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.
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