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sabremeisterJust been to see it.
'Tis good. Not too long, like some people though PotC3 was, but long enough to get in most of the major plotpoints - but again, still short enough to miss some of the minor ones that become relevant in future books (still no Dobby at Hogwarts, f'rinstance). Again, it looks like almost anyone who is anyone in British acting has tried to blag a part - a Goth Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange being the most obvious example. Somehow, she's not altogether scary or evil or insane enough to be truly convincing, but she makes a fitting lead henchwoman for Voldie.
The film does remain surprisingly true to the book, considering it's the longest book and the massacaring of book 4 in the last film. Almost everything that's necessary for book 6 is in there, as is the full plot and major incidents. They did have to do some time compression, some re-arranging and so on, but it was a very faithful production.
The final sequence in the Departmentof Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic (which, incidentally, looks like it was modelled on the Victorian-era Baker Street station - with a very Fascistic banner of Cornelius Fudge gazing down benevolently over it all) was a little disappointing. Quite oppressive and dark and intimidating enough scenery, but I think more could have been made of it all the same. The apparent smoke-form ability of the Death Eaters I think gave them too much advantage, but you still never really felt that Harry and his friends were in any real danger from the DEs. The showdown the the Order in the Death Chamber was more like a mass shapeshifters duel than the musketeers-style fencing-match-with-magic that it's described as in the book (although Harry and Sirius do get to do some nifty wand work against Lucius and Anonymus DE#1).
The final showdown between DD and LV in the atrium was ... not good. It lasted about four spells. Four, long, drawn out and impressive spells true, but not the clash-of-titans that's described in the book. The statues didn't come to life either, which was something I'd beeen looking forward to seeing. But hey, they must have used a lot of CGI depicting the battle in the Death Chamber already, and there's only so much of that you can do.
All in all, quite a good film. Worth the 2¼ hours it runs, but could probably do with an extra ten minutes or so to fit everything in.
'Tis good. Not too long, like some people though PotC3 was, but long enough to get in most of the major plotpoints - but again, still short enough to miss some of the minor ones that become relevant in future books (still no Dobby at Hogwarts, f'rinstance). Again, it looks like almost anyone who is anyone in British acting has tried to blag a part - a Goth Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange being the most obvious example. Somehow, she's not altogether scary or evil or insane enough to be truly convincing, but she makes a fitting lead henchwoman for Voldie.
The film does remain surprisingly true to the book, considering it's the longest book and the massacaring of book 4 in the last film. Almost everything that's necessary for book 6 is in there, as is the full plot and major incidents. They did have to do some time compression, some re-arranging and so on, but it was a very faithful production.
The final sequence in the Departmentof Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic (which, incidentally, looks like it was modelled on the Victorian-era Baker Street station - with a very Fascistic banner of Cornelius Fudge gazing down benevolently over it all) was a little disappointing. Quite oppressive and dark and intimidating enough scenery, but I think more could have been made of it all the same. The apparent smoke-form ability of the Death Eaters I think gave them too much advantage, but you still never really felt that Harry and his friends were in any real danger from the DEs. The showdown the the Order in the Death Chamber was more like a mass shapeshifters duel than the musketeers-style fencing-match-with-magic that it's described as in the book (although Harry and Sirius do get to do some nifty wand work against Lucius and Anonymus DE#1).
The final showdown between DD and LV in the atrium was ... not good. It lasted about four spells. Four, long, drawn out and impressive spells true, but not the clash-of-titans that's described in the book. The statues didn't come to life either, which was something I'd beeen looking forward to seeing. But hey, they must have used a lot of CGI depicting the battle in the Death Chamber already, and there's only so much of that you can do.
All in all, quite a good film. Worth the 2¼ hours it runs, but could probably do with an extra ten minutes or so to fit everything in.
