{"id":1806,"date":"2011-07-18T17:42:02","date_gmt":"2011-07-19T00:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hotnerdgirl.wordpress.com\/?p=1806"},"modified":"2024-02-27T09:47:37","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T09:47:37","slug":"harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-2-the-end-of-an-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hotnerdgirl.com\/index.php\/2011\/07\/18\/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-2-the-end-of-an-era\/","title":{"rendered":"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 – the End of an Era"},"content":{"rendered":"
The other Incredible Trio - HNG, Hayden and Melanie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yes, I cried.<\/p>\n

Quite a bit at one point.<\/p>\n

And while the scenes were touching and poignant and emotional and all that good stuff, a large part of it was a sense of mourning that this was it. \u00a0No more books and now, no more movies either.\u00a0 The posters and billboards plastered everywhere are clear: \u201cIt All Ends.\u201d\u00a0 Truth in advertising for once.\u00a0 And for once, I\u2019m devastated that it\u2019s actually true.\u00a0 I went through this emotional rollercoaster after reading the final book as well and it\u2019s certainly not a new thing for me.\u00a0 When I truly commit myself to a franchise (especially books) I go through major withdrawals when it is finished.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing about Harry Potter<\/em>\u00a0and the genius of JK Rowling…yes, you know<\/span> that it is a global phenomenon and that you are far from unique in your passion for Harry and Hogwarts, but it feels<\/span> as though it has been written just for you and you alone.\u00a0 I can think of no greater praise for an author.<\/p>\n

Below are some thoughts that I\u2019ve jotted down after seeing the final film.<\/p>\n

[youtube=http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mObK5XD8udk&feature=related]<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t read the books or seen the last movie and plan to, you know what I\u2019m about to say: spoilers, spoilers, spoilers!!<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Certain characters have really gotten ignored in the movies.\u00a0 I\u2019ve already lamented the underuse of Fleur and Bill in my review of Part 1<\/a>\u00a0but this movie really brought home how little we\u2019ve seen of Lupin and Tonks\u00a0in the two-part finale.\u00a0 In Part 1 they tried to tell Harry that they had gotten married but before Tonks\u00a0could get a word out they were brushed aside for the \u201cSeven Harry\u2019s\u201d scene.\u00a0 A funny and awesome scene but those who haven\u2019t read the books had no idea that they had made a huge commitment despite enormous adversity.\u00a0 In Part 2 they cut out all of Lupin\u2019s visits to Harry.\u00a0 Both the one at Grimmauld\u00a0Place where\u00a0Lupin tells Harry they are expecting a baby and has his freak out AND the one at Shell Cottage when Lupin happily announces that they have a son and asks Harry to be the Godfather.\u00a0 Without these scenes their deaths during the first battle of Hogwarts is lessened emotionally.\u00a0 Not the end of the world but sad nonetheless.<\/li>\n
  2. In that same vein\u2026I\u2019m not sure why they felt the need to replace the Creevey brothers with a new character named Nigel.\u00a0 Nigel\u2019s death took the place of Colin\u2019s but it wasn\u2019t nearly as gut-wrenching as in the book.<\/li>\n
  3. I also would have liked to have seen Fred\u2019s death as he fought alongside Percy, the brother who had turned his back on them for years.\u00a0 A little bit of slow-motion and some sad music as the wall explodes and Fred collapses while Harry looks at the people dying all around him would have reduced me to sobbing mess.\u00a0 It probably would have been a little clich\u00e9 as well but I don\u2019t care.<\/li>\n
  4. It was an interesting choice to have the younger students running around during the battle instead of being escorted out before the fighting began.\u00a0 I actually didn\u2019t mind this choice.\u00a0 I thought it added to the chaos and horror of the battle.<\/li>\n
  5. Ciaran\u00a0Hinds was a wonderful addition as Aberforth\u00a0Dumbledore.\u00a0 I especially loved when they showed him leading a charge in the fight.<\/li>\n
  6. Certain locations become as beloved as characters – Hogsmead, the Burrow, Grimmauld Place.\u00a0 So I was a little disappointed that Snape\u2019s big moment took place at a boat dock instead of at the Shrieking Shack.<\/li>\n
  7. Speaking of Snape.\u00a0 He is so central to the story and yet we see so little of him.\u00a0 Alan Rickman takes full advantage of every moment he is given which makes it all the more tragic that we don\u2019t see more of the story from his perspective.\u00a0 The same goes for Neville in many ways.\u00a0 I would have liked for them to go in to how it could have just as easily been Neville who became The Chose One and how, ultimately, it was Voldemort who chose Harry over Neville.<\/li>\n
  8. The Gringott\u2019s dragon was brilliant!\u00a0 Half blind and practically albino from decades upon decades of being trapped underground.\u00a0 It was a heart wrenching to see the scars and open wounds from the chains and to see it cower at the threat of being punished.\u00a0 I practically cheered out loud when the dragon was freed as part of the Big Three\u2019s escape plan.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019ve been desensitized by violence in the movies, but I find it more difficult to watch animals (even CGI ones) being hurt than people.\u00a0 There\u2019s probably something profoundly wrong with me for feeling that way, but meh.<\/li>\n
  9. There was a ton of battling going on in this movie but I kind of wanted more.\u00a0 I missed the part when Harry runs into Hagrid\u00a0inside the castle and it leads him to figure out where the Diadem is.\u00a0 The more Hagrid\u00a0the merrier and it was a bummer to have to wait until Harry\u2019s \u201cdeath\u201d to see some Robbie Coltrane.\u00a0 I was also disappointed that they left out the centaurs and Grawp\u00a0joining in on the battle.\u00a0 Especially Grawp.\u00a0 We barely saw poor Professor\u2019s Sprout and Trelawny.\u00a0 Thank GOD they left in Mrs. Weasley\u2019s battle with Bellatrix and the \u201cbitch\u201d line!\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why but of everything else I was sooo worried they would take that out!\u00a0 Thank you Mr. Yates for not letting me down!<\/li>\n
  10. In the book, the moment when Mrs. Weasley\u00a0kills Bellatrix leads us to the final duel between Harry and Voldemort\u2026in the middle of the school surrounded by fellow wizard warriors NOT by themselves in an abandoned courtyard.\u00a0 I did like the part where they flew around together and sort of apparated into one.\u00a0 That was pretty cool.<\/li>\n
  11. Call me sentimental but I love the part when Harry uses the Resurrection Stone to surround himself with loved ones as he’s about to die.<\/li>\n
  12. I don’t think we could have asked for a better actor to play Voldemort\u00a0than Ralph Fiennes.\u00a0 Like Rickman, he doesn’t waste a single syllable when he speaks.\u00a0 Every\u00a0second is a\u00a0bit of evil to be savored.\u00a0 I’ve gotten a real kick out of watching him slither these past 6 years.<\/li>\n
  13. In the book Dumbledore\u00a0spends a good chunk of his time in King\u2019s Cross with Harry explaining his past actions and what led him to change his ways, abandoning and eventually defeating his former BFF\u00a0Grindelwald.\u00a0 It humanizes Dumbledore\u00a0and gives him a chance to defend himself against all of the horrible things that were said about him after his death.\u00a0 I honestly don\u2019t think that Dumbledore\u00a0cares about what anyone thinks about him, with the exception of Harry.\u00a0 He also clarifies what we\u2019ve suspected since Hermione told us the story of the Deathly Hallows – that Harry\u2019s invisibility cloak is THE cloak.\u00a0 Readers of the book know all of this but non-readers have been left in the dark.\u00a0 I could tell exactly who the non-readers were in our theatre by their reaction to the baby Voldemort under the King\u2019s Cross bench.\u00a0 I missed at least 3 lines of dialogue while they acted grossed out by it.<\/li>\n
  14. I don’t remember Harry snapping the Elder Wand in two.\u00a0 If I remember correctly, he puts it back in Dumbledore’s tomb.\u00a0 That was a little weird and caused several members of our theatre audience to yell at the screen.<\/li>\n
  15. The epilogue was done beautifully.\u00a0 My only complaint here is the absence of Teddy and Victoire.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    As I mentioned on facebook, I saw this movie simultaneously in D-Box and 3D.\u00a0 The 3D was a complete waste.\u00a0 I dislike post-production 3D to begin with and this just goes to show you that, even when they take a long time to \u201cdo it right\u201d it isn\u2019t worth it.\u00a0 The darkness of the movie only further hinders the 3D conversion and anytime there was white on the screen there was an obvious \u201cscreen door\u201d effect where I could see the texture of the movie screen material.\u00a0 Very distracting.\u00a0 I\u2019m looking forward to seeing the movie again without the 3D.\u00a0 That, and our theatre was too cheap to get the awesome Harry Potter-shaped 3D glasses.\u00a0 Lame.<\/p>\n

    The D-Box is awesome.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t find it as effective as I did during Super 8<\/a>\u00a0but I chalk that up to them vibrating our seats every time a wand was flicked.\u00a0 Sometimes right before or after the wand action so it didn\u2019t synch up quite right.\u00a0 It was the most fun during the cart ride under Gringott\u2019s and the part where Harry and Voldemort are flying around together.<\/p>\n

    Again<\/a>, I feel like I\u2019m speaking more critically of it then I really mean to.\u00a0 The truth is that I\u2019m ecstatic that they ended the franchise with the best film yet.\u00a0 The movies can\u2019t have everything the books do and I know and accept this.\u00a0 The fact that they\u2019ve made a brilliant movie that lives up to the hype is a major accomplishment.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen most of the films on opening night with Hayden and we both agreed that this was a seriously grand finale (although I think Hayden and Melanie would have liked to use the Resurrection Stone to bring back Richard Harris for all of the films).<\/p>\n

    Bravo Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint\u00a0and Emma Watson for doing good by\u00a0three beloved characters.\u00a0 Bravo Alan Rickman and all of the veteran actors who have contributed the genius of their craft over the past decade.\u00a0 Bravo Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell and David Yates for directing 8 wonderful films.\u00a0 And BRAVO JK Rowling for creating a brilliant and fleshed out magical world and allowing us to visit it.<\/p>\n

    Take THAT Voldemort! You're welcome Harry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Five out of Five Sci-Fives! Yeah!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Yes, I cried. Quite a bit at one point. And while the scenes were touching and poignant and emotional and all that good stuff, a large part of it was a sense of mourning that this was it. \u00a0No more books and now, no more movies either.\u00a0 The posters and billboards plastered everywhere are clear: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[28,11,12],"tags":[407,424,432,811,864,1055],"class_list":["post-1806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-movie","category-reviews","category-sci-fi","tag-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows","tag-hermione","tag-hogwarts","tag-ron-weasley","tag-snape","tag-voldemort"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hotnerdgirl.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hotnerdgirl.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hotnerdgirl.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotnerdgirl.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotnerdgirl.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotnerdgirl.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1806\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hotnerdgirl.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotnerdgirl.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotnerdgirl.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}