Deathly Hallow Part 2

[Godric]

Right, let's get the ball rolling. Overall, though I've not yet had a second look at it, I'm pleased. Best of the movies since Prisoner, I think. It got a lot of small things right, and didn't get any big thing wrong, really. My main gripe is with the Battle of Hogwarts, but I always knew that would never live up to what I had imagined, so I'm not exactly disappointed. I'm also sorry there wasn't more of Hagrid. Voldemort and Bellatrix vanishing was a bigger let down. The entire point is that they die, you see their corpses, and for all their vast power, they were only human after all. I also think the epilogue had no place in the movies. If you really want to know what happens next, read the last six or pages of the book.

On the plus side, the acting! Rickman was brilliant and Helena Bonham-Carter as Hermione as Bellatrix, was superb. Ciaran Hinds was a remarkable Aberforth, Maggie Smith a joy to behold (she's great, but has had one or two shaky moments in the series, I feel). Jason Isaac was again outstanding. Even the kid who plays Seamus was fine. And an extra special mention for John Hurt, who has played a difficult part that is both frustratingly sporadic and yet very important to the series, with nothing short of brilliance.
The three kids did all right, Grint is clearly the best of them, though I think Watson has improved as the series went on. Radcliffe, as he has throughout, has just about gotten away with it. His best moment in the series was the Felix Felicis, he should possibly do more comic roles. Of the younger actors, Tom Felton has consistent been the best.
The effects have been the best yet.

What I mean by the little things: like Filch sweeping up, the Cornish Pixies making a nice return, the Gringotts Goblin having ben poorly treated rather than just a dragon. The books were crammed with tiny little things that made them come alive and the movies, from Goblet, were either lacking on them or getting them wrong.

I'm not too upset with some of what was left out, Dumbledore's past, for example. Some stuff just had to go.

Overall, I'm happy with 7.2, and with the series as general, but regard Order and Prince as being two poor films in an otherwise suitable series. But in a few decade I hope to see it all again, and this time done right!

[aramantha]

I have to agree with most of what Godric is saying here. I stayed and watched it again right away -- I hadn't had the chance to see it at all until yesterday, in a huge theater off Times Square with a wicked sound system, as it happened. A reverential crowd, not a child under the age of 15 anywhere, and the silence during the silent bits was pure bliss.

I didn't mind Voldemort disintegrating so much, since he hasn't much left to him after all the horcruxes are destroyed -- he's not so much vanishing as falling apart. I thought Bellatrix's demise was ridiculous, except for one thing -- the look on Molly's face just before they cut the shot to the next scene. I was thinking "Oh! Molly IS a witch. . . " Helena Bonham Carter did do a tremendous job of layering the Hermione voice and behavior on her person, although the director tried a little too hard -- the wobbly ankles, like Hermione has no idea how to walk in moderately heeled boots, for one thing. I also loved everything that Maggie Smith did, and I was glad that they let her stretch out with that magnificent face and those eyes, and also gave her serious magical battle effects, not galloping school desks as in the book. Her duel with Snape was terrific. The dragon was a much better dragon than the ones in GOF -- I never liked that horntail. Having him crawling on his wing joints was a nice detail too -- he's beaten down, pale, sick, and wounded by chains, so not like the ordinary idea of dragon. Goes a long way toward justifying that room full of dead goblins.

I didn't recognize Cieran Hinds in all the beard. He has such a distinctive face -- but it was a very strong turn he put in, especially arguing with Harry about his brother's dishonorable intentions, and also fending off the Inferi. I liked Kelly Macdonald's Grey Lady, too, very much. I wish there could have been more of it. She is a wonderful presence.

There might have been more of Hagrid, but Rowling really doesn't write him very well in that scene in the forest. The detail of Molly stroking her sons' heads together, Fred and Ron, one dead and one in anguish, with that detached, calm face was one of the best small touches out of hundreds. It's a dumb thing, maybe, but one that I always notice -- when somebody gets hurt in this film, he bleeds, and it's ugly the way it should be. All the blood you get in the whole Lord of the Rings is black orc blood, like shoe polish. They borrowed a lot of swooping and dizzy flying shots from LotR style for some good effects -- but Harry's hand full of Snape's blood from trying to lift his head was important.

I thought Radcliffe had finally caught up to where he needed to be about 3 movies ago, mostly. Grint is still the best of the lead three. Emiy s still uneven -- she needs direction to stay in it. She and Grint are right behind Harry when the snake is striking Snape over and over behind the partition, and even Radcliffe is wincing to hear it, but she is just placid. I guess nobody told her to shudder or even look alarmed. Enjoyed Nevilfe's BAMF transformation, and happy to see him at the end with Luna, who is and was always a BAMFette under the loopiness. Maybe that's what she was waiting for in Neville. I hope she gets more work if she wants it -- she is so lovely, and so clever.

Effects were brilliant and really looked deadly when they were supposed to. I nearly passed out not breathing during the Room of Requirement sequence.

All I really missed was seeing Harry's holly and phoenix feather wand mended.

Rickman should get a Best Supporting nomination, but I don't know if the Academy has taken these films that seriously, or why they would suddenly think should start now.

Epilogue wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Harry's aging makeup was most convincing -- after that Felton's beard. Others looked like themselves except for frumpy clothes.

All in all, no disappointment as an ending.