Friday, January 7, 2011

Potter-Thon + My take On: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

I signed up for the January Harry Potter-Thon at Pure Imagination because Harry Potter is the most brilliant thing I've ever read. My favorite thing about this series, the thing that calls me to read the whole series on an almost annual basis, is the thought that JK put into it. You will never read another series with so much... focus! Every detail, even the seemingly unimportant, is tied into the plot later on. This style, which Rowling has down to a fine art, is called foreshadowing, and it makes for excellent, high quality reading. It's the amount of foreshadowing and forethought that really brings me back to this series again and again; every time I read it, I find some little detail that I missed the time before! And I've yet to find a flaw or plot hole.

Potter-Thon
For my first act of Potterism during this Potter-Thon, I went to the theater with my sisters and saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. For the second time! Yes, folks, it seems my Chronic Harry Potter Mania (CHPM) has flared up again. I've never seen any other movie in theaters twice. Ever.
My Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1:
This was by far the best HP movie to date. 1-4 were excellent, though, keeping in line with the books, a little juvenile, in the case of the first and second. And it is my firm belief that 5 and 6 were a complete waste. The visual appeal was there, but the story was so watered down that if I hadn't already been a fan of the books, I might not have shelled out for the 7th.
But, man, I'm glad I did! The affects were first rate and the story was actually told. I was getteing rather tired of bridge-style movies, and thankfully this movie broke away from that.
The performances were amazing. Grint, Radcliffe, and Watson's portrayals were spot on. They've really grown into great actors; very likely the best that this generation of actors has to offer. Though, it must be noted that a good deal of the movie is spent under the influence of pollyjuice potion, and thus, it wasn't Grint, Radcliffe, and Watson that we were watching, but some people whose names I don't know. They must have had a hard job because they had to not only portray Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but do it in the style of the original actors. I thought they were awesome. The lady who played Hermione/Emma Watson was definitely my favorite; she had it down pat. It was really quite funny seeing it for the second time and being able to really appreciate their task and how well they did at triple acting: a new guy playing Danial Radcliffe's Harry Potter as he, Harry, tries to be someone else. Did that make sense?
There were a few rumors revolving around this movie, namely the fate of Hedwig. As I said before, this movie is very true the book, but certain liberties have been taken while still remaining true to the original story that I feel made the movie better. Although, some liberties that were taken do not make me happy. One such change to the story was the departure of the Dursleys for safety. In the book, the Dursleys were evacuated from their home and Dudley, the dim object of his parents adoration who made Harry's life so hard for so many years, showed that he actually had some level of fondness for the object of his brutality. In the movie, this was completely cut out. The Dursley's left with no fanfare whatsoever and the audience was jipped out of a chance to experience some real character development and insight. This isn't to say that all character development was neglected, not by a long shot. All the pressure in this department has been rested on the shoulders of Draco Malfoy. You really get to see that he and his family are no longer acting out of loyalty to Voldemort, but fear. They're genuinely afraid for thier lives, even Bellatrix, and it added a lot to the movie to have that showcased.
In conclusion! I give HP&tDH...

...five zombies!
If you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you go now. Or this weekend. Or at least get it on DVD. Whatever you do, just be sure that you don't let the poorly handled fifth and sixth movies scare ou off from this one.

Happy Potter-Thon!

4 comments:

SarahEm said...

Awesome post! I agree with everything you've written. DFTBA!

Zombie Girrrl said...

I love being agreed with; it happens so rarely. ;)
BTW, what does DFTBA stad for?

Lori said...

DFTBA means Don't Forget to be Awesome! :D

I unfortunately had a few complaints about the movie, but I think it was mostly because I reread the book right beforehand. That made me pick out lots of details that were off, or left out. It was still a fantastic movie though! I think part 2 will be even better and I won't reread the book before that one! :)

Thanks for signing up for the Thon!

Zombie Girrrl said...

Oh, duh! And I call myself a Nerd Fighter. :9
Thanks for enlightening me, Lori. I was really beginning to wonder what it might mean.

I know what you mean about picking the movie apart for bits that were or weren't true to the book. It really bummed me out that they cut the farewell with the Dursleys scene. It's my hope that it was a deleted scene and that i can watch it when i eventually the uber special edition with days of bonus material.

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

Blank Spaces Have Great Potential...