First Impressions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1
I’m just back from the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. I’m going to share my impressions including spoilers under the cut, so don’t look if you don’t want to know!
I left the theater pleasantly surprised and feeling like DH1 has been the best adaptation from the books so far. I reserve the right to change my mind after further viewings, but I don’t suspect I will.
There were a few missing pieces and a few more things I wish they could have gotten in, but for the most part, I think they nailed it.
The biggest missing piece for me, was the dialog between Harry and Ron after Ron offs the Horcrux where Harry defines his relationship with Hermione. I would also have liked to have seen at least some mention of Ginny, Neville and Luna trying to steal the sword from Snape’s office.
It would have been nice to see Kreacher’s turnaround and polyjuiced Harry warning Mr. Weasley, but I understand that they couldn’t squeeze everything in.
I thought they depicted Ron and Hermione’s blossoming relationship beautifully. As to Harry and Ginny, they pretty much screwed that up in HBP and it was probably too much to hope for that they would make up for it in DH1. Their scene together was nice and the kiss certainly steamier than the one in HBP. I guess they are throwing us a bone in DH2 as there is a reunion kiss in it that wasn’t in the book. I don't get why they drug out the Marauders map, but then had him looking at Snape, not Ginny. Oh, well.
I wasn’t too bothered by either the Harry/Hermione dance scene or their locket scene. Would I have rather they used the time to show the tender moment between Ron and Harry after the locket was destroyed? Yes, but the dancing scene was more a goofy attempt by Harry to cheer Hermione up than anything remotely romantic. Completely unnecessary, but not offensive in a shipping sense. And, it actually seemed like something Daniel Radcliffe would do, not Harry Potter.
The locket kiss was pretty passionate, but done in such a way that it was obviously over the top and pure fantasy so I didn’t get too squicked out by that.
As to the performances, I thought Rupert Grint was brilliant. They didn’t give all his lines to Emma Watson this time around and I’m not sure he said ‘bloody hell’ once. The other two were good as well, but he stood out to me.
I found it a bit odd that there was no explanation as to why the Burrow was still standing after it burned to the ground in the last film.
I may have more later, but that is it for now.
I left the theater pleasantly surprised and feeling like DH1 has been the best adaptation from the books so far. I reserve the right to change my mind after further viewings, but I don’t suspect I will.
There were a few missing pieces and a few more things I wish they could have gotten in, but for the most part, I think they nailed it.
The biggest missing piece for me, was the dialog between Harry and Ron after Ron offs the Horcrux where Harry defines his relationship with Hermione. I would also have liked to have seen at least some mention of Ginny, Neville and Luna trying to steal the sword from Snape’s office.
It would have been nice to see Kreacher’s turnaround and polyjuiced Harry warning Mr. Weasley, but I understand that they couldn’t squeeze everything in.
I thought they depicted Ron and Hermione’s blossoming relationship beautifully. As to Harry and Ginny, they pretty much screwed that up in HBP and it was probably too much to hope for that they would make up for it in DH1. Their scene together was nice and the kiss certainly steamier than the one in HBP. I guess they are throwing us a bone in DH2 as there is a reunion kiss in it that wasn’t in the book. I don't get why they drug out the Marauders map, but then had him looking at Snape, not Ginny. Oh, well.
I wasn’t too bothered by either the Harry/Hermione dance scene or their locket scene. Would I have rather they used the time to show the tender moment between Ron and Harry after the locket was destroyed? Yes, but the dancing scene was more a goofy attempt by Harry to cheer Hermione up than anything remotely romantic. Completely unnecessary, but not offensive in a shipping sense. And, it actually seemed like something Daniel Radcliffe would do, not Harry Potter.
The locket kiss was pretty passionate, but done in such a way that it was obviously over the top and pure fantasy so I didn’t get too squicked out by that.
As to the performances, I thought Rupert Grint was brilliant. They didn’t give all his lines to Emma Watson this time around and I’m not sure he said ‘bloody hell’ once. The other two were good as well, but he stood out to me.
I found it a bit odd that there was no explanation as to why the Burrow was still standing after it burned to the ground in the last film.
I may have more later, but that is it for now.