NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM RULES! (also, I'm still alive!)
First semester of working on my masters' degree is over! (well, I still have one learning reflection to go, but that's not due till Monday!) It is completely and utterly awesome. I always felt a little out-of-step in working on my mass communication degree, like I didn't completely belong there - everyone else seemed to be on a wavelength that I could never quite reach. It was different on the job, of course - I liked working for the papers in New Hampshire. I have nothing but utter contempt for the one I left in May.
As soon as I met the other LIS students, though, it was like that moment in AVPS: "Where have you been all my life?" "In a cupboard, under some stairs!" Two of my courses were online, and while I miss the in-class experience, I really look up to a professor that teaches from her home in California (and whom I'm hoping can help guide me through reference and potential future jobs!) I even managed to pick up some extra work helping the undergraduate library convert its extensive collection from Dewey to LC. And the libraries here, oh my God. I swear when I went into the Main Stacks, where they keep several million volumes on ten floors, folios and books from the 18th century, dark and with little light, like a setting from "The Historian," I swear I could have cried. Not only that, but they have dozens upon dozens of other smaller libraries scattered throughout the campus, with specialized collections. I'm the luckiest girl in the world. And my room is filled with books! (not that I have time to read much outside of schoolwork!)
Finally, though, I got to see the last Harry Potter movie. Had a huge presentation due on the morning of July 15, so waiting in line to see it at midnight, as appealing as it really did sound, was not a reality for me. Neither was finding the time to go see it until exams were mostly over.
My big impression? This wasn't Harry's movie, this was Neville's movie. And it rocked SO HARD. It wasn't just Neville being a total badass in killing Nagini and saving Hermione and Ron as Harry dueled with Voldemort, allowing him to kill him. It wasn't just him leading the Trio home to Hogwarts. And it wasn't just him willingly acting as the bait to get the Death Eaters on the rigged bridge. (Nice work, there, Seamus) It was showing that Neville had grown into both manhood and leadership. The part where he limps forward and the Death Eaters all burst into laughter at him - it's so representative of Neville's entire life. Everyone, even his friends have laughed at him. And yet, Neville makes what is arguably the most motivating, heart-warming speech in the film, reminding everyone that they've lost friends, but that's okay - they're still in their hearts, and it's one more reason to keep fighting. And then he flourishes the Sword of Gryffindor. And I love him all charged-up with success after the bridge - "I'm going to go tell Luna I love her!" - to be followed by the two of them sitting somewhat awkwardly together after the battle.
Things I really liked:
- Hermione as Bellatrix, especially her wobbling around in those insane heels
- The scene inside Bellatrix's vault - they really got the "drowning in treasure" effect right
- Hermione freeing the Gringott's dragon and the three of them holding on like mad as the dragon takes its revenge on the goblins - SPEW's founder has officially gone the "House Elf Liberation Front" route.
- Neville's arrival, and the arrival of the Trio into the Room of Requirement - the hugs and the snark. Ron and Seamus taking a moment to snipe at each other is especially hilarious.
- That moment, as the Malfoys grimly survey Voldemort's mass murder at Hogwarts, and you see the resolve in Narcissa's eyes, the little look back at her family
- The arrival of the Order of the Phoenix, especially when McGonagall jumps in front of Harry and duels with Snape, then takes charge of the school and its defenses like she's done this a million times before. Her little moment of glee with Molly was wonderful, as were the other professors standing up to cast protective charms over the school, right down to Slughorn, who finally chose a side. Also love that McGonagall even finds a teachable moment - telling Seamus to put his explosive talents to use. Ten to one that kid goes to work in demolitions.
- "Harry talks in his sleep." HA!
- Luna shrieking at Harry. Someone needs to, and someone finally needs to take Luna seriously.
- The Death Eaters standing on the hill with Voldemort - put me in fond remembrance of the movie version of the Battle of Helm's Deep. Wonderful cinematography.
- The Room of Requirement fire was awesome, especially the Cornish pixies hanging about, and Ron screaming down the corridor.
- Voldemort slapping Lucius Malfoy - when the Dark Lord doesn't even want to waste an Avada Kedavra on you, you know you're in his contempt
- Snape's death scene - Alan Rickman has consistently hit it out of the park with every movie, and this was no exception
- Snape's memories - putting aside the fact that Young Lily had brown eyes, not green, that whole sequence was really affecting. Those tears when he finds Lily's body...
- Hermione kicks Greyback's tail (poor Lavender, though)
- When Hermione and Ron meet Harry before he gives himself up to Voldemort. Hermione's denial, her plea to go with him - it's a wonderful nod to the bond of the friends
- The scene where Harry meets the shades of his parents, Lupin, and Sirius - probably some of Radcliffe's finest acting
- All of the Neville bad-assery
- The fact that Malfoy really hesitates before going over to join his parents. As much as he loves them, you can see the battle inside his head. Add to that Draco's look of terror when Voldemort embraces him. Some people have pointed out that the Malfoys hightailing it out of there before battle's end isn't the way the book goes, but the sequence of events is changed in the movie. Given that there's more of a break in action after Harry reveals himself to be alive, it's entirely plausible that Voldemort would figure out that Narcissa lied, and kill the Malfoys in one fell swoop.
- Harry hugging Hagrid. Hagrid didn't have much to do in this movie, and he's been quite important to the story up until the last book
- I did like seeing Draco hugging his son in the future - he's actually smiling instead of sneering - while I'm not a fan of this scene in the book, I do like how they presented it. Yes, I can look over the fact that the young actors don't completely look as old as they actually are, let alone in their mid-thirties.
Things I didn't like so much:
- When your friend who has acted like bait for Death Eaters is clinging to the bridge like Gandalf in Moria, don't just stand there, idiot children! Go help him!
- The Harry/Ginny kiss. It just seemed kind of off - and no, I'm not coming from a shipping perspective.
- Harry's blithe use of an Unforgivable with no real discussion of 'necessary evil' and all that
- The whole Aberforth scene - if you don't have the time to let him explain the whole story, don't get into it at all. I did like Cieran Hinds, though.
- The Grey Lady scene. Helena Ravenclaw's temper tantrum is more than a bit drawn out
- Hermione destroys the Hufflepuff Cup Horcrux, no problem. When Harry destroyed the diary, its spirit tried to kill him. When Dumbledore destroys the ring, it kills his hand and gives him a death sentence. When Ron destroyed the locket, it tried to turn him to its side, playing on his vulnerabilities. The diadem is destroyed in a tremendously dangerous firestorm as the Trio decides to save Malfoy and Zabini's lives and risk their own, Neville has to face all his insecurities and fears to kill Nagini, Harry has to die to kill the one in him. When Hermione destroys the cup...there are some waves? Very anticlimactic, especially in something that I'd pinned a lot of hopes on.
- Fred's death. Not just because I like Fred, but because we didn't see it - only the aftermath. Seeing Fred die in front of them really made the battle that much more real in the book, and it's kind of glossed over here.
- Molly and Bellatrix's duel. It's abbreviated, and instead of just Avada'ing Bellatrix, Molly does something to make her explode? WTF?
- Ginny totally poaches McGonagall's "No!" at the sight of Harry's body
- Ron and Hermione glowing, holding hands, looking like they've come in from snogging when Harry meets them in the aftermath. THERE IS A TIME AND A PLACE, RON WEASLEY, AND AN HOUR AFTER YOUR BROTHER HAS DIED IS NOT ONE OF THEM. Seriously, I found that off-putting, though I've never been a fan of the Ron/Hermione ship to begin with. (I'm more of a Hermione/Anyone besides Ron shipper)