Thursday, December 02, 2010

Thursday Thirteen

Today it's all about the Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1. We saw the movie on Sunday and here are a few of my thoughts on it. There are probably spoilers but if you're read the book you already know how it ends anyway.

1. The movie is incredibly dark, not just in content but also in the cinematography. Dark colors, night, little light. Everything is rather drab.

2. Emma Watson (Hermione) needs to put on a little weight. I thought she looked a little thin and a little tired. But she acts the part exceptionally well and I believed her character more so than the lead one (Mr. Potter).

3. The special effects in the movie are well done, but nothing really stands out in my mind.

4. The movie adheres to the book in plot line, more or less, but does not adhere to the book in details.

5. In general, the book is better than the movie in my humble opinion, and that is not always the case with me. Sometimes the movies are better but I don't think that is the case this time.

6. I am not a fan of horror movie camera work (you know, where the people are running and scrambling and the camera is following along and it looks like it's falling off a cliff or something and you can't half tell what is going on) and there is a good bit of that in this film.

7. Helena Bonham Carter does a fantastic job as Bella LeStrange. Totally believable and wicked cool. I think she was my favorite in this particular film.

8. Daniel Radcliff has grown into a young man but I had trouble believing that Harry Potter was only 18 as he comes across older than that in the film.

9. I'm not a big Ron Weasley fan but Rupert Grint was the right actor for the part. He does a fine job with the character.

10.  There wasn't enough of Snape in this film, but then there wasn't a lot of Snape in the book, either. Rather unfortunate, that.

11. Ralph Fiennes is an excellent Vlodemort and he plays the character with much finesse and sophistication, which is exactly how I pictured him as I read the book.

12. Evanna Lynch plays a perfect Luna, wide-eyed and a little on the other side of the world. Excellent casting.

13. There is a lot of symbolism in the movie, mostly pertaining to Nazi Germany, fascism and other eye-brow raising forms of government. The torturing of Hermione is particularly painful to see at one point.


There you go. I give the film 3.5 stars out of 5. It's not a bad film but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone other than other Harry Potter fans.


Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here.  I've been playing for a while and this is my 167th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

9 comments:

  1. I haven't been that drawn to the books or movies, probably after reading the Narnia and Hobbit series out loud to my sons I was done with the genre. I think Helen BC does great parts.

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  2. I really enjoyed the books and the entire series. Some films I liked better than others. There was a weird sort of transition in the movies between the first one, which was light and silly at times to the later, darker and more sinister ones. I think it was when the director changed.. movie three maybe?

    Glad to hear that there's something worth watching of this, even if it's just for the sake of the acting.

    Thanks for the list :)

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  3. I enjoyed this series of books and took my kids to go see the newest movie. It was dark, but I guess I kinda like that transition. The whole darkest part of night is just before the dawn type thing.

    Best Wishes
    Virginia Cavanaugh

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  4. My daughter has seen that movie 4 times already. It's nuts.

    Have a great Thursday!
    http://harrietandfriends.com/2010/12/13-great-snowman-buttons-for-lafawnda/

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  5. My boyfriend and I haven't made it out to the theaters yet to see this...I think that'll have to be a top priority this weekend.

    And Helena Bonham Carter is just an awesome character actress to begin with - I can't imagine she'd do anything less than superb!

    Happy TT

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  6. I saw this one over the weekend as well, though I have not made it that far in the books, yet - a goal to attain before July! Havign read the first four books after viewing the films, it's been interesting to see how they've been edited for screen. For the most part, I think the screenwriters have done an excellent job.

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  7. There wasn't enough of Snape in the last film either...and it was ALL about him. VERY disappointing, that. I liked this one more.

    And I <3 Luna :-)

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  8. We aren't big Harry Potter fans. I think I'm one of those people who just don't get it :) I think we'll try to see Chronicles of Narnia though. That looks very good.

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  9. Nice critique!
    ...Siskell & Ebert would be proud!


    .{S.T.U.F.F.}
    ************

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