(no subject)

[callarkhamquick]

This is probably just going to be a mesh of random thought, but this is what I have for Deathly Hallows. I didn't enjoy it as much as the others, but I think it's because it felt like it was just very long with not very much happening. I loved seeing 12GP again so don't be surprised if there's random observations in there with the spoilers.

The Odeon was doing a "Wizards Special" where you got popcorn, drink, sweets and a wizards hat. Yes, we were all wearing wizards hats. It looked ridiculous.

• I really liked the rusted logo for the WB, it basically set the tone for the whole film.
• I can't make up my mind if I liked Bill as Rufus or not! He doesn't seem to bring the kind of power and intensity that I always thought Rufus would have, though his first scene does have some of the commanding presence. His accent sometimes sounds vagiely West Country, though I want to say he's trying to do a Welsh twang.
• I'm really sad they cut Dudleys part. To see some redemption for him as a character was a nice part of the film and for the sake of a couple more minutes, that would have been nice.
• It's good to see the Burrow being rebuilt. It gives a sense of continuity.
• Hermione leaving her parents is beautifully shot and well echoed throughout the film. It definitely pulls on the heartstrings.
• I like that, as it's likely the last time we'll see them, the last shot of the Dursleys is Petunia looking utterly miserable.
• The beginning music with the titles really made me think of Durmstrang, the show they put on at Hogwarts. I did wonder if that was deliberate.
• The apparition stuff is very well shot in this one, as are the wards. Particularly Severus walking through them.
• Once again Voldemorts screen presence is fantastic. Foreboding, yet charming. I did like the "Saved you a seat" line.
• Pius is a Death Eater? That's new. It perhaps makes sense but it's still new.
• Our first look at Malfoy Manor was slightly disappointing. For some reason, I thought there'd be more white. At the very least, it was huge and ornate looking and walking in on what looked like a Death Eater tea party was pretty cool.
• Draco, Lucius, Narcissa and Bellatrix all sitting together was a nice little touch and her childlike tones reminded me a little of Drusilla from Buffy. Vicious, intelligent yet with a certain innocence. I did notice how carefully she watched everyone else as well. Once again, I'm blown away by Helena's performance.
• I quite liked the level of fear in the room, especially in the Malfoys. I'm glad they kept in the part about the wand. I've giggling about that since the book. The shaking reactions did give levity to the situation, though it was equally cool to see the cool detatchment with which Severus seemed to see everything.
• Breaking off the ornate end to the wand did make me quite amused. I was also kind of amused that it was black, because for some reason, I thought it wasn't.
• The part with Charity is quite disturbing, particularly as it's Peter keeping her up and Nagini's "dinnertime." The attention to detail, from her begging Snape, to Draco's fright right down to her last tear.
• The DE reaction to muggles and wizards "mating" being to laugh and go 'ewww' does make the fact that there are halfblood death eaters even more interesting.
• Draco's expression of fear and upset is then echoed by Harry in the next scene. And the Guns and Handcuffs crowd go wild!
• I really love that Harry has Gryffindor flags on his bedroom wall. And a tennis racket.
• Seeing the place without furniture has a quiet despair to it that really suited the film.
• The comments on being so glad to see Harry were awesome, particularly Moody's asertation that he was "gorgeous" but they should be off before someone murders him.
• Bill Weasley, exactly how I thought he would be. I like that he "hopes to repay the favour" with Greyback and that he and Fleur are completely adorable. Speaking of...
• Remus commenting on Bill liking raw steaks, then establishing that he and Tonks are married was very blink and you'd miss it, but I still liked it. I also loved how psyched Tonks seemed to be about having a baby.
• Tonks as a blonde. Loved that they kept that.
• The twins reactions with the polyjuice were fabulous, partocularly the worry they would get stuck like that and Moody's experience with Goblin piss.
• "Blimey, Hermione!" is so terribly British, Harry.
• "Bill, look away, I'm hidious." WIN.
• The comments on how bad Harry's eyesight is does show the level polyjuice goes to.
• The little bit with Hagrid having brought him to Privett Drive was nice, if a little sappy.
• There was something quite funny to having Fleur as Harry, especially when going off with Bill.
• Not going to lie, there was a part of me that had a Sirius Black voice in the back of my mind going "What have you done to my bike!", but I liked the thrusters and the botched landing.
• The way Moody rides did make me laugh, to be honest.
• The whole fight in the air scene was wonderfully chaotic. I did like the idea it was Hedwig giving him away and does make sense.
• I like that the DE's do fly in full DE garb. For some reason, I worried they wouldn't.
• I liked the bit with the camper van, because it goes a long way to showing muggle casualties.
• Hedwig is upsetting, but wasn't a starting off point.
• Green vs. Red is all very Star Wars. Still awesome though.
• Am I the only one who thinks that at the end of the flying duel, Voldemort resembled Ursula from the Little Mermaid?
• There is something very fuhny about Molly just doing the dishes. I do like the insanity/normalcy of the whole thing.
• Remus practically attacking Harry over his identity is very reminicent of Didyouputyournameinthegoblet!Dumbledore.
• The holy joke made it in. I'm so happy.
• I love that Hagrids head was too big for the beams. That's sucha common problem in older houses.
• Ron's questions are totally valid. I think I like him better in the last few films than I did before.
• The muted scenes, clothing and colouring are creating one heck of an ambience.
• Rita's book is front page news? Seriously?
• I love the fact Ron plays with that deluminator all the film. It's also nice to see it in general, especially with the call back to the first film.
• George is a creeper with a fork in his ear. That is all I'm going to say. It's awesome.
• No mention of the Tonks. That does make me a little miserable.
• Rufus coming up the path does look like Snape.
• I do like that the Beedle the Bard book does look like it's counterpart in the real world.
• Harry messing about with that Snitch was terribly James.
• The note that everyone seems to forget about Aberforth.
• ....Who was the witch at the wedding with all that info? Was it Muriel?
• The patronus messing is downright amazing looking. Better than I would have thought.
• Remus pushing Harry out of the tent was a nice touch.
• Ron not knowing what a cappucino was = hilarious.
• I love Hermiones neverending bag of stuff. Not only is it very nice looking, but it's a hilarious way of solving everything.
• The workman outfits really threw me off.
• MP3 players = the reason muggles rarely notice magic.
• It's good to see a decent range of Death Eaters being used all of this film. Also, Dolohov is younger than I thought!
• Ron is the first one wanting to kill. This did remind me of the old PoA analysis that Ron is in the Sirius role and it'd a nice echo of the similar relationships and outlooks, as Hermione is downright Remuslike.
• "Ginny and I made a cake." I thought that was adorable.
• The Dumbledore ghost thing in 12GP made everyone jump. I really liked the silence after they stated they're alone.
• The visions are very well done, with a great sense of urgency and helplessness.
• The parlour is exactly how I pictured it, right down to the awful old patterns on the floor. I like seeing it in sunlight, it brings it home it was a home at one point.
• Sirius' room isn't actually more or less what I imagined as well. It's very dark, with muted colours and very cluttered. There's books as well, which I do like because if I was stuck in the house all summer, I'd probably read as well. I like that his name seems to be etched into the door while Regulus got his own plaque.
• Regulus has red sheets. I'm amused.
• I'm sad we don't get the background on Regulus and Kreacher, but especially Kreachers moment where you do start to understand him better.
• I like that 12GP officially has a piano, if nothing more than it supports my mental image.
• Is that Justin Finch-Fletchley and Cho Chang on the train together?
• It's really nice to see Neville starting to come into his own this early in the film.
• The statue isn't what I imagined, but I think it may actually be worse. Fantastic.
• Employee evaluations made me go to a very DSAW place. Umbridge freaks me out, man.
• Scaboir is the living embodiment of a Rodolphus I used to play with. Because of this, I laughed every time I saw him. Brilliantly acted, though.
• Finally a Dobby and Kreacher team up! It's also very win.
• I like that Ron gets his own "hello".
• Umbridge isn't widely known enough that Dung knows her? I do find that interesting. I wonder how much of the Ministrys goings on is under wraps from everyone else.
• LOL DAVES COACHES.
• Okay, that is one way I would not want to get my feet wet by going to the Ministry.
• The whole "Ron and his wife" thing did make me laugh, but it was interesting to see them trying to function as Ministry officials.
• Mad-Eyes Eye was kept in. So freaky looking.
• The perfect purist society thing is very well done, I'm loving the way they did it subtly always in the background.
• Magic hooter bombs sounds like a kinky magazine, but they were totally cool.
• The ornate gold and black is very pretty but also exactly what I was imagining.
• The Dementors were quite chilling, even for the short amount of time they were there.
• What was the cat next to Umbridge? Surely it couldn't be a patronus.
• Harry Potter being "one to the kids" does remind me that yeah, people do know who Harry is most of the time. The fact he's so universally known kind of lost for a bit there so it brought it back.
• Was it just me or did Ministry security look like the french police?
• It's interesting they chose to have Harry have less of an obsession with the Hallows than he does in the book. I'm glad they kept in the evil locket effects though.
• It's good to see the mirror popping up and that Harry knows someone has the other one.
• Harry working out his anger issues on the locket was good to see, it really felt like "this just sucks".
• The Dark Lord whispers will probably be less impressive on the TV but they were cool in the cinema.
• The snatchers with the bodies really drove it home this film is a 12A.
• Ickle!Gellert really works. I wonder if that was him and Albus we caught a glimpse of as they were going through the photo book.
• It's really nice to see the Marauders Map again.
• DC Comics have robbed me of the ability to see anyone in a red hoodie and woobying as anything but Robin material. Watch out, Harry.
• I'm sad we didn't get the Ted reference, but perhaps that'll be in the next one with Teddy being born.
• The entire haircut business was pretty funny and I like that it led into the tension. That was one intense fight. The silence after was beautifully done and eventually, the dancing just to break the tension was really well done and very atmospheric. I just can't help but think something was sacrificed for it and it just felt like a lot of, admittedly pretty, shots for no real reason other than atmosphere when there was already plenty.
• Emma's hair seems far more Hermione like in this one.
• I really liked Godrics Hollow. It really did feel like a little village, like any you'd pass around here.
• The memory of James and Lily dying looks so much better here than it has been previously.
• Bathilda stuff was very freaky. It was like Men In Black, only with suspense.
• Did anyone else start hearing the flies when Harry looks at his half blown apart home?
• By the way, so sad they didn't keep all the support messages or actually listening to the radio other than the list of the missing.
• Everyone jumped with the snake attacks, myself included. That was a Shit Just Got Real moment.
• When they go through the wall, is that into Harry's nursery? It's certainly a childs room, but it makes Godrics Hollow more compact than I would have thought.
• I'm sad we lost Sirius' letter, but it was cool to see Dumbledores.
• The doe patronus is very ghostly, it's a nice callback to PoA. This whole film feels like continuity porn.
• The swerd reveal is very excalibur.
• Hands up if you automatically went "Harry, why didn't you just heat the water up"?
• The Ron reveal was well handled, if mushy when he got back. It's nice to see Harry winding him up about it.
• LOL ANTLERS. Oh, prongs jokes.
• The business with the locket is really intense, much more so than I ever imagined. I'm really impressed.
• I was having such a "Use your hate" moment with Ron and the locket.
• "Harry Potter, give me my wand!" --- WIN. I love the fact she's pissed off and Harry won't give her her wand.
• You know how I knew I was in the company of adults rather than kids? When Ron described the wand as nothing special and 10 inches, half the place cracked up.
• I thought of Marlene when he almost set the tent on fire.
• The voting. Oh, Ron.
• I really felt for Xeno here, in a way I didn't really in the books. Brilliantly acted.
• Whoa, the Three Brothers sequence was bloody good. It was like shadow puppets, though when Antioch gets stabbed, I was surprised by the white blood and how graphic Cadmus' hanging was. Definitely earning it's not suitable for young children stance.
• I swear, this is the last Star Wars allusion I'll pull out, but seriously, how much did Death look like Grievous?
• The name taboo is handled quite well without it being in the forefront.
• Fenrir is very underused, but Scabiors awesome kind of makes up for it. Kind of.
• Malfoy Manor is bloody big. Whoa.
• Bella at the gate was another lovely little moment, as are many of hers around this film. She's not as dismissive of Narcissa, so I hope we see more of that next time. Her Shit Just Got Real moment as she dispatches the snatchers without a thought is pretty cool, as she's spent the rest of the time basically playing games. It's like once she made the decision, she didn't want to fuck around.
• The Malfoys look like hell.
• Again, I'm loving the super creepy relationship between Bella and Draco. Considering Draco is Regulus' echo, it does make me think this is what theirs was like.
• The Hermione and Bella scene was also kind of cool. I like seeing that the obsession with knives isn't totally offbase (same with blood) so it's good to see her like that.
• I really liked Dobby's reaction not only to Luna (who I missed, I love her) and his "Of course, I'm an elf" deadpan.
• Bella being completely incredulous that an elf would try to kill her (well, maim and seriously injure, another great Dobby moment) is hilarious, as is the fact Dobby targets Narcissa.
• Dobby's death and funeral was what got me. It was heartbreaking, perfectly depicted from the book.
• Finally, Voldemort has Dumbledores wand and intends to do evil things with it. ROLL ON JULY.