't feel like they did Ginny's character justice. Except for the whole running like a madwoman after Harry (who was running like a madman after Death Eaters) in the scene-that-should-not-have-been-added, the whole secretive kiss thing in the Room of Requirement is SO not Ginny, who is, basically, the slightly more sane female version of the Twins. It happened in front of the entirety of Gryffindor, and THAT is why she is Ginny. Also, Spiderman ending anyone? She should have been there with them in the tower scene at the end. Pretty much just MOAR GINNY.
Ron. To quote the fabulous cleolinda, who shares my opinions: "Ron's all in the background like, "Remember that last movie, when I actually got to say things? Good times" Rupert Grint proved to me in GOF that he is, without question, a better actor than Emma Watson. MOAR RON. The scenes he was in were hilarious, especially (omg so especially) the love potion. Hermione's best scene was with Harry after Ron & Lav's first kiss, that was VERY well acted, but otherwise, I'm sorry, but she's passable at best. She does a good standard Hermione, but when it comes to the more emotional scenes she's weak. Ron is better.
I think I pretty much just love any character who is part of the immediate Weasley family. MOAR WEASLEYS.
What I DID Like:
Little Riddles: REALLY fantastic. Especially Littlest Riddle.
Ron. Did I mention I loved the love potion thing?
Draco Malfoy Of ALL the actors involved, I think Tom Felton has shown the greatest improvement in ability as of this movie. Daniel Radliffe we always knew was good, and Rupert Grint was decent from the start as well, but Malfoy has gone from a snippy little git to a really developed character over the last couple of movies. There wasn't nearly enough of him in OotP, but this more than makes up for it. I am SO GLAD they left in the Sectumsempra sequence, because Tom Felton's acting was PHENOMENAL in that, going from just despair to rage in the split second, and the scene at the tower, how close to breaking he was - oh he did just so good. And this is one of the reasons why I love HBP, because Draco suddenly becomes a character with emotions and not just some evil jerkface.
Luna. Dear lord I love Luna. The Lion Hat (which did NOT ROAR WHYYYY!), the spectrespecs, the dress...oh man. They needed more of her AT the party though. Talking to Rita Skeeter about vampires.
Lucky Potion. Whoever decided that Harry Potter taking Felix Felices was equivalent to Harry Potter on CRACK is GENIUS. FUNNIEST. EVER. That was another sequence that was pretty spot on, with Slughorn and Hagrid and oh god they sang "Odo the Hero" and I nearly fell of my chair. The goldfish story was...strange and unnecessary, but it set up a nice segue for getting back to Lily Potter.
Slughorn. Was a chair. I love Jim Broadbent.
Dumbledore's Death. Being that this was, really, the biggest scene in the movie, it was well done. And the aftermath, the lighting the wands thing. I cried. I did. But again, where was the battle?
I could go on, I'm sure, but really, I think everyone else pretty much agrees with me. It was poorly paced. Yes, there really isn't much "action" that happens until the later parts of the book, and I know that's why they showed the bridge and made up the attack on the Burrow, but there doesn't have to be "action" if you really make the story interesting, and they didn't. And then when there WAS good action, they left it out. As far as the movies go, Order of the Phoenix is still my favorite, if nothing else than for the sheer awesome that is Imelda Staunton as Umbridge, but because it managed to remain true to the story while still being able to juggle the various character stories and make it all interesting, even if we didn't get as much from it as we wanted.
On a related note, the soundtrack is pretty good. I kind of don't want them to bring John Williams back for the last movies...I like what Nick Hooper has done with the last two... but we'll see.