(I know, but I won't spoil it for those of you who don't.)
Evidently, I saw HBP this afternoon and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I recognize many people gave the film some B grade reviews. I really found the film to be wonderful, David Yates does a wonderful job directing (once again). Many people have said the film is "jumpy" and that it's "5% plot, 90% teen angst", but I think it's all bullshit. Excuse my French, but honestly, the films are made that way to cater to the demographic. The teenagers who have followed the series, like myself, have literally grown up with the Trio and we are supposed to recognize the fact that (even though they are wizards and witches, going to school in some parallel universe almost) they have the same problems and issues as any other teenager in existence.
A perfect example would be the Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny debacle. I mean, I am pretty sure any teenager with any type of crush has been in some sort of situation similar to that and is perfectly able to relate. I really saw nothing wrong with the film. The director & co. do really try to fit everything from the individual books into a 2 1/2 hour film. As an audience to the films and a reader of the stories, I really must give them the benefit of the doubt here.
I also really loved Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange. She's always a delight to see on screen. I'm most certainly a fan of her acting and I think she's a beautiful woman as well. I think if I were to become an actress, I'd probably be like her. But, that's hypothetically speaking of course. I'm much more comfortable with a pen and paper (or a Macbook in this case) rather than in front of a camera. But that's just shy 'ol me.
Malfoy = bitchass (I know, crappy word. But SO appropriate in this case. Not that I wanted him to kill Dumbledore at all, but Malfoy has no figurative balls!)
The scene in the cliffs by the ocean was executed very well, I thought. The effects were very good (as they are in any Harry Potter film) when it came to the Inferi. And of course, an expected "It's really quiet right now and something's going to jump out and scare me" thrill element was classic, but effective. The lot of us in the theater just sort of pressed to the back of our seats in fright, ha.
A couple laughs turned up here and there too. It was pleasant comic relief when Harry turns around with a luck drunk "Suh?!" and when Hermione beats Ron with a book and slaps Harry on the head with a rolled up newspaper. All cute fun which temporarily distracted from the darkness of the plot and of the overall tone of the film.
Another character who struck a chord in me was young Tom Riddle. Not the child in the orphanage, but the Hogwarts student. The scene when Harry dips his head into the pensieve to view Slughorn's memory of Tom in his office was, I guess, eerie. Tom was young, but he had this deliciously evil charm about him that was intriguing. I caught myself thinking, "Knowing me, I'd probably go for him." and then thinking "No! He killed Harry's parents AND tried to kill him! Forbidden thoughts!" And plus, that Tom Riddle was probably only 14 or 15. Which is creepy. On second thought, even the older Tom Riddle circa COS was really sexy. Oh, for the love of Neville, I need to stop this.
Fenrir Greyback also creeped me out. He had an almost inhuman look. His nose was just really thick and his hair was thin and his skin looked as if it were made of something else besides, well, skin. He looked like one of the crew members from Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest, heh.
I also have to say that the burning of the Weasley's house was really sad. It made me really upset because the Weasley's are one of my favorite fictional families, if not my favorite.
I think that's it. If I've forgotten anything, I'll be blogging tomorrow (or eventually) about it. I would put HBP pictures up to decorate this entry, but it's almost 2 AM and I'm famished. Eventful evening, as usual. It's always an adventure with Banjo Boy.
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