emmagrant01 | Movie thoughts (HP7A)

I realize this is coming really late, but I just saw HP7A for the third time today, and wanted to take a moment to write down some thoughts.

First of all, I really LOVED this film. I've liked all the films, but I wasn't sure what to expect from this one. It so, so exceeded my expectations!

I loved the rusted out, peeling WB logo. That was an interesting touch, and set the stage for the Wizarding World in the process of falling into chaos.
The opening shots of the trio were fantastic, with all of them looking pensive and steeling themselves for what was to come. The scene where Hermione obliviated her parents was unexpected, and heartbreaking. I teared up for her all three times.
SNAPE walking right through the gates of Malfoy Manor, OMG. I usually don't find Rickman sexy (sorry!), but that scene of him walking down the path and blasting through the gate was awesome.
Voldie was a bit over the top in the scene in the Manor, but everyone else was deliciously sycophantic. I loved how nervous and freaked out the Malfoys were, and how Lucius looked like he might collapse in terror when Voldemort took his wand.
I usually don't find my eye drawn to Ron in the films, but in this one, I couldn't take my eyes off of Rupert Grint in every scene he was in. It was interesting how they costumed him and Dan so differently, with Ron wearing clothes that are almost too small to accentuate how tall and broadchested (humina!) he is, and with Harry wearing clothes that were almost always too big and ill-fitting, making him look small and thin.
I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to see Dudley shake Harry's hand, but hey. They have to cut somewhere.
The seven Harry Potters scene was awesome. I thought Dan played that really well. Loved Harry snuggled up to Bill on the back of a thestral!
Interesting that Bill Weasley actually looks younger and Fred and George... But he was adorable, so I'm hardly complaining. ;-)
I don't see Harry/Ron in the books AT ALL, but damn, do I ever see it in the films. The way Dan so enthusiastically hugs Rupert just fuels my imagination, heh.
The chase was exciting, though it was interesting that they had to have part of it played in traffic. That's such a movie cliche!
George's ear didn't look anything like I expected it would. I wasn't sure someone who hadn't read the books would realize it had been cursed off, but maybe it doesn't really matter.
The scene between Harry and Ron outside the Burrow was great. I loved the physical contrast between them, and how much Harry clearly trusted Ron's judgment when he changed his mind. I just adored Ron all through the film, and thought it was the best acting Rupert has done.
The Harry/Ginny kiss was sweet, and I can see why they had George interrupt rather than Ron, since they skipped the whole H/G breakup at the end of the last film.
I thought Bill Nighy was great as the Minister of Magic, but it's hard for me to look at him and not think of him singing naked on TV in Love Actually. ;-)
The wedding scene was well-done, with so much tension in the air. I thought they did a good job of condensing all the Dumbledore stuff. It's an interesting subplot, but I don't think the film missed it. I also loved the way Ron kept staring at Hermione with so much longing throughout the beginning of the film. That was so sweet. :-)
I loved the way they did the apparition special effects. That worked so well, and corresponds nicely visually with the way it's described in the books.
After the Ministry fell, things really started moving, and that was awesome. I loved the trio on Shaftsbury Avenue, and then fighting the DEs in the cafe. Ron was so deliciously dark there, almost to the point of being scary. It was nice foreshadowing for how dark his emotions get later on, and it also served to remind us that he's a lot more than Harry's goofy sidekick.
Hermione's beaded bag looked different than I expected, but at every showing I went to, it always got a laugh.
I was surprised how much they condensed the time spent at Grimmauld Place, but it was necessary because of the long camping trip coming up. I thought the scene with Ron and Hermione playing piano was especially cute. I also thought it was good to get them started on finding the locket quickly, since they were going to spend so much time trying to figure out how to destroy it.
The polyjuice scenes at the Ministry were awesome. It almost went better as an ad hoc mission, without all the planning they did in the book. I thought that the three actors playing the polyjuiced trio did a great job. On the third viewing, I noticed that we actually see all three of them earlier in the film.
When the trio were trying to escape the Ministry after getting the locket, it was interesting to watch them hurling curses as good as they got. (Same was true in the cafe scene earlier.) One of the things that was interesting about the OOTP film was that the DA kids spent the whole year learning defensive spells, and when they got to the Department of Mysteries and were in the middle of the battle between the DEs and Order members, they were so clearly outgunned. It was almost crazy to see the difference between the adults and the kids. But in this film, the trio gave as good as they got, showing that they have indeed learned a lot and are really adults now.
Ron's splinched arm didn't look as bad as I expected, somehow.
The endless camping trip: I thought this was really well done. The bleak, desolate locations they selected made the trio's isolation seem even more acute. I missed Potterwatch, but I understood why they kept the radio in earlier instead. It was a great way to drop little bits of exposition here and there, things that more casual watchers of the film might miss.
The growing tension between Ron and his imagination was well done. Every time Ron glowered at Harry and Hermione, I shivered. It was so deliciously dark!
Ron and Harry SCRUFF, OMG. I wanted more of it, a lot more. But still, it was nice to see them looking so scruffy!
The fight between Ron and Harry that culminates in Ron leaving worked well, and I thought Hermione's reaction to Ron leaving was great. In fact, I thought this film showed Emma's best acting yet. Her eyebrows were under control, finally!
The dancing scene in the tent with Harry and Hermione was really interesting. I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseum in fandom, but my take on it was that for people who hadn't read the books, it would be almost inconceivable that Harry and Hermione could just hang out in a tent together for weeks/months and NOTHING would happen between them. For those of us who read the books, there was no sexual tension between them, but movies are different, so they really had to address it. I read that scene as Harry offering physical comfort to Hermione, and Hermione not taking him up on it. He almost looked relieved when she walked away, because you know, Harry is GAY. ;-)
Godric's Hollow: I wanted to see the statue and the supportive graffiti on the house! I always liked the way that really lifted Harry's spirits in the book. But I guess it wasn't so desperately needed in the film as it was in the book, when they'd been completely cut off from the WW for so long.
Escape from Bathilda Bagshot's house: gratuitous snake attack shots for the 3-D version.
YUMMY Grindelwald! I love that they cast a cute, feminine-looking guy for the role of Dumbledore's ~~boyfriend~~ ~~true love~~ best friend ~~with benefits~~.
It took three watches for me to catch Snape's "Trust me". Hee!
I'm not sure why Harry's glasses were on his face during the entire scene where he's under the water, but then he has to put them back on to see Ron clearly. Is that a continuity error?
The horcrux destruction scene was fantastic. The special effects were great there, and of course, the Harry/Hermione snog session was awesome. I loved that they made it look like they were naked, because of course, that's what Ron would think about.
The whole story with the light touching Ron's heart was cute, as was Harry's reaction of looking really uncomfortable having to stand there and hear it. It was nice to have the trio back and interacting in their old trio way, but with Ron sucking up to Hermione at every opportunity. The scene where she wants to go to Lovegood's was really well acted!
I adored the animated version of the Three Brothers, just adored it. I also like the little glance Ron and Hermione exchanged at the mention of the invisibility cloak, and that it was left at that. No need to hit even the casual filmgoers over the head with that information.
One of the things I've always liked about this book was that JKR finally explained why people were so terrified of saying the name Voldemort aloud, and the scene where Xenophilius shouts "Voldemort!" and all hell breaks loose was perfect.
Chase scene with the snatchers after the trio -- very Blair Witch Project.
And then, the infamous scene at Malfoy Manor. I was really interested how they would play the whole thing with Draco, and it did not disappoint. I mean, geez, it was totally obvious to Draco that this was Harry, and it was written all over Draco's face. Harry was looking at him with this plea in his eyes, and Draco was looking back like What the hell am I supposed to do here? and Harry was all pleeeease don't do this and Draco was okay, you're kind of hot when you beg. That scene was so awesome. And then later, Draco just refused to call Voldemort, and it was the same look on his face, that "Fuck it, Harry is my only hope ~~of ever getting laid~~ and I'm not cooperating with my batshit Aunt Bella."
Hermione/Bellatrix. Nuff said.
Not surprised that they didn't make a big deal of Wormtail's debt.
Oh, Dobby. Dobby, Dobby, Dobby. I started crying when he made his little speech about being a free elf, all three times.
I wasn't really sure how they would end this part of the film, but ending it where they did was brilliant. The Trio have just barely escaped with their lives, have lost several of their friends already, and then Voldemort takes the fucking Elder Wand right out of Dumbledore's cold, dead hands. It looks hopeless, and it's the perfect place to end it. On this third viewing, my husband (who's never read the books) said, "I thought the wand chooses the wizard. He can't just take it like that and expect it to work for him, can he?" I thought that was an interesting remark for someone who's just a casual watcher of the films.

And that's my tl;dr take on the film. I'm sure there are things I've forgotten that I wanted to say, but I'll edit them in if I think of them. I'm so excited for the last part!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

primroseburrows.livejournal.com

I usually don't find my eye drawn to Ron in the films, but in this one, I couldn't take my eyes off of Rupert Grint in every scene he was in.

This, exactly. I think Rupert has a bright future ahead of him, should he choose it.

I don't see Harry/Ron in the books AT ALL, but damn, do I ever see it in the films. The way Dan so enthusiastically hugs Rupert just fuels my imagination, heh.

Or maybe even Harry/Ron/Hermione. Or, um, yeah, forget the maybe.

I was really interested how they would play the whole thing with Draco, and it did not disappoint.

Did. Not. Disappoint. And then some. More Draco next movie, yay!

*edits because typos are stupid*

Edited Date: 2010-12-31 02:52 am (UTC)

From:

emmagrant01.livejournal.com

Of the three of them, I would have bet money that Rupert wouldn't make it after HP as an actor, but I'm changing my mind about that!

Or maybe even Harry/Ron/Hermione.

There is a hurt-comfort trio-smut scene floating around in my head, set directly after the movie. Heh.

Yes, I'm here for the porn.

Movie thoughts (HP7A)

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