July Movie #4: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

July Movie #4: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Bonnie Wright, Matt Lewis
Directed By: David Yates
Run Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the final installment of JK Rowling's Harry Potter series. Harry (played by Radcliffe) and the gang finally come head to head with Lord Voldemort (played by Fiennes). Good battles dark magic.

Dawn, Joel, Jeff, and I saw this one up at "the lake." We went to a small town, out of the way theater. Oddly enough, this little theater was the only one in the area showing the movie in 3D, which is yet another reason we chose this venue. Shortly after arriving (with ample time), we were informed that summer camp had bought out the theater. We were stunned. It was a beautiful night and the campers were coming inside to see a movie? And at this hole in the wall? On our night? We quickly high-tailed it across several towns (a good half hour drive) to another theater. We had to see it in 2D. While there were the usual gimmicky stuff comin' at you moments (swords, wands, snakes, etc), I don't think we got robbed. 2D, as it turns out, was just fine.

When we saw part one of the Deathly Hallows last year, I remember being rather bored by the movie. Nothing but wandering around the woods looking for horcruxes but instead encountering teenage angst consumed that movie. This movie, thankfully, was not like the first half. The first hour of this movie is incredibly intense. Harry, Ron (played by Grint), and Hermione (played by Watson) are desperately trying to track down the last of the horcruxes (the objects that contain parts of Lord Voldemort's soul) and trying to stay one step ahead of the Death Eaters that are pursuing them. You can feel the tension and their desperation. It's a fast paced ride. I did feel that a half hour of the movie towards the end dragged. Perhaps all the excitement had drained my energy. I just wanted someone to kill the snake (not that I root for violence against animals but killing the snake was the way to get to Voldemort... not to ruin any plot points for those who haven't read the book or have forgotten key elements of the book). I clenched my fists and internally cheered for the end to come.

For those who do remember how the book ends, Jeff was hoping they wouldn't show the aged versions of the characters we've come to know and love. He always thought that ending was too nicely wrapped up, sort of a sell-out moment for the author (giving it a happy Hollywood ending). They do show the aged ending. And it was very well done (although I was disappointed that Ginny grows up to have soccer mom hair). After all the years of battling evil, it was nice to see Harry happy. I liked the sweet ending.

Of course, it has been awhile since I read the book so there are a lot of plot points that I had forgotten. I had forgotten who dies. It always makes me sad to think about the wonderful characters that didn't get that aged ending. I do have to wonder if those characters pissed off Rowling so she killed them off as a warning to future characters she might create. :-) At some point, I'll have to re-re-read the books... and then maybe have a major movie marathon.

This is a good movie. A nice wrap-up to all the others. Very well done, even if we didn't see it in 3D. Good-bye characters. It's been great watching you grow up!

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List O' Movies Watched

2016 Movies
16). Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
15). Suicide Squad
14). Star Trek Beyond
13). Ghostbusters
12). The Legend of Tarzan
11). The Secret Life of Pets
10). Finding Dory
9). Central Intelligence
8). X-Men: Apocalypse
7). Captain America: Civil War
6). Zootopia
5). Deadpool
4). Kung Fu Panda 3
3). Norm of the North
2). Spectre
1). Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
2015 Movies
45). Peanuts Movie
44). Goosebumps
43). Scouts Guide (to a Zombie Apocalypse)
42). Suffragette
41). Burnt
40). Last Witch Hunter
39). Crimson Peak
38). Bridge of Spies
37). The Martian (3D)
36). The Intern
35). Hotel Transylvania 2
34). Everest
33). Man from U.N.C.L.E
32). Vacation
31). Terminator: Genisys
30). Ant-Man
29). Pixels
28). Minions
27). Jurassic World
26). San Andreas (3D)
25). Spy
24). Inside Out
23). Ex Machina
22). Tomorrowland
21). The Age of Adaline
20). The Avengers: Age of Ultron (3D)
19). Danny Collins
18). Fast and the Furious 7
17). Home
16). Cinderella
15). Focus
14). Kingsmen
13). Paddington
12). Whiplash
11). The Imitation Game
10). American Sniper
9). Selma
8). Birdman
7). Theory of Everything
6). Boyhood
5). Jupiter Ascending (3D)
4). Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb
3). Taken 3
2).The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (3D)
1). Into the Woods
2014 Movies
20). Big Hero Six (3D)
19). Gone Girl
18). Dracula Untold
17). Boxtrolls (3D)
16). A Walk Among Tombstones
15). Frank
14). Expendables III
13). Guardians of the Galaxy (3D)
12). Chef
11). X-Men: Days of Future Past
10). How to Train Your Dragon 2 (3D)
9). Maleficent
8). A Million Ways to Die in the West
7). Transcendence
6). Captain America: The Winter Soldier
5). Muppets Most Wanted
4). The Grand Budapest Hotel
3). The LEGO Movie
2). Non-Stop
1). Saving Mr. Banks
2013 Movies
52). Philomena
51). Delivery Man
50). Frozen (in 3D)
49). Homefront
48). Hunger Games: Catching Fire
47). Thor: The Dark World (in 3D)
46). Free Birds (in 3D)
45). About Time
44). Escape Plan
43). Gravity (in 3D)
42). Don Jon
41). Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (in 3D)
40). Riddick
39). Planes
38). Red 2
37). Despicable Me 2 (again)
36). Turbo
35). Despicable Me 2 (in 3D)
34). The Heat
33). Monsters University
32). This is the End
31). Now You See Me
30). What Maisie Knew
29). The Hangover III
28). Star Trek: Into Darkness
27). Fast and the Furious 6
26). Gatsby (in 3D)
25). Iron Man 3 (in 3D)
24). Disconnect
23). Pain & Gain
22). Place Beyond the Pines
21). Side Effects
20). G.I. Joe: Retaliation
19). The Croods
18). Jack the Giant Slayer (in 3D)
17). Oz the Great and Powerful
16). A Good Day to Die Hard
15). Snitch
14). Zero Dark Thirty
13). Life of Pi (3D)
12). Beasts of the Southern Wild
11). Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films
10). Warm Bodies
9). Parker
8). Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (3D)
7). Django Unchained
6). Amour
5). The Last Stand
4). The Impossible
3). Les Miserables
2). Silver Linings Playbook
1). Lincoln
2012 Movies
42). Wreck it Ralph
41). Skyfall
40). Argo
39). Hotel Transylvania (3D)
38). Looper
37). Taken 2
36). ParaNorman (3D)
35). Ice Age 4: Continental Drift
34). The Expendables 2
33). The Odd Life of Timothy Green
32). Total Recall
31). The Amazing Spider-man
30). Brave(again)
29). Magic Mike
28). Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (3D)
27). Brave
26). Prometheus
25). Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
24). Snow White and the Huntsman
23). Men in Black III (3D)
22). Battleship
21). Dark Shadows
20). The Pirates! Band of Misfits
19). The Avengers
18). Mirror Mirror
17). The Hunger Games
16). Titanic (3D)
15). Coriolanus
14). The Lorax (3D)
13). The Artist
12). Extremely Close & Incredibly Loud
11). The Help
10). Hugo
9). Journey 2: Mysterious Island (3D)
8). Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts
7). Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts
6). Safe House
5). A Dangerous Method
4). My Week with Marilyn
3). The Grey
2). The Descendents
1). Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
2011 Movies
56). Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
55). The Muppets
54). Arthur Christmas (in 3D)
53). Puss in Boots (in 3D)
52). In Time
51). Martha Marcy Mae Marlene
50). Margin Call
49). Real Steel
46). Dolphin Tale
48). 50/50
47). Ides of March
45). Killer Elite
44). Moneyball
43). What's Your Number?
42). Drive
41). Winnie the Pooh
40). Fright Night
39). Crazy, Stupid, Love
38). Captain America: The First Avenger
37). Cowboys and Aliens
36). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
35). Cars 2 (again)
34). Zookeeper
33). Midnight in Paris
32). Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon (in 3D)
31). Bad Teacher
30). Cars 2
29). Mr. Popper's Penguins
28). Green Lantern
27). X-Men: First Class
26). Kung Fu Panda 2
25). Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides
24). Bridesmaids
23). Thor
22). Rio
21). Hanna
20). Source Code
19). Fast Five
18). Hop
17). The Adjustment Bureau
16). Limitless
15). Rango
14). Beastly
13). The Housemaid (Ha-nyeo)
12). I Am Number Four
11). True Grit
10). The Kids Are All Right
9). 127 Hours
8). Unknown
7). Oscar Nominated Live-Action Short Films
6). Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films
5). The Fighter
4). The Mechanic
3). The King's Speech
2). The Green Hornet (in 3D)
1). Black Swan

Robin's World - Movie Valley

Movie Reviews

Tuesday, August 30, 2011