no review on Harry Potter yet

[curiousa2z]

due to a slight miscalculation on my part...

The midnight showing Harry Potter tickets sold out two weeks ago. This is a big difference from the first film's opening we went to watch...there were even un-sold seats!
dammit, even Smallsville has discovered Harry Potter.
Guess I'll wait til cheap Tuesday then.

 

[curiousa2z]

any body already gone with the kids yet, or planning to this weekend?

 

[Gagh]

I watched it last night, and whilst starved of a little action, I felt much of the stuff chopped from the book wasn't really detrimental to the storytelling in the movie version.

Good stuff

- Jim Broadbent was excellent, as he is in anything.
- The movie is genuinely funny in many areas.
- Rupert Grint is becoming a superb comic actor.
- Alan Rickman becomes awesome on an exponential-per-minute-of-screen-time basis.
- Once again, Helena Bonham-Carter is awesome. There really are some great performances going down.

Complaints

- Neville reduced to role of bystander.
- I don't think the psychlogical pressure on Malfoy was pushed home enough.
- Needed more Snape.

 

[Hambil]

The only way they could have screwed up the last half hour of this movie more, would have been to splice in the ending of Star Trek V.

 

[Gagh]

What rot. It's aimed at kids, and a cinema full of really happy kids told me otherwise.

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

I watched it last night, and whilst starved of a little action, I felt much of the stuff chopped from the book wasn't really detrimental to the storytelling in the movie version.

Good stuff

- Jim Broadbent was excellent, as he is in anything.
- The movie is genuinely funny in many areas.
- Rupert Grint is becoming a superb comic actor.
- Alan Rickman becomes awesome on an exponential-per-minute-of-screen-time basis.
- Once again, Helena Bonham-Carter is awesome. There really are some freat performances going down.

Complaints

- Neville reduced to role of bystander.
- I don't think the psychlogical pressure on Malfoy was pushed home enough.
- Needed more Snape.

Agreed on all counts. I caught a midnight show, but work was really busy last night so I didn't have the energy for a full review. But I just posted it at rEFCL (I promised it there first) and here are the major points:

- Definitely the best looking HP movie yet; the awards nerds need to stop ignoring this franchise at year's end when it comes to technical awards
- Jim Broadbent and Alan Rickman are gods.
- Tom Felton performed what was given to him very well.

Storywise:

Spoiler

- Hated the downplaying of the Harry-Ginny romance. It was reduced to a flirtation with no true payoff. To me, it's as important a story development in the 6th book as anything else; it was time for lonely, solitary Harry to finally know true love. I guess Kloves/Yates have decided to save that for the beginning of the next movie, before the trio hits the road.

- I read about the changes to the ending on AICN months ago, and was bothered by them, and still am to a degree. But the overall movie was so good that I've decided to just go with it, and not become yet another bitchy internet fanboy.

Can't wait to see it in IMAX...

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

And I agree that every movie in the franchise (except GOF) is cursed with a bad/incomplete ending. It's just something I've learned to live with over the years.

 

[curiousa2z]

thanks guys!

Well I am surprised by the changes, [didnt read anything prior on purpose]but still - I am looking forward to this!

 

[Tisiphone]

Saw it yesterday with my nephew, and other than wanting a little more from the Death Eaters when they invade the school, I thought it was great.

I agree with what Eggs said in his spoilers, and...

Spoiler

Was happy to see the Hermoine/Ron romance stick fairly close to the books, even with her sending canaries after him she's so pissed at him. Hell hat no fury like Hermione scorned!

This was the first time I actually had some sypmathy for Draco's character, and I think that had to do with Felton's acting. And yes, Rupert Grint has awesome
comedic timing.

And could Lavender Brown been anymore of a stalker??? Hysterical.

 

[Hambil]

Spoiler

They removed the entire fight scene at the end, and replace it with a few seconds of snap besting harry. Snap didn't even get one of the best lines in the entire series of books: "No unforgivable curses for you Potter. Not until you learn to close your mind and shut your mouth." Harry was supposed to be under the invisibility cloak and paralized by Dumbledore (BECAUSE OF THE DEATHEATERS FIGHT THEY REMOVED to make room for scenes that weren't even in the book, like burning down Wesley's house I guess). Dumbledore died because he paralized Harry in his last second (and very weakened state) instead of defending himself so his wand got disarmed. This ending was horrible. I have no idea how anyone can ever think otherwise. I hated it with every fiber of my soul and as you know I am not usually a harsh movie critic.

Bah. Ruined. Destroyed. Will never watch it again. I'll watch the first 5 then listen to the audio CD of this one thank you.