Harry Potter and the Bittersweet Fan

Ooooooh Harry Potter. How do I love thee? Et cetera, et cetera.

So, I saw the movie. Did you know that it's two and a half hours long? That's a chunk of time! By the end of it, I felt like I'd been watching for maaaaybe twenty minutes; I couldn't believe it was over already! For the first time at an HP movie, though, I actually thought it was.... good. In fact, I frankly thought it was good not even just for a Harry Potter movie, but for a movie, period.

I was surprised by the number of children present (especially for a 9:15 showing)-- this movie is frightening! The book is frightening and the movie is really downright scary at times. I think that there may be some non-HP-reading-parents who think it continues to be a (young) children's story after books 2/3ish, but that's really not the case. Which is not to say that I don't think kids should read it (by kids I'm talking 11-ish)--I absolutely think they should! But I probably wouldn't take an 8 year old to see Deathly Hallows.

Two complaints, which I won't go into great detail with for fear of spoiling the movie for those of you who haven't seen it:



1. the dancing scene. Really? Painfully awkward. Radcliffe is okie dokie as Harry but there's something incredibly physically awkward about him. Watching this dance scene (I can only imagine some of you scratching your heads-- harry? dancing? in Deathly Hallows? Really?)--- a scene which I imagine was as awkward to film as it was to watch-- just felt painful. Blachiow. Said my husband: "Yeah, I definitely could have done without that scene.

There's just something so awkward about him....



2. Okay, this may or may not be considered spoilate, so I'm going to white-font-ify and you can highlight to read: The weird, dreamy, apparently naked making out. Again, SO deeply painfully awkward and forced and aihweorhaowier. Could they not have been clothed? For poopssakes. And I'm not a prude! It's just that it FEELS strange for a Harry Potter novel movie to have.. this kinda.... ahowie. See it and you'll see what I mean. Or maybe disagree! I don't know! What do you think?


As far as book-to-movie stuff goes, the accuracy was decent. Some changes, but nothing too horrific. Perhaps it was strange that Harry, Hermione, and Ron ran about in the Ministory of Magic as themselves after the polyjuice potion wore off rather than having better luck with timing in the books. That seemed somewhat absurd, in fact. Also-- less use of polyjuice potion in the movie in general, which I suppose makes sense since the movie makers want to use the three actors they've got as much as they can rather than subbing in other actors... yeah. So I get that filmmaking decision, but it makes for a slightly less believable story.
Anyway, as far as HP movies go, this one is DEFINITELY worth seeing. And I spent the first half of today in my pyjamas reading Deathly Hallows because it's AWESOME and it's the first time I've read it since the first read. There's nothing like the first day of snow and a good Harry Potter novel and chai tea and mmmm! It's been a good Sunday.

So, when I'm done with Deathly Hallows, which I probably won't be reviewing other than just to make note of whatever tears may be shed when I finish it (hence the title of this post: so sad to finish!), I'll be moving on to something new to review... not sure what yet, but it's coming....