Just got back from a midnight show and I am sad to say I left this movie thinking one thing. Yates still doesn’t get it. What is it? Hard to say. People comment about how leaving out things like the Scrimgeour or Dursley scenes are small changes that do not effect the plot but I disagree. They are what gives the Harry Potter franchise it’s magic. Its not the big moments or special effects, but the small character driven scenes that really define the Harry Potter series. Yates does not seem to understand that and instead of exploring these little things, he breaks the series down to its most basic, common denominator and runs with that. And he really doesn’t even get that right. I mean, God, Yates wasn’t kidding when he called this a romantic comedy, was he? We were treated to all of three scenes of Harry and Dumbledore’s lessons. Thus leaving out important plot points about what the Horcruxes are and instead given some lame excuse for finding them like “Dark magic leaves traces.” I remember complaining about the lack of the Dursley scene, and I believe Doctor Jones told me, “What’s the point in having it?” To that I ask, what was the point of a waitress hitting on Harry, or the entire attack on the Burrow? What did the Weasley house burning down bring to the movie? Call me crazy but I would’ve rather had a proper climax with a real battle of Hogwarts than an attack on the Burrow.
Yates once again fails to capture the characterization. The first character that comes to mind is Dumbledore. At least he wasn’t presented as a “Strict grammar school principle,” this time. Instead, we are shown a senile old man. I give Yates credit for giving him his lighter, funnier moments at last, but he is also presented as border line bumbling. In one scene he lectures Harry about being reckless, the next he leaves him alone in the middle of a field (which is later attacked and burnt down). The scene that really stuck out to me was the scene following the Horcrux revelation. Dumbledore seems shocked and frightened by the notion of seven Horcruxes. He seemed unaware of this, despite the fact that he’s already destroyed 2 and identified a third. The film can’t even stay consistent within itself yet alone the books. Also, why is Harry supposed to care that Dumbledore died? From the third movie on he has been little more than a teacher to Harry and not a particularly close one. They left out scenes like “Dumbledore’s man through and through,” three of the lessons, Dumbledore standing up to the Dursleys for Harry, and the explanation that Harry wasn’t the chosen one but was choosing to fight. These are important character scenes. They build a relationship in the book. There was not a relationship between the two characters in the films, unfortunately. Therefore, the death is that much less effective. Plus the portrayal of the whole damn Weasley family with the exception of Ginny is just horrid.
The acting is probably the saving grace of the movie with two exceptions. Gambon finally gets it right and brings his A game. Rickman is as always amazing. Unfortunately, Radcliffe is as stale as ever. The scene where Dumbledore drinks the water is dragged down horribly by Radcliffe’s awful acting and squinty eyes which represent his attempt to convey basically any emotion. Happy, squint. Sad, squint. Angry, squint. I hoped stage acting would help him. It didn’t. Also, why is Rupert Grint, the most talented of the trio compared to Radcliffe’s under acting and Watson’s overacting always left out of pivotal moments. He has nothing to do in the final scene but sit there. If I remember right, in the book, it was RON who told Harry they were accompanying him on his journey. What do the producers have against Grint that they steal his material from him and give it to others?
This film is also pretty anti-climactic. We’re robbed of the Battle of Hogwarts. The romance subplots ultimately go no where. At least in the book, with its shortcomings in the romance field, we are given closure, in the movie Ginny kisses Harry in more of “We can’t do this,” tease than a real kiss. Then its just dropped. Same with Quidditch. A couple scenes, then its over. They present plot points, but are scared to see them through to the end. Hell, even the Half Blood Prince and the Advanced Potion Making book are only featured in about two minutes of the movie. The movie's name sake is an after thought for goodness sake!
I give it a 7/10 because, well, quality wise that’s what it is. As an adaptation it is a 2/10. And that’s being generous. It’s a shame that Curon or Columbus are not returning to end the series and instead we are stuck with Yates, a television movie director who some how landed the dream job of finishing the Harry Potter franchise (OOTP being his first feature film). Because instead of these movies living up to their full potential and becoming modern classics like LOTR, we are instead stuck with average popcorn movies.
). So I had a fantastic experience watching the movie and as for the actual movie...
