Harry Potter: The Grand Finale Options

[Horcrux]

OH MY GOD.
The movie was seriously one of the best I've seen.

Spoiler:
McGonagall/Snape duel was really cool
I also liked the whole barrier thing. Actually I loved everything.

[Mizukithepanda]

As far as I noticed they didn't really have anyone use spell names at all unless it was considered an "important" plot point or the spell was something you might be confused about otherwise, so that didn't bother me as much. (And plenty of the spells she threw at Bellatrix were green if I remember correctly.) There were a few other nitpicky differences that irritated me a bit outside of that as well, but since the movies are known for cutting out or changing little details I tried to pay them as little attention as possible. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy any of it if I had let them get under my skin.

[EBWonder]

I think they consciously chose to not have her use the killing curse because they didn't want a "good guy" stooping to the level of the villains. I however, think that the use of it demonstrated how a parent would be willing to kill to protect their children.

But I digress...

I mean, I enjoyed the movie and I'm not saying that it was bad by any stretch of the imagination; all I am saying is that they consciously chose to omit something that they felt was not "wholesome." It's the same reason why they omitted the spa planet episode of Cowboy Bebop in the States: we are led (in general, not an indictment of any one person) by a bunch of right-wing, uber-religious, hypocritical, money-grubbing, ignorant pinheads. I’m an American; my patriotism extends as far as my ability to call a duck a duck.

[Mizukithepanda]

Though, I went back and looked at that scene in the books, and she didn't actually say Avada Kedavra anyway. It was more implied that it was the killing curse than anything. That scene in its entirety was cut way short and her epic speech was cut down to her one awesome line. And that pisses me off more than them not explicitly implying that she cast the killing curse.

[ZBoy]

I was angry at that part just because it felt extremely rushed.

[Crystal Talian]

I saw this movie this past Friday.

I'm satisfied with it, though there were a few things that bug me a little bit. I'll do spoiler code for them.

Spoiler:

1.Harry tells Ron and Hermione he's running off to kill himself. And they just let him go. That was bull.
2. Epic snake fight scene. Nagini got more screen time than she deserved, and Neville, who has no idea why kill the snake is so important, lops its head off. In slow motion.
3. Various death scenes shortened/removed.
4. Harry throw himself and Voldemort off a cliff. . . . For DRAMATIC EFFECT!

Aside from that, I was fairly happy with this final movie. Though I imagine the movies were hard to follow if you haven't read the books. Especialy considering they were spaced out over ten years . . .

[Mizukithepanda]

I actually saw this movie again in 3D today with a friend just so that we could pick it apart.

Until I started paying attention I didn't realize just how much they actually cut out and how much they changed, though Voldemort's death angered and irritated me from the very beginning. I have beaten this horse to death today. The movie was still fairly decent - I haven't changed my mind on it being an okay movie, but darn were the differences between book and movie glaring. :/

[EBWonder]

I actually saw this movie again in 3D today with a friend just so that we could pick it apart.

Until I started paying attention I didn't realize just how much they actually cut out and how much they changed, though Voldemort's death angered and irritated me from the very beginning. I have beaten this horse to death today. The movie was still fairly decent - I haven't changed my mind on it being an okay movie, but darn were the differences between book and movie glaring. :/

I agree Mizuki. I'm a little disappointed that the movies after the first were less like the book.

[Crystal Talian]

The movies after the first two had a different director, did they not?

I'm not too horribly disappointed with any of them. They kept Rowling as an advisor, so she kept them from royally screwing everything up. Plus, I consider the movie to be a slightly different universe. Since most of my various fandoms have multiple versions/universes, I'm used to the changes that ensue.

[ZBoy]

That is correct Crystal. There was a different director for the first two movies.

I also had not realized that JK Rowling was still such a huge part of the movies. That made me happy. Some directors take book based movies and twist them into something completely different.

[Crystal Talian]

I also had not realized that JK Rowling was still such a huge part of the movies. That made me happy. Some directors take book based movies and twist them into something completely different.

The Eragon movie, for example. While being a good movie, it was screwed up so royally that they managed to totally back themselves into a corner in such a away that it would be literally impossible for them to continue.

The HP movies nearly did the same thing (eg, cutting out Kreature, Dobby), but managed to avoid disaster by keeping Rowling as an advisor.

[ZBoy]

I'm still super sad that I didn't get to see the sphinx (spelling?) in the maze in the fourth movie.

[Crystal Talian]

Everybody wanted to see the sphinx. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalatounge.gif)

By everybody, I mean you, me, and one of my coworkers. Clearly a bad decision to remove it. But I guess they had to make room for the "Let's have the dragon fly all over the place and destroy the castle even though the safety precautions would never have allowed it" scene.

. . . I think the title's longer than the scene.

[ZBoy]

Wow. I didn't even think about how much that scene was unneeded.

[Crystal Talian]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalatounge.gif)
I probably only noticed it because I've read the books and listened to the audiobooks so many times. I was just thinking, "Wow, overdramtic much? Make the most of that dragon, guys!"

By the by, rereading/relistening to the books is so incredibly awesome. You catch all these tiny hints and clues to later books. ("Omigosh, I didn't know so-and-so was mentioned in this book!" "No way! That totally touches on what's revealed in book#!"

[ZBoy]

I had origianlly planned on rereading the books again this summer, but that hasn't even started yet. I'll have to start doing it soon.

[Oscar]

I think the books and movies should be looked at as different entities and not exactly related. Yeah, the entire movies are based on the books, but this is still a director's vision (not to mention time constraint) and that goes into changing the movies from the books. I just don't find it as fair to judge them based on what was excluded or changed. Instead judge it from a cinematography point of view.

I have enjoyed them very much so, but maybe it's because I haven't read the books and so I'm not looking for changes made. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalaexdee.gif)



Crystal: Haha, yes, those parts were all added to add drama to the movie. They weren't bad. Keeps things interesting, as silly as they may seem(referring to your spoiler-tagged post)!

[Crystal Talian]

Well, the first part of my spoiler-tag didn't really add drama. That was just stupid. Ron and Hermione would never, ever let Harry just run off and do that! That's the whole reason why he avoided them in the books. =/ It doesn't particular help that you've got Hermione crying all over the place and Ron just standing in the background looking like he has absolutely no idea what's going on.

. . . Okay. The part about Ron is actually kind of funny. >_>

[Oscar]

No, I do agree about the first part, pretty much. Ron did NOTHING. Hermione at least hugged him, but Ron just stared. I did find that dumb that at least they didn't have some heartfelt goodbye. More subtle, but I guess they sort of just knew that he had to go and they couldn't stop him....

[Crystal Talian]

I get that's what they were going for, but it just didn't work. It's not something Ron and Hermione would let him do under any circumstance - especially not so easily. That scene was completely different (and much more sensible) in the books.

Speaking of which, you gonna read the books now you've seen all the movies?