Choo-choo.

***With the power of love***

no seriously

Actually it's rather more complicated than that and I'm really surprised that Rowling left introduction of the Hallows and the rules involved until the very last book, when she was so conscientious about dropping hints to everything else prior to that.

Although for some reason the introduction of the Hallows didn't feel as left-field in the movie as they did in the book, for me. And I loved the shadowplay animation they did to illustrate the fairy tale.

It's also not clear in the movie -- at least it didn't seem that it would be to someone who hadn't read the books -- that the reason Voldemort seeks the Elder Wand is because ANY wand he attempts to use against Harry will result in Priori Incantatem, not just the wands that share a core. Any, that is, except the Elder Wand.

The stakes could have been clearer, IMO, though as the kids weren't and couldn't do anything to hinder Voldemort's quest to find the Wand, perhaps it would have just made things feel disjointed.

As much as my love for the series runs deep deep in my veins, I have long been an advocate for the anti-HP movies brigade.

I just don't think an adaptation to film should have even been attempted, to achieve an even roughly accurate translation of the books to screen is while I don't think impossible, it would definitly be a huge risk, intensly difficult and I doubt any would have even touched it. So instead we get: a story that has been hacked and diced into so many tiny pieces and spit on by so many different people that it only barely recognizes the books in the broadest strokes and even then it's barely a fading echo of the books
and an over glamorized, sparkly universe that treats magic like the sort of spectacle that begs to be oggled at and not simply a day to day reality of these characters lives.

That being said, i have had absolutely zero desire to see these movies. I will...eventually. But they have screwed up to much, to often and I'm not prepared to give them my money for a first run viewing.

I'll admit it has been a while since I've seen them all, but one of the most striking things about the entire series that I remember has been the over glamorization of the magic...or rather maybe it's not so much the magic itself, but the world itself that has been glamorized or exagerted in such a way that ticked me off.

I've been meaning to go back and rewatch them all (Hell since I'm rereeading the entire series on audiobook right now, why not?), this would be a good excuse.

Although even if I am misremembering, nothing will ever forgive the story aspect of my arguement. ever.

I'll report back.

I go every year.  I don't know WHY I go every year when one of these movies comes out.  They've never been anything but dry and emotionless retellings of of the books, accompanied by mostly uninspired CG effects (which may be technically brilliant but very little else).  I was always within one year in age from the subjects of the books, and I grew up with them, I've read them all at least a dozen times.  And I can honestly say that none of the moments in the books that made me gasp, tear up, laugh aloud, feel my heart thumping, or get goosebumps all over have ever managed to recreate those results on the silver screen- if they were included at all.

They aren't bad movies.  I would rather someone had seen all the movies and not read the books than never enjoyed any of it... but the movies don't compare at all the books.

It's like reverse Tolkien.  When I was in my Tolkien phase prior to and during the films, I read Tolkien because I wanted to learn and explore the world- and while the stories told are fascinating and well written, I never really FELT the thrills and chills and laughs.  When I watch the films, though, man.  It all comes to life, and by the time the combined might of Rohan stands across Pellinor Field screaming for death, my nipples are INVARIABLY hard.

The difference is that I genuinely enjoyed reading Tolkien, and having read the books enhanced the films.  And in a way, having seen the films has enhanced more recent readings of the books.  The only way in which the films enhanced my enjoyment of the books was by teaching me how to properly pronounce Hermione, and also teaching me that I really wanted to fuck Hermione.

Alright so I just got back from watching this...and I gotta say..."Now thats a goddamn Harry Potter movie!...almost"

I'll explain...through pretty much the entire movie I could feel this sense of "We are trying to make this a goddamn amazing movie, but we've got these six shitholes dragging us down." But maybe that's just me projecting.

One of my favorite moments of this was the "Hey I'm Bill Weasley, you were supposed to meet me three movies ago but I wasn't deemed important enough, but I'm here now!"And I can essential make the exact same point for Mundungus Fletcher, Dobby (Hey you haven't seen me in 4 years, but my death is important to you dammit!), etc etc etc.

BUT all that being said, I really really freakin enjoyed this one...and I will to place the blame for that ENTIRELY on the fact that they weren't trying to cram 800 pages into 2 hours.

Also I've had an epiphany on why I hate how to magic is portrayed in all the movies. It really all comes down to disproportionate levels of magicality placed on various objects. I'll explain. Take the Marauders Map and The Ministry of Magic for instance.

In the book the Marauders map is described as a nondescript piece of old parchment that could easily be overlooked and mistaken for exactly that, a piece of old parchment someone dropped. And when activated, it holds a map of Hogwarts with tiny figures of people moving around with thier name scrawled in tiny letters beside them.

Now, in the movie, the Marauders map is granted a piece of old parchment...about 3 inches thick once it's all folded up.I mean seriously, has anyone counted just how many little fold out doodads and thingamjigs make up that "scrap of parchment", I mean seriously people! And once activated it's a map of Hogwarts granted (That when unfolded is about 6 foot square, very convenient for sneaking around at night, no?)except that everything is all unnecessarily fancy, the entire map is made of words and the names of the people are scrawled out halfway across the thing in weird curling letters. Really? This is the map that 4 misfit boys would have made at school? Really?

Now The Ministry of Magic. In the book it's described as...well a government building...your local city hall, with a few small improvements (Flying letters, fireplaces etc. etc.).

But in the movie, it's this twisting, turning, multicolored menagerie even Tim Burton wouldn't accept. With walls that extend beyond visibilty and...everything' shiny, even the dungeons (You know those "Rough stone walls" to quote miss Jk herself) look like something from a Lady Gaga music video.

EDIT: Just a clarification. I freakin LOVE the design of the Ministry of Magic; it's this amazingly fantastical impossible yet there-it-is type of space that would work awesome in any other movie that wasn't titled Harry Potter.

Part of the charm, for me at least, about the entire Harry Potter seriously was the utter British drollness of it all. Even the Ministry of MAGIC is just another parliament building where politicians clock in and clock out. And that's what's gotten lost in the movies. It feels like the filmmakers went, "Hey, there's magic here right? So let's make everything  SUPER MEGA MAGICALLY AWESOME!!!!" Which for me, is the exact opposite of what JK Rowling was trying to create with the series.

But then...thats just me.

PS. Bill Nighy as Scrimgeour...HEEEEELL YEEEES

PSS. My god Emma Watson, give a man a break would you?