Did you see Harry Potter? What did you think? SPOILERS inside!!

[Rora]

DH and I braved the madness and went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One last night.

We got to the theater at 9:30 and got front row seats.

Personally, I really enjoyed the movie. A LOT. DH (who never read the books) thought it was a little "slow" but I tried to explain to him that's how the book was-- not much action happens until the end.

Just a warning to parents: it is pretty dark but not nearly as dark as the last couple of ones, IMO. Definitely scary for little ones and there is an almost naked (you don't see anything) makeout session for about 10 seconds. The deaths (2) in this movie are expected if you've read the book but still will probably be upsetting for children. Hey, I cried. Seriously..

So... what did you think??

Edited: Spoliers are ok! Don't know what I was thinking. I changed the title so feel free to discuss discuss discuss!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Without spoilers, huh? Not sure I can do that and talk coherently. I'll try to be vague.

I like it mostly because I am trying to ignore the inconsistencies between the book and movie, and some of the weird stuff they had to do in order to get the story they wanted to tell to fit in with previous movies (ie introduce people we never saw before in the movies but know if we read the books, insert Sirius's mirror without a word of explanation).

There is a character change that bothers me. Bellatrix "questions" Hermione without using magic. It doesn't make sense. Why would Bellatrix result to muggle-style violence?

The main problems I do have with how the movie ignored the book had to do with how Dumbledore's history was only slightly hinted at and with how Wormtail's fate was not included.

I am curious to see how they are going to work out important elements they ignored in Part 1 when Part 2 is released in July. But I'm sure they'll think of something.

Even with all of that, it might just be my favorite one of the series, so far.

I think it was actually much darker than 5 or 6. If you hadn't read the books, the three deaths are quite a surprise, and are very traumatic (although one is offscreen).

 

[Savanah'sMom]

I absolutely loved it!!! I thought they did an amazing job on it and can't wait for the 2nd part. (well, I can b/c I don't want it to end ) I went into this movie not even thinking about the book, cause when I do, it ruins the movie for me (this happened with book 5)

 

[wisblue]

Here' the simplest way that I can express how much I enjoyed the movie.

At 58 years old I reluctantly agreed to accompany two of my adult daughters to a midnight showing. Not once did I come close to dozing off, and the 2 1/2 hours went by very quickly.

I'm not bothered at all by the relatively minor differences between the movie and the book (which I reread last week in preparation for the movie). I have a feeling that the more important of these things (like Dumbledore's past) will be addressed in Part 2.

I have said this about most of the movies, but I can see why someone who hasn't read the books would be confused about the movies and wonder what the fuss is about. But, as a visual complement to (and not a substitute for) the wonderfully written books, the movies (including this one) are generally excellent. "The Goblet of Fire" has been my favorite movie in the series so far, but if DHII is as riveting as I found this one to be, the two of them could take over.

 

[Ana~n~Joseph]

I also went at midnight and I thought it was great - I think it may be my favorite HP movie so far. Def dark, very dark, darker than the rest IMHO but I loved it. I was worried about falling asleep (no joke, it was way past my bedtime) but I had no problems, it def kept my attention. I'm even considering going to watch it a second time.

 

[KimR]

I haven't seen it but plan to as soon as I watch the sixth movie. We are leaving for Wizarding World tomorrow, so that probably won't happen until we get back.

My DD saw it at the premiere last night and said it was fantastic. This will be the last HP movie that I watch, though. I don't plan on seeing the last one becuase there is one particular character I can't bear to see die. I don't want to post a spoiler and say who, but does anyone feel this way?

 

[Minnie824]

I was debating taking my DDs to the movie...they're 9 and 6.5 and have watched all the other 6 movies without any issues, and they don't scare easily. What do you think? Too dark? They know there will be deaths and violence in the movie, but, like I said the others didn't bother them.

 

[Christine]

I didn't go but my kids (15 and 19) did. My 15 y/o said it was AWESOME and AMAZING but the ending was really sad. Said my 19 y/o hard-hearted daughter was crying at the end.

 

[wdwgirl03]

It was definitely epic and intense! I've read all the books/seen all the movies (I tried rereading Deathly Hallows to refresh my memory but only got about 250 pages in so I obviously didn't finish in time...I think what I read covered about the first hour of the movie, LOL!). I felt like my heart was racing the entire time.

I went with some girls I work with and one of them had never read the books/seen the movies . She said it was good but she has a lot of catching up to do. haha!

And even though I knew it was coming, the ending was sad.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I was debating taking my DDs to the movie...they're 9 and 6.5 and have watched all the other 6 movies without any issues, and they don't scare easily. What do you think? Too dark? They know there will be deaths and violence in the movie, but, like I said the others didn't bother them.

If either of our kids were 6.5, we wouldn't let them watch it. But then we are the "strict parents" among our kids' friends.

Besides the violence, there is a part of the movie with a vision (ie, not real) of two characters are seen locked in a passionate embrace with the assumption that they are naked. Flesh is shown, but nothing "naughty".

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I don't want to post a spoiler and say who, but does anyone feel this way?

J. K. Rowling is a mean, mean lady.

 

[Metsfan520]

I haven't seen it but plan to as soon as I watch the sixth movie. We are leaving for Wizarding World tomorrow, so that probably won't happen until we get back.

My DD saw it at the premiere last night and said it was fantastic. This will be the last HP movie that I watch, though. I don't plan on seeing the last one becuase there is one particular character I can't bear to see die. I don't want to post a spoiler and say who, but does anyone feel this way?

I want to see the 2nd part, but I plan to bring lots of tissues for watching that character's death.

 

[aprilgail2]

I went with my 11 year old daughter last night-- the only scary part was the part at the lovegoods with nagini..... I didn't see any issue with the Harry/Hermione embrace part-- you didn't see anything and no worse than anything you see in public IMO.
I was a little bothered by the fact that Harry was Harry at the wedding and not cousin Barney.....that they didn't use Polly juice potion when they went back to Godricks Hollow.....that Dobby came back to Sirius's place with Kreature when he brought Mundungus back....none of that happened.....it wasn't bad but just weird....the one part that I really did not like was the dancing scene with Harry and Hermione in the tent---someone in the theater yelled out "ok..now if they changed it and have them kiss I am walking out"....I felt the same way but luckily it did not happen!
Also I did not like that they didn't even let on about the lupin/tonks marraige...they started to say it but then didn't. Also the lack of Lupin showing up at Grimmauld Place and telling them that tonks was expecting.
They also left out the part in the woods where Ted Tonks, Gripphook, Gaurnack (sp?) and dean thomas are camping near them and harry, ron and hermione can hear their conversation.
Oh and also that they all were heading back to the Weasleys place after leaving the Dursleys....they were all supposed to be going to different safe houses then getting port keys back to the the Weasleys.
I did like it much better than the last movie though! I find Bill Weasley attractive too!

 

[TDC Nala]

There is a character change that bothers me. Bellatrix "questions" Hermione without using magic. It doesn't make sense. Why would Bellatrix result to muggle-style violence?

Couldn't tell exactly what she was doing, so I can't be so sure she wasn't using magic. If she wasn't, I'd guess she was biting her or something - that's a little kinky for these movies though. Sort of also made it look like all she did was carve on Hermione's arm (not that it isn't bad enough but in the book there was extensive torture referenced)

I would assume we get more of Dumbledore's history in the second part. What bothers me more is the exclusion of Voldemort's prior history. In the 4th chapter (film) when he is using Harry to get his body back there is some reference to his father having been a muggle, but they don't tie that into the rest of his story, say why he hates his father, or mention how he ended up in an orphanage, and it looks like he just hates muggles for some reason.

The people I was sitting next to burst out laughing at the "naked" scene for some reason.

I was a little bothered by the fact that Harry was Harry at the wedding and not cousin Barney.....that they didn't use Polly juice potion when they went back to Godricks Hollow..

I see that (and thought of it when reading the book and anticipating the movie) as a by-product of the fact that you don't hire appealing actors to be leads in your movie and then have them spend almost the whole movie with other actors playing their characters. Not only is that not good for the actors, but those coming to the show to see the actors might not appreciate the lack of screen time for their favorites. I was assuming they would use polyjuice for the film only when it was absolutely necessary for the plot, because it's used so much in the book.

Also I did not like that they didn't even let on about the lupin/tonks marraige...they started to say it but then didn't.

If I recall correctly she refers to him almost immediately as "my husband." What she doesn't get a chance to get out is the pregnancy news and I have no idea why it was directed so she didn't get to say it. I'm more bothered by the omission in Half Blood Prince when they suddenly show up calling each other "sweetheart" with no further exposition, but I know they don't have time for everything and it's fair to assume most viewers have read the books. On this film they just sort of throw in that Bill and Fleur met somewhere and that Bill somehow got into it with a werewolf. I think they could have just left the werewolf thing out but I don't know if they'll work it into the last chapter.

 

[LiberalPrincess]

Also I did not like that they didn't even let on about the lupin/tonks marraige...they started to say it but then didn't. Also the lack of Lupin showing up at Grimmauld Place and telling them that tonks was expecting.

That has been my biggest complaint about the last two movies -- the lack of attention to Tonks and Lupin. Aside from them being two of my favorite characters, I found them an incredibly big part of the books, in terms of Harry showing more maturity and how Lupin's fears of fatherhood affected Harry.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I saw a midnight showing, and I think it's my favorite movie yet. It so did not seem like two and a half hours to me, it went by so fast!

At the beginning I didn’t think they showed enough of the Dursleys. I liked how they showed Hermione casting the memory spell on her parents and stuff, but I thought they could have spent more time showing the Dursleys, especially since that’s the last they’re in the books, and in the book, Dudley kind of redeems himself.

Then when Harry let Hedwig fly away, I thought maybe they’d changed it, and she’d just fly away and be safe, and not die. Then she showed up in the middle of the fight, and I knew she was a goner. The audience all like made a huge sigh of relief when we saw Hedwig fly away, I think we all thought the same thing.

Then I liked it all, up until they were in the diner right after the wedding, when they said the name Voldemort and the death eaters showed up. It wasn’t that part I had a problem with, but it was never explained that saying the name Voldemort causes the Death Eaters to appear. I mean, you hear them say Voldemort in the diner, death eaters appear, then later they’re talking about him saying you-know-who, and no one says the name Voldemort again until they see Lovegood who says it and the Death Eaters show up there. I just think they should’ve explained that them saying the name Voldemort is what caused them to show up, because they question why would Death Eaters be able to find them, then they don’t mention it again.

And then I thought the funniest thing in the whole movie was when Dobby said he didn’t want to kill Bellatrix, just maim or seriously injure. It would’ve been a lot funnier if I didn’t know he was going to die in like ten seconds. I was almost crying with Dobby’s funeral. And something else I didn’t like about Malfoy Manor, was that they didn’t show Pettigrew being killed.

And I thought it was good how they ended it, without like a huge cliff hanger.

 

[gometros]

I went with my 11 year old daughter last night-- the only scary part was the part at the lovegoods with nagini..... I didn't see any issue with the Harry/Hermione embrace part-- you didn't see anything and no worse than anything you see in public IMO.

Harry and Hemoine? What the? Now I can't wait to see the movie next Friday to get an explanation.

 

[Terry36]

DD11 and I went last night as well. I liked this one much better than the last. I was pleased with the ending of the movie as well.*

I had to explain alot to her throughout the movie since she hasn't read the books. *

My issues:

I too was disappointed that we did not get to see the backdrop of The Dursley's leaving their home and especially the scene between Dudley and Harry.*

And what was up with he scene of Jenny asking Harry to zip up her dress....that scene so revealing and just plain inappropriate; it didn't fit right in the movie.
I was hoping to see Kreacher acting kind to the three of them, the cooking and cleaning and getting alot like in the book....

I was waiting to hear the secret group on the radio. I can't remember the name of the group but this group would broadcast on different radio frequencies to update folks on what was happening. This is how Hermoine, Harry*and Ron kept informed about what was happening back home.
*
Note: DD was upset over Dobby's death IMO I think this movie is too much*
for young kids 6 or younger)

That's all I can think about right now.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I just wanted to add that I also loved how they did the telling of the story of the Three Brothers. I thought that was very well done.

 

[disneyworldluvr349]

I absolutely loved it. I didn't mind the alterations that they made from the book to the movie. I think it's because I have learned that the directors have always made altercations to the films previous to this one, and I that I shouldn't expect different.

The way my theater was set up, I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (started at 6:00pm) then it was Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (started at 8:50pm) and finally Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! We arrived to the theater at 3:00pm and left at approximately 2:45am when the last film ended.

What was 11 hrs in the theater felt like nothing to me. I enjoy these films so much, and watching them back to back was incredible just to see how seamlessly they all fit together.

This one had it all. Adventure, romance, betrayal, comedy, and the best of all... Magic! It's amazing how they create a whole world that seems to realistic to me, the CGI blew me away. The twins were wonderful as always, and I actually loved the Harry/Hermione scenes (maybe because I have always hoped they'd end up together) but I thought they were adorable and it really showed the closeness of their friendship.

I think watching them back to make overwhelmed me with the amount of death Harry had to experience. Almost everyone he has ever loved, anyone who was ever protecting him and caring about him, they all died. The boy has seen so much death in his life, and it will only increase in part two. When Ron left I was almost in tears, because Ron and Hermione and the rest of the Weasley's (and the rest of the order) are his only semblance of a family.

I was very impressed with Helena Bonham Carter, that girl can do crazy! I was overall very blown away by the film, it's going to be very bitter sweet to watch the last one, there will be more tears for sure.

My issues:

- No backstory for Voldemort (is it weird that I am reluctant to type the name?). I am hoping they'll keep it in the last movie.
- The Harry/Ginny scene with the dress, it didn't fit or give a good perception of Ginny.