Deathly Hallows: Part I

[author_by_night]

Ultimately I thought it was pretty good, especially compared to the other movies.

The Trio: Hermione felt closer to canon Hermione - still a bit soft, but the curse on her parents was well done (if not exactly how it went down in canon, but that  might have been hard to explain on screen), and in general she wasn't as... sweet as Emma's Hermione usually is, which was quite refreshing. Rupert's Ron felt pretty close to Ron of the books. And Radcliffe's Harry was pretty good too. I think this was an important movie for them to get the trio right.

Remus and Tonks (oh come, like I wasn't going to comment on them): They were barely there, but I was okay with that. I felt like they were so tacked on in the book that this was refreshing - and I say this as someone who used to be a pretty big Remus/Tonks shipper. I just felt like Remus/Tonks does better in the background, and JK Rowling kept forcing them in places they didn't fit in the book. My only concern is that if they keep Teddy, that will be even more random. At the same time, I didn't feel like we were missing anything, just because we didn't really get much out of them in the book either. We found out they got married, which was nice. Go them. And we did see a bit of batshit Remus when he confronted Harry about whether or not he was really Harry, so it's not like we missed out completely. :P

Regarding Tonks's "oh we've got news", I can't decide if that was about Teddy or if she was attempting to be cute - "my husband here - oh, I forgot to mention, we're married now" or if she meant her pregnancy. However, I really don't believe for a moment she would have done something that dangerous while pregnant (or if she knew she was pregnant).

The Ditzy Barista in the Coffee Shop: I definitely don't think there was a ditzy barista, but I liked that added touch, even though 1997's way too early for iPods. (Which I believe she was listening to.) She should have been holding a portable CD player.

The Propaganda: I felt it was very well done. The sheer disgust the DEs had at the idea of muggles being with witches and wizards was spot on, and all those warning pamphlets on "the dangers of muggles." I think they did a good job of showing how the world tends to dehumanize their enemies, because let's face it, it happens in real wars, and while the movies could have softened it, they didn't.

Harry/Ginny: Meh. I felt like more could have been done with it; I liked their conversation in the book and I felt like it wasn't as poignant here

Harry and Hermione's dance: I'm a little iffy on that. On one hand, it definitely felt like they were a bit too close to be platonic. On the other hand, that may have just been me knowing Kloves is a Harry/Hermione shipper. I did really like that Harry wanted to cheer her up; I think that if the intention was to show how much he loves her platonically, it worked well. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging that they have something that goes far beyond "just friends" - it's just a matter of where exactly "far beyond" ends.

Draco in Doubt: Very well done.

DH in comparison to the other movies: I definitely felt like they got the spirit of the book, and not the spirit of "this will get us money." Yes, some big things were cut, but overall the message still got through.

Now, I know some of you did your own reviews, but I've only found two of yours, so if you reviewed the movie already, link me to it! I missed out on the excitement as I was saving the movie for the holiday.

Comments

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't have a problem with them showing that Harry and Hermione love each other. Friendship, as JKR no doubt agrees, is not ''lesser'' than romance.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and I think the books do a lot to emphasize that. I mean, the entire point of Sirius's character was his (platonic) love for Harry's father.

[r-a-black.livejournal.com]

This was my own ramble: clicky.

In the book, that's the point Tonks is supposed to tell Harry that they got married, so that's what I'm assuming she was going to say. I don't know how they'll add Teddy in now though.

The barista was knocked out with the two DEs in the coffee shop, so the real odd thing was that Hermione told her to run rather than trying to modify her memory.

I feel the same about the dance. There were moments were it seemed very platonic and other moments where their faces were just too close for comfort.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I didn't know you had another LJ!

In the book, that's the point Tonks is supposed to tell Harry that they got married, so that's what I'm assuming she was going to say.

Yeah, same. It didn't occur to me that it might be otherwise until I saw other people's reviews.

[r-a-black.livejournal.com]

I have another LJ? Wait, what?

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

You know what, I think I clicked on something else by mistake when I clicked on that link, because yeah, I came to another person's entry about the movie. Maybe someone on your flist? I forget the name. But yeah, I was very confused.

[steampen.livejournal.com]

I definitely don't think there was a ditzy barista, but I liked that added touch, even though 1997's way too early for iPods. (Which I believe she was listening to.) She should have been holding a portable CD player.

I totally forgot the movies were supposed to be happening in 1997. In all honesty, I don't know if they meant to set in at that time, because Hermione is wearing skinny jeans and ballerina flats, which were pretty much unheard of back then.

On one hand, it definitely felt like they were a bit too close to be platonic. On the other hand, that may have just been me knowing Kloves is a Harry/Hermione shipper.

Well, in the movie theater people's reactions were ranging from "LOL" to "awwww". I got the distinct feeling everyone thought it was silly and unimportant, and neither my boyfriend or my buddy commented on it, while they did comment on the lack of Ginny. So I think that might be fandom's nefarious influence speaking.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I totally forgot the movies were supposed to be happening in 1997. In all honesty, I don't know if they meant to set in at that time, because Hermione is wearing skinny jeans and ballerina flats, which were pretty much unheard of back then.

Good point. Plus, that means the first movie should have taken place in 1991, and nobody had early 90s hair styles, so that doesn't work. I'm not even sure we knew the books were supposed to start in the early 90s until after the movies were being made. I always found it strange that JKR never mentioned it in the books. Then again, she also never mentions that they take place in the Scottish highlands, but if you do the geographical analysis it's apparently pretty obvious.

[tdu000.livejournal.com]

That should have been "dancing" of course!

[kakeochi-umai.livejournal.com]

LOL, I first read it as "farting" and pictured Harry and Hermione doing something like Terence and Philip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p4MsdAHlss) in the South Park movie.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

nfortunately, the Remus-Tonks relationship is pretty much expendable as far as the plot goes - it's only the symbolism of the orphaned baby boy who gets to grow up surrounded by love that is significant and even that isn't really important plotwise.


Yeah, exactly. It was even expendable in the book - I appreciate JKR's intentions, but I didn't get any symbolism out of Teddy being a war orphan. There is one line where Harry briefly likens himself to Sirius, but it's too easy to not really take it in because it's in the middle of all this other stuff going on. I can't even remember when it happened, just that I'm pretty sure Harry was still at Shell Cottage.

[linda-lupos.livejournal.com]

I was under the impression that she was going to say that she was pregnant: it came off as "oh, and another thing!" but then Moody shut her up.
I did really like how much they interacted in the background (I saw it for a second time this evening and yes, I did pay extra attention to them now). At Privet Drive, there's little moments where they touch, or they stay close together. And then there's that wonderful hug/glomp/grab when Tonks arrives at the Burrow, and they just don't let go, even when the attention's on the other characters by then.
And then I noticed that at Bill and Fleur's wedding, when Harry was talking to Aunt Whatsherface, Tonks and Remus were in the background talking to Molly. :p Every time you get a close-up of the aunt, it's Tonks right behind her.

I did like the dancing scene. It was a bit "err?" at first but then Harry(/Dan ;)) got so goofy that it was funny again, and it made me laugh as well as Hermione. I also liked the touch that she got sad again as soon as they stopped dancing.
Emma Watson was really good in this movie, she's gone quite beyond eyebrow-acting.

How sad was Dobby! I actually teared up when he died! It really helped that the CGI has really improved, so he felt a lot realer than he did in CoS. He had body language and all that. He got some great laughs, too, at Grimmauld Place and at Malfoy Manor - which turned out to be so sad as he died only a minute later. :(

Special mention, btw, must go to Jason Isaacs who knocked it out of the park as a totally emasculated Lucius Malfoy. XD

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

And then I noticed that at Bill and Fleur's wedding, when Harry was talking to Aunt Whatsherface, Tonks and Remus were in the background talking to Molly

I didn't notice that, but that's sweet.


How sad was Dobby! I actually teared up when he died! It really helped that the CGI has really improved, so he felt a lot realer than he did in CoS. He had body language and all that. He got some great laughs, too, at Grimmauld Place and at Malfoy Manor - which turned out to be so sad as he died only a minute later.

Yeah, that was awful.

[acoustics1220.livejournal.com]

I think you commented on my review, and I liked this review as well! It's so interesting to get everyone's perspective on how it was done - but it seems like the consensus is that more of the HP fandom is pretty happy with how this movie turned out in comparison to previous HP movies.

I still need to go see it again. I love watching it on such a big screen. :D

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

- but it seems like the consensus is that more of the HP fandom is pretty happy with how this movie turned out in comparison to previous HP movies.


Yeah, which is surprising to me - usually the reactions are pretty mixed. Then again, I'm not sure what the reactions are everywhere, I've only really seen a few on LJ, and LJ fandom tends to be a bit different from fandom on some of the larger sites (or what's left of the larger sites, at least). I have to go to some of the forums and see.

[bitchet.livejournal.com]

I still haven't seen the movie, so I have little to add, but I liked reading your review!