2011 franchise finale (until somebody figures out a way to squeeze more money out of this character)Rating: 15/20
Plot: Heroic Harry and his helpers hunt for Horcruxes while warring wizards wrangle. A guy with nose envy prowls around in search of Potter. It's like an elaborate and magical (read: Satanic) game of hide and seek. Meanwhile, barely pubescent boys' magic wands wiggle as they discover Hermione's cleavage, and combined with all the spells and supernatural silliness, there's enough to piss off the Christian church for years and years. A choir director is heard saying, "What? They're kissing each now? I thought they just performed magic!"
I don't remember what I gave the last boring entry in the Harry Potter series, but I'd like the series to be around a 14 or 15. It's solidly entertaining, and the actors do such a good job of bringing these characters to life. It's a shame Richard Harris couldn't stick around for the duration, but I really am glad they were able to get these things spat out while everybody else was young enough. This last movie is packed with action, and the special effects are really good. I love that opening shot with the black ghostly things hovering over and around Hogwarts, and the destruction of the school, so whimsically magical in those first few movies, is shocking. I don't like watching wizard duels nearly as much as I enjoy a good lightsaber battle, but at least there aren't any of those jerky-camera fight scenes like in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I. I still think, despite this last book being split up into two lengthy-movie chunks, that things move a little too quickly at times. A lot of important characters die in these things, but the next big plot development has to be hurried along which takes away some of the emotional jolt. Snape's exit should have been a big emotional moment, and it's the one thing I really looked forward to after reading that last book. In fact, I might have given up on the movies if it wasn't for the anticipation of that scene. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I thought it was just another example of the makers taking movie shortcuts and taking away some of the power of that scene. Rickman's so good as that character though, and I thought it was cool that Rowling filled him in on his character's whole story after making him promise that he wouldn't reveal the secrets. Voldemort--is it just me or does his character become more comic the more we see him? He goes from the mysterious Villain with a Name You Can't Say to a bit of a doofus, doesn't he?
One of these weekends, I think I'll throw a Harry Potter movie marathon party, invite all of my friends over, and watch all eight of these movies in a row. I'd like to look at my ratings again. At the same time, it's nice to be done with all these movies. Maybe I should just move on with my life instead.
4 comments:
I did not like this movie. I WANTED to like this movie, but it is so inferior to the book that I found it impossible. Usually I try to make movies stand up on their own, to judge them entirely on their merits, but because the infantile director of the last four Potter movies made such horrible choices, it proved to be impossible.
Not nearly enough explanation on how the wands worked, and why Harry was able to stop Voldemort.
The whole final Voldemort/Potter fight was incredibly stupid. Instead of having Harry and Voldemort fight in front of the entire world, and with Harry explaining how Voldemort screwed up to everyone, we have them off in some corner, with no sense of anything big happening at all. Neville is reduced to being a guy who lucks into killing the snake, instead of growing into a real strong person. Mrs. Weasleys battle with Bellatrix is turned into a farce...in fact can anyone explain the Mrs. Weasley character to me? For some reason she keeps showing up in this film at odd locations, looking stoned out of her mind. If you get a chance to watch the film again, check it out. When the teachers are all trying to put up defenses for the castle, before any of the other parents show up, theres Mrs. Weasley standing there, glassy eyed and confused, right next to Maggie Smith. What is she doing there? Where is the rest of her family? What narcotics is she on????
Anyway, a disjointed rant for a really disjointed movie. I disliked it....a lot.
An eight for me.
An eight is clearly not judging this on its own merits. I have to get the kids to bed, so I'll expand later on why I would give it a 16.
OK, I'm back. I agree with almost everything Shane said and disagree with most of Barry's comments. I actually watched this again to confirm my feelings.
There is a lot of stuff packed in the film, but I was surprised at how many quiet and intimate moments it contains. The action scenes move quickly by comparison. I do agree that Voldemort is never as menacing as he should be. It comes across in the book because we can read about the constant fear in everyone, but in the movies it is always just a well made-up Ralph Fiennes who keeps on losing every important encounter.
This is part of why the movies, well intentioned and mostly well made that they are, could never live up to the books. For all of us Potter-heads-philes-geeks, this series was about as good as general fiction can get. I am amazed and very relieved the films didn't blow it in a way they easily could have. I would actually say the by-the-numbers first two, and disappointing fourth were weakly directed. The last four have been more mature and of a higher quality.
I thought the wand issue was very clearly explained in several scenes (early on with Olivander, in the scene with Snape, and twice with Harry). I also wish the final battle had been in front of everyone, and it is my biggest gripe, but the Neville criticism is way off. He confronts an army, he confronts Voldemort by himself after the battle, and then he comes out of unconsciousness seeking the sword (he's even manning up with Luna!). His actions are clear and logical and brave at every point.
Mrs Wesley is there with all of the other members of the Order of the Phoenix. She looks scared to me, not stoned (along with several others), and next she is one of the handful of wizards putting up the shell. Killing Bellatrix is not really explained, but that is also the case in the book. I guess the theme in Potter is not to screw with protective moms.
In this final film, the characters are very well drawn and well acted. The action scenes are powerful (though the special effects could have been a little better, here and there), and the score was beautiful. I get chills every time I hear the music over McGonagall calling forth the statues, and Shane is right about the impact of seeing the castle attacked. I wish the climactic scene was different, but everything else did great honor to a once-in-a-generation series. A 20 for the books, and a modified 17 for the farewell movie.
The score is very good.
I also disagree with Barry about Neville.
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