REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

I sat, rapt, for nearly two and a half hours, despite the lack of sleep and the late hour. There was certainly no Episode 1 Effect here! There were no ‘groan’ moments, and only a handful of ‘mistakes’ that stood out to me.

One of the things that bugs me the most is the fact that the Burrow is intact, after it was so pointedly destroyed in the sixth movie. Why make that (at least somewhat) controversial decision to change that movie significantly, only to have it ignored, visually and as a plot point, in the next? Furthermore, Scrimgour calls the Weasley home ‘the BurrowS’. That’s a glaring error!

There’s no handshake between Dudley and Harry, but their relationship was far less developed in the movies than it was in the books.

Emma Watson is great! She is acting with more than her eyebrows. Her opening scene was perhaps a little too subtle, as was Snape’s eye-to-eye with the Muggle Studies teacher at Malfoy Manor. Perhaps that will change after a second viewing, but my initial reaction was a little disappointment.

Rupert Grint is a revelation! He had not acted too much in the previous films, but you can see here that he actually CAN! The complaint I’ve had before about his role was the speedy delivery of lines, which, when blurred by the accent, would border on gobbledygook. (The real world reference, not the goblin language!) In this one, there are a couple deliveries that are hasty, but for the most part his lines are clear and heartfelt.

The special effects are wondrous! The animation of the tale of the Three Brothers would make the suits at Pixar jealous, it is so uniquely rendered! The THING that comes out of the locket is grotesque and beautiful at the same time. Dobby interacts with Harry seamlessly, especially in his final scene!

This movie is as close to the book as any of the movies, and that is clearly due to the decision to split it into two movies. It allows for character development, added humor, and extended views of set pieces and landscapes that make the tone of this movie very different from the more recent movies in the series. The Goblet of Fire was terribly cramped, and my least favorite of all the movies. The story structure of The Order of the Phoenix was a positive change from the book; the end battle was perhaps the best framed sequence of the entire series. The Half-Blood Prince was rushed and incongruously dark. I don’t know if splitting these movies would have made them any better, but it certainly works for the finale, which has so much significant material for so many characters. Scenes are allowed to linger, giving them weight and depth. There is a bit more focus on the characters, allowing the viewer to see more of the growth and change that is so well developed by Rowling over the seven books.

This was an event movie, and it was an exciting event that our children will remember through the years. There were laughs and tears, anticipation and expectations. This movie was everything I wanted it to be.

REVIEW: the Crystal City. The Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 6

The Crystal City
Book 6 of the Tales of Alvin Maker
By Orson Scott Card
Book on CD Read by Card, Stefan Rudnick and Gabrielle Decuir, among others.

I found this book to be a little more engaging that the last one, which I wanted to be over long before it was. The narrative was new and different, while still meandering somewhat, which is part of the charm of this series. The action was fairly constant, with a lot less exposition (in the form of court trials) and constant, if slow, change in the characters and the plot. With the location of the Crystal City finally established, the slaves (almost) free, and Alvin’s son born (and saved), it seems like they accomplished something in this volume.

Up to this point in this world’s history, it has very much resembled the expansion of America in the 1800s. With the events in these stories, however, the reader begins to see something very different taking shape. The power of knacks and Makers has begun to shape the new world into something very different from what we know in our reality. The establishment of Furrow Spring County, the future location of the Crystal City, promises major differences in a reality where magic is real. Alvin’s acknowledgment of the different but equally important Song of machines (the sound and feel of something’s magic) portends a more holistic Industrial Revolution, which will allow mankind to live in peace with nature AND technology. The potential for stories in that future reality is awesome, which makes it all the more disappointing that Card has not yet finished this series.

Again, I say, isn’t the Ender series all played out?!

REVIEW: Stephen King’s the Dark Tower Book 5, Battle of Jericho Hill

I’ve been looking forward to reading this for quite some time, as noted in my review of book 4, the Long Road home. We would finally learn the truth about the infamous battle where Roland lost all of his cribmates – his first ka-tet – and how he was the only one to survive the slaughter.

Like everything so eagerly anticipated, though, it was over far too quickly and failed, ultimately, as the climax to this stage of the quest for the Tower. The taking of Sheemie felt a little perfunctory, and the death of Aileen (granted, not an original King character anyway) felt glossed over. The death of Alain was also disappointing. ANOTHER friend shot by Roland? Come on…

I still love the art - it’s grandiose and striking, despite the lack of detail. The broad strokes work in this format, but the marvelous detail is what makes King such an amazing story teller.

The depiction of the battle itself was disappointing; very little detail, graphically or literally. Many of the frames depicted one side shooting, and the next showed the enemy shooting, which created a staccato pacing that didn’t sit well with me. I love the depiction of Farson, the Good Man – glowing eyes and all – and Marten is suitably oily.

Ultimately, it was a rather readable comic, with beautiful images and less-than-stellar words.