SPOILER WARNING - Enter at own risk.
>> The film had a curious disjointed quality, as though it had been compiled out of two or three different movies, made by different people. It didn't quite flow. Plot elements were introduced and then failed to continue.
There was the rom com strand, and "what's Draco up to?" strand, and the half-blood prince strand, and the Dumbledore and the horcruxes strand - and they remained seperate, some strands faltering or disappearing entirely. The half-blood prince strand, in particular, just faded into obscurity.
Each individual scene was generally fine - I think the film could have been saved by judicious editing. Or someone reviewing it in terms of overall plot development, rather than checking it scene by scene. Or something.
The scenes often worked individually, but failed to pull together to form a cohesive whole. So, at the time of watching, it was quite enthralling, but afterwards I was disappointed.
>> Draco was great - Tom Felton did a fine job with Draco's character - the bathroom scene was quite exciting, and his performance on the astrology tower scene was excellent.
>> Only two of the Tom Riddle memories were shown. It doesn't matter so much to a viewer familiar with the books, but others might feel the lack.
>> The astrology tower scene was quite good -- but the whole DE invasion of Hogwarts was an utter fail. Other than Bellatrix dancing on tables and smashing some windows, the DEs quietly entered, and then left after Dumbledore's death. No chaos, no violence. Harry's pursuit of Snape aross the school grounds is presented, but even the encounter with Snape was dissatisfying.
Early in the film, we see aurors patrolling Hogwarts and making themselves noticable - why was there no resistance to the DE break-in? Where were the aurors? Where were the Order members - Bill, Tonks and Remus etc?
>> Dumbledore's death and then the scene with his body lying at the bottom of the tower was really moving.
>> The cave and inferi scene was great. Really effective.
>> The Burrow scene: wtf! Have no idea why this was inserted. Initially quite dramatic, the scene sort of fizzled out before the Burrow burned down. ???
>> The film opens with dramatic scenes of DE violence - in the Muggle world, and briefly in Diagon Alley. But that doesn't really go anywhere - it would have been good to have a sense of the menace growing as the film progresses.
>> Lavender/Ron - nauseating - but that was true in the book. When Ron's in hospital after the mead incident, Hermione and Lavender have this public screaming frenzy, as in the book, but I don't recall Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape being there in the book(?) Then Ron does his "hermione" mumble - and then afterwards the Hermione/Ron just fades out with no real developoment. It's all quite strange.
>> Won't discuss the whole Remus/Tonks thing, other than mentioning that since the Order wasn't present during the DEs entrance into Hogwarts, I was spared from having to see the ghastly hospital scene. What I did see of Remus/Tonks (only little snuippets) was hideous enough.
>> Not only did the half-blood prince plot-strand fade away until the momnent Snape says "I am the half-blood prince" to Harry (as he's leaving Hogwarts), there just isn't enough of Snape in the film.
>> The Spinner's End scene was fine. But omg, Narcissa's hair! What were they thinking? I'd imagined Narcissa as more graceful and willowy, somehow.
>> There were some exciting scenes, and some of the visuals were superb - but the film was rather unsatisfying as a whole.
EDIT:![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
junewilliams7 just reminded me I hadn't mentioned anything about Slughorn. I thought the actor did a fine job, even though he wasn't entirely like the book-Slughorn. Slughorn was portrayed as a complex charcter - he was simultaneously sweet, avaricious, mercenary, self absorbed, creepy and endearingly vulnerable.
I can easily imagine this Slughorn at the Battle of Hogwarts, first hastily retreating with the children, and then later returning to fight.
EDIT: I've also recalled that I should also mention that the cinemtography was outstanding - really quite wonderful.
The marvelous visuals of Hogwarts and its towers and Borgin and Burke's) in Knockturn alley - brilliant.
And the repeated motif of Draco's isolation, occuring throughour the film. Like when we see Harry and Hermione on a balcony, then flash to Ron and Lav and then finally focus on Draco alone on the astronomy tower, standing there until the sun rises. That motif occurs repeatedly - it's really effective.
>> The film had a curious disjointed quality, as though it had been compiled out of two or three different movies, made by different people. It didn't quite flow. Plot elements were introduced and then failed to continue.
There was the rom com strand, and "what's Draco up to?" strand, and the half-blood prince strand, and the Dumbledore and the horcruxes strand - and they remained seperate, some strands faltering or disappearing entirely. The half-blood prince strand, in particular, just faded into obscurity.
Each individual scene was generally fine - I think the film could have been saved by judicious editing. Or someone reviewing it in terms of overall plot development, rather than checking it scene by scene. Or something.
The scenes often worked individually, but failed to pull together to form a cohesive whole. So, at the time of watching, it was quite enthralling, but afterwards I was disappointed.
>> Draco was great - Tom Felton did a fine job with Draco's character - the bathroom scene was quite exciting, and his performance on the astrology tower scene was excellent.
>> Only two of the Tom Riddle memories were shown. It doesn't matter so much to a viewer familiar with the books, but others might feel the lack.
>> The astrology tower scene was quite good -- but the whole DE invasion of Hogwarts was an utter fail. Other than Bellatrix dancing on tables and smashing some windows, the DEs quietly entered, and then left after Dumbledore's death. No chaos, no violence. Harry's pursuit of Snape aross the school grounds is presented, but even the encounter with Snape was dissatisfying.
Early in the film, we see aurors patrolling Hogwarts and making themselves noticable - why was there no resistance to the DE break-in? Where were the aurors? Where were the Order members - Bill, Tonks and Remus etc?
>> Dumbledore's death and then the scene with his body lying at the bottom of the tower was really moving.
>> The cave and inferi scene was great. Really effective.
>> The Burrow scene: wtf! Have no idea why this was inserted. Initially quite dramatic, the scene sort of fizzled out before the Burrow burned down. ???
>> The film opens with dramatic scenes of DE violence - in the Muggle world, and briefly in Diagon Alley. But that doesn't really go anywhere - it would have been good to have a sense of the menace growing as the film progresses.
>> Lavender/Ron - nauseating - but that was true in the book. When Ron's in hospital after the mead incident, Hermione and Lavender have this public screaming frenzy, as in the book, but I don't recall Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape being there in the book(?) Then Ron does his "hermione" mumble - and then afterwards the Hermione/Ron just fades out with no real developoment. It's all quite strange.
>> Won't discuss the whole Remus/Tonks thing, other than mentioning that since the Order wasn't present during the DEs entrance into Hogwarts, I was spared from having to see the ghastly hospital scene. What I did see of Remus/Tonks (only little snuippets) was hideous enough.
>> Not only did the half-blood prince plot-strand fade away until the momnent Snape says "I am the half-blood prince" to Harry (as he's leaving Hogwarts), there just isn't enough of Snape in the film.
>> The Spinner's End scene was fine. But omg, Narcissa's hair! What were they thinking? I'd imagined Narcissa as more graceful and willowy, somehow.
>> There were some exciting scenes, and some of the visuals were superb - but the film was rather unsatisfying as a whole.
EDIT:
junewilliams7 just reminded me I hadn't mentioned anything about Slughorn. I thought the actor did a fine job, even though he wasn't entirely like the book-Slughorn. Slughorn was portrayed as a complex charcter - he was simultaneously sweet, avaricious, mercenary, self absorbed, creepy and endearingly vulnerable. I can easily imagine this Slughorn at the Battle of Hogwarts, first hastily retreating with the children, and then later returning to fight.
EDIT: I've also recalled that I should also mention that the cinemtography was outstanding - really quite wonderful.
The marvelous visuals of Hogwarts and its towers and Borgin and Burke's) in Knockturn alley - brilliant.
And the repeated motif of Draco's isolation, occuring throughour the film. Like when we see Harry and Hermione on a balcony, then flash to Ron and Lav and then finally focus on Draco alone on the astronomy tower, standing there until the sun rises. That motif occurs repeatedly - it's really effective.