Escape to the Movies: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

[Jumplion]

I saw a midnight viewing of the movie, and hell, it was good. It's the end of an epic franchise that has pretty much defined a generation. The whole thing is finally coming to a close, most of the loose ends are tied up, and it all ends. I was young when I saw the first Harry Potter and read the Harry Potter books. To see it all end is pretty much like seeing a part of my childhood fly away. Whether or not you really like the books or movies, nobody can deny Harry Potter's impact on the world.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Not gonna watch it. I never got the appeal of the Harry Potter movies. I mean, there are book adaptions that expand upon the source material but Harry Potter was never one of those. The movies are just like the books, only less. I have read the books so i don't need to watch the movies.

What are those book adaptions you speak off? I'm intrigued by the concept, but never actually witnessed it.

There are some rather famous ones. you know, Star Wars. Jaws. A Clockwork Orange. 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Shining. Did you know these were based on books? No? Well, that's what im talking about. ^^

 

[Casual Shinji]

Sorry bob but the LoTRO trilogy owes no thanks to the harry potter movies in any way shape or form.

Yeah, I didn't really get that either.

Both the LotR movies and the first 3 Harry Potter movies were made practically on the same time schedule. So how exactly did the Harry Potter movies pave the road for LotR?

 

[The Great JT]

Nice review there, Grumbledor.

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

I stopped going to see the Harry Potter movies after the fourth one.
I stopped watching them altogether after I got halfway into the fifth on DVD.
I don't like to be a snob or anything, and I know that the series was unfinished at inception, but they left out huge details that they just can't pull back together in my mind.
Plus, all the "My childhood is ending" bullshit that all my friends are spouting just makes me want to take a bat to everyone's head.

Yes, I am a bit mad.

Why be mad about that? Your friends are obviously being hyperbolic. Their childhoods aren't ending but a major series from ther childhood is. While growing up seeing Harry Potter would remind you of when you were much younger and now that there are no more movies to look foward to it can be understandably sad. I mean say if the Legend of Zelda franchise put out it's last game next year I am sure people would be a bit sad. But I'd be annoyed too if your friends literally meant a movie is ending their childhood. It's just a saying.

It's more the whole bundle. The movies are awful through my eyes and I've never been (nor will I ever be) able to see how people get so excited for them. When I think Harry Potter movies, direct comparisons in my mind are Hulk and Eragon. Sure, the Potter films did a bit better, but they still butchered the original story they were made to tell, which, frankly, is a sin by my standards.

I am a huge fan of the books and I disagree. They are movie adaptions and shouldn't be exactly the same as the source material. Also each movie was well shot and well acted. Do you know how many fantastic and acclaimed British stage actors are in this series? Even of youre not a fan of the movies they are well done and do the series justice in my opinion.

 

[Gxas]

I stopped going to see the Harry Potter movies after the fourth one.
I stopped watching them altogether after I got halfway into the fifth on DVD.
I don't like to be a snob or anything, and I know that the series was unfinished at inception, but they left out huge details that they just can't pull back together in my mind.
Plus, all the "My childhood is ending" bullshit that all my friends are spouting just makes me want to take a bat to everyone's head.

Yes, I am a bit mad.

Why be mad about that? Your friends are obviously being hyperbolic. Their childhoods aren't ending but a major series from ther childhood is. While growing up seeing Harry Potter would remind you of when you were much younger and now that there are no more movies to look foward to it can be understandably sad. I mean say if the Legend of Zelda franchise put out it's last game next year I am sure people would be a bit sad. But I'd be annoyed too if your friends literally meant a movie is ending their childhood. It's just a saying.

It's more the whole bundle. The movies are awful through my eyes and I've never been (nor will I ever be) able to see how people get so excited for them. When I think Harry Potter movies, direct comparisons in my mind are Hulk and Eragon. Sure, the Potter films did a bit better, but they still butchered the original story they were made to tell, which, frankly, is a sin by my standards.

I am a huge fan of the books and I disagree. They are movie adaptions and shouldn't be exactly the same as the source material. Also each movie was well shot and well acted. Do you know how many fantastic and acclaimed British stage actors are in this series? Even of youre not a fan of the movies they are well done and do the series justice in my opinion.

Production-wise, yeah. They are awesome. And I'm not saying that they should be the exact same as the source material (though, I would definitely sit through a seven hour movie if they did that), I'm just saying that you can't leave out huge, important chunks of the story, and then expect to be able to patch it back together when you realize you made a plot hole by cutting a character or a scene.

 

[JuwGirl]

Read the books! If you don't then you miss out on some many things that make the Potterverse amazing. As for the Malfoys, the main reason I think they get a pass is because of all the Harry/Draco pairings.

 

[Sandernista]

I liked seeing emma-watson-cleavage in the undressing scene. I enjoyed it alot.

 

[woogit]

Anytime I see a movie based on a book, I think of it as more of an aid, then something that should be able to stand alone. I went and saw it last night and I have to say it didn't disappoint me. It's like how reading Game of Thrones helps you understand the series.

 

[Calico93]

Harry potter as a movie series hasn't really worked for me... The books can take pages out to cover any and all plot holes and one of the great things about JK Rowling is she actually did that instead of saying "it's magic so shut up". As film series it always seems they're in too big of a hurry and in a couple of movies it shows (order of the phoenix). I will probably see this one if only to justify my harry potter fandom, but if they nix my favorite chapter in lieu of more voldy/harry fight night i will be disappointed.

Im taking it your favourite chapter is the Kings Cross one ? Or Snapes memories one ? The latter is my favourite. I wont forgive the filmmakers if they missed out both or just one.

 

[silent-treatment]

so its finnaly here and i dont care. for the first time i feel old(in only 14)

LOL i just did the math, and I got into Harry Potter in first, or second grade, so I was 6ish, I am now 20...that's 13 or 14 years. Good job kid, you have made me feel old lol.

OT. It kind of seems alike a safe review from moviebob. After his raveish review of the first part, in which he makes the claim that if this movie did its job nods and Oscars would be coming it's way. One would think he would either fawn over it, or bash it for lost potential, but he just kind of floats between summarizing the movie, and commenting on the grand undertaking that the movies were (GOD its weird using past tense). I'm probably just being sensitive.

Spoiler: thoughts on movie

Anywho the movie is excellent for those who have not seen it. The acting is amazing, Alan was just UNFAIR in this movie. Daniel shows that he can in fact hold a movie on his shoulders, and does it quite well. The cinematography is beautiful, not quite as such as the last movie, but the last movie took full advantage of the beautiful country the movies are set in, and this one only has three or four settings in the whole thing.

There are a few things I wish that the did. One of the best parts about the 7th book, in my opinion, is the humanization of Albus Dumbledore. He is taking from his pedestal and brought down to the expectations of normal people, and it is very well written in the books, and VERY so much forgotten in the movie. I get it, forgetting about it is much easier then putting all of that in the movie, but the pure TRAGEDY that is the Dumbledore family makes the book that good coming to age story, and it is missing in the movie.

But really that is a small complaint. The movie is great.

 

[Uszi]

Yeah there didn't seem to be much review. As other people said earlier, this was almost a "Big Picture," look at the franchise as a whole and less about the actual movie.

The things that were said, like details being left out, are known quantities that one should expect before walking into the movies. I think the movies by themselves are very difficult to follow without having read the book or having someone else who read them nearby to explain a few things to you.

 

[standokan]

I'll probably like it, less than the books but that's expected.

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

I certainly felt that way about the ending in the book, it seemed as soon as the battle ended, so did the franchise. Very little wrap-ups, goodbyes, or questions answered. In here it ends in the exact same fashion, but I really like the way they handled the epilogue because

Spoiler

it seems to have been designed to push the nostalgia buttons for those of us who grew up with these films. In fact, if I didn't know better I'd say they brought back Christopher Columbus (The director, not that other one) to direct the final scene. They found a kid who really does look like he could be Daniel Radcliff's son, and they throw in a whole bunch of nostalgic throwbacks to when Harry was first boarding the Hogwarts Express. As icing on the cake, they play some of the music from the first two films, which was used very sparingly after Chamber of Secrets. I felt I was 11 years old again watching that scene.

 

[OutcastBOS]

Heh, two things in that movie got applause from the audience in my theater

Spoiler

Nevil decapitating the snake. Just because Nevil became a total badass throughout the entire movie...

and

Spoiler

Mrs. Weasly's NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU ***** moment and subsequent asskicking.

Well, other than the credits-rolling applause.

 

[road_to_dawn]

I was a huge fan of the books, and barring personal bias, I was mildly disappointed with the movie. It's the best "big movie" in about the last month (well, all it's really had to compete against was Transformers and Green Lantern), but watching it on the big screen made the parts of the books that didn't work all the more obvious. And they missed the chance to show possibly the best special effects shot in the movie, which really disappointed me. (I'd put it here, but I'm not sure how to do spoiler tags)

And don't worry if you don't catch them right away -- they're all fridge logic moments that I noticed a few months after I read the book.

You don't need to go into detail (I can't do spoiler tags either), but would the shot you're talking about have involved fire and a hat? If not, you're free to ignore me, I'm just really curious.

As for Bob's review, I just wanted to say that I can understand him being confused in regards to reveals of Dumbledore and Snape's backstories, but that was the point. You don't learn anything about Dumbledore's family history until Harry starts reading Rita Skeeter's book and then meets Aberforth. (It's just further knocking people off of pedestals - by death or douchebaggery - so Harry can grow into his own.) The movie dropped the ball a bit in regard to Dumbledore's story, but it's not like these were things that could or should have been in any film pre-DH.

And Snape's backstory isn't revealed in it's entirety until you-know-what happens. They were both meant to be reveals; Snape being the biggest, as far as I'm concerned. I think they did Snape's backstory beautifully and that was really the only thing I was worried about.

 

[Geo Da Sponge]

I'm just gonna leave this here. Best part of the HP movies.

*Neville image snip*

Seconded.

Oh, I see Harry's still alive. That's cool, I guess. I mean, I was ready to deal with Voldemort myself, but, you know. Whatever's good for you.

[sub]Wanker.[/sub]

 

[Mischlings]

I was a huge fan of the books, and barring personal bias, I was mildly disappointed with the movie. It's the best "big movie" in about the last month (well, all it's really had to compete against was Transformers and Green Lantern), but watching it on the big screen made the parts of the books that didn't work all the more obvious. And they missed the chance to show possibly the best special effects shot in the movie, which really disappointed me. (I'd put it here, but I'm not sure how to do spoiler tags)

And don't worry if you don't catch them right away -- they're all fridge logic moments that I noticed a few months after I read the book.

You don't need to go into detail (I can't do spoiler tags either), but would the shot you're talking about have involved fire and a hat? If not, you're free to ignore me, I'm just really curious.

Yes, it did. For those who still might not be clear on it, in the book,

Spoiler

When Neville confronts Voldemort, he is held in place with a body-bind curse, has the sorting hat put on his head, and is set on fire. He breaks the curse and cuts the snake's head off while still on fire. Why they didn't do that scene like that is beyond me. It's not like the version in the movie really was any better.

Captcha was "The Holy Grail of Pants". What?

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Well that was great and all Bob, but I was kinda hoping for a review of the actual movie at6 hand rather than a retrospective of the significance of Harry Potter fandom to modern Hollywood with about 30 seconds at the end for you to say 'So yeah part 2 was quite good'.

I suppose you have a point though. You could've ranted on this film with Transformers or Expendables levels of rage and I'd still be planning to go see it, with my fake glasses and painted on scar the embarrassing fanboy I am.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Saw it last night at the midnight opening and wasn't disappointed, was pretty much everything I imagined it would be from reading the books, and I so happy that they kept in Molly's awesome line of:

"Stay away from my daughter you *****!!!"

Seeing Julie Walters and Helena Bonham Carter have the mother of all cat fights on the big screen is a good enough reason to see this movie, Harry Potter fan or not.