Justin and I just got back from seeing the last movie of the Harry Potter franchise. I loved everything about this movie. I have been an avid fan of the films since The Prisoner of Azkaban. The battle scenes were incredible. There was so much emotion in the characters when the Hogwarts army were slain. Voldemort's army represented evil incarnate which is how they should be portrayed. Ralph Fiennes does such an amazing job in the role. I have enjoyed watching Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint evolve on the screen. These three are loaded with great acting abilities. I like how their relationships are depicted and the casting choices ended up working very well. I am really hoping that they end up getting some great roles after this. Neville Longbottom was awesome in this installment as he was able to do alot more and actually plays a very important role. I love the Hermoine/Ron relationship as it started out with the teasing you'd see on the playground but evolved into love. Harry and Jinny are a perfect combination. The audience was applauding at everything towards the end. It was great being a part of that atmosphere. Alan Rickman and Michael Gambon perform very well in their roles of Severus Snape and Albus Dumbeldore respectively. One scene in particular that I loved was the Snape flashback scene. It was so well done and really helped tie everything in. The movie was well done with amazing visuals, superb acting and capped off an amazing decade of magic that will be loved by generations. This is my favorite movie series of all time and there are quite a few I am fond of. There were so many times in this movie where you couldn't help but start tearing up whether it was out of sadness or joy. It just took you on an incredible journey aboard a Nimbus 2000 or whatever broom you can place here haha. I just have been captivated and am even more impressed at how J.K. Rowling created such creative stories. I can only hope that she decides to write more with the introduction of their children. I honestly would love to see more Potter related stories. I give this movie a 5/5. It will be rare that I give a 5/5, but this deserves it in my opinion. This was my favorite movie I've seen this year besides Super (not Super 8 which I thought was terrible) and Water For Elephants.
Gerard Verterano
I saw "Harry Potter and the Deathy Hallows" in a slightly different environment than Gerard did. I opted for an afternoon showing in 3D. I was actually surprised how empty the theatre was. However, I did luck out and was given a pair of special Potter 3D glasses. (Yes, sometimes it helps to have formally worked at the movie theatre you see movies in all the time.)
I have to be honest, if a movie is said to be shoot in 2d; I usually try to see it in 2D. Unlike the 5th movie where 3D was limited to one or two scenes; complete with the "Put glasses on now" and "take them off", this movie was complete 3D from beginning to end. The editors took advantage of the medium they were given. From small effects like cinders falling to dragons flying and Kings Cross Station were not ignored by the editors. I say editors since they actually had to re-edit the film in order to make the 2D become 3D. I did notice some slight errors in some scenes but they can easily be overlooked.
From a cinematic standpoint, this movie was near perfect. Story flowed well and was incredibly dramatic. Like the rest of the series, "Deathly Hallows" does not disappoint in the way it balances the special effects scenes and the storyline. I will be honest and say I cried a few times throughout the film. As an avid reader of the series, I knew what was coming but somehow seeing it translated to screen made what I imagined really come to life.
When adapting a beloved book to the screen; you accept certain scenes and characters are changed to fit the medium in which its presented. As a fan, I would have liked some additional story lines to appear in the movie like why Harry really had the invisibility cloak, more background on the origins of the Hallows and what was happening at Hogwarts. All that being said two parts of the film they nailed for me: The Gringotts bank robbery and the explanation for Snape's actions toward Harry.
"Deathly Hallows Part 2" is a fitting end to a truly great movie series. I debated getting sentimental and discussing how this is truly the end of an era. But this a movie review blog and I can use my personal blog to rant about my personal feelings (haha). I will concur with Gerard and give Potter and his friends 5/5.
-Jacqui
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