Thread: All Things: Harry Potter

Originally Posted by nayagamj

I'm not a huge Harry Potter fan (I didn't read the books) but I've enjoyed some of the movies. I hated the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Is this one worth seeing with that in mind?

Everyone seems to like the movie. It's different for me since I've read each book about 20 times each, so I always compare the movies to the books. But like I said, it's gotten good reviews from everyone, including people who didn't read the books, so I say go for it.


Now for my annoyances.




There's spoilers here. Obviously.








I didn't mind that the final battle with Voldemort took place outside and not in the Great Hall. That's fine. But I hated that there was NO ONE there to witness it. I love the part in the book where he kills Voldemort and there's just silence for a split second before the entire place erupts into raucous cheers and everyone is hugging Harry. Love it.

Fred's death should have been given more screen time. I thought they covered Lupin and Tonks' deaths exactly like in the book, but Fred dying is such a HUGE part in battle. I just feel like it did a disservice to his character.

Percy should have been in it. They had him in the background at the very end, but I don't know why they even bothered having him in the film if they didn't even introduce the fact that he came back to fight with his family. Maybe it'll be in the director's cut, but it's still stupid.

Harry didn't fix his own wand with the Elder Wand at the end. I don't know why, but that annoyed the **** out of me.

I wish Harry had gone back up to Dumbledore's office at the end and had the scene with all of the headmasters and headmistresses applauding him and Dumbledore's painting smiling down at him and crying. So moving.

And wtf was up with Voldemort and Bellatrix disintegrating when they were killed? So much less powerful. Plus, the pacing for Bellatrix's death was terrible. They did not do her death justice at all.

I wish Kreacher and the other house elves kicking ass had been included because that part is awesome as hell.

Wormtail wasn't even in this. Uhh, okay. Where's the resolution for that? All of the Marauders died in the books...but not in the movies apparently.

No Grawp. If they weren't going to have Grawp then they really shouldn't have even had the giants at all. I would have rather had them spend the time and special effects on the house elves.

This isn't really a complaint...more of a question, but why the heck was Blaise Zabini with Malfoy and Crabbe in the Room of Requirement instead of Goyle? Do. Not. Understand.

I also didn't understand why Harry, Ron and Hermione had to put dittany on their hands after they got off the dragon when they didn't even have that spell that caused the treasure in the Lestrange's vault to burn as well as multiply. In the book they used it for their burns from the treasure, but they had no burns. Why even bother?

And I think that's it. At least for now.

I know, I'm too much of a purist, but it feels nice to get that off my chest.




[/spoilers]

Originally Posted by mmmcammy

This isn't really a complaint...more of a question, but why the heck was Blaise Zabini with Malfoy and Crabbe in the Room of Requirement instead of Goyle? Do. Not. Understand.




[/spoilers]

I KNOW THIS ONE! actually, that wasn't Crabbe, it was Goyle. Goyle ended up being the one that died because the kid that plays Crabbe got in some trouble and wasn't asked to return but they didn't want to replace the character.

Originally Posted by mmmcammy

Everyone seems to like the movie. It's different for me since I've read each book about 20 times each, so I always compare the movies to the books. But like I said, it's gotten good reviews from everyone, including people who didn't read the books, so I say go for it.


Now for my annoyances.




There's spoilers here. Obviously.








I didn't mind that the final battle with Voldemort took place outside and not in the Great Hall. That's fine. But I hated that there was NO ONE there to witness it. I love the part in the book where he kills Voldemort and there's just silence for a split second before the entire place erupts into raucous cheers and everyone is hugging Harry. Love it.

Fred's death should have been given more screen time. I thought they covered Lupin and Tonks' deaths exactly like in the book, but Fred dying is such a HUGE part in battle. I just feel like it did a disservice to his character.

Percy should have been in it. They had him in the background at the very end, but I don't know why they even bothered having him in the film if they didn't even introduce the fact that he came back to fight with his family. Maybe it'll be in the director's cut, but it's still stupid.

Harry didn't fix his own wand with the Elder Wand at the end. I don't know why, but that annoyed the **** out of me.

I wish Harry had gone back up to Dumbledore's office at the end and had the scene with all of the headmasters and headmistresses applauding him and Dumbledore's painting smiling down at him and crying. So moving.

And wtf was up with Voldemort and Bellatrix disintegrating when they were killed? So much less powerful. Plus, the pacing for Bellatrix's death was terrible. They did not do her death justice at all.

I wish Kreacher and the other house elves kicking ass had been included because that part is awesome as hell.

Wormtail wasn't even in this. Uhh, okay. Where's the resolution for that? All of the Marauders died in the books...but not in the movies apparently.

No Grawp. If they weren't going to have Grawp then they really shouldn't have even had the giants at all. I would have rather had them spend the time and special effects on the house elves.

This isn't really a complaint...more of a question, but why the heck was Blaise Zabini with Malfoy and Crabbe in the Room of Requirement instead of Goyle? Do. Not. Understand.

I also didn't understand why Harry, Ron and Hermione had to put dittany on their hands after they got off the dragon when they didn't even have that spell that caused the treasure in the Lestrange's vault to burn as well as multiply. In the book they used it for their burns from the treasure, but they had no burns. Why even bother?

And I think that's it. At least for now.

I know, I'm too much of a purist, but it feels nice to get that off my chest.




[/spoilers]

The neville thing didn't bother you? That and the final battle were the only things that bothered me to a large degree. Other than that the office scene would have moved me if it was included.

Overall, I thought the film was really good. I try hard not to be annoyed at the changes made from the book, but there were a few things that really bothered me. Most have already been mentioned, but the one change not mentioned that really threw me while watching was the timing of the killing of Nagini - Neville gives this big speech, and then...nothing! Seemed to take a bit away from the moment.

Originally Posted by DiscoHoDown

I KNOW THIS ONE! actually, that wasn't Crabbe, it was Goyle. Goyle ended up being the one that died because the kid that plays Crabbe got in some trouble and wasn't asked to return but they didn't want to replace the character.

ahhhh! good to know! i just assumed it was Crabbe from the book. thanks!

Originally Posted by jammer06

The neville thing didn't bother you? That and the final battle were the only things that bothered me to a large degree. Other than that the office scene would have moved me if it was included.

what Neville thing? the timing in which he killed Nagini like geogirl mentioned? because yeah....I was not a fan of that. So put that on my list of changes I didn't particularly enjoy.

Originally Posted by geogirl

Overall, I thought the film was really good. I try hard not to be annoyed at the changes made from the book, but there were a few things that really bothered me. Most have already been mentioned, but the one change not mentioned that really threw me while watching was the timing of the killing of Nagini - Neville gives this big speech, and then...nothing! Seemed to take a bit away from the moment.

absolutely agree. the timing and pacing for a lot of these momentous events in the battle were just really out of wack.

Originally Posted by schaggydog

I saw it last night. After being unable to stay away from reviews, including what people had posted here, and re-reading the book in anticipation, as well as not really being a fan of David Yates directing, I was afraid I was going to be extremely disappointed. I actually really liked it though. It's not perfect, and some of the things cut out from the book I'm fine with, and some of the changes were ok too. Especially the final battle, which never worked for me in the book. My only real complaint has been my general complaint with Yates' direction and that is some of the pacing issues. It's the final film yet it's the shortest film. I think the film deserved to be longer and not so rushed. It did help create tension, but I felt like it was moving on before I was ready to. Certain elements, without getting into spoilers, should have been allowed more time to develop and sink in rather than just rushing past it. That was a major complaint for me with Order of the Phoenix as well. Despite this complaint I was able to enjoy it and I'd like to see it again soon in a theater. I especially like Rickman in the film, and his role was one I was most worried about being ruined, but I thought it was done just fine.

This. I enjoyed the film, but I did have issues with pacing.

<<<SPOILERS>>>>


There were times where scenes felt rushed I you didn't have much time to absorb what just happened ...Fred's death, Bellatrix's death for example.

I felt that Harry's compassion during Snape's death was awkward.

I'm fine with the omission of Grawp and the house elves. I wish they would have gotten a little bit more into Aberforth's backstory though.

I felt that they botched up Neville's shining moment by dragged it out too long. If he would have slaughtered Nagini in front of Voldemort, especially after that speech = show stealer. Neville was the hero, IMO, afterall. I also would have liked to see Harry's speech to Voldemort before he defeats him, but but I guess they figured it would have been too much after Neville's speech.

No "Dumbledore's Army!!" yell was upsetting too.

Originally Posted by mmmcammy

ahhhh! good to know! i just assumed it was Crabbe from the book. thanks!



what Neville thing? the timing in which he killed Nagini like geogirl mentioned? because yeah....I was not a fan of that. So put that on my list of changes I didn't particularly enjoy.

It was the biggest let down for me for sure, I was also disappointed in the Mollie Bellatrix battle

Originally Posted by mmmcammy

absolutely agree. the timing and pacing for a lot of these momentous events in the battle were just really out of wack.

I think what they were trying for (and I hoped they would do) is to capture that sense of randomness and total finality that war brings. The only thing is only people who both read the books and watched the movies diligently could pick some of these things up. Fred's scene? Damn near missed it. By comparison the bitch battle gets it's own little stage but looks contrived.

One little thing, i really wanted to see McGonagall fighting with her hair down. It was only kind of half untussled.

Aside from that the movie was good, I'll probably watch it again on DVD, but it's not one I feel I need to go right back to the theater to see again.