God Dammit Potter Day
In my opinion the last Harry Potter book is the War and Peace of younger set literature. Younger Set Literature is not meant to come off as degrading. I've read enough of it to know some of it is DAMN awesome. It's just not exactly Steven King. Anyway it's War and Peace partially because of its massive fucking length and partially because of its importance to a whole generation. Because if you really think about it, it's the last book in a series of books that a whole generation grew up with. What TMNT and Power Rangers etc etc were to us, Harry Potter is to teens my youngest brother's age. The important fact that those kids read something so big that it could be used as a door stopper should also not be lost on the rest of us. I can't even get my kid brother to read To Kill A Mockingbird but if another Potter book came out he'd totally be there.
My point is, this shit is pretty important apparently. Important enough to where I can show up to my shopping center/movie theater at 4pm to eat and find that it's Potter day, and people everywhere are dressed as witches and wizards and are yelling spells through microphones. They have shit set up selling all sorts of shirts. they have a stage that at one point has a Potter themed band on it. I run into Borders for some sort of sanctuary to find that the fans congregate in book stores and are there currently to listen to an author who wrote a philosophy book deconstructing Potter. I go to Comicon and this shit freaked even me out. All I could think of is "this must be what going mad is like."
Though I don't mind the 20 year old girls who don't just dress up as witches, but dress up as what can only be described as "slutty witches." Well played ladies. But I digress.
So today was apparently Harry fucking Potter day. And that's how I got roped into seeing the newest movie at midnight. Not that I mind; I've seen the last few Potter films at Midnight. At one point in my life I was alongside friends who had dressed accordingly which was rather disconcerting so I guess I just roll with it. It helps the last few Potter films have been pretty damn good. If forced to rank them I have to say that the third Potter is the best and the second is pretty much garbage. I caught the fifth one on TV the other night as if in preparation for the movie itself and still find it to be a good film. Then again I never seem to mind long running times. Just look at my all over the place review for Transformers 2.
So how was the movie? Well there was a reason I brought up the last book above. That's the book I mainly remember. It drags like hell in the middle but the last 200 pages is basically one big epic fantasy battle where everything explodes. I like my huge fantasy battles, and the end of that book didn't disappoint even if the rest of the thing was 500 pages too long. Probably why it's being split into two movies. But see, I remember the seventh book. So it's probably not a good thing that I'm sitting through this, the sixth movie, and thinking "will they just get to the seventh movie(s) already?"
Don't get me wrong; this is a good movie. Very good even. It plays itself for most of its running time as a sort of teen coming of age comedy which works really well. The movie is damn funny. Also the whole thing is really well acted. All those once annoying kid actors have come into their own and inhabit actual characters now, which help keep me interested...but the adults still continue to steal the show. The rest of the film is pretty much a master class in how to make a high quality movie; great special effects, awesome score, great sets, beautifully shot, etc etc. I really should have liked this movie more.
Cept I didn't because in all honesty, outside of the ending moments, nothing really happens. The first half is generally plotless; a bunch of scenes are linked together barely and almost like some sort of comedy skit. the second half feels sort of rushed. The ending scenes aren't nearly as big as they should be and then the thing sort of ends on a depressing note. I'm fine with the depressing note; I'm not okay with how it just sort of sits there at the end. My reaction when I got through was "that's it?" which is probably why for the most part this movie felt like a placeholder until we get to the next two movies. In which case I hope they don't skimp on the action scenes like this movie.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good movie. I'm just fucking picky. If you're a fan your gonna go crazy over this thing. But really, it didn't quite do it for me. I just say bring on the next one.
A few notes though. One: anyone else notice the homosexual overtones? Jesus they made me laugh. Just saying, pay attention, you might catch it too. Two: Every movie needs more Alan Rickman. I mean EVERY movie ever made. If he was put into Star Trek, Star Trek would be a better movie. Up? Same thing. Because Alan Rickman owns. Three: How the FLYING FUCK did this not get a PG-13 rating?! The last one got a PG-13 and it didn't have the innuendo or the same level of violence. I'm telling you, the MPAA is on some serious crack.
Four: If you have watched the Harry Potter Rifttraxx before going to see or any other Potter film, you are ruined forever. On that note, you should watch these links http://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax/harry-potter-and-sorcerers-stone and http://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax/harry-potter-and-chamber-secrets and click "Watch Sample."
Jesus it's late. I'm going to sleep.
My point is, this shit is pretty important apparently. Important enough to where I can show up to my shopping center/movie theater at 4pm to eat and find that it's Potter day, and people everywhere are dressed as witches and wizards and are yelling spells through microphones. They have shit set up selling all sorts of shirts. they have a stage that at one point has a Potter themed band on it. I run into Borders for some sort of sanctuary to find that the fans congregate in book stores and are there currently to listen to an author who wrote a philosophy book deconstructing Potter. I go to Comicon and this shit freaked even me out. All I could think of is "this must be what going mad is like."
Though I don't mind the 20 year old girls who don't just dress up as witches, but dress up as what can only be described as "slutty witches." Well played ladies. But I digress.
So today was apparently Harry fucking Potter day. And that's how I got roped into seeing the newest movie at midnight. Not that I mind; I've seen the last few Potter films at Midnight. At one point in my life I was alongside friends who had dressed accordingly which was rather disconcerting so I guess I just roll with it. It helps the last few Potter films have been pretty damn good. If forced to rank them I have to say that the third Potter is the best and the second is pretty much garbage. I caught the fifth one on TV the other night as if in preparation for the movie itself and still find it to be a good film. Then again I never seem to mind long running times. Just look at my all over the place review for Transformers 2.
So how was the movie? Well there was a reason I brought up the last book above. That's the book I mainly remember. It drags like hell in the middle but the last 200 pages is basically one big epic fantasy battle where everything explodes. I like my huge fantasy battles, and the end of that book didn't disappoint even if the rest of the thing was 500 pages too long. Probably why it's being split into two movies. But see, I remember the seventh book. So it's probably not a good thing that I'm sitting through this, the sixth movie, and thinking "will they just get to the seventh movie(s) already?"
Don't get me wrong; this is a good movie. Very good even. It plays itself for most of its running time as a sort of teen coming of age comedy which works really well. The movie is damn funny. Also the whole thing is really well acted. All those once annoying kid actors have come into their own and inhabit actual characters now, which help keep me interested...but the adults still continue to steal the show. The rest of the film is pretty much a master class in how to make a high quality movie; great special effects, awesome score, great sets, beautifully shot, etc etc. I really should have liked this movie more.
Cept I didn't because in all honesty, outside of the ending moments, nothing really happens. The first half is generally plotless; a bunch of scenes are linked together barely and almost like some sort of comedy skit. the second half feels sort of rushed. The ending scenes aren't nearly as big as they should be and then the thing sort of ends on a depressing note. I'm fine with the depressing note; I'm not okay with how it just sort of sits there at the end. My reaction when I got through was "that's it?" which is probably why for the most part this movie felt like a placeholder until we get to the next two movies. In which case I hope they don't skimp on the action scenes like this movie.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good movie. I'm just fucking picky. If you're a fan your gonna go crazy over this thing. But really, it didn't quite do it for me. I just say bring on the next one.
A few notes though. One: anyone else notice the homosexual overtones? Jesus they made me laugh. Just saying, pay attention, you might catch it too. Two: Every movie needs more Alan Rickman. I mean EVERY movie ever made. If he was put into Star Trek, Star Trek would be a better movie. Up? Same thing. Because Alan Rickman owns. Three: How the FLYING FUCK did this not get a PG-13 rating?! The last one got a PG-13 and it didn't have the innuendo or the same level of violence. I'm telling you, the MPAA is on some serious crack.
Four: If you have watched the Harry Potter Rifttraxx before going to see or any other Potter film, you are ruined forever. On that note, you should watch these links http://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax/harry-potter-and-sorcerers-stone and http://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax/harry-potter-and-chamber-secrets and click "Watch Sample."
Jesus it's late. I'm going to sleep.