The thing we've all been waiting for is here. Well, the first part of it, anyway. How does a Harry Potter fan feel when even the film version of his favourite book series is coming to its end? Not very well, I can tell you that much. But it's not because I am nostalgic or anything. No, it's entirely the director's fault – well, maybe the screenwriters and some of the actors are to blame a bit, too. But anyway, let me go through the film and point out what I didn't like...okay, and what I liked, but there isn't much of the latter.
The part I perhaps liked best of the entire film was Hermione wiping her parents' memories. It was very emotional, from my point of view. Harry and the cupboard was rather nice, too. Even the Death Eater meeting was good – Lucius looked properly devastated, Draco properly afraid, Voldie-poo properly demonic...but. Narcissa is still as terrible as ever, and I still dislike
Seven Potters were funny - and all the half-naked Daniels, squee! - but why mention Tonks being married to Remus if the relationship was absent from the Half-Blood Prince film, I have no idea. Or why put Bill in. The talk to Muriel and Death Eater attack could have happened at Harry's birthday party, instead of introducing, as sort of deus ex machina, a new character and one that wasn't mentioned since film 4. And, mind you, I think the beginning – up till this moment - was the best of the entire film. Now the trouble starts.
As for Harry attacking Voldie, there was no mention of the mystery of Harry's hand moving of its own accord, but it still was depicted like that, resulting, probably, in a very confused viewer-who hasn't-read-the-book. It would have been better if they had omitted it completely. Hedwig giving him away, on the other hand, was a very nice and clever idea, since „Expelliarmus“ wouldn’t probably make sense to most people. Connected to it, however, is the first thing in this film that doesn't work emotionally. Hedwig's death. One almost doesn't notice, let alone feel sad. It's quite a big issue for me, but fine, moving on. I wouldn't have expected to see a car race in a HP movie, but oh well. Harry arrives, there's some tension with Ginny which makes no sense since thy never bloody dated (you can tell I'm still angry about that, can't you?), George's ear – or lack thereof – is shown (very well done, by the way), somebody mentions Moody died and then they go to sleep. That's the second thing that doesn't work emotionally: Moody's death. I wasn't the least bit bothered. Where's the glory of the fallen warrior? Where's the firewhiskey drinking? Nothing is left of that...Moody deserved more.
Harry's attempted escape didn't bother me, it was a nice summing up of his ongoing doubts about Hermione and Ron going with him. However, Ginny appearing out of nowhere and kissing Harry, looking like a complete slut, bothered me a lot. Let me repeat myself: they never blood dated. Wedding was fine, only the author of he script proved to have the same problem the author of one of the film versions of Persuasion had – they recognize a good line, but don't realize that it needs the same context to stay good. Ron saying „always the tone of surprise“ to Hermione's appreciation of his duelling made sense. Hermione saying „always the tone of surprise“ to Ron commenting she was brilliant made no sense at all. He wouldn't be surprised she was brilliant. He's known that for six years already.
Then it got slightly better: the scene in the café was good, Mundungus was great. It bothered me a bit that Kreatcher didn't go through the change of heart, but I understand there wasn't enough time. Introducing Dobby back in the picture in this way was rather elegant, I liked it. Ministry was very nice – the WWII references were strong, but not overly strong, and it worked just fine. Rather a big flaw in the otherwise very good Ministry scene was that Harry left Moody's eye in the door. I'd understand if they left it out completely, but once they decided to include it – well, why the hell do it, if Harry leaves it there? Also, WTF to the absence of the Invisibility Cloak. I mean, didn't it occur to Hermione that Harry might need it? Did she find it irrelevant, or what? I mean, the first movie in which the Hallows are mentioned, and they decide to omit the cloak? Sense...these people make none. But to get back on track, I missed freeing the set of Muggle-borns, but once again, I understand there was no time, and Mrs. Cattemrole had to represent the lot. I don't even mind the little added drama. Hermione's bloodied hands were wonderful. And that's the end of wonderful for quite some time.
Ron started to get angry way too soon for my liking (and generally, they didn't wander in the wild long enough to make the proper desperate impression), and had way too much reason for it, but his actual departure was almost good. The Harry/Hermione dance was supposed to be what – the sum of Ron's fears? I mean, „We’re so happy you left that we could dance“? Not that the mechanism the screenwriter tried to produce was psychologically impossible, but ti was a different psychology than in the book, creating different dynamics, and I'm not sure whether it works. And it gives Ron no merit. JKR says that Ron, by his sense of humour, was keeping the team together, and that they were depressive without him. Here, they seem to have more fun when he's not there.
Godric's Hollow was nice, but I was surprised by the lack of Voldemort. I'm unsure about Harry audibly speaking Parseltongue – it tells the viewer too soon that something's off.
Ron's return was good, even with the little bit of added drama, but Hermione's reaction was way too tame. The actor who played Xenophilius was good – and, as weird as that sounds, rather sexy – but I find it really disturbing that Harry apparently left him to be killed by Death Eaters. I mean, once the DEs realized there was no Potter present, what do you think they would do? And by the way, the DE attack was really professional – there might be Harry Potter present, what shall we do? Oh, I know! Let's fly through the house a couple of times first, so that we give him enough time to escape.
This is immediately followed by the biggest logical problem of this film (which, of course, can be found in the book, too, but somehow, it’s not so obvious there): the Snatchers. There was plenty of time for Harry and Hermione to Disapparate. If she Apparated them instead of using the stinging jinx, she would have gotten away just fine. True, Ron was already captured, but his chances were much better without the two of them, and he'd already escaped once anyway. So, this is a really gaping hole.
Malfoy Manor was rather good, including Draco's reluctance and Lucius' eagerness (although – he didn't call Voldemort? So he's not going to know? And what with Bella's house arrest, then?), but not really emotionally strong, with the exception of Hermione's torture. That looked properly painful, even though the little „mudblood“ inscription didn't quite do it justice...wasn't there any Crucio involved? Plus, I really hate how
But Dobby's death was well done, just about the only thing that worked emotionally in this film. And, the final scene was sort of impressive.
The atmosphere was nice, the visual was nice, music was probably ncie too (I didn't really notice it), but, as a whole, it just doesn't work. It looked really good in the trailers, so I must say I'm sorely disappointed. I really hope that, since they left only the last 24 hours plus the epilogue to the last film, it's going to make up for this one.
5/10
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