deathly hallows are deathly
Saw DH pt 2, cried all over myself, have thoughts.
+ So this movie didn't really even touch the first half, right? I'm just going to establish that premise right off for the purposes of this post. I'll make that my baseline as it were. That said I can't WAIT to watch them back to back when they come out on bluray.
Part 2 was 89% action so there wasn't as much room for heart or characterization to the same extent as the last film. Which isn't to say I didn't still have serious feelings about Harry and Snape and the trio and that beautiful brave boy going down to the woods to die. But yeah. I mean was it just me or did barely anyone even SAY anything? There was hardly any dialogue at all. I don't miss the rambling between Harry and Voldemort in the end, but everything else could've used fleshing out. But then again, I still feel like people who didn't read the books must have lost the plot about four movies ago, and justifiably so. So there probably wasn't much to be done.
Anyway.
Kids
+ Hermione remains the brightest bravest queen of my heart. I said in my part one review that I hate how much of the house elf stuff was cut from the films and from DH especially because it's such a key thing for Hermione and her relationships with the boys, and while this film didn't improve on that, I did at least like her reaction to the dragon's captivity and how that tied into her bold-as-fuck decision to free said dragon as their way out. Bad. Ass. I also approved of the additional scenes, like her going after Nagini with Ron, and of course the CoS scene where we actually get to SEE her destroy the horcrux--in the book I disliked that she was the only one who did so off camera. I DIDN'T like that they had Ron urge her to destroy the thing after she was all "I can't". That struck me as weird and sort of a pasted-on shippy moment that wasn't necessary? I doubt she'd have hesitated to destroy it tbh, particularly not given how balls to the wall she'd been the whole time, and Ron didn't need to do that for her to want to kiss him. It was a rare moment of Kloves undermining Hermione when he...actually rarely does that, usually, even as he sometimes undermines other characters.
+ Like Ron tbh. I've never felt that he was undermined in the films until this one. I think he had three lines? Though I appreciated that they showed his basilisk fang strategizing and doing the parseltongue thing on camera (which I found ridic in the book but at least there was that cute 'Harry talks in his sleep' moment). There was a lot of "you're brilliant Ron!" from Hermione which was sweet but kind of stood in the place of giving him real character moments? I also wished there'd been more Ron/Harry which, again, the first movie was really good for. In this one that side of the Trio fell short. I wanted another hug! But whatever, I love Ron, and taken as the second half of a really long film I can forgive it.
+ Harry. My sweet boy. My heart's one true savior narrative, when all others have failed to impress me. <3 I don't have enough words. Dan you perfect thing, ugh. I liked the scenes with Griphook and Ollivander, his cool yet still urgent negotiations. How Ron and Hermione stood apart but he still included them, 'we' need this, 'we'll' do that. His compassion for Draco and Snape and Narcissa, all things I loved in the books. How he gets through to Helena's ghost. It's his kindness and compassion that get me every time, that set him apart from other literary/movie/comic heroes whose pain gives them license to be asshats. And Harry CAN be an asshat but someone's always there to call him on it--that came through in this film too, with Luna. Also, Dan's utter stillness in the scene after The Prince's Tale. The resurrection stone. King's Cross. You wonderful boy. You brave brave man. I can't.
Other stuff I liked
+ Rickman! It was sort of jarring to see Snape all broken, and it wasn't the scene with him cradling Lily that got to me (way to make that even more of a fridging than it was), but the scenes with Dumbledore. "you said you'd keep her safe", etc. All really well played. I think Snape is a pretty loathesome dude overall, because nothing of what he went through justifies his abuse of children, but his narrative still got to me and I still find him really compelling. I think, for me, because Harry feels for him so much, and it doesn't matter whether or not that's misplaced, because it makes sense for Harry to feel that way.
+ The Prince's Tale. Really cool, visually, how it was all cut with Snape's horrible treatment of Harry in previous movies. Young!Lily was the one MWPP casting that looked appropriate out of all the films. I also liked how they made no bones about Dumbledore's ruthlessness about knowing Harry had to die all along. Even though I was sad that so much of his backstory was lost.
+ Aberforth and his bitterness were really well done.
+ Neville was awesome. He got his shining moment and then some. I don't know how to feel about Neville/Luna; never really shipped it and it came off a bit fanservicey. But whatever, it was cute, I'm not mad.
+ Helena Ravenclaw. I actually forgot that Kelly MacDonald was in this movie until someone reminded me yesterday! I LOVE KELLY MACDONALD--and she was really really good as the Grey Lady. Perfect casting because KM has a way of taking a small role and infusing it with such quiet presence and characterization. She really stuck out, much the way she did in No Country For Old Men. Probably one of my favorite scenes.
+ Helena Bonham Carter as Hermione as Bella. Really adorable. XD
+ Ooh Dean Thomas ooh, and also my shirt opened? I know everyone's all about Matthew Lewis right now, but for me the kid who grew up the best was Alfie Enoch. I mean granted, he was always adorable as a kid. But HELLO THERE. Also I appreciated cute Dean/Seamus-ness at the very end. And Pyro!Seamus. And just cute-ass Gryffindors all over the place. Still mad about ALL of Dean's moments being taken out of DH, but I ranted about that for the last movie.
+ Maggie Smith! Ahhhhh McGonagall was amazing. "I've always wanted to use that spell!"
+ Also really enjoyed the Malfoys' stuff, as I did in the book.
+ Ron/Hermione was sweet. I still feel like it was missing some the things that finally sold it for me in the last book, namely, the moments where they finally understood each other, where Ron finally understood Hermione and what she needed. I wanted that moment where it wasn't Ron's bravery or encouragement or whatever, but his GETTING her that made her drop everything and kiss him in the book. So that was missing for me, but it was a sweet moment, I've always enjoyed the more subtle R/Hr in the movies. And I liked that Kloves didn't make Harry watch. Steady trolling. ;)
+ The acromantulas were as low-key as possible.
stuff I didn't like/stuff that was weird
+ The Molly stuff felt kind of tacked on; did the 'not my daughter' part happen a different way in the books? I can't remember. It kind of lost its impact because in the scene, uh, well it didn't really appear that Bella was attacking Ginny at the time? I dunno. Could've done without it. Actually the Weasleys have got short shrift in the films all along. I know that after cutting him out of OotP, Percy's stuff couldn't have made it into DH and made any sense, but it still sucks.
+ I would be mad about the randomness of Tonks and Remus turning up dead, but that's how it went down in the books too, so. LOL. At least the handholding was sweet. Mixed feelings about Fred's death not being shown though.
+ Sending the Slytherins, ALL the slytherins, to the dungeons? Way to make a bad book moment even worse.
+ To my recollection Lavender Brown was NOT KILLED IN THE BOOK. Kind of upset about that one actually.
+ Most of Luna's stuff was cut. Upsetting. I wanted Harry and Luna under the invisibility cloak!
+ Harry/Ginny. I have talked at length about the disservice that Kloves does to Ginny, how he removes her agency from that relationship. I never much liked the ship but I like Ginny and the movie could easily done something fun with it, could've made it shine, if Kloves and Yates had cared to. As it is....yeah. And Dan and Bonnie just don't raise much hell together, chemistry-wise, so.
+ Does anyone remember what happened to Blaise? I was worried that, since they had him in Crabbe's place in the RoR scene, that he would die in Crabbe's stead, and now that I think about it only Harry and Ron had riders on their brooms, so did he make it out?
+ No Angelina and George in the epilogue. No Angelina at all. :( Well, at least they brought Cho in.
+ Speaking of the epilogue, that still felt pastede on. I will say, Dan was aged-up far better than the others. Really, really nice actually. phwoar.
and finally--
FEELINGS ATTACK
Hermione and Harry, y'all. The last movie was their movie, of course, but.
I'll go with you.
i can't
there's nothing
The one person. The one person who has never left his side. Just. When he turns back and explains to them why he's going, and he doesn't even have to explain.
There's a reason I can hear them. The horcruxes.
I think I've known for a while.
I think you do, too.
and then, just. Her face. Because she does know. It's all over her face, and then she steps forward and--
I'll go with you--
To the forest.
To die.
OISHLDKSHKLSJ EVERY TIME I THINK I'M OVER IT. EVERY TIME.
I hate this ship and how it will never let me go.
And that's all I have to say about that.
+ So this movie didn't really even touch the first half, right? I'm just going to establish that premise right off for the purposes of this post. I'll make that my baseline as it were. That said I can't WAIT to watch them back to back when they come out on bluray.
Part 2 was 89% action so there wasn't as much room for heart or characterization to the same extent as the last film. Which isn't to say I didn't still have serious feelings about Harry and Snape and the trio and that beautiful brave boy going down to the woods to die. But yeah. I mean was it just me or did barely anyone even SAY anything? There was hardly any dialogue at all. I don't miss the rambling between Harry and Voldemort in the end, but everything else could've used fleshing out. But then again, I still feel like people who didn't read the books must have lost the plot about four movies ago, and justifiably so. So there probably wasn't much to be done.
Anyway.
Kids
+ Hermione remains the brightest bravest queen of my heart. I said in my part one review that I hate how much of the house elf stuff was cut from the films and from DH especially because it's such a key thing for Hermione and her relationships with the boys, and while this film didn't improve on that, I did at least like her reaction to the dragon's captivity and how that tied into her bold-as-fuck decision to free said dragon as their way out. Bad. Ass. I also approved of the additional scenes, like her going after Nagini with Ron, and of course the CoS scene where we actually get to SEE her destroy the horcrux--in the book I disliked that she was the only one who did so off camera. I DIDN'T like that they had Ron urge her to destroy the thing after she was all "I can't". That struck me as weird and sort of a pasted-on shippy moment that wasn't necessary? I doubt she'd have hesitated to destroy it tbh, particularly not given how balls to the wall she'd been the whole time, and Ron didn't need to do that for her to want to kiss him. It was a rare moment of Kloves undermining Hermione when he...actually rarely does that, usually, even as he sometimes undermines other characters.
+ Like Ron tbh. I've never felt that he was undermined in the films until this one. I think he had three lines? Though I appreciated that they showed his basilisk fang strategizing and doing the parseltongue thing on camera (which I found ridic in the book but at least there was that cute 'Harry talks in his sleep' moment). There was a lot of "you're brilliant Ron!" from Hermione which was sweet but kind of stood in the place of giving him real character moments? I also wished there'd been more Ron/Harry which, again, the first movie was really good for. In this one that side of the Trio fell short. I wanted another hug! But whatever, I love Ron, and taken as the second half of a really long film I can forgive it.
+ Harry. My sweet boy. My heart's one true savior narrative, when all others have failed to impress me. <3 I don't have enough words. Dan you perfect thing, ugh. I liked the scenes with Griphook and Ollivander, his cool yet still urgent negotiations. How Ron and Hermione stood apart but he still included them, 'we' need this, 'we'll' do that. His compassion for Draco and Snape and Narcissa, all things I loved in the books. How he gets through to Helena's ghost. It's his kindness and compassion that get me every time, that set him apart from other literary/movie/comic heroes whose pain gives them license to be asshats. And Harry CAN be an asshat but someone's always there to call him on it--that came through in this film too, with Luna. Also, Dan's utter stillness in the scene after The Prince's Tale. The resurrection stone. King's Cross. You wonderful boy. You brave brave man. I can't.
Other stuff I liked
+ Rickman! It was sort of jarring to see Snape all broken, and it wasn't the scene with him cradling Lily that got to me (way to make that even more of a fridging than it was), but the scenes with Dumbledore. "you said you'd keep her safe", etc. All really well played. I think Snape is a pretty loathesome dude overall, because nothing of what he went through justifies his abuse of children, but his narrative still got to me and I still find him really compelling. I think, for me, because Harry feels for him so much, and it doesn't matter whether or not that's misplaced, because it makes sense for Harry to feel that way.
+ The Prince's Tale. Really cool, visually, how it was all cut with Snape's horrible treatment of Harry in previous movies. Young!Lily was the one MWPP casting that looked appropriate out of all the films. I also liked how they made no bones about Dumbledore's ruthlessness about knowing Harry had to die all along. Even though I was sad that so much of his backstory was lost.
+ Aberforth and his bitterness were really well done.
+ Neville was awesome. He got his shining moment and then some. I don't know how to feel about Neville/Luna; never really shipped it and it came off a bit fanservicey. But whatever, it was cute, I'm not mad.
+ Helena Ravenclaw. I actually forgot that Kelly MacDonald was in this movie until someone reminded me yesterday! I LOVE KELLY MACDONALD--and she was really really good as the Grey Lady. Perfect casting because KM has a way of taking a small role and infusing it with such quiet presence and characterization. She really stuck out, much the way she did in No Country For Old Men. Probably one of my favorite scenes.
+ Helena Bonham Carter as Hermione as Bella. Really adorable. XD
+ Ooh Dean Thomas ooh, and also my shirt opened? I know everyone's all about Matthew Lewis right now, but for me the kid who grew up the best was Alfie Enoch. I mean granted, he was always adorable as a kid. But HELLO THERE. Also I appreciated cute Dean/Seamus-ness at the very end. And Pyro!Seamus. And just cute-ass Gryffindors all over the place. Still mad about ALL of Dean's moments being taken out of DH, but I ranted about that for the last movie.
+ Maggie Smith! Ahhhhh McGonagall was amazing. "I've always wanted to use that spell!"
+ Also really enjoyed the Malfoys' stuff, as I did in the book.
+ Ron/Hermione was sweet. I still feel like it was missing some the things that finally sold it for me in the last book, namely, the moments where they finally understood each other, where Ron finally understood Hermione and what she needed. I wanted that moment where it wasn't Ron's bravery or encouragement or whatever, but his GETTING her that made her drop everything and kiss him in the book. So that was missing for me, but it was a sweet moment, I've always enjoyed the more subtle R/Hr in the movies. And I liked that Kloves didn't make Harry watch. Steady trolling. ;)
+ The acromantulas were as low-key as possible.
stuff I didn't like/stuff that was weird
+ The Molly stuff felt kind of tacked on; did the 'not my daughter' part happen a different way in the books? I can't remember. It kind of lost its impact because in the scene, uh, well it didn't really appear that Bella was attacking Ginny at the time? I dunno. Could've done without it. Actually the Weasleys have got short shrift in the films all along. I know that after cutting him out of OotP, Percy's stuff couldn't have made it into DH and made any sense, but it still sucks.
+ I would be mad about the randomness of Tonks and Remus turning up dead, but that's how it went down in the books too, so. LOL. At least the handholding was sweet. Mixed feelings about Fred's death not being shown though.
+ Sending the Slytherins, ALL the slytherins, to the dungeons? Way to make a bad book moment even worse.
+ To my recollection Lavender Brown was NOT KILLED IN THE BOOK. Kind of upset about that one actually.
+ Most of Luna's stuff was cut. Upsetting. I wanted Harry and Luna under the invisibility cloak!
+ Harry/Ginny. I have talked at length about the disservice that Kloves does to Ginny, how he removes her agency from that relationship. I never much liked the ship but I like Ginny and the movie could easily done something fun with it, could've made it shine, if Kloves and Yates had cared to. As it is....yeah. And Dan and Bonnie just don't raise much hell together, chemistry-wise, so.
+ Does anyone remember what happened to Blaise? I was worried that, since they had him in Crabbe's place in the RoR scene, that he would die in Crabbe's stead, and now that I think about it only Harry and Ron had riders on their brooms, so did he make it out?
+ No Angelina and George in the epilogue. No Angelina at all. :( Well, at least they brought Cho in.
+ Speaking of the epilogue, that still felt pastede on. I will say, Dan was aged-up far better than the others. Really, really nice actually. phwoar.
and finally--
FEELINGS ATTACK
Hermione and Harry, y'all. The last movie was their movie, of course, but.
I'll go with you.
i can't
there's nothing
The one person. The one person who has never left his side. Just. When he turns back and explains to them why he's going, and he doesn't even have to explain.
There's a reason I can hear them. The horcruxes.
I think I've known for a while.
I think you do, too.
and then, just. Her face. Because she does know. It's all over her face, and then she steps forward and--
I'll go with you--
To the forest.
To die.
OISHLDKSHKLSJ EVERY TIME I THINK I'M OVER IT. EVERY TIME.
I hate this ship and how it will never let me go.
And that's all I have to say about that.