Saw it... very mixed feelings...

[Ebony]

I am sure that we'll be nitpicking and dissecting at least from now 
until Christmas.  :-D

It's very late-- 2 a.m.--and three and a half hours ago I came out of 
the theater after seeing the movie for the first time.  

And honestly, I am not sure *what* to think.  I have extremely mixed 
feelings, so I am not going to write a scene-by-scene and point-by-
point review until after I see it once more tomorrow (I had Friday 
and Saturday tix).

Lots of general thoughts, but the overarching one was that the pacing 
was way off.  It dragged.  It was disjointed.  The couple next to me 
left.  The movie was so long that my youngest sister, who usually 
likes movies like this, fell asleep. 

I had to spend a great deal of time post-movie explaning to the other 
sister all the connections that were left out... "why did that girl 
(Hermione) go hide in the bathroom?"  "Is there anything Harry can't 
do?  Is anything hard for him?  Does he ever fail, or is he just 
lucky?"  "What was all that stuff they were muttering in the spells?  
What do all the spells do?"  "What was up with that Snape guy?  I 
didn't get him."  "What was up with that boy who kept blowing things 
up?  No, not Neville... yeah, Seamus!  That's the one!  What's up 
with him!"  All in all, she loved the movie and says she wants to get 
the DVD ASAP... and she thought I was being way too nitpicky.  *shrug*

Lots more thoughts, as I've said... but I must say that the kids 
didn't bother me all that much.  I definitely don't agree with Barb's 
Hermione issues.  At all.  I think that Emma Watson, while perhaps 
not the absolute best casting pick for the character, was one of the 
very *least* of this movie's concerns.  And dear ones, I am very 
concerned.

You see, I think that a really good book-movie ought to inspire a 
person to actually go out and read the book.  Case in point:  I found 
my favorite writer at age 2, Lucy Maud Montgomery, through the first 
two Anne of Green Gables miniseries.  But after tonight, I am glad 
that I am already a Harry Potter fan.  I attended the movie with 
another rabid fan and four people who'd never read the books.  The 
other rabid fan loved it.  I've described my sisters' reactions.  The 
other two had similar thoughts afterwards:  cool movie, perhaps a bit 
too long, will get the DVD... but still have no real interest in 
reading the books and don't understand where all the passion and 
rabid fandom comes from.

Oh, well.  There's always CoS.  ;-)

Disclaimer:  This is my reaction right now.  Perhaps tomorrow's 
viewing will make me reverse my opinion completely.  I sincerely hope 
so.

--Eb (who, for the record, did enjoy Quidditch!)

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Ebony AKA AngieJ
ebonyink at hotmail.com
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