Finally saw HBP!
Aug. 29th, 2009 09:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emmagrant01After nearly 6 weeks, I finally managed to go see HBP on Friday afternoon. I was one of three people in the theater, LOL. I think I just made it under the wire!
In general, I liked it, though I left the theater feeling a bit disappointed. I've never felt that way after an HP film, so that was a surprise for me.
They always have to cut out a lot, of course, and I liked some of what they cut. For example, I liked that they dropped the whole bit where Ginny's brothers think she's a slut. I really liked the way they developed the Harry/Ginny stuff in general, and thought it felt really natural. But then I was disappointed that the little teensy kiss in the ROR was all we got. Ron and Lavender got the big public post-match kiss, and I know they couldn't do a repeat of that. Moreover, it was important to contrast Ron's very public relationship with Lavender with something much more private between Harry and Ginny. But couldn't we have had a bigger kiss than that? Thank the Force there was no chest monster. :-P
I was disappointed that the whole battle at the end was cut out, though I'm sure they did it because they wanted Dumbledore's death to be the big thing that happened at the end, rather than something that happened in the midst of everything else. But I was still looking forward to that battle!
And no Bill! I was really hoping to see Bill and Fleur, and now I'm guessing the wedding scene won't be appearing in the last film, since there was no set-up for it here. I suppose they could still do it, but after they pretty much burned down the Burrow, I kind of doubt it. It was an effective way to show how the WW is getting terrorized by DEs, though I guess it means we won't be seeing that place again.
I liked that they cut the whole Tonks mooning over Lupin storyline. Like most of fandom, I never liked that very much. A little hint that they were together is enough to set us up for Teddy in the last film, and that's all we needed. And speaking of Tonks, why change the actress for such a small part? Or was it the same woman? It didn't look like her, at any rate.
I was pleased with the way they did the penseive scenes. They FINALLY looked liked they were described in the books! I was also glad they only showed a few of the Tom Riddle backstory scenes. That part of the book seemed endless to me, and they said enough in just a couple of scenes.
I also liked the beginning, with Harry flirting with the random chick in the underground. That was a fun way to show him growing up.
I was really impressed with Tom Felton's acting in this. I really didn't think he had it in him, and was pleasantly surprised that he did. Poor guy still got billed beneath Timothy Spall, who had what, two seconds on screen? Did he even have a line? The sectumsempra scene was great, though I couldn't help but wonder why there was no fallout from it, other than it motivating the Ginny/Harry scene.
I also really liked the scene when Harry convinces Slughorn to give him the memory. I thought that was done MUCH better in the film than it was in the book.
If I were a Snarry fan, I would have been seriously disappointed by the lack of relationship between Harry and the book. They hinted at it, but Snape's revelation at the end that he was the HBP comes out of nowhere. If you hadn't read the book, you'd be scratching your head at that one, I think. I also wanted more from that scene between Harry and Snape at the end, and I wanted there to be more of a sense of betrayal amongst all the others over what Snape had done. I really thought that element of the book worked well, and it makes the truth about Snape at the end that much more poignant. But the movies have never really played Snape as evil as the books have, and I think that makes the scene where Snape AKs Dumbledore problematic.
And dude, another ESB ending with the trio staring off at the sunset, really? I loved the ending of the book, with of all the ominous overtones and the sense of impending doom, but I didn't feel that here. I would have liked to see Dumbledore's funeral, but the thing with the wands was a nice touch.
I think I really enjoyed the first 75% of the film, and then didn't like most of the choices made at the end. That meant I walked out of the theater feeling let-down, when I really enjoyed myself for the most part. I want to see it again, but I think I can wait until it comes out on video -- or at least until it's available on demand. Three hours of babysitting is pretty expensive. :-P
In general, I liked it, though I left the theater feeling a bit disappointed. I've never felt that way after an HP film, so that was a surprise for me.
They always have to cut out a lot, of course, and I liked some of what they cut. For example, I liked that they dropped the whole bit where Ginny's brothers think she's a slut. I really liked the way they developed the Harry/Ginny stuff in general, and thought it felt really natural. But then I was disappointed that the little teensy kiss in the ROR was all we got. Ron and Lavender got the big public post-match kiss, and I know they couldn't do a repeat of that. Moreover, it was important to contrast Ron's very public relationship with Lavender with something much more private between Harry and Ginny. But couldn't we have had a bigger kiss than that? Thank the Force there was no chest monster. :-P
I was disappointed that the whole battle at the end was cut out, though I'm sure they did it because they wanted Dumbledore's death to be the big thing that happened at the end, rather than something that happened in the midst of everything else. But I was still looking forward to that battle!
And no Bill! I was really hoping to see Bill and Fleur, and now I'm guessing the wedding scene won't be appearing in the last film, since there was no set-up for it here. I suppose they could still do it, but after they pretty much burned down the Burrow, I kind of doubt it. It was an effective way to show how the WW is getting terrorized by DEs, though I guess it means we won't be seeing that place again.
I liked that they cut the whole Tonks mooning over Lupin storyline. Like most of fandom, I never liked that very much. A little hint that they were together is enough to set us up for Teddy in the last film, and that's all we needed. And speaking of Tonks, why change the actress for such a small part? Or was it the same woman? It didn't look like her, at any rate.
I was pleased with the way they did the penseive scenes. They FINALLY looked liked they were described in the books! I was also glad they only showed a few of the Tom Riddle backstory scenes. That part of the book seemed endless to me, and they said enough in just a couple of scenes.
I also liked the beginning, with Harry flirting with the random chick in the underground. That was a fun way to show him growing up.
I was really impressed with Tom Felton's acting in this. I really didn't think he had it in him, and was pleasantly surprised that he did. Poor guy still got billed beneath Timothy Spall, who had what, two seconds on screen? Did he even have a line? The sectumsempra scene was great, though I couldn't help but wonder why there was no fallout from it, other than it motivating the Ginny/Harry scene.
I also really liked the scene when Harry convinces Slughorn to give him the memory. I thought that was done MUCH better in the film than it was in the book.
If I were a Snarry fan, I would have been seriously disappointed by the lack of relationship between Harry and the book. They hinted at it, but Snape's revelation at the end that he was the HBP comes out of nowhere. If you hadn't read the book, you'd be scratching your head at that one, I think. I also wanted more from that scene between Harry and Snape at the end, and I wanted there to be more of a sense of betrayal amongst all the others over what Snape had done. I really thought that element of the book worked well, and it makes the truth about Snape at the end that much more poignant. But the movies have never really played Snape as evil as the books have, and I think that makes the scene where Snape AKs Dumbledore problematic.
And dude, another ESB ending with the trio staring off at the sunset, really? I loved the ending of the book, with of all the ominous overtones and the sense of impending doom, but I didn't feel that here. I would have liked to see Dumbledore's funeral, but the thing with the wands was a nice touch.
I think I really enjoyed the first 75% of the film, and then didn't like most of the choices made at the end. That meant I walked out of the theater feeling let-down, when I really enjoyed myself for the most part. I want to see it again, but I think I can wait until it comes out on video -- or at least until it's available on demand. Three hours of babysitting is pretty expensive. :-P
