Well, it's finally over. Harry and the crew have rung down the curtain on the epic series that pretty much changed pop culture from the 1990s until now. And David and I went to the theatre (bargain night Tuesdays -- $2.50 off tickets) last night and saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II. So in the same vein as I wrote about Part I, I wanted to sum up my experience and my feelings about Part II.
Again, spoiler alert for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet.
I will say that I was exceptionally pleased that the scriptwriters kept as close to the book as possible in Part II. After cutting the book into two films, they had plenty of time to write in everything. Very little was cut, and I liked that.
However. There were some huge changes that I wasn't expecting at all in Part II. So I'll start out my review with the things I disliked, rather than the things I liked, in order to keep this review positive.
What I Disliked About Part II
- Important deaths glossed over. This was an issue for me in Part I, too. We only see the Weasley family sobbing over the body of one of the completely-indistinguishable-from-each-other twins. There is a brief moment later when Neville (? I think?) says who it was...but if you blink, you miss it. Also, the death of Remus and Tonks is completely omitted -- but that was in keeping with the book, so I'm not entirely surprised.
- The omission of Ariana Dumbledore. The side story about Dumbledore's youth, his battle with Gellert Grindlewald, and especially his family -- Aberforth and Ariana -- was such a crucial part of the book. I was upset that the filmmakers chose to omit it. Also, the scene in "King's Cross" with Harry and Dumbledore was drastically altered, which also saddened me. I felt that this would give Dumbledore's character a little meat.
- The "final battle" and the aftermath. *sigh* I don't understand why the filmmakers wanted to put Voldemort and Harry off someplace remote for their "final battle". I don't understand why, after eight movies, that crucial scene was so rushed. I didn't get why they omitted the explanation for why Voldemort's wand didn't work until after the scene was over. Just...does not compute.
- "19 Years Later". Or, as David whispered to me in the theatre, "More like 19 months later." Though, I have to admit, the "epilogue" was better in the film than in the book. Probably because of the lack of shitty writing. But why does Ron have an enormous beer gut? Why?
Enough of the negativity. Let me talk about the good parts.
What I Liked About Part II
- Snape, Snape, Severus Snape. OMG, Alan Rickman. Absolutely amazing. He played his part to the hilt, and brought me as close to tears as I have ever come watching Harry Potter. He delivered the flashback scenes exactly like I had predicted. Just...perfect.
- Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) pretending to be Hermione. I mentioned in my review of Part I how I enjoyed characters pretending to be other characters (under the Polyjuice Potion). But I loved Carter as Hermione. Brilliant.
- Small redemption for Draco. Not shown in the book, and admittedly it was a change, but I liked Harry and Draco's confrontation in the Room of Requirement. In the book, it's Draco trying to stop Harry. In the movie, it's Draco trying to get his wand back. You see a hint of humanity in Draco -- though I would have liked to see it fleshed out. Though, as I mentioned before...in J.K. Rowling's world, there is no room for snakes, or people who like them. Ever.
- Neville-FREAKIN'-Longbottom. Oh. My. God. I love this kid. I love the development of his character throughout the seven books -- especially after Book Five, when he begins to really cultivate his skills -- and I love seeing him come to life in the movies. His unprecedented display of badassery, at the exact moment when it counted, makes this movie (and the book) wonderful. The only other thing I can say about it is what someone on my FB feed said in a status update a month ago: Chuck Norris' Patronus is Neville Longbottom. 'Nuff said.
The film was good. I'm sad to see the series end. Although, considering that J.K. Rowling is about to launch the "Pottermore" website, I have a feeling she's going to be milking this cash cow for a good long while.
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