Warning: SPOILERS ABOUND! So don't read unless you know how it all ends and want to know how the movie differs from the book. Again - SPOILERS! We sent our magical contributor Maria to a midnight show (and by we sent, I mean she paid her own way) and here's why she's not too happy.
I saw the midnight show of Harry Potter 7 Part Two. I go to the midnight Harry Potter shows more for the experience than for anything else. You are amongst the biggest fans at midnight. It will be the most fun. I was not disappointed with the pre movie 'experience'. There were all kinds of people dressed up. There were Deatheaters and Hogwarts students, people with Harry Potter Snuggies on. I had my 'Muggle' shirt on. I felt underdressed. I should have gone all out Bellatrix LaStrange. Even the Chick fil A cow was dressed as a Weasley!
There was a feeling, from the beginning that the movie just started out of nowhere. It would have made good sense to show parts 1 and 2 together. From the beginning of the movie, I was disappointed. The film moved so quickly, I felt like hitting pause and rewinding because I thought for sure I missed some things. After the second viewing, I felt the same way because too many important things were missing.
The first major disturbing part of the movie was the break in at Gringots. Hermione as Bellatrix was played wrong. While Hermione took a minute or two to get the hang of being Bellatrix in the book she got it by the time they got to the bank. It's ridiculous to think she can't walk in heels and wobbled through the lobby. We shouldn't have been sure they were made right away. It took a minute or two in the book. Hermione HAD Bellatrix's wand. Why was she arguing that she didn't have to show it? Her having it was the giveaway in the book since it got around she lost it. The Imperious Curse, overplayed by the goblin at the desk.
I can't understand why Gringots had to be a bloodbath. Griphook got away in the book, why kill him? It insults the movie goer to assume they can't understand magic. Griphook took off with the sword, the sword appears from the hat to Neville later. We understand magic. We're ok with it happening that way. Why change it?!
The dragon escape from Gringots was well done. I found it very odd that when Harry, Ron and Hermione got back on land after escaping the dragon, Hermione puts something on all of their hands quickly, they don't talk about it, and they put clothes on without doing any spell to dry themselves, which they all know at this point. I'm guessing it was Essence of Murtlap or something like that but why did they need it? Rough dragon ride or the fact that in Bellatrix's vault, they got burnt by the reproducing gold? We don't know, they didn't mention that it multiplied AND burned.
The landing in Hogsmead, setting off the caterwalling charm was lame. Why would they be apparating all over the place without using the cloak? I know it might be a little more work but it just makes them look stupid that they wouldn't use the cloak. It was significant that the deatheaters tried to summom the cloak and it didn't go. Why is there no mention that Harry's cloak is one of the Hallows?
The scene with Abberforth was rushed and didn't give the info we needed to understand Dumbledore. This was another big disappointment. We needed to hear his story and Arianna's. Abberforth's rant made Dumbledore sound like a jerk and it left a bad taste in my mouth. The mirror that he got from Dung was done wrong. It has a piece missing and it matched what Harry was carrying. That's not how the mirrors worked. Harry and Sirius EACH had a mirror. Harry broke his mirror, throwing it into his trunk. Sirius' mirror should have been intact. If Abberforth got Sirius' mirror, it would not match the piece that Harry carried, stupid mistake.
The fight in Hogwarts, while grand and interesting moved too quickly. I dislike in movies when the scene switches at an almost manic pace and you can't catch anything going on, especially when it's dark. The room of requirement scene also didn't do anything for me. The big thing in the book was that Harry came to Hogwarts to find the Horcrux and they all think he's come to fight. A scene I waited for and was sorely disappointed I didn't see was Percy reuniting with his family and redeeming himself. We needed that time with the Weasleys, especially with Fred and George. The death scene was completely botched. Fred, George and Percy were fighting together. Hedwig got a better death scene. I think Collin Creevey deserved some mourning as well.
The gathering in the Great Hall (which looked tiny to me and took me until the second viewing to realize where it was supposed to be) was so odd. Why were the kids that were living in the room or requirement in that gathering? None of them would have been there as they were hiding in the room of requirement no longer actively participating in school. I just don't get why they did it that way. The books are well written. The story is epic. Why change it? WHY CHANGE IT?!!!
I feel we should have seen the Order and the students fighting more. It was too much of the Deatheaters moving forward. I also want to know where the numbers that Voldemort had came from. It looked like thousands of witches and wizards. The good side got lots of reinforcements. Where were they? Why waste time on the scene blowing up the bridge, also not in the book?
Harry did a lot of running around in the castle looking for the Horcrux and then Hermione and Ron showed up with the Basilisk fangs in the book. They don't tell Harry they are going to go look for them. They also don't kiss there. Hermione jumps Ron and kisses him after he says they need to go get the House Elves and tell them to leave and save themselves. That's important. Hermione was all about S.P.E.W. and treating the elves right. She was moved by Ron's caring. That's a reason to kiss. Harry and Ginny never get to have a good kiss. What's up with that?!
The next scene in the room of requirement should have had Crabbe and Goyle with Malfoy trying to stop Harry. The Fiend Fire destroys the room and the Horcrux. Why change it? Why is Blaze Sabini in there? It's always been Crabbe and Goyle at Malfoy’s side. Why stab the cup with the Basilisk fang? It's already destroyed from the fire in the book. I don't see why they needed to stray so much from the book unnecessarily.
The trip to the boathouse (as opposed to the Shrieking Shack in the book) was a surprise also. Why do they want us to feel sorry for Snape before he dies? In the book, he's still a jerk to Harry as he's dying. His thoughts leaking out as 'tears' for Harry to view in the pensieve was another strange variation. In the book, they come out of his wounds. He insults Harry and conjures up his own vial to put it in. In the book he just tells Harry to look at him, he doesn’t say anything about his ‘mother’s eyes.’ I also feel that weakening Voldemort with each Horcrux that is destroyed, while kind of interesting, didn’t follow the book. I think seeing him weakened was to get him sympathy, like Snape. We don’t want to feel sorry for that jerk. He was evil and needed to go.
When Harry watched Snape’s memories in the pensieve, it was well done. While I’d have liked to have seen it longer, the way they filmed it and presented it was good. Where were the portraits of the headmasters in the office?
When Harry goes to the Forbidden Forrest, I’d say that was probably the best of the adaptations of the book in the movie. They cut out what they needed to and showed what they needed to. The scene in Kings Cross was quite brief and again we missed a lot of Dumbledore’s story. Dumbledore is important to HP book readers. We love him.
I think the way they did the scene when Harry is carried to Hogwarts was another well done adaptation. I think they should have had the big fight all together in the Great Hall like in the book. Voldemort chasing Harry all over the castle, unnecessary. Neville kills Naginy right there in front of everyone and the fight breaks out again in the book. Everyone needed to hear and see it. Harry should have told Voldemort the whole progression of the Elder Wand. He needed to know it all before he died, not just ‘maybe Professor (it wasn’t lost on me that after seeing Snape’s memories, Harry used his title when speaking of him, as he was regularly corrected when he called him ‘Snape’ in Dumbledore’s presence) Snape wasn’t the master’.
I’d have liked to have seen an epic battle in the Great Hall, where it belonged. When Harry walked outside with Ron and Hermione he snaps the Elder Wand in half. I just thought ‘What the HELL!’ Harry mourned the loss of his wand. He used the Elder Wand in the book to fix his wand and then puts it back in Dumbledore’s crypt. Why change that?!!! I’m sorry but Harry loved that wand. He kept that wand. Why not do that like it is in the book? It would not take a lot of extra time.
I saw some comments online about Harry talking to Lupin (after using the Resurrection Stone) about his son, yet nowhere is his having a son mentioned in the movies. How does Harry know he has a son?
My last big disappointment came in the form of a line that Ron says in the 19 years later portion of the book, but not the movie. One of the kids mentions that everyone is staring at them in the book. (In the movie, no one is staring at them.) Ron tells them not to worry, ‘I’m really famous’ and the kids giggle at him. It was a sweet line and Ron deserved that laugh.
All in all, I can’t get over the complete lack of continuity in HP 7 part 2. I feel violated. I hope the movie reviews reflect the disappointment of the hardcore Harry Potter fans who have read the books and expected better. Shame on you David Yates and especially Steve Kloves.
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