Sunday, December 05, 2010

HARRY POTTER AND HOW IT BEGINS TO END

A word of unsolicited advice: If you want to watch a movie based on a book, never ever read the book right before going to the movie.

The sister and I decided to spend the morning watching the latest Harry Potter movie, based on the seventh and final book in the series. I usually have an aversion towards movies made from books, especially if I had had my hands on the books first. A total opposite when compared to my view on movies based on books if I had watched the movie first instead. The day started strangely enough, while we were in the line buying our tickets (sadly, e-ticketing is a bit of a pain in the ass for both the sister and I) One of the staff was surveying the line and asked if I was of a certain ethnicity, to which I said yes. He asked me to fill up a customer satisfaction form, and in return, I got a complimentary pass to the movie I wanted to watch! Not bad, eh?

PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

As the books suggest, the plot gets darker as we head towards the end of it all. With Dumbledore's death at the end of the sixth book/movie, Harry is left on his own to find and destroy what is left of the horcruxes - fragments of Voldermort's soul, an arduous task in which Ron and Hermione have pledged to help him with. The Ministry has been taken over by Voldermort's supporters, and everything seems hopeless as they are adamant in looking for Harry so that Voldermort can destroy him, while having their own form of ethnic cleansing (collecting and torturing witches and wizards who were muggle born) 

Although the movie could not explain all of the back story to the viewer compared to the book (such as what was actually written by Elphias Doge, or Rita Skeeter's interview), I thought the movie had a good flow. It's been at least three years since I read the book, and as the movie unfolded, I could recall certain items. I thought the effects were good, had a few good shocks in certain scenes, and sort of noted that the Dobby in this movie certainly looked much better than when Dobby was first introduced in the second movie. I also found the scene that explains the story of the Deathly Hallows equally fascinating. I had actually forgotten what the Deathly Hallows were! Despite the hopelessness of the situation (the scenes were actually very wintry in nature - with snow and ice - signs of depression??), there were somewhat lighter moments as well, especially in the beginning. Overall, for the first time, I honestly felt that I did enjoy the movie.

8 comments:

  1. I've seen it twice, and I really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the grand finale next July.

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  2. oh sounds good. Didn't have high hopes for this.... if the ice and snows goes this week I might even get to the cinema!

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  3. I mostly enjoyed it. So much darker than the first few, but that was true of the books as well.

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  4. Travis: So am I.. :)

    AHD: Actually, I wasn't sure how I'd like it, either... Am glad it turned out to be to my liking :)

    SAW: Yes, very much darker... It was rated PG 13 here, but there were lots of little kids watching it. I think a small girl sitting near me clutched her mom and buried her face in her mother's neck throughout most of the movie!

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  5. Never got to watch the continuos series after the 3 movie - The Prisoner of Azkaban ??? if I got that rite.......

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  6. I've been skipping the movies as well, since Prisoner of Azkaban. This is the first one since then...

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  7. Am I the only one here who's never read the books or seen any of the movies? Oh well.....

    I saw Winter's Bone last week and it was excellent

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  8. I doubt it, nurse... LOL.

    btw, I just read the synopsis for winter's bone. Sounds interesting...

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