Harry Potter

[theron09]

Got totally distracted from pretty much everything I was meant to do this afternoon because they showed the first Harry Potter movie on tv and then followed it up with a behind the scenes documentary on the last movie so I figured I might as well do my reaction post now. There are spoilers behind the cut.

So, you all knew how excited I was about the film and I definitely wasn't disappointed at all. The one negative thing about it was the experience of watching itself; the woman next to me was munching her popcorn really loudly during all the quiet bits and this family in front came in late and the boys were actually laughing during serious bits which was really off putting. PLUS, nobody clapped or anything so that was a bit rubbish.

Aside from that though, WOW! I was so, so impressed by this film and all of the acting and special effects and music and everything. It's so hard to imagine just how much work must have gone into it but something that was said in the documentary today demonstrates it quite well - for the scene in Gringotts with all of the goblins it took 150 make-up artists from 10 different countries to get it all done. It took over a year to construct a computer version of Hogwarts. Daniel Radcliffe 'wore out' 80 wands over the whole series. Just wow.

I can't really remember things in the right order and things so I think I'll just bullet:

• McGonagall was absolutely awesome - I loved her 'I've always wanted to do that spell' and just how generally tough she was. She really shone.
• The way the whole of Hogwarts came together to fight was just phenomenal - the protection spells looked awesome and I loved the soldiers and the battle scene was just epic.
• NEVILLE. NEVILLE. NEVILLE. He was just amazing - heading the DA, making fun of all of the enemy when he was alone on the bridge, running across the bridge, THAT speech. And, awww, he's mad about Luna!!!!!!!!!
• RON AND HERMOINE! Loved them going down into the Chamber of Secrets -'Harry talks in his sleep'! - and I loved them kissing and holding hands and Ron calling her his girlfriend! Awwwwwwwwwwwww.
• The bit where Voldemort was talking to them all was so creppy - it made me shiver and I liked the girl screaming.
• I also loved Harry walking into the Great Hall and being all (and I'[m paraphrasing here) 'your security is rubbish' which brings me onto Snape.
• Alan Rickman did such a great, great job in this film. The flashback sequence and the way it was put together was so brilliant - loved mini!Snape and mini!Lily on the grass and the visual that gave, sobbed my heart out when Snape saw Lily's body and then he gave Harry the memory and, awww, I'm so glad Snape got this ending because it was sad and it was also fitting, he left a hero.
• The bit where Harry saw his parents and Sirius and Lupin was also very sad but also very peaceful, I thought. (I thought it was kind of a weird way to mention Lupin's son for the first time but it didn't ruin the scene or anything so I'll let it go!) 
• What else? Oh, Helen Bonham Carter was amazing playing Hermoine - she had the mannerisms just right and I loved the whole not being able to walk in the heels thing - it was just so Harry Potter-like to have the bits of humour interwoven with it all.
• George and Fred talking KILLED ME. It was the knowing that he'd never be able to call him 'Freddy' again. And the bit with Remus and Kingsley, too, and Tonks.
• The scenes between Harry and Voldemort were all so perfect - dramatic, emotional, and even though I knew how it ended I still felt worried for Harry which is good.
• Tom Felton was amazing again as Malfoy - he really was. (Also, he was so little and cute in the first movie!)
• Loved the reference to Seamus blowing things up!!!!!!!!!!!
• I just know I've missed bits out but I'll leave it there for now.

Watching the first movie earlier just made me realised how far they've all grown as actors, as characters, and I got emotional watching it. I actually cried my eyes out when Harry first met the Weasleys at the station because it was so much like the epilogue, down to the chocolate frog on the Hogwarts Express, and it really got to me. Also, I'd never realised just how sad the movie is before now - Harry being so stunned to get presents, going back to visit the mirror, Ron seeing a vision of himself being successful, something he didn't know whether he could be, Harry sitting at the window with Hedwig. I'm welling up again.

They all looked so little and cute (Neville and Seamus, especially) and it's really weird to think it's over. But, yay, they're showing one film every Saturday for the next few weeks so I'm going to enjoy rewatching them all :)