HBP - Spoilers edition
Yeah, well, you know the drill. Spoilers abound under the cut.
Well. Well. Well. *sigh*
I honestly don't know what to think about the movie. My friends and their daughter loved it, the audience loved it (if the applauses at the end mean anything), and Mr Red, newly turned Harry/Ginny shipper, was ecstatic. I can't say i loved it as well as I can't say I hated it. I'm on two minds, and it saddens me. HBP was one of my favorite books - right after OotP - and I so wanted to love that movie.
I felt I was looking at a mix-and-match version of the book. The whole purpose of the book, in my mind, holds in Dumbledore's lines. "I'm not worried, Harry, I'm with you", and I'm so disappointed that the maturing, the growing-up aspect of it was completely evacuated from the movie, if you exclude the Hormonal Revolution. The movie lacked unity, imo: I've read somewhere that they wanted to keep the big fight scene for the last movie of the series. This choice makes year 6 look like , yep, mucho danger, trust us - while there is true horror in the books. I think that the script lacked depth, and in consequence, the acting often felt superficial.
Things I liked
Things that had me scratching my head
You know - I loved tidbits and all, and will probably see the movie again - Mr Red has decided so. I just can't put an appreciation on the whole thing. My favorite part of the movie was probably when my friend's daughter turned to me as someone inquired aloud behind us who is R.A.B. and her husband suggested it was Dumbledore.
'They should read the books,' she claimed to me with the assurance of one who knows.
She's a dear girl. And she loved my earrings.
Well. Well. Well. *sigh*
I honestly don't know what to think about the movie. My friends and their daughter loved it, the audience loved it (if the applauses at the end mean anything), and Mr Red, newly turned Harry/Ginny shipper, was ecstatic. I can't say i loved it as well as I can't say I hated it. I'm on two minds, and it saddens me. HBP was one of my favorite books - right after OotP - and I so wanted to love that movie.
I felt I was looking at a mix-and-match version of the book. The whole purpose of the book, in my mind, holds in Dumbledore's lines. "I'm not worried, Harry, I'm with you", and I'm so disappointed that the maturing, the growing-up aspect of it was completely evacuated from the movie, if you exclude the Hormonal Revolution. The movie lacked unity, imo: I've read somewhere that they wanted to keep the big fight scene for the last movie of the series. This choice makes year 6 look like , yep, mucho danger, trust us - while there is true horror in the books. I think that the script lacked depth, and in consequence, the acting often felt superficial.
Things I liked
- The look of it. I enjoyed the ambiance, the colors, the fact that Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was so full of bling against the greyness of Diagon Alley.
- I never thought I'd say this, but Daniel Radcliffe really dominates the movie, acting-wise. He's one of the few actors I can feel in that movie. He brought an appealing cockiness to Harry, and I'm grateful for that. Movie!Harry's gaining a personality, folks.
- Luna. Evanna Lynch is so perfect I want to cry. Her aluminum dress was the cherry on top. And oh, the Gryffindor hat. Very funny.
- Draco Malfoy. Tom Felton made me feel empathy for Draco. Movie!Draco has stopped being a villain's caricature, and this pleases me.
- I know most of people hate Michael Gambon, but I don't. I do prefer him to Richard Harris. He brings an energy to the character that I love. I like him because he actually plays Dumbledore with emotion - Dumbledore becomes a passionate wizard with him, and this feel very true to character to me. I can see the rebel, arrogant young wizard not far behind, and I like this tremendously.
- The creepy Tom Riddle flashbacks. CREEPY. Great casting. These two Riddle are so smooth, so perfect, and yet, their eyes are dead. Just really nicely done. And I like the sound effect in the first one, when his 's' are slightly echoed.
- There was a lovely trio moment at the beginning that really, really made me feel for them all, and I hoped for the best. Alas.
- Hermione's hair after the Potions' class. Finally, they got it right!
- Jim Boadbent's Slughorn. Now this is interpretation. I love the actor so much, and he was great.
- Really nice tension between Harry and Ginny.
- The Felix Felicis sequence. Some very funny acting on this one. HIGHly HIGHlarious.
- Lavender drawing a heart on the window. Oh gosh. Teenage love at its most uncomfortable - and amusing.
- A couple of Ron and Hermione moments. The Three Broomsticks was a pretty good sequence.
- Ron and Harry discussing Ginny. What a great moment. Both boys were so funny. I loved that so much isn't said. Most Harry and Ron scenes are wonderful. Hermione's great skin.
- Ron sitting between Ginny and Harry at The Burrow. Oh dear.
- One really good McGonagall moment.
- The moment where Harry forces Dumbledore to drink the potion. This freaked me out in the book, and freaked me out equally in the movie.
- Molly's face when the Burrow burns down. The proof that great acting is subtle and wonderfully effective. The whole movie theater sniffed in unison.
- I liked the Oppugno moment. I don't like how it's all in the open, though.
- The salute to Dumbledore.
Things that had me scratching my head
- Why, why do they have to burn The Burrow? I don't understand at all what they were trying to achieve with this attack. There is no link with subsequent events. It's just a random event.
- Why can't feel more for this Hermione? This Ron?
- The incredible lack of drama or suspense.
- The crazy LOTR parallels in the cavern.
- Harry trusting Snape?
- Harry not doing anything to help Dumbledore - this makes no sense at all to me.
- The feeling that Dumbledore's death was anticlimatic, as well as Harry's confrontation with Snape.
- Why pull Ron from the last conversation? Is it to build on his subsequent Horcrux-fuelled jealousy?
- Bonnie Wright. Just breathe, dear. You are so lovely. Just breathe.
You know - I loved tidbits and all, and will probably see the movie again - Mr Red has decided so. I just can't put an appreciation on the whole thing. My favorite part of the movie was probably when my friend's daughter turned to me as someone inquired aloud behind us who is R.A.B. and her husband suggested it was Dumbledore.
'They should read the books,' she claimed to me with the assurance of one who knows.
She's a dear girl. And she loved my earrings.