HBP Revised
Jul. 16th, 2009 10:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
author_by_nightI AM SO SORRY about the last entry! I had all my cut tags, but of course used rich text and didn't switch.
Anyway. HBP review, take two.
Non-spoilery thoughts:
I really liked the movie, if only because I felt they did certain things quite well. There were things I thought could have been done better. I definitely don't agree with those who say it was the best movie ever.
Regarding the inevitable changes... well, I think it's only fair to warn those of you who haven't seen it that there are major ones. I think some, however, were for the better. The ones that weren't... well, see the movie, and then we can lament together. Or, if you'd like to be spoiled, read my comments under the cut below.
(Note: These aren't just spoilers for the movies, but for the books as well. All of the books.)
The Good:
- The raising of the wands at the end. So far from canon, but I still really liked it. It was very moving.
- Ginny being the one to get Harry to rid of the Prince once and for all. It brought a tie-in we didn't get to see in canon; Ginny knows how it feels to be enamoured by a book that helps you, yet makes you do terrible things without realizing.
- Bellatrix. She's creepy.
- The fact that Harry actually showed remorse about his curse on Draco, as opposed to the "yeah it sucks - WTF NO QUIDDITCH?!" reaction we see in the book.
- The dialogue.
- The relationship between Harry and Dumbledore. Perfect.
- The bridge. I didn't think I would like it, but I did - I think it was necessary. War is sudden, comes out of nowhere. (Though what the heck was with those Death Eater Storm Clouds?)
- The attack at the Burrow, minus the Burrow being set on fire. I don't know that that was necessary. But I liked the mood of panic we got, because I think they made it confusing on purpose. All you know is that something is wrong - who you're following and who is following you is a complete blur.
The Bad:
- The way they changed the whole fight between Ron and Hermione. In the book, it was started partly when Ron thought Hermione had been convinced he could only win the Quidditch game if he had the potion. In the movie, they left that out, instead making it seem that Ron just saw someone else and forgot about Hermione. He even sees her clearly crying and is all "oh, uh, hi."
- Ginny tying Harry's shoelaces. I actually liked Harry and Ginny otherwise, but that was just so strange and random.
- The feeling that there was no flow in the first thirty minutes, though I've felt that way about all the movies after PS/SS. It's like this endless train of scene after scene.
- The end. I mean, really, Ron just sits in the background while Hermione rambles on about being there for Harry? Both of them agreed to go with him, that's what made it so powerful.
Let's compare. (Paraphrased - I can't be bothered to find the actual quote.)
In the book:
Ron: We'll go with you, Harry.
Hermione: Whether you like it or not.
Ron: We always have.
Hermione: And we always will.
In the movie:
Hermione: I'll go with you, Harry.
Ron: *Stares at the sun*
Hermione: Whether you like it or not.
Ron: *Stares at the clouds*
Hermione: I always have.
Ron: *Blinks*
Hermione: And I always will.
Ron: *Walks to Harry and Hermione* Sorry, what? I was admiring the sunset.
Filmmakers, honestly.
The Meh:
- Luna being the one to find Harry, not Tonks. On one hand, I liked that she did, because it was nice to see some extra bonding between them. But it would've been nice to have seen more of Tonks, perhaps beng a little happier than she was in the books.
- Remus and Tonks... on one hand, I liked that they were handled subtly. On the other, they implied that they'd been fighting, and yet... there was even less elaboration on that in the movie than there was in the book.
- Teen!Tom Riddle/Voldie is so distracting, just because I've seen Chamber of Secrets 87 times now, and the whole time I was thinking "okay, totally not the Tom/Voldie we saw before."
I think what really made the movie was how they dealt with Dumbledore, Snape, and Draco, and of course, how they dealt with the general mood.
If you haven't seen it, I DO highly recommend going. Just don't go for canon accuracy. (Or Ron love. There's absolutely no Ron love to be loved in this movie. Or maybe I'm just tired - my opinion may change when I wake up.)
Anyway. HBP review, take two.
Non-spoilery thoughts:
I really liked the movie, if only because I felt they did certain things quite well. There were things I thought could have been done better. I definitely don't agree with those who say it was the best movie ever.
Regarding the inevitable changes... well, I think it's only fair to warn those of you who haven't seen it that there are major ones. I think some, however, were for the better. The ones that weren't... well, see the movie, and then we can lament together. Or, if you'd like to be spoiled, read my comments under the cut below.
(Note: These aren't just spoilers for the movies, but for the books as well. All of the books.)
The Good:
- The raising of the wands at the end. So far from canon, but I still really liked it. It was very moving.
- Ginny being the one to get Harry to rid of the Prince once and for all. It brought a tie-in we didn't get to see in canon; Ginny knows how it feels to be enamoured by a book that helps you, yet makes you do terrible things without realizing.
- Bellatrix. She's creepy.
- The fact that Harry actually showed remorse about his curse on Draco, as opposed to the "yeah it sucks - WTF NO QUIDDITCH?!" reaction we see in the book.
- The dialogue.
- The relationship between Harry and Dumbledore. Perfect.
- The bridge. I didn't think I would like it, but I did - I think it was necessary. War is sudden, comes out of nowhere. (Though what the heck was with those Death Eater Storm Clouds?)
- The attack at the Burrow, minus the Burrow being set on fire. I don't know that that was necessary. But I liked the mood of panic we got, because I think they made it confusing on purpose. All you know is that something is wrong - who you're following and who is following you is a complete blur.
The Bad:
- The way they changed the whole fight between Ron and Hermione. In the book, it was started partly when Ron thought Hermione had been convinced he could only win the Quidditch game if he had the potion. In the movie, they left that out, instead making it seem that Ron just saw someone else and forgot about Hermione. He even sees her clearly crying and is all "oh, uh, hi."
- Ginny tying Harry's shoelaces. I actually liked Harry and Ginny otherwise, but that was just so strange and random.
- The feeling that there was no flow in the first thirty minutes, though I've felt that way about all the movies after PS/SS. It's like this endless train of scene after scene.
- The end. I mean, really, Ron just sits in the background while Hermione rambles on about being there for Harry? Both of them agreed to go with him, that's what made it so powerful.
Let's compare. (Paraphrased - I can't be bothered to find the actual quote.)
In the book:
Ron: We'll go with you, Harry.
Hermione: Whether you like it or not.
Ron: We always have.
Hermione: And we always will.
In the movie:
Hermione: I'll go with you, Harry.
Ron: *Stares at the sun*
Hermione: Whether you like it or not.
Ron: *Stares at the clouds*
Hermione: I always have.
Ron: *Blinks*
Hermione: And I always will.
Ron: *Walks to Harry and Hermione* Sorry, what? I was admiring the sunset.
Filmmakers, honestly.
The Meh:
- Luna being the one to find Harry, not Tonks. On one hand, I liked that she did, because it was nice to see some extra bonding between them. But it would've been nice to have seen more of Tonks, perhaps beng a little happier than she was in the books.
- Remus and Tonks... on one hand, I liked that they were handled subtly. On the other, they implied that they'd been fighting, and yet... there was even less elaboration on that in the movie than there was in the book.
- Teen!Tom Riddle/Voldie is so distracting, just because I've seen Chamber of Secrets 87 times now, and the whole time I was thinking "okay, totally not the Tom/Voldie we saw before."
I think what really made the movie was how they dealt with Dumbledore, Snape, and Draco, and of course, how they dealt with the general mood.
If you haven't seen it, I DO highly recommend going. Just don't go for canon accuracy. (Or Ron love. There's absolutely no Ron love to be loved in this movie. Or maybe I'm just tired - my opinion may change when I wake up.)
