THE KIND OF SMOLDERING LOOKS TO ENSURE YOU DO NOT, IN FACT, REMEMBER CEDRIC DIGGORY: As a benefit to our female readers we've tried to pay attention to the maturation of Neville Longbottom as time goes by. The Nerdy Bird goes further to trace the evolution of actor Matthew Lewis -- and yet again, I don't know that they realized what talent were casting a decade ago when they located the alternate recipient of the prophecy.
[Also: how's the movie? Spoil away.]
oh, my.
ReplyDeleteWhen I watched the last movie, I turned to my friend and noted that Neville grew up way to be way hotter than I expected. I'm seeing the movie next weekend & can't wait!
ReplyDeleteNeville Longbottom: giving hope to pudgy 12-year-old dorks everywhere.
ReplyDeleteWell he's attractive.
ReplyDeleteThe movie is dark. Lots of impressive scenes but no overall flow. Also, I haven't read the book since it came out, so I was pretty surprised when Harry and Hermione were naked and making out.
Shall we have a nice cup of tea in the Malfoy's parlor while we have a discussion on house elves and their former owners?
ReplyDeleteAs for Neville, I'm still miffed that they cut out the hospital scene in "Order of the Phoenix"; it's one of my favorite chapters from the whole series.
ReplyDeleteLewis kind of has a Clive Owens thing going in that last picture. And Dan, here's more hope for pudgy 12-year-olds; Nicholas Hoult from About A Boy in 2002 and then much later in Skins (a series I keep meaning to check out). 5 years can be very kind to a person, can't they?
ReplyDeleteThere was lots of awkward giggling during the make out scene and the Ginny dresss zipping scene And I wasn't a fan of whatever effect they put on Harry and Hermione for that scene. As for the rest of the film, I was reminded of my love of Ron Weasley. The last 30 minutes were pretty slow for me, but I blame that on the fact that it was waaaaay past my old lady bedtime.
ReplyDeleteHas any law student bothered to write a comment on British Slavery and Emancipation Law: The Historical Origins of House Elf Servitude in Modern British Children's Fantasy Literature. It could either be the worst thing in the world or delightful, but I sort of think it's something that can't not happen at some point.
ReplyDeleteLewis reminded me of Clive Owens in the last picture, as well!
ReplyDeleteOh, if only I was willing to post some of the pictures from my childhood.
ReplyDeleteI liked the movie quite a bit, though it (due in part to having to truncate large sections of the book) was heavy on "oh, I have showed up at the exact right time to save someone's life, how convenient" moments. However, my friends who came who are not readers of the series were MASSIVELY confused, and I don't blame them. There were certain parts (Ron getting "squinched," why Kreacher has to obey Harry, etc) that would've been easy to explain/remind audiences in one line of dialogue that they just seemed to go "eh, if you haven't read the books, tough luck." Interesting that they erred on the side of being confusing to non-fans than trying to get everyone involved. Guess there're enough fans (judging by weekend box office, there are) that it doesn't matter if they rope in those last few who haven't read a HP book.
ReplyDeleteEmma Watson is quite an impressive actress (and gorgeous). Excited to see what type of career she chooses, especially as she's always seemed a bit wishy-washy on how passionate she really is about the whole thing. Maybe a stalwart indie actress post-Potter?
The Harry/Hermione makeout was added, I believe - I don't think Ron actually saw a vision of that in the book. I also hated that weird glossy effect during that scene. I get it, it's a fantasy! Don't oversell...
ReplyDeleteI had wondered about her doing Katniss, actually, although I think she's almost too pretty for the part. It would definitely depend on her ability to do a (possibly Appalachian) American accent.
ReplyDeleteEven better than Jerry O'Connell's transformation.
ReplyDeleteOn bella's point, I think that by the time you've reach the 7th movie, you have to kind of of figure either people know what's going on or they don't. (I don't recall exactly, but presumably the earlier movies made the Kreacher point?) This is something that I liked about the later seasons of LOST.
ReplyDelete"Who wouldn't prefer him, what woman would take you, you are nothing, nothing, nothing to him," crooned Riddle-Hermione, and she stretched like a snake and entwined herself around Riddle-Harry, wrapping him in a close embrace: Their lips met."
ReplyDeleteThat said, there's nothing there about H & H snogging in their birthday suits. Which was disturbing.
I liked it a lot.
ReplyDeleteI saw a 10:00 showing, and it was typical of this kind of movie on opening night that late in NYC -- lots of clapping, hooting, hissing at talkers. The kiss scene between Ginny and Harry was priceless, but for the most part, after that, you didn't get to laugh a lot.
I'm calling it a good thing, because this was a great, charged, suspenseful chase movie. I was on-edge the entire time, which is new for me and Harry Potter movies. Loved it.
There was one laugh maybe that doesn't happen a lot: after the snake attack on Hermione and Harry, which had a lot of GOTCHA in it, the audience all seemed to realize that we were all grownups who had just actually jumped out of our seats, because we got GOT by that snake. There was a 30-second nervous gigglefest. It was kind of adorable, if subjugated by the scraping sounds the giant spatulas made getting people off the ceiling.
I did have a hard time understanding what the motivations were behind the characters giving up information to Lord Voldemort at times -- not one martyr who would die before selling out EVERYBODY? Annoying.
Happy with the cliff-hanger, approve of the maturing of the actors and the series (that feels very organic to me, and I didn't think they would pull it off when the series started), Ralph Fiennes makes my skin crawl, can't wait for part 2.
I thought I remembered (must go back and read) that the description of that scene included that Hermione looked different than her usual self, was more perfect etc., so I didn't mind the effect. Was glad y'all forwarned me about the extent of the snoggage, though.
ReplyDeleteHadn't occurred to me, but I think she'd be an excellent Katniss - very good at fighting but at the same time reluctant and repelled by it.
ReplyDeleteI do picture her doing indie work, though. I guess the nice thing about these kids giving years of their lives to a single role is that now they have the money to be as picky as they want.
I'm still not sold on Ron's acting, though it was better here than in previous movies. He still occasionally does that goofy mugging face.
I think martyrs might be willing to sacrifice themselves but not their families, who could easily be targeted by Death Eaters.
ReplyDeleteI keep forgetting that's Ralph Fiennes! The transformation is so complete.
They cut a lot of really good stuff from that movie. I know it was a big book, but still.
ReplyDeleteMy fave moment was George's very Stinsonesque attaboy look at Harry after the Ginny-kissing scene. Perfect.
ReplyDeleteI really liked it -- Emma Watson has turned out to be a really good actress. I was more impressed by her than by any of the others. I have to say that parts of the books that have moved me emotionally frequently have NOT moved me in the movies in the same way. But Dobby's death made me weep unabashedly.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed it. I've often felt that the movies have to get so much plot into them that they don't have time for the character stuff that I love (since these books are to me, really about the power of friendship), so I liked that by splitting the book there was time for the more emotional, or quieter moments. It did feel very much like a Part I though, with lots of things introduced with no resolution. I've read all the books and seen all the movies and there were still times I was confused due to quick editing and dark lighting - I couldn't quite make out what happened in the home at Godric's Hollow and had to go back to the book later to read the scene. Also, I wish the fight to get out of the Malfoy's was built up a bit more, since it was really the climax of this movie.
ReplyDeleteI liked the "Ron envisions Harry and Hermione together" scene - the eeriness of their faces seemed to fit what would come out of an evil horcrux.
I thought they did the story of the Hallows beautifully. (Although I kept waiting for Harry to say at the end, "Hey, don't I have an Invisibility Cloak?")
One incredibly minor quibble - Bill Weasley is described in the book as being incredibly scarred all over his face after his attack from Greyback. Why just give him one scar in the movie? We can handle it.
From Goblet of Fire and on, have any of the movies been comprehensible to someone who hasn't read the corresponding book?
ReplyDeleteI don't recall re: Kreacher (I assume so, though), but in the world of film/TV development there's always a lot of "don't forget to remind everyone who that dude is" going on. It's always interesting to see people go the other way (Lost is indeed a good example), especially when ticket sales hinge on it.
ReplyDeleteI liked the imagery and animation of the Tale of the Three Brothers. Visually very nice.
ReplyDeleteHelena Bonham Carter steals every scene she is in, but I can't wait to see her in the finale with Mrs Weasley.
The non-use of the cloak really bothered me. In the book, they use it ALL THE TIME (which makes total sense, given that they are being hunted). I get that they can't keep their main characters hidden in the movie, but they don't even break it out once? And in the book, they totally draw the connection between the cloak and the "realness" of the other Hallows. Harry argues that the existence of the cloak is proof that the Elder Wand and Resurrection Stone also exist.
ReplyDeleteI saw it last night, and all in all, thought that they did a really good job. My biggest issue was definitely the invisibility cloak, which I agree was a loss of a big part of the storyline, in terms of the trio coming to believe in the Deathly Hallows and uncovering what they are, as well as part of the explanation as to why Dumbledore was so cryptic. A second issue: they again downplayed or dropped scenes which shows how Harry is maturing. Things like his purposeful decision to question Griphook (to go for the potential Horcrux) instead of Ollivander (to go for the potential Hallow)---instead they zip along to Voldemort seizing the Elder Wand. Those kinds of scenes (and I'd throw in there the dropped scene with the minister of magic from the sixth book) go a long way to showing how the boy is growing up.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Jenn., but I think Harry's "Horcruxes or Hallows?" questioning was right after burying Dobby (or possibly while digging the grave?), and the questioning of Griphook was afterwards, in Shell Cottage. We haven't seen anything in Shell Cottage yet (only the exterior), so that could be the opening of the next movie. I hope so, as I agree it shows his maturation.
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