"Would that this desk were a time desk..."
I love/hate Community right now. This last episode was amazing! From the conspiracy movie take-off with its gloomy music and Troy and Abed's epic blanket fort, I was rolling. I'd have thoughts, but most of them would just be mad giggles. The only thing I didn't like was that the show might be exploring Jeff/Annie again. Please don't, Show. It kind of creeps me out. Unfortunately, it seems to be going that way. I'll put up with it because the rest of the show is so awesome. But they better put this ship to bed (and maybe go back to Troy/Annie. I miss that ship).
I haven't seen Deathly Hallows yet, but I've read a few people's thoughts on it and am prepared to love/hate it as well. The fact is, no movie is ever going to measure up to the book. I can think of only a few instances where it has or, even more rarely, turned out to improve on the book (the only one I can think of off-hand is Dolores Claibourne, though I know there are more). I'm always prepared to be mildly disappointed, but the HP movies seem to disappoint me more and more each time from a character standpoint. I have no real problem with Harry. He's been done well enough. It's Ron and Hermione who've been over or underused, here.
In the books, Hermione has quirks and flaws. Of course, she's scarily intelligent and resourceful, but she's not a perfect paragon. She tends to obsess about her grades and about rules and goes overboard standing on principle. That's one of the reasons Book Ron balances her. He tends to call her on her crazy with his snarky, but insightful, remarks and she calls him on his typical boy laziness as she knows he's not working up to his potential (she also calls Harry on this as well as the two of them sometimes team up against her, something else that's absent from the movies). Gradually, you see this push-pull turn into more of an understanding of each other. This has not progressed in the movies because Movie Hermione has no flaws. And Movie Ron is just snarky and lazy without intelligence. And why is he unintelligent? Because every line or moment that would show his better qualities has been given to Hermione. The first movie was fine and, character wise, stuck to the book. From Chamber on, it started with Hermione explaining what Mudblood meant. It's been downhill since. By the time HBP came out, we have Hermione and Harry gazing off into the sunset, bonding while Ron sits off to the side. How am I supposed to root for this couple? In the books, I do. But if I saw the movies without reading them, I would be, at this point, why Hermione seems to like that useless Ron. And what kind of trio is this?
In the books, Harry isn't closer to either. I'd say he cares about them equally and needs them for different reasons. The first movie got that right, I think. But since, it's been all Harry and Hermione with a very grudging side of Ron. In fact, not only have the movies screwed up Ron/Hermione, Ron/Harry is also nonexistent. In the books, there's a bond between these two, there's a little Harry/Ron vs. Hermione. They're normal boys and they get lazy, they can be insensitive. She tends to nag and scold them. It's not there in the movies.Harry and Hermione run around being awesome while Ron stands off to the side, shuffling his feet. Why? Because all of his lines and actions have been given to Hermione. Not just his moments of bravery, but his knowledge of the wizarding world. They've been getting it wrong.
And, ship-wise. they're really getting it wrong. I keep coming back to this because I ship Ron and Hermione like nuts. In fact, if anyone wants to know how wrong they're getting it, look at Ebert. I love Roger Ebert. Every time I see a movie (either before or after), I need to read his review. I don't always agree with him, but I appreciate his thoughts and insight. I've grown up reading him. He's my Movie Dad. But just look what he had to say here:
This isolation serves two purposes. It helps conceal them from Voldemort. Especially after Ron Weasley seems to live up to his name and weasel out, it allows Harry and Hermione to become closer friends than ever, confidants, and even, yes, in love. They share a kiss so chaste that passion seems a stranger to them; they might as well be observing a formal ritual. And they are nude, or almost nude, as they stand close to each other and ghostly CGI mists obscure all the naughty bits as efficiently as fig leaves.
Roger Ebert is not a stupid man. He obviously hasn't read the books, but he has seen each movie and given his thoughts. I was wondering how he could possibly think Harry and Hermione were falling in love or think Ron was a weasel. Then I realized that he can't come to any other conclusion because that's what the movies have been selling. How many other people haven't read the books and are going to watch this movie thinking Hermione and Harry are going to get together? Probably a lot.
It really is a shame. Rupert Grint is a good actor and has grown a lot. He's gotten great reviews for his work outside the HP movies. He's (in my opinion) the better looking of the two boys and they've wasted him up till now. Now they have no choice but to follow canon, but I bet it's going to be as grudging as possible. I ship BookRon and BookHermione like mad. I also ship MovieRon and MovieHermione, but without as good a reason because they screwed it up.
Anyway, going to see the movie ASAP, but I'm prepared to be disappointed.
I haven't seen Deathly Hallows yet, but I've read a few people's thoughts on it and am prepared to love/hate it as well. The fact is, no movie is ever going to measure up to the book. I can think of only a few instances where it has or, even more rarely, turned out to improve on the book (the only one I can think of off-hand is Dolores Claibourne, though I know there are more). I'm always prepared to be mildly disappointed, but the HP movies seem to disappoint me more and more each time from a character standpoint. I have no real problem with Harry. He's been done well enough. It's Ron and Hermione who've been over or underused, here.
In the books, Hermione has quirks and flaws. Of course, she's scarily intelligent and resourceful, but she's not a perfect paragon. She tends to obsess about her grades and about rules and goes overboard standing on principle. That's one of the reasons Book Ron balances her. He tends to call her on her crazy with his snarky, but insightful, remarks and she calls him on his typical boy laziness as she knows he's not working up to his potential (she also calls Harry on this as well as the two of them sometimes team up against her, something else that's absent from the movies). Gradually, you see this push-pull turn into more of an understanding of each other. This has not progressed in the movies because Movie Hermione has no flaws. And Movie Ron is just snarky and lazy without intelligence. And why is he unintelligent? Because every line or moment that would show his better qualities has been given to Hermione. The first movie was fine and, character wise, stuck to the book. From Chamber on, it started with Hermione explaining what Mudblood meant. It's been downhill since. By the time HBP came out, we have Hermione and Harry gazing off into the sunset, bonding while Ron sits off to the side. How am I supposed to root for this couple? In the books, I do. But if I saw the movies without reading them, I would be, at this point, why Hermione seems to like that useless Ron. And what kind of trio is this?
In the books, Harry isn't closer to either. I'd say he cares about them equally and needs them for different reasons. The first movie got that right, I think. But since, it's been all Harry and Hermione with a very grudging side of Ron. In fact, not only have the movies screwed up Ron/Hermione, Ron/Harry is also nonexistent. In the books, there's a bond between these two, there's a little Harry/Ron vs. Hermione. They're normal boys and they get lazy, they can be insensitive. She tends to nag and scold them. It's not there in the movies.Harry and Hermione run around being awesome while Ron stands off to the side, shuffling his feet. Why? Because all of his lines and actions have been given to Hermione. Not just his moments of bravery, but his knowledge of the wizarding world. They've been getting it wrong.
And, ship-wise. they're really getting it wrong. I keep coming back to this because I ship Ron and Hermione like nuts. In fact, if anyone wants to know how wrong they're getting it, look at Ebert. I love Roger Ebert. Every time I see a movie (either before or after), I need to read his review. I don't always agree with him, but I appreciate his thoughts and insight. I've grown up reading him. He's my Movie Dad. But just look what he had to say here:
This isolation serves two purposes. It helps conceal them from Voldemort. Especially after Ron Weasley seems to live up to his name and weasel out, it allows Harry and Hermione to become closer friends than ever, confidants, and even, yes, in love. They share a kiss so chaste that passion seems a stranger to them; they might as well be observing a formal ritual. And they are nude, or almost nude, as they stand close to each other and ghostly CGI mists obscure all the naughty bits as efficiently as fig leaves.
Roger Ebert is not a stupid man. He obviously hasn't read the books, but he has seen each movie and given his thoughts. I was wondering how he could possibly think Harry and Hermione were falling in love or think Ron was a weasel. Then I realized that he can't come to any other conclusion because that's what the movies have been selling. How many other people haven't read the books and are going to watch this movie thinking Hermione and Harry are going to get together? Probably a lot.
It really is a shame. Rupert Grint is a good actor and has grown a lot. He's gotten great reviews for his work outside the HP movies. He's (in my opinion) the better looking of the two boys and they've wasted him up till now. Now they have no choice but to follow canon, but I bet it's going to be as grudging as possible. I ship BookRon and BookHermione like mad. I also ship MovieRon and MovieHermione, but without as good a reason because they screwed it up.
Anyway, going to see the movie ASAP, but I'm prepared to be disappointed.