Hup hup Harry
I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (ugh what a mouthful) on Friday. It was...eh. I feel a bit of a fraud as this is actually the very first HP movie where I have read the book before seeing the film. Can I just say? Watching the films first is way better. Then you can just enjoy the films for what they are and be entertained, as opposed to this horrible state I'm now in where I feel the need to HATE every change that they made and whine about every little thing that wasn't exactly the way I had pictured it. Ignorance is definitely bliss.
And I feel sorry for the director because he must get that from evvveryone.
But, still. As a HP film, it suffers from not having the stability and charm of Hogwarts to balance it. It's just...not as fun anymore. I didn't really notice this while reading the book but the film really suffers. It also suffers to a certain degree without the host of awesome supporting actors as Harry and co are all on their own. And they don't always manage to pull off all the emo shit they need to get through. Some they manage, other bits they don't. There are a couple of scenes where I could practically HEAR the director saying "Okay, now look at Harry/Ron/Hermione. Then sigh. Then shake your head. Wait two seconds then speak your lines". Other bits were fab though which balances it but not in the way it should be balanced, ie. stable all the way through.
The Weasley twins were hilarious in an otherwise un-hilarious movie so thank god for them. The scene where everyone turns into Harry was great, the ensuing fight was a mess. I couldn't quite get to grips with what was going on and, even though it was insanely fast and furious, it didn't have the pace of the books somehow. Which it easily could and should have done - you can have a mad dash that's still possible to follow.
The scene where Mad-Eye's death is announced was LAUGHABLE. Honestly, wtf was that? Everyone practically shrugged their shoulders rather than, y'know, being all sad and stuff. Bleh.
There's a real chemistry between Harry and Hermione (not as in THEY WANNA SNOG, not everything has to be about that) and the director took advantage of this with quite a cute scene where the two dance (after Ron buggered off). While it wasn't in the book, I actually quite liked this - it was a way of demonstrating the great friendship and closeness between them and their ease together, which I thought was really sweet. There were bits where there could be an insinuation that HARRY LUVS HERMIONE or vice versa but I didn't really see it that way (or I chose not to see it that way)...I just saw it as two very close friends enjoying each other's company. I thought that helped meld the story together and make their journey believable...you wouldn't really do everything they are doing unless you really cared for the people you were with. While Ron wasn't in that scene but it didn't matter - it's about the three of them and I think that's one of the strengths; they seem comfortable with each other and you believe in their friendship. In a way, the HP guys are lucky - plucking three random ten year olds out of the ether and they could have been left with goodness knows what. Being a teen can be tough.
The scene where the three are captured by Snatchers was changed but actually worked better on screen as it involved them being chased and was more dramatic. I would have preferred if they had kept to the original in terms of why they were caught ie. coz Harry said 'Voldermort' because the snatchers lying in wait for them when they could have Disapparated anywhere seemed a bit silly. Also, the scene where the Snatcher senses Hermione was effective and yet stupid. What's the point of these spells and enchantments if it means they can still sense (or smell) you are there.
Ron was good in the whole "I'm jealous of Harry" bit, I thought that was played up and worked well.
The Malfoy Manor bits were quite good. The supporting cast were excellent although, call me weird, but I didn't think the Hermione-torture scene or Harry/Ron's reactions to this were nearly as dramatic as I was expecting. From the books, I seem to recall that it's pretty clear Hermione is going to be tortured for info as soon as the boys are taken to the dungeons but, while this was semi-obvious in the film, it wasn't obvious enough. Instead of Ron banging the walls in terror, he or Harry says something like "Oh what are we going to do? We can't leave Hermione with her". Yes, thanks - I got that. It didn't have the FEAR and PANIC that I can remember from the book scene.
Dobby was awesome. Bill Nighy was a bit eh, his accent had me overly confused. Rhy Ifans was awesome (incidentally, as has been said many times, the tale of the three brothers was stand-out brilliant).
Overall, it was alright. I confess to being a bit disappointed though I'm not entirely sure why.
On the other hand, I also saw The Social Network a couple of weeks ago and that was awesome. Dude who plays Mark Facebook was rillyrilly good.