Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One
So, I saw Part One last night. Yesterday was crazy-busy, insanely scheduled--work 9-5, more work 5-7, only I left early for the show. Rush to get to the show, rush around like crazy because the shirt and pants of my costume were missing so I had to wear the pants I work to work (brown matchstick cords, they went pretty well with my riding boots) and Duncan's shirt, which is already huge on HIM! Tim was at the show last night so he was able to give me a ride back into the city. I'd already bought my tickets online so in theory I should've just been able to pick them up at one of the machines but they were not working correctly--none of them, I tried four. Very frustrating, pretty much negating the whole point of those machines in the first place, since I had to get in line to get the ticket.
So--I may never see a movie like this again on opening night, unless I go in a group or something. My enjoyment of the movie was significantly impacted by the group of three youths on my left who snickered, whispered loudly and offered commentary on such engrossing topics as "Dat niggah's nose" and "she be sucking his dick" and the like. I tried to ignore it but it was getting pretty bad. The worst was the scene in the cemetery when they showed Lily and James's grave--I heard "here lies dat niggah's nose" which provoked another round of chortles. Thanks for ruining a beautiful scene, assholes. Variously people around them would tell them sssshhh, and they would quiet down for a few minutes and then it would start up again. Finally, toward the end I turned directly to them and asked them to be quiet, they were really loud. They took it pretty well but JESUS. Shut the fuck up. Any noise would be bad, much less that filth coming out of your mouth. Why would you go to to a HARRY POTTER film on opening night if you're just going to talk through it? SHUT THE FUCK UP.
Anyway--this did cut into my concentration quite a bit--I really couldn't immerse myself into the move the way I would've liked. So I want to see it again, in better conditions. That said:
*They actually show Hermione obliviating her parents which was great. But they never explain why! I do think the movie may be a bit beyond people who only see the movies and haven't read the books--and there are more of those people than you think.
*The scene at the table at Malfoy Manor was GREAT. Snape, Charity Burbage, Draco's horror, Lucius's humiliation and then finally "Dinner, Nagini." GREAT. Just fantastic.
*The Durseleys' exit from Number 4 Privet Place was really cut short. No almost-moment from Aunt Petunia, no epiphany from Dudley. I love that exchange--Dudley acknowledging that Harry saved his life was a great moment.
*I kind of wish I'd seen more of the Battle Over Little Whinging. What they showed was fantastic, absolutely terrifying "Night of the Valkyrie" stuff, all in the clouds with terrifying creatures on broomsticks. And Hedwig's death was actually super-ballsy--Harry lets her go right before they left so she was flying along with them and she frontally attacks a Death Eater.
*There is a super-sweet moment between Fred and George when Fred sees George on the couch bleeding. Ooooh, twins--you make my heart hurt so. I'm already welling up in anticipation of the next movie.
*They short-changed Kreacher's transformation. I happen to love Kreacher, he's one of my favorite characters, and was a little disappointed in this. I love that after two books' worth of calling the three of them terrible names, they finally figure out what the key is--treat him with respect and acknowledge his love for his former masters. I love how after that he even starts addressing Hermione respectfully. "Perhaps just one more, Master, for good luck?"
*The attack on the Ministry was more compact--maybe a little rushed but pretty faithful to it. And very funny! There's a good amount of humor in it, including when the Polyjuice effect starts wearing off. Yaxley is more terrifying than in the book, where he's kind of a thug. LOVED that shot panning upward to where you see the Dementors just waiting...
*Ron's splinching was horrifying. *Shiver*
*I like how they built up Ron's anger and frustration prior to leaving. They added some few little things here and there but it worked. And the scene where the snatchers sensed her was great. Although who was this random Head Snatcher? Why isn't Fenrir Greyback featured more? One of the most terrifying creatures in the HP universe--why is he just in the background? He's hardly in the torture scene at Malfoy Manor and he's one of the reasons it's so scary--not only is Voldemort on the way (except I guess he's not now--in the movie Lucius doesn't actually press his Dark Mark, does he?) but afterward, Bellatrix is going to hand Hermione over to Fenrir who's been slavering over her. "Delicious girl...I do enjoy the softness of the skin..." AAAAAAUUUGH, TOO SCARY. But he's hardly in the movie.
*I did like the scene where the Death Eaters stop and search the train. "He's not here, losers." Go, Sassy!Neville.
*The attack on the Horcrux was great. From the doe appearing, to the pond and the locket fighting back, to the vision--Horcrux!Hermione and Horcrux!Harry were GREAT. I loved their creamy sheen--"who could ever choose you over Harry Potter? You are nothing, nothing, nothing to him." Although I did wish Harry had said his little speech afterward, about how she'd cried for a week afterward and they were like brother and sister.
*Bathilda Bagshot--ooooh God. So gross and scary. Hermione seeing the blood and the flies---AAAAAUGH. I do wish we'd had a stronger sense that Voldemort was involved--in the book Harry hears Voldemort saying "Hold him!" so it's more clear that yes, Voldemort set this up, Nagini isn't just some kind of badass snake venturing out on her own. They also seemed to brush over the loss of Harry's wand pretty easily.
*The scene at Malfoy Manor. For the most part this was great, especially that long look between Draco and Harry. Draco, Draco, you are in it this bad. Get the eff out of there. Bella, my love, never stop bringing the crazy. I just love that character, she's just so committed to the insanity. (I loved her in the first scene at MM, when she helpfully offers to kill Harry Potter.) The torture scene is AWFUL. Carving "mudblood" on Hermione? AWFUL. But--they eliminated Peter Pettigrew's death--I LOVED that. Undone by his one last act of humanity. And there was a surprising amount of humor in the scene, especially with Dobbie. "Can you just Apparate in and out of here?" "Uh, yeah--I'm an elf."
*They left out nearly all the Lupin-Tonks story which--I get why but I still wish...I love the scene when Lupin tries to join them and Harry's like "no the hell way--you have a wife and child, you need to be with them." And then later on PotterWatch when Lupin says "His instincts are good and nearly always right." Such a sweet implicit apology. But all of that was cut (including the PotterWatch scene which I loved. Anything with the twins I love. "I am not being 'Rodent,' no way, I told you I wanted to be 'Rapier'!").
*Luna is great, as always. They changed the scene at Xenophilus's house a bit, but it still works.
So overall I loved it but will be going back soon to catch it again, hopefully with a better audience! I just couldn't immerse myself the way I wanted to.
So--I may never see a movie like this again on opening night, unless I go in a group or something. My enjoyment of the movie was significantly impacted by the group of three youths on my left who snickered, whispered loudly and offered commentary on such engrossing topics as "Dat niggah's nose" and "she be sucking his dick" and the like. I tried to ignore it but it was getting pretty bad. The worst was the scene in the cemetery when they showed Lily and James's grave--I heard "here lies dat niggah's nose" which provoked another round of chortles. Thanks for ruining a beautiful scene, assholes. Variously people around them would tell them sssshhh, and they would quiet down for a few minutes and then it would start up again. Finally, toward the end I turned directly to them and asked them to be quiet, they were really loud. They took it pretty well but JESUS. Shut the fuck up. Any noise would be bad, much less that filth coming out of your mouth. Why would you go to to a HARRY POTTER film on opening night if you're just going to talk through it? SHUT THE FUCK UP.
Anyway--this did cut into my concentration quite a bit--I really couldn't immerse myself into the move the way I would've liked. So I want to see it again, in better conditions. That said:
*They actually show Hermione obliviating her parents which was great. But they never explain why! I do think the movie may be a bit beyond people who only see the movies and haven't read the books--and there are more of those people than you think.
*The scene at the table at Malfoy Manor was GREAT. Snape, Charity Burbage, Draco's horror, Lucius's humiliation and then finally "Dinner, Nagini." GREAT. Just fantastic.
*The Durseleys' exit from Number 4 Privet Place was really cut short. No almost-moment from Aunt Petunia, no epiphany from Dudley. I love that exchange--Dudley acknowledging that Harry saved his life was a great moment.
*I kind of wish I'd seen more of the Battle Over Little Whinging. What they showed was fantastic, absolutely terrifying "Night of the Valkyrie" stuff, all in the clouds with terrifying creatures on broomsticks. And Hedwig's death was actually super-ballsy--Harry lets her go right before they left so she was flying along with them and she frontally attacks a Death Eater.
*There is a super-sweet moment between Fred and George when Fred sees George on the couch bleeding. Ooooh, twins--you make my heart hurt so. I'm already welling up in anticipation of the next movie.
*They short-changed Kreacher's transformation. I happen to love Kreacher, he's one of my favorite characters, and was a little disappointed in this. I love that after two books' worth of calling the three of them terrible names, they finally figure out what the key is--treat him with respect and acknowledge his love for his former masters. I love how after that he even starts addressing Hermione respectfully. "Perhaps just one more, Master, for good luck?"
*The attack on the Ministry was more compact--maybe a little rushed but pretty faithful to it. And very funny! There's a good amount of humor in it, including when the Polyjuice effect starts wearing off. Yaxley is more terrifying than in the book, where he's kind of a thug. LOVED that shot panning upward to where you see the Dementors just waiting...
*Ron's splinching was horrifying. *Shiver*
*I like how they built up Ron's anger and frustration prior to leaving. They added some few little things here and there but it worked. And the scene where the snatchers sensed her was great. Although who was this random Head Snatcher? Why isn't Fenrir Greyback featured more? One of the most terrifying creatures in the HP universe--why is he just in the background? He's hardly in the torture scene at Malfoy Manor and he's one of the reasons it's so scary--not only is Voldemort on the way (except I guess he's not now--in the movie Lucius doesn't actually press his Dark Mark, does he?) but afterward, Bellatrix is going to hand Hermione over to Fenrir who's been slavering over her. "Delicious girl...I do enjoy the softness of the skin..." AAAAAAUUUGH, TOO SCARY. But he's hardly in the movie.
*I did like the scene where the Death Eaters stop and search the train. "He's not here, losers." Go, Sassy!Neville.
*The attack on the Horcrux was great. From the doe appearing, to the pond and the locket fighting back, to the vision--Horcrux!Hermione and Horcrux!Harry were GREAT. I loved their creamy sheen--"who could ever choose you over Harry Potter? You are nothing, nothing, nothing to him." Although I did wish Harry had said his little speech afterward, about how she'd cried for a week afterward and they were like brother and sister.
*Bathilda Bagshot--ooooh God. So gross and scary. Hermione seeing the blood and the flies---AAAAAUGH. I do wish we'd had a stronger sense that Voldemort was involved--in the book Harry hears Voldemort saying "Hold him!" so it's more clear that yes, Voldemort set this up, Nagini isn't just some kind of badass snake venturing out on her own. They also seemed to brush over the loss of Harry's wand pretty easily.
*The scene at Malfoy Manor. For the most part this was great, especially that long look between Draco and Harry. Draco, Draco, you are in it this bad. Get the eff out of there. Bella, my love, never stop bringing the crazy. I just love that character, she's just so committed to the insanity. (I loved her in the first scene at MM, when she helpfully offers to kill Harry Potter.) The torture scene is AWFUL. Carving "mudblood" on Hermione? AWFUL. But--they eliminated Peter Pettigrew's death--I LOVED that. Undone by his one last act of humanity. And there was a surprising amount of humor in the scene, especially with Dobbie. "Can you just Apparate in and out of here?" "Uh, yeah--I'm an elf."
*They left out nearly all the Lupin-Tonks story which--I get why but I still wish...I love the scene when Lupin tries to join them and Harry's like "no the hell way--you have a wife and child, you need to be with them." And then later on PotterWatch when Lupin says "His instincts are good and nearly always right." Such a sweet implicit apology. But all of that was cut (including the PotterWatch scene which I loved. Anything with the twins I love. "I am not being 'Rodent,' no way, I told you I wanted to be 'Rapier'!").
*Luna is great, as always. They changed the scene at Xenophilus's house a bit, but it still works.
So overall I loved it but will be going back soon to catch it again, hopefully with a better audience! I just couldn't immerse myself the way I wanted to.