Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2: Review Thread

[Samuelcd]

I loved the film. Best Harry Potter, easy.
Gringotts was AWESOME! Second best scene next to Prince's Tale!
Oh, and when Leaving Hogwarts played at the end- truly magical.
I liked so much of the film, I won't list it all, but I will list the bad points.


Bad Points
-The opening. It is not that it was neccesarily bad, but it was nowhere near as good as Part 1's.
-When Harry pulled Voldemort off the battlements and they started merging together it looked weird. I don't mean creepy weird, I mean weird weird. When they full merged and it was that one weird Voldy-Harry face it was laughable.
-Why did Bellatrix and Volodemort shatter? I mean, ok, maybe Voldemort, but Bellatrix? Ugh it was just weird.
-Not enough battle! I'm not saying that important scenes like King's Cross or Prince's Tale should have been shortened, just the battle scenes extended! You see the start, you see a few explosions now and then, but then you go into the RoR scene and Snape's Death. Then it is over! You barely see any!!! It is the same with the second stage of the battle. You only see Harry V Voldemort and Molly V Bellatrix and see barely any of the other battles.



Overall, I liked it but there was something missing.
I didn't feel like the ultimate send-off to the series.
But it was good, and I give it a 7.5/10

[James26]

They made the film more alike the book in this one., but still, I see no reason why they shouldn't make it the same :/ This is why the books are so much better. I enjoyed the film but the differences from the book just bothered me the whole way through :/ Even if its just the minor ones, I know I sound picky but even the smallest little differences kind of frustrate me :L Other than that, good film.

Oh and one of the best quotes: Voldermort: AAAAAAAAAAAARRRAARRRRAAAAAAA KEEEERRRAAAARRAAAAAAAA!
I thing you pronounced it wrong, tom.

[MC2456]

8/10 - It was great. A fantastic way to end the series. The very minor issues were too minor to bother me.

My mom managed to get tickets. We sat second row to the front. But it's not as bad as I thought it would be. (I consoled myself with the fact that there are people in front of me. ) It was a beautiful film to end the series with.

I loved Shell Cottage. Whoever designed it ought to get a medal, because it's a really beautiful place. I love the attention to detail, there were shells all around and the beautiful beach...perfect place for a home away from home. Or a home away from war. Bill and Fleur were great. They didn't say much, but they had a wonderful presence. And there's my lovely Luna! She's so sweet! Griphook was wonderfully creepy and Mr. Ollivander was good too.

Gringotts scene: Helena Bohman Carter was great as Hermione. When I read the book, I was like, great, now Helena has to act as Hermione acting as Bellatrix. But she was awesome, the awkwardness and the uncomfortable gestures. Multiplying treasure, yeah, was okay.

What I want to talk most about is the dragon. Damn, with all his fire-breathing tendencies, that dragon is so adorable! I've found my favourite male character in the series, and that's the old blind dragon who guards Gringotts. Or we can just call him Gringy. Gringy the dragon. I want to keep him as a pet. He is just so CUTE!

Hogsmeade: I kind of expected them to cut off the Arianna scene. It works in a book, but not so much in a movie. I expected Mr. Dumbledore to be more unkempt and uncivilised. He looks really like Albus, just a tad messier and shabbier. Arianna's portrait was serenely beautiful.

And...Neville! Yay!

Hogwarts:

The DA. It's the details that count, and they showed how the DA has been living and keeping in touch with the Order- "It's the DA, Lightning has struck, lightning has struck!"

Snape's speech, and the march of the students in military precision. I liked that, it shows how regimental the Carrows are. The camera cuts to Cho and Katie and a few DA members. Then, BAM Harry shows up and starts yelling at Snape. But before anybody can touch Harry, McGonagall protects him. Oh man, I love McGonagall. She's just so powerful and cool headed when preparing the onset of battle. The soldiers and the protection-great special effects! And I liked her line when she summoned the soldiers: "I've always wanted to do that." I also liked the fact that she and Molly Weasley stood side by side. (Well, that we already knew from the trailers, but it's worth a mention.) It's like two mothers standing side by side. Molly Weasley is a mother to her seven kids, and McGonagall is a motherly figure to her few thousand "kids" in Hogwarts!

Neville's reaction to the DEs was funny. "You and what army?" Then, when they found out the protection was gone, you can see his face: "Oh Merlin."

And Luna. You guys know how much I love this girl right? "Harry Potter, you listen to me now!" WIN.

Ravenclaw scene was like in the books. I was thankful, more than anything, that they kept it in.

Chamber of Secrets was great. I liked the kiss! And no Harry to ruin it for them.

The Fiendfyre scene was okay. Well, they killed off Blaise instead of Crabbe, but they can't be blamed because of the issues with the actor playing Crabbe. But I bet non fans wouldn't really take notice of that.

Snape's death and TPT. Hats off to Alan Rickman. TPT is one of my favourite and most anticipated scenes, and I loved it! I loved how memory-like it is, you know, in your memory, nothing is quite coherent. I loved little Lily and little Snape. I did think that little Snape was a bit girlish though, but then, he is little. Lily's words before she died: "Harry is so loved. Mama loves you. Dada loves you. Harry be safe. Be strong." It killed me! If I were more emotional, I would have wept. But I was very moved.

And Alan Rickman. He is just brilliant. He's deadpanned and cool in one scene, and just pure, raw anguish in another, which shows Snape's inner turmoil. I love the scene where he has Lily in his arms, and is just weeping. Watching TPT, I just went, my respect for him as an actor doubled. I already think he's a brilliant actor, but now, after watching DH, someone give the man an award already!

The deaths were so sad. George, Molly and Ron's reactions were so moving. Ron and Hermione saying goodbye to Harry. I know a lot of fans don't like this, but I do. I was so moved at this.

The Resurrection Stone is another scene that I anticipated. I was so close to crying at this point. James, Lily, Sirius and Remus were all so amazing. Especially Lily and Harry. "Stay close to me." "Always". I was biting my cheeks and willing myself not to cry. Seriously.

The rest of the scenes were OK. King's Cross was way too white and bright.

Love Voldemort's smugness and "nyeaa" when they brought Harry's "corpse" over to Hogwarts.

Molly and Bellatrix's battle was alright. I didn't think it was that epic though.

For the private battle between Harry and Voldemort, I think they were trying to show what a movie can't really put into words. That it was just the two of them. No Horcruxes. No one standing between them. Just Harry and Voldemort, neither can live while the other survives.

I do have issue that they didn't have a celebration though. They should be cheering him and stuff.

Neville/Luna was okay. I was kind of supporting them before.

Epilogue. Ginny doesn't look a day older than twenty. Hermione was great, the kids were all very good looking. And Albus Severus was so cute! Draco, to be honest, doesn't look much older than he does now. I always thought he was very old looking, in real life.

[DigificWriter]

^ They actually killed off Goyle instead of Crabbe (although Zabini did replace Crabbe as the third member of Draco's posse).

I didn't get into favorite scenes in my review, so here's some:
* Gringots (Helena played Hermione playing Bellatrix perfectly, which is to be expected when you're dealing with a woman of Helena's caliber as an actress, and the rest of the sequence was awesome as well, especially the dragon)

* The epilogue; I had pictured James and Rose completely differently in my head, but, as has become the norm for this franchise, the producers ended up getting the cast completely right, especially Rose and Al; the actors they cast were Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe in miniature.

* The final reel (it's hard to pick a single scene or sequence from the final 3rd of the movie, although I really liked the way that David Yates chose to depict the Battle of Hogwarts and the two confrontations between Harry and Voldemort)

[njdog102]

I just got back from seeing the movie and I have to say it was absolutely fantastic, 10/10. Even with that rating I find it hard to choose which one I thought was better, Prisoner of Azkaban or Deathly Hallows Parts 1&2 as a whole. I really enjoyed it and am glad that I was able to experience it with a great audience, there were no jerks.

In terms of some of the complaints, like it just jumping in or it feeling rushed, I actually really liked the way it was done. The movie didn't feel like it just jumped in for me. I actually felt it was just right and the entire movie just felt really smooth. I like the OoTP movie, but that film to me felt rushed and somewhat choppy. I didn't get the same feeling with Deathly Hallows Part 2. It flowed really well and not once did I feel like David Yates was trying to rush it to the end.

The Acting
All I can say is I thought it was superb. From Alan Rickman convincingly grieving over Lily to Rupert Grint lamenting the loss of his brother, it was all done extremely well. Ralph Fiennes was great as Voldemort. His hatred for Harry felt real and his pain at realizing his horcruxes were being destroyed was a nice addition. It also felt great seeing characters we haven't seen in a while, like Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid and Maggie Smith as McGonagall. I do believe some of the best performances have to go to Dan, Rupert and Emma. They did an amazing job in this movie, especially Dan. For once, he genuinely looked like he was feeling pain, instead of acting like he was in pain. It didn't feel fake, it felt believable.

The Story and Battle
I really was okay with what they cut out of it. Introducing scenes from the book that weren't already developed in the movie would have just ruined the pacing, which I like quite a bit. What wasn't thoroughly explained in Part 1 would have felt awkward or confused the audience if it was included in Part 2, like Dumbledore's family. Even though it's great in the book I think it would have been useless in the movie. They worked well with the material they had and it turned out incredibly well. The audience got the gist of the story and I think that's the point.

I guess I differ a lot from other people when it comes to the battle of Hogwarts because I was pleased with it. It's not like we didn't see anything. We saw parts of the battle when the trio was running around, it wasn't nonexistent. What they showed, worked. Could they have used like an extra 10 minutes or something to have more of the battle? I guess, but it's not completely necessary and overall I don't know if it's something that should count against the movie. There WAS a battle, and it was impressive.

I didn't mind Harry telling Ron and Hermione about him going to Voldemort. Yeah Hermione said she'd go with Harry and it could be a bit of that favoritism some people talk about regarding Hermione. But I thought Ron spoke through his look at Harry. Ron and Harry understand each other and I think Ron accepted that no matter what he would say to Harry, Harry was going to go through with this. They didn't need to say anything because they understood each other. I do like the book version better though.

Harry and Voldemort and the aftermath
I don't understand what's so bad about it. Them walking in a circle would probably have been boring and their battle was brilliant on screen. I know Harry talking about the Hallows wasn't anywhere near the depth it was in the books, but it was there and it worked. I liked Voldemort's death scene, it looked cool. He was so immersed in evil, so I guess he fell apart.

I know people are disappointed about the elder wand. Maybe Harry should have repaired his wand in the movie, but I felt that the way it was done was really noble. Instead of the wand still being around and someone possibly becoming obsessed with the power of it, Harry destroyed it and again, it's an addition that's believable of his character.

Another problem some people had was that no one cheered after Voldemort died. I think it's possible in most cases, you're not going to cheer when loads of people around you are dead. Maybe there could have been more enthusiasm but I like the way it was handled. People in the great hall looked glad the battle was over. They looked relieved. The hug between Hagrid and Harry was also a pretty touching moment.

I also really liked that last shot of Harry, Ron and Hermione before the epilogue. It was moving. Speaking of the epilogue, I enjoyed it. To me they looked pretty convincing, especially Harry. Some might've looked younger or older than others but it was nice. I think this scene might have saddened me the most because it was the last scene of the last Harry Potter movie we'll see, and that's depressing.

I know this is already ridiculously long but I forgot to mention some things and then I'm done. I was okay with how Bellatrix died. It was quick but everyone in my theater was clapping, so I guess it works. I also thought Ron and Hermione's kiss felt genuine. Their relationship in the movies has been a lot more believable than Harry and Ginny so I liked it.

There might be some complaints and they're hard for me to pick out, but if there was one, it was the final shot of the trio in the epilogue. It's not that big of a deal, but it did feel kind of like Harry and Hermione.....and then Ron. I don't really want people to have the wrong impression about these characters. Those who read the books know it's not like that and it doesn't really bother me, but it does somewhat feel like that.

All in all an excellent movie.

[ChasKrall]

I by and large loved it. But there were a few things that I wished were more like the book:

-At the end, why change the scene between Harry and Voldemort? The way the book portrayed it, Harry was face to face with Voldy and trash-talks him, inciting the killing curse which rebounds and ultimately kills Voldy. Why change it and add the leap from the tower? Why change how Neville kills Nagini (which was right in front of Voldemort)? Had that scene been acted out as it was written in the book it would have been phenomenal.

-Why have Harry snap the Elder Wand? Why not have him use it to repair his own broken wand?

-The movie was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Yet, there was no period put on them. It's never mentioned in the movie that Harry has had one of the hallows since he arrived at Hogwarts. It's never mentioned that he has control of all three of the hallows at one time, becoming the "master of death." The other changes I noted I can see because they still got us to the same point. But this one, I mean, it's the name of the damn movie! Shouldn't that carry some import? Afterall, we did learn of the importance of the Sorcerer's Stone, the Chamber of Secrets, the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire, the Order of the Phoenix, the Half-Blood Prince. But we don't see the full importance of the Hallows. Heck, Harry never even used the cloak throughout the battle, which is what allowed him to freely move throughout the castle as a war erupted around him.

[narayandivya]

Ok, so I was really worried whether I could get to see the film at all, long story...but thankfully, I did, and here's what I think (first-time viewing)...

I liked the way the film started out with the last scene of DH1, followed by Snape at Hogwarts, as if foreshadowing a huge secret to be revealed...

The beginning of the film was good, as it seemed to recap the final events of DH1 (that way, if anybody had forgotten DH1, they would've recollected), and also set the pace for DH2...I didn't like the fact that Harry said that Ollivander is 'lying'...seemed like OOC for Harry to say that

I wish we had actually seen Hermione actually transform into Bellatrix. And how did Ron ever get into his disguise??? It seemed as if Hermione transformed into Bellatrix AFTER Ron got into disguise, was it given like that in the book??

Gringotts looked great, but I didn't rate HBC as Hermione that highly. I mean, you knew it was Hermione from the voice, and at first, she seemed quite unsure of herself. But the way she said,"I don't think I need to show my wand to gain entry", that is something Bellatrix herself would've said, it was only said in Hermione's voice (it was as if Bellatrix's voice had only changed). I mean, something seemed off in that scene. At first, HBC as Hermione was great, but later on, it didn't seem right.

Gringotts underground + mine-cart travel was awesome. The dragon looked great. But the way the Imperius curse was presented seemed off, as if the goblin was smelling potion-fumes or something. The dragon flight was epic (I sense a Visual Effects Oscar nomination here). HOLD ON: Did Harry have a Eureka moment in the water?!? I mean, how could things just click to him all of a sudden, as to where the remaining horcruxes are, and what they might actually be?? I mean, if that is how each horcrux is to be detected by Harry, how is that the trio were as good as nomads for months on end, and Harry didn't have a clue about the remaining horcruxes (thus Ron got pi**ed off with him), but now in a single moment, brainwave??? Also, why didn't Voldemort seem to get weakened when the locket was destroyed, but now, all of a sudden, he seems completely vulnerable with the other Horcruxes getting destroyed one by one? If that is how things work, when Harry and Hermione visited Godric's Hollow, why didn't Harry realise at that moment that Nagini herself is a horcrux?? But before all that, in HBP ,when Harry and Dumbledore went horcrux-hunting, why didn't Harry sense at that time that the locket was fake? And in DH1, why didn't it occur to Harry that the real locket was with Umbridge in the Ministry? The whole business of summoning Mundungus would've been saved. Big question marks, according to me. But then, all the loose ends had to be tied up somehow, considering that this is the last film. And this is how the film-makers thought was the right (and the best) way to go about things. Fair enough, good for them. But complete loss of plot, according to me.

Back to the film. The dead goblins at Gringotts were disturbing to look at (My sister was like,"ewww..'"). Parseltongue being translated into English, who would've expected that?? I loved the Hogsmeade set-up and scene. Aberforth was great (he explains about the two-way mirror, btw), Ariana was beautiful. Even if Dumbledore's story wasn't elaborated upon, it was just slightly mentioned. Good enough for me. Neville's description of the Carrows was spot on. The reunion with his friends back at Hogwarts was nice. Ginny meeting Harry was funny (Ron, a 'Frankie First-Year'!!). Harry revealing himself to Snape in the Great Hall was bada**. McGonagall v/s Snape was great, although I wish it was longer. We now go into battle-mode.

McGonagall was awesome ("You blathering idiot!", "Good to see you Potter!", "I've always wanted to use that spell", "Ask Finnegan about the pyrotechnics", "Boom!") - the 'Boom!' was a nice throwback to all the occasions in the previous films when Seamus used to blow himself up. The professors (& Molly) setting-up the protection charms over Hogwarts was epic. I choked when I saw Gred and Forge. Since when did the DEs use spells that would release a white light?? I expected the DEs breaking the protection over Hogwarts to be much more fierce and violent. Film Boo-Boo: When Voldemort tries to break the protection, the Elder Wand actually cracks. The whole idea of getting a headache when Voldemort used a PA system to make an announcement was awesome (sorry, but it's the only way how I can describe it, unless he was using the 'Sonorus' spell). Luna was great, but with Neville?? Nah. From the way Ron was uttering Parseltongue, it was obvious that he had memorised it (it sounded so fake and unrealistic). The kiss was so sweet (reminded me of the kisses from the good old classical films of the 1920s-30s), but then it was so sudden, I was like,"Huh?!?" (even if I knew it was coming), and then the shy laugh. I loved the chemistry between Rupert and Emma in this film. Looks like Kloves finally decided to have mercy on Ron, and actually put in lines where Hermione praises Ron's brilliance. Ron's best line,"That's my girlfriend, you numpties".

I loved the Grey Lady (infact, I loved the way the ghosts/spirits were presented in this film; they looked human, but actually weren't). I would've loved to have seen more of the battle not involving Harry. Ron crying over Fred was heart-breaking, Tonks and Remus lying dead there were just heart-wrenching. What exactly did Nagini do to Snape? I mean, Voldemort had already used 'Sectumsempra' on Snape, so he was mortally wounded, but Nagini attacking Snape multiple times, why?? And exactly how did she attack Snape? Because when the trio enter the boat-house, there is distinct lack of blood. So, did she strangle him, or something?? I think, Harry must've expressed genuine concern for Snape for probably the first time in his life. Alan Rickman rocked in this scene. The way he looked at Harry, as if, even in his dying moments, he actually feared about Harry's safety.

The Prince's Tale: Although it was presented nicely (better than the garbage that was seen in OotP, at least), it still seemed lacking. The significance of Snape's bravery and his sacrifice seem to have been diluted significantly in the film, as compared to the book. The scene was not as impactful in the film as it was in the book. I just wished Snape was shown to be really in love with Lily, rather than just being good friends with her. It's really weird, don't you think, that she meets James during the Sorting, and suddenly they get married?? It seemed as if they were doing a quick run-through of the whole scenario. At least, they paid attention to the ring Horcrux, and Harry needing to die (Dumbledore tells Snape that Harry is a Horcrux). In the scene, when Snape mourns over Lily, Alan was superb. But, it's not an Oscar-nomination-worthy performance by any means. Why? He conveyed many different emotions, which is what an actor is supposed to do, that's his job. The main reason why Potter fans (& Dan Radcliffe) are demanding Oscar nod for Rickman, is because they saw a side to Snape that was never seen or displayed before - fear, anger, vulnerability, sadness, etc. But then, Alan, being the great actor that he is, would have had absolutely no difficulty in portraying all those emotions. It's something that was expected of him, and he delivered it completely.

Emma was superb in the scene when she bids goodbye to Harry. Genuine tear-jerker moment: Harry walking to his 'death'. But the weird part was, Harry asking,"Why are you here?" Umm, Harry, didn't you summon them?? Also, am I the only one who thought that the Resurrection Stone looked completely CGI?? I mean, it's a stone. Why make it look so unreal? But, your breath gets hitched when Sirius gives a throw-back to his line in PoA ("The ones that love us..."). All four spirits have something to say to Harry, which is quite emotional. I would've liked to see James speak much more to Harry.

King's Cross - can someone please explain how is it that Harry's eyesight gets back to normal after he 'dies' (especially, since the spirit of James Potter was wearing glasses)?? Harry is not wearing his glasses in this scene (you can actually see Dan). This scene might seem a bit too bright for some. I find it weird that Harry asks Dumbledore about the fact that the Patronuses of Lily and Snape are the same. I mean, was Harry even paying attention during Snape's memories?? The line,"Is this for real, or is it happening in my head?", is kept verbatim.

The next scene is awesome and epic, to say the least - when the DEs enter Hogwarts, and everybody thinks that Harry is dead. Matthew Lewis as the feisty and spirited Neville Longbottom truly shines in this scene. Standing up to Voldemort the way he did, no doubt working with Ralph Fiennes truly brought out the best from Lewis. Undoubtedly, the most stirring and inspiring speech ever. Voldemort hugs Draco, eww! Looks like Lucius has lost respect from his own family. This is possibly the last moment in the film which, according to me, went at the right pace. Oh Look: Harry springs alive!! For those who are book purists, the lack of explanation behind this occurrence is a glaring mistake. [The film does imply a non-canonical reason for this occurrence earlier during the King's Cross scene (nothing to do with Harry's blood running within Voldemort. More like, AK only destroyed that part of Voldemort's soul embedded inside Harry, thus Harry himself was unharmed. The connection between Harry and Voldemort was explained in terms of the Horcrux, rather than blood). Noticeably, the Hallows have been put aside completely in this film, and I honestly think that DH2 should've been renamed "Harry Potter and the Horcruxes"].

Immediately after this, things start to go pear-shaped in the film, and I was left wondering,"What's going on here???" It felt as if the film-makers had become ultra-lazy, and must've thought,"Oh, Harry's alive. Voldemort's due to kick the bucket any minute". First, you have an over-extended duel between Harry and Voldemort, interspersed with Hermione and Ron fighting Nagini (why did this happen?? I mean, I actually thought either of them would end up killing Nagini, the way it was panning out), Neville in the end does kill the snake, Molly v/s Bellatrix coming out of nowhere (the line is there!), and finishing in under 30 seconds, Bellatrix disintegrates like paper, btw (does such a spell actually exist that turns solid humans to bits of paper???) This duel is a complete farce, if you ask me. I mean, it seems as if the only reason this fight was kept in the film was purely because of Molly's line.

The idea of Harry and Voldemort jumping off, clinging onto one another, still seems weird to me. I guess, I'll have to get used to it. Since when did Expelliarmus and Avada Kedavra become non-verbal spells?? Voldemort disintegrates (just like Bellatrix) into paper. But this one is completely understandable. Voldemort, after all, got resurrected, from flesh, bone, and blood. And I think, it was really clever to show him disintegrating like that, because according to me, it is a throwback to the first film when Quirrell dies, and his body disintegrates in a similar manner.

POINT TO BE NOTED: A total lack of reaction after Voldemort is killed. This seems quite surprising, but is understandable, considering how tired everybody must've been, they're probably relieved that it is all over, saddened by the deaths, and let's face it, they expected it, especially after Harry sprang back alive. So, no surprises. Hilariously funny moment: You can actually see Filch in the background cleaning up the mess that was created during the battle!! People in my cinema were killing themselves with laughter! The final scene after the battle is that of the trio, and Harry explains to Ron and Hermione how he became the Master of the Elder Wand. Ron suggests keeping the wand, but Harry breaks it, and throws it away. Final shot is of the trio just standing side-by-side. I frankly hate this shot because they look like mannequins, standing still like statues. Screen fades to black.

Nineteen years later: I thought that the epilogue was quite sweet (Lily riding on James' trolley), not too extended, and the conversation between Harry and Albus was just right. I would've enjoyed this scene much more, had it not been for the continuous laughter in the cinema, resulting from seeing the characters look 19 years older (Harry elicited the maximum laughs, btw!)

What struck me the most in this film: All the throwbacks to the previous films, bringing a sense of closure. 'Hedwig's Theme' plays during the end-credits, btw! Yay!! The 3D has been used in a subtle manner. It does not strike you OTT.
'HUH?!?' moments: Harry 'sensing' the horcruxes. If it were that simple, why would the trio even become nomads for months on end?? From that logic, Harry could've 'sensed' the horcruxes even if he was staying in the Burrow.

So, there you go. That's my review. On the first viewing, my rating would be: 7/10. Maybe it'll improve after I see the film multiple times.

[baseballblondie]

I just got back from seeing this. I absolutely loved it! The minor bits are too minor for me to really care much about.

The beginning & Shell Cottage
Loved seeing how the students are almost military like.

The dialog between Harry, Griphook, and Ollivander. Well done. Provides insight as to why Harry has to go to Gringotts.

Gringotts
I loved the dragon. And the escape. Interesting was seeing how the goblins all responded to Hermione as Bellatrix.

Hogwarts/Hogsmeade
I felt that they could have explained Ariana a little more, but the passageway was awesome.

Seeing how the DA has been living, and then when GInny shows up and it's obvious that the students have to go back and join the ranks. Wow.

Snape's speech. Escpecially McGonagall's face. She looked so disappointed in him. then when Harry steps out of the ranks of students. oh and Neville rocked!

Battle
Fred. That's where I cried. Ron & Hermione getting the fang to destroy the cup.

I loved the grey lady.

Snape's Death & the Prince's Tale
Easily my favorite part of the entire movie. I love how it was done. And that it gives Harry the knowledge he needs.

The Forest
In the book, this part had me bawling. Not so much here. But still very touching and not as long as I'd have liked.

Kings Cross
The ugly goblin-like creature that is Voldemort. Awesome. And Dumbledore telling Harry just enough, but Harry realizing that he can choose.

Voldemort's Return/Neville's Speech/Final battle
The shock on the faces was amazing. I loved Neville's speech. It's amazing to see what kind of man he grew into.

Molly & Bellatrix - not as drawn out as I'd like, but the entire theater cheered when Bella died.

Harry destroying Voldemort once and for all. Not as many well dones as I think it should have had. And then Harry walking back through the Great Hall seeing life attempt to return to normal. I thought that it showed the students' and teachers' strength.

Epilogue
I loved loved loved loved it! The kids were adorable.

[Voldemort_Jones]

EPIC FLAWLESS PERFECT


PERFECT PACING EVERYTHING WAS THERE RALPH AND ALAN WERE BRILLIANT THE 3D WAS AMAZING*




8/10 - It was great. A fantastic way to end the series. The very minor issues were too minor to bother me.








*=we saw it in IMAX 3D

[Amortentia_13]

Let me just start off by saying that I'm very tired, and probably won't post a long review. I just got back from seeing the movie at our 10:30 showing, so it's about 1:00 am right now. All I can say is, WOW!!!!! What an amazing film It's honestly my fave out of the entire 8. I loved it sooo much! I was honestly a complete reck through most of it, but it did have some light humour which I was very fond of. So, I'm just going to list what I loved, and what I didn't love. I rate it a 9/10.

Things I loved:
- Helena Bonham Carter. OMG. She did a fantastic job portraying Hermione impersonating Bellatrix. She was amazing.

- Gringotts scene. Very well, done. Loved every minute, from the time they arrived till the time they left on the dragon.

- McGonagal. Love her. Simple as that. "BOOM"

- Neville, OMG so heroic. His time finally came. Loved him.

- Everyone preparing for battle, the enchantments, the statues/knights

- The whole battle itself. Loved the giants, and the spiders.

- The Trio's acting, was very well done IMO. Dan did really well, he improved a lot.

- THE KISS <3333333 I really loved it. Thought it was very good. However Ron's head was blocking some of it.

- The Prince's Tale. Alan Rickman owned this scene, he deserves an oscar!!!! Loved all the memories, and young Lily and Sev. I cried soooo much!!!!

- Molly's line to Bellatrix " NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU B*****!"

Things I didn't Love:

- The lack of explanation regarding how Harry came back to life???? This was important! Without it, it makes Dumbledore look cruel in a way.

- No Dumbledore/ Grindelwald backstory???! Not cool.

- Was disappointed with how Fred's, Tonks, and Remus's deaths were handled.

- Harry snapping the wand it half.

- GIVE GINNY MORE LINES.

- The way the whole elder wand was explained. They made it look like the only reason Harry beat Voldemort was because all the horcruxe's were destroyed. Which was not the case. Harry beat Voldemort because he was the true master of the elder wand, and the wand's spell overpowered Voldemort's.

- Not having the duel in the great hall, with everyone surrounding them. I was expecting Harry's friends to cheer when Voldy died, it would have been better that way.

And...that's it for now. Gotta go to bed...

-

[JamesPotter17]

I am thinking about seeing it again, and I do partly agree with Digific writer, about how they're trying to make the best transfer from book to movie! But still that doesn't mean that they make it look like they take as much free will to change up anything they feel like! I did enjoy the movie, it is a very good ending to the series, and it was done to the best of their ability(I hope)!
In the end it is the way they made . . . and we can't change it in anyway, all we can hope for is that if the series is remade. That it is remade as close to the books as possible and by only one director instead of separate directors that have their differering ways of directing. I think that is a big part of what ruined parts of the series(IMO) is that with each new director came a different style of filming and with that a differnet set of "important" areas that had to be in the movie! IMO if they would have kept Chris Columbus as the director for all 8 movies i think they(IMO again) would have been more closely aligned with the books, whether it was for a film or not.
I still did enjoy the movie, and it was made to be a 2nd part so it would have been awkward to just see the 2nd part for me.
With many of you I agree on certain parts that shouldn't have been changed . . . and on the other hand i also agree with those who said that the tiny parts that were changed are fine. It's the final movie so let those of us who enjoyed it, bask in our joy and entertainment, and let those who are severly grief stricken at the ending of this magically era finds those to comfort them in their grief. But we will always have differing opinions on how it should have been made! So lets just leave the past to itself and enjoy the extra eigth movie that we got!

I saw it last night and I absolutely loved it, possibly the best film in the series (althought it will take a few more viewings before I can really decide on that). Even though I've read the book four or five times and knew what to expect I was on the edge of my seat for the whole 2 hours. The Gringotts scene was incredibly tense and Helena Bonham Carter as Hermione as Bellatrix was just amazing, I really believed that she was Hermione in disguise she captured it perfectly.

The scenes when Harry, Ron & Hermione returned to Hogwarts were so exciting and well done. McGonagall was amazing throughout the film (I loved her line about always wanting to cast the spell on the statues!), although really every cast member shone in this film. I was worried the epilogue would just be silly on film but I thought it actually turned out really well and I'm not ashamed to say it completely choked me up as it brought the home the fact that it was the end.

I'm going to see it again on tuesday, and probably again sometime the week after. I cannot wait!

[Pearl_Took]

I liked the film. Didn't love it. I'd hoped to love it, but - no.

What I liked, a lot:

- Battle of Hogwarts was excellent from start to finish. Epic, intense, violent, horrifying. The Harry-centric perspective worked well, I thought.

- Snape's death scene was deeply moving. Loved his final line to Harry.

- Forest Again scene was beautiful, too. I could FEEL the audience's shock when Harry offered himself up to die!

- Liked how the film-makers upped the ante on Nagini's demise, with her chasing Ron and Hermione before Neville killed her.

- Liked Harry breaking the Elder Wand. The proper, heroic, cathartic thing to do!

- Liked the film's treatment of the Malfoys.

I was rather puzzled by the muted aftermath to Voldemort's demise. Seemed a strangely anti-climactic way to wrap up a ten year franchise. I mean, Harry's just killed his nemesis, at long flippin' last, and everybody else ignores him.

The film, unfortunately, high-lighted what for me is the major structural weakness of the book - the Hallows, Horcruxes and ownership of the Elder Wand is a mighty confusing and muddled narrative, and I felt this was really exposed on screen. The film-makers gamely tried to simplify and streamline it as best they could.

Oh, and there really isn't enough Snape ...

As terrific as Alan was.

I also liked Dan's Harry a lot - his strongest performance, where it mattered.

First impressions. . Maybe I will love it more, on second viewing.

[SKasparRollins]

Still in slight disbelief it's all over now. Wow. Now on to the review.

I have decided DH1 and DH2 are my two favorite films in the series - not sure yet of the order, but number one is probably this one. As a somewhat fanatical purist, I love that Yates and co. mainly stopped trying to cater to the casual or only movie-watching fans in the last two. They kept to the book as close as the series had been since the first two movies, and yet unlike those two it didn't really drag down the films.

- Like how we got one final actual use of the Invisibility Cloak in the Gringotts heist. It's too bad the filmmakers could only use it when there was no other way, but then again I can see how it would be difficult to film at the rate Harry uses it in the books.

- Wow, they kept Voldemort killing all the goblins - and actually made it even more brutal! With how cartoonish movie Voldemort had seemed at times, DH did a great job of emphasizing how truly evil he was, just as in the book.

- I was expecting to see more of the actual battle, as opposed to just seeing the physical damage to the castle, but then again in the book HRH are mostly behind the scenes. I liked how it was emphasized just how outnumbered the castle was by the Death Eaters.

- Snape's death, the Prince's Tale and The Forest Again. Somehow, these three chapters are the only ones in the entire series to actually make me emotional every time. They delivered. Snape is made somewhat more sympathetic - the reason for his falling out with Lily is notably removed, as well as his genuine character flaws that make him such a truly great character - but Alan Rickman made it worthwhile. Just a total shame he didn't get more to do from the third film on. Snape clutching her body in Godric's Hollow just killed me. The walk to the forest was perfect - I even got choked up on the exact same line as I do in the book ("So proud of you".) It was an interesting decision to have Harry tell Hermione and Ron beforehand what he was doing, but I suppose that allowed for more of an emotional display. Great acting all around in that sequence.

- Not only are Lupin and Tonks' deaths kept offscreen, Fred's as well. I think the key to the deathscene in DH is Percy, and with him not in the picture, it just makes it all the more powerful.

- Loved the score in this movie.

- I only realized when I rewatched DH1 last night that Dumbledore's backstory was mostly cut. It's not essential to the story, except for the part about the Hallows specifically. Unlike other major cut-down stories in the films (Marauders' backstory, the Barty Crouch Jr. plot in GoF) this one seems to work as only being hinted at.

And now because I'm a purist, some minor complaints, nitpicks and observations that may be seen as negative:

- Wormtail's death cut out??? Can't understand it. I mean, here's a guy who is literally human vermin, who the film already explained (admittedly in a very watered down way), and he doesn't get his perfect karmic death (on ANY death?) Disappointed. Unless he was that Death Eater Voldemort randomly cut down after the cup was destroyed?

- Not a big fan of the exploding/disappearing bodies at the end. I thought one trailer had Molly using the Killing Curse on Bellatrix, alas. (At least they kept her incredible line). I suppose the snake exploded to show the Horcrux in it being destroyed, but meh.

- The mood in the Great Hall after Voldemort's death didn't seem quite right for the significance of what just happened. Also a bit disappointed they didn't show Voldemort's three-way duel with McGonagoll, Slughorn and Kingsley. The main reason that's so great is that it's a great moment for Slughorn though.

- I suppose Harry kept Draco's wand or had a new one made.

[BubblyShell22]

Just saw this with my BF today, and I think it's the best HP movie ever. 10/10 for me.

Shell Cottage-Great opener and loved the convos with Griphook and Olllivander. Very well done.

Gringotts-Superb. Helena did a great job with this. The multiplying treasures were great as was the escape on the dragon.

Battle of Hogwarts-Very well done. Loved McGonagall and Neville in this one. Also loved the protection of Hogwarts that they did. Superb.

Prince's Tale-Awesome. Alan did so well with this. He definitely deserves an Oscar for his performance. His death was very heartfelt, and I teared up. So emotional.

Forest Again-Powerful stuff. Loved it. I actually really cried when I saw Lily, Remus, James, and Sirius. Their conversation with Harry was so well done. I knew I would cry at this scene, and I was right.

Molly vs. Bella duel-While short, it was good. Loved how Julie delivered the line. Could have been longer, but it was good for what it was. I loved how Bella was crumbled into pieces. That didn't bother me at all.

Final Confrontation-Pretty good. Was disappointed there was no shouts of "Avada Kedavra!" and "Expelliarmus!" when they face off, but it was still cool. Loved seeing Voldy go to pieces. Just awesome.

Ron/Hermione kiss-Good. Just what I wanted it to be.

Epilogue-Very well done. I'm glad they kept the same actors for the Trio and Ginny. It just felt right. Also loved the kids, though I will still always picture James with red hair and Hugo with brown hair. Oh well. It was still sweet.

King's Cross scene-Also very well done. A bit too white for my tastes, but still eerie in a sense. Loved Dumbledore in this scene and seeing the baby. That was creepy and how I imagined it.

Overall, the best of the series. Can't wait to get it on DVD.

[arithmancer]

I saw the movie at the US midnight release, but wanted to wait for a second viewing at a more reasonable hour before posting a review. In the poll I gave it a 10; it is my favorite movie of the series.

I enjoyed the movie quite a lot. It had many spectacular visual effects. For me, the pace felt right. The scenes followed in a logical progression, and enough time was spent on them to make the needed points and move on. Much of the movie was suspenseful (even though of course I already knew how it all ends). And I think they did a really, really good job paring down the Hallows/wandlore/blood magic complexity for movie viewers (or befuddled book readers). From Ollivander's introduction of the topic of wandlore, through Snape's murder, Harry's two confrontations with Voldemort, and on to the destruction of the Elder Wand, to me it all seems to hang together well, while being simple and true to the important points in the book.

Little things I especially liked...
-Bonham-Carter acting Hermione doing a lousy job of acting like Bellatrix. The scene in the bank was very suspenseful, but still this aspect was humourous for me.
-We saw the Elder Wand not work for Voldemort before he decided to murder Snape.
-The bridge scene with Neville and the Snatchers.
-Snape holding Lily's dead body at Godric's Hollow (hey, it happened in my fanfic too! ).
-Lily saying "Always" to Harry.

I can't think of a single thing I actively disliked about the film. Things that I might have liked to see, though...
-More Snape. I hoped "The Prince's Tale" would make me cry, but it doesn't quite make it. I think it is too short, in the book by the time I got to the killer ending ("Always") I was so ready...
-This may not be doable in a movie...but I loved in the book, the whole long thread of Harry and his doubts about Dumbledore. His backstory was part of that thread, but I did not so much miss seeing Gellert or Ariana or seeing the whole story, as seeing some representation of that thread in the story I saw it being (just) a part of.

[lexlove1]

Watched the ,ovie tonight, will DEFINITELY be seeing it again tomorrow!!! The most moving part(other than Snape's death of course) was the clip shot of Lupin and Tonks reaching for each other even in death. That one moment truly shows you what love can and should be. That made me cry.... Not to trivialize Snape's lament for Lily.... The fact that when you sae that part of the film, and saw how Snape's heart literally broke, it was so powerful. It made me respect Alan Rickman even more, pure genius. I don't think anyone could have captured that moment the way he did. The actual cradling of her body as baby Harry looked on.... pure magic.

I also like Molly v Bellatrix... though it may have been short, it was also pivotal. Molly was basically saying: you a-holes took my son, you will NOT take my daughter!!!" Also, her triumph over Bellatrix proved that although a doting mother, she was powerful in her own right...

The Gringotts part was a bit wrenching... only because of the dragon. To see his pale, scarred, mishandled body was disturbing... I am an advent animal lover, and that sent chills up my spine. To see him break free was rewarding to say the least,,,, especially when he breathed his first breath of fresh air in how long?!

Ralph Finniess was brilliant. The emotional range he showed was uncanny to say the least.... I mean, who else but him could be vunerable and weak, yet defiante and all powerful... even when facing his demise, he did with an almodt defiant attitude, superb to say the least.....

If I had to rate the film, I would give it an 8/10... only because I wanted Sanpe and Dumbledore's stories to be told the eay the book laid it out

[Rookie_Angel]

I've already set out my (mostly minor) quibbles on the other thread, the biggest being Voldemort's being diminished by the time of the final battle--it was so brilliant of Jo to not do this in the books--to have him not be aware of or diminished by the Horcruxes' destruction as they went.

Mostly I loved it--it pulled me along from moment to moment--I actually liked, overall, that it wasn't slavish to the book. It gave me whole new fresh moments and surprises to enjoy, rather than just 'here's the part where Neville...' It was like having a whole new Potter story to enjoy, almost.

I really loved it; but think I need to cogitate for a while though, on conjugating exactly how and what I loved, maybe seeing it again will help. It's weird, the things I disliked were very specific picky little details of omissions in storytelling structure (e.g. Teddy, Percy) or odd, seemingly pointless differences from the book (e.g., Harry not repairing his wand, no 'try for some remorse), but the things I loved were huge, overarching feelings and structures and networks of stories. Right now I'm just basking in how much I really enjoyed it.

[Lisl_Loveheart]

Just came back. I was thinking to myself: "brilliant!" all the time!
Though eventually I thought: "What? Already this part?" It went all much too fast! Especially the first half of the movie. But also the deaths went too fast for the audience to let it all sink in. (small note on the side, I thought Rupert Grint looked great in disguise)

Of course there was no dry eye in the theater after the Prince's Tale and once that AK curse hit, nobody was breathing either. I loved the King's Cross scene. It was just as I thought it would be.

The small changes did not spoil it for me. As Ron / Hermione shipper I loved the kiss. As Neville fan I wish his stand off with the Dark Lord was just a bit more angry. But he was brilliant all the way.

Comic relief worked well with the crowd in my viewing and nothing was really out of place.

All in all: Amazing!
Going to watch it again as soon as possible!

[Dumbeldoresarmy]

I thought the film couldn't have been any better. Emotional and gripping. Here is my review, copied and pasted from my blog:


Its hard to review the 8th and final Harry Potter film without sounding like a complete and utter fanboy, but here it goes.
Being the shortest film of the lot, it had a lot of ground to cover. Harry, Ron and Hermione, fresh from their escape from Malfoy Manor, attempt to break into Gringott's to find another of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes. Their break in and ensuing escape from the Lestrange's vault is gripping, made even more so by their sensational escape on the back of a dragon. This is where watching this film in 3D really pays off: watch as the dragon smashes its way out of the bank roof, its head flying right out of the screen and seemingly only inches away from your face.

A lot of pressure is put on Daniel Radcliffe here. Watson and Grint are almost relegated to bit-parts in this film, whilst Radcliffe has the burden of leading the two in their hunt for pieces of Voldemort's soul. Not only does he have a lot of screen-time, but has to portray a whole range of emotions without coming across as flat. Its a difficult part to play, since the character of Harry Potter in the books is that of a modest and reserved young man. But Radcliffe surpasses himself when it matters-more on that later.

What is different about DH part 2 is the shift from mystery-solving to a war setting. Voldemort, played to perfection by Ralph Fiennes, gathers his army of Death Eaters to launch an attack on the school, flanked by his second in command Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter).

Director David Yates and his production team put together a magnificent Battle of Hogwarts- with Giants, Spiders and Death-Eaters alike joining in the battle against the students. Main characters are killed off unflinchingly, however it is a little disappointing to see the way they handled the death of Bellatrix at the hands of Molly 'not my daughter, you *****!' Weasley. As Mrs Weasley's curse hits Bellatrix, instead of falling to the floor dead she gets blasted into a million CGI ash-like pieces. A falling body would have been much more dramatic.


Likewise the death of Fred Weasley is shown off-screen, whereas there would have been more impact to actually see him get killed, even if we do see Ron crying over his brother's body.

However, where the emotional impact lacks in certain places, they are made up in droves later on. The Prince's Tale, or 'The Truth about Severus Snape' as I like to call it, is touching and well put together. Alan Rickman is the star here. Watch the lump in his throat and his sadness as he cradles the dead body of Lily Potter in his arms. A truly magnificent piece of acting in one of the most crucial moments in the film. Even the most stone-hearted of people will find it hard to not shed a tear for Snape.

Daniel Radcliffe, the poor boy, has faced a lot of criticism for his acting, even mentioning in a recent interview that he knows people are 'skeptical' of his acting skills. But as Helen O'Hara points out in the Empire review, Radcliffe is the best he has ever been when he steps into the Great Hall and sees the devastating human cost of his defiance of Voldemort, his eyes register one body blow, and another, and another as he sees dead and wounded friends.

The final duel between Harry and Voldemort is visually dazzling, even if it does take place in the deserted school courtyard instead of the Great Hall surrounded by all of the students and teachers like in the source material.
The musical score, composed by Alexandre Desplat, is noticeably absent during the final duel. This is a bold but highly effective move providing a more edge-of-your-seat experience, even if you do know who wins in the end.
As the film draws to a close we're left with the trio standing on the bridge to Hogwarts in the sunshine, a fitting end to the film. Unfortunately the Epilogue '19 years later' comes up to show the trio seeing their own children off on to the Hogwarts express.

Harry and Ginny are married, as are Ron and Hermione. Its very corny, but as the camera fades with the last shot of the film being Harry, Ron and Hermione, the tears start to flow in earnest.