That pesky wand-core thing SPOILERS!!!

[Steve]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com, "Phyllis" <poppytheelf at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers
> 
> 
> David wrote:
> 
> <<Is it just me forgetting/misunderstanding canon, or was the
> constant laser show between LV & Harry's wands nonsensical? ...
> Or is is not the laser show that is caused by the twin wands, 
> but the priori incantatem (which, I freely admit, did not happen
> in the film)?>>
> 
> Phyllis:
> 
> the laser show is nonsensical. At the point of Harry and Voldy's
> final confrontation, Harry has Draco's wand and Voldy has the Elder
> Wand.  So there are no common wand cores ...
> 
> ... we don't hear the spells that they are casting, apparently we're
> supposed to be able to determine that the fact that ... green
> means ...avada kedavra (and)... Harry's jet is red means ... 
> expelliarmus.  ... how can Voldy's curse only rebound on him 
> after Neville kills Nagini even though both green and red light 
> jetshave been locked together for what seems like endless hours?  
> ...
> 
> ~Phyllis
>

Steve Replies: 

This one answer addresses several of the aspect you brought up. Let's look at the books, here Harry and Voldemort engage in a long drawn out dialog. It went on way too long in the books, and in the movie, it would have dragged things to a standstill. So, the movie makers found a more 'action packed' way for the final encounter. Though, I do have some minor picks, very similar to your own. 

But first think back the Goblet of Fire, in the hallway outside potions class, Harry and Draco (I think) cast curses at each other. Those curses collide in mid-air and rebound on by-standers. That scene sets a precedent, that curses, especially when they are cast simultaneously, can interfere with each other. That scene lays the ground work for Voldemort and Harry's curses to interfere with each other near the end of the book. So, that concept is established, independent of the Twin Cores. 

But I do have some quibbles with the final confrontation. First I would have liked Harry to have told Voldemort about the succession of Elder Wand ownership, because that would have instilled fear and doubt in the otherwise cocksure Voldemort. He see himself as infallible, though we see his plans mostly fail, and he blames the failure on others. Typical Evil Overlord behavior. I would have like to see that doubt and uncertainty appear on Voldemort's face before he was defeated. 

Next, there is no even the slightest hint of what actually killed Voldemort. Was it simply losing the last Horcrux? Was it Harry's curse? Was it Voldemort curse rebounding? Instead of a bang rebounding on Voldemort, we get a sort of "pffut" and he turns to dust. I think there should have been more of a sense of something happening, a bang, a sense that his curse rebounded, a sense that something killed him. Again, I'm not really sure what did kill him, that precise moment was so under-played, he could have died from a mosquito bite. 

Using only the Movie, can you tell me what you think killed Voldemort???

Lastly, I would have liked Harry to have repaired his own wand before destroying and disposing of the Elder Wand. 

And off on a tangent, it drives me nuts that when Harry confronts Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest, Harry doesn't stash his want. He still has it in his hand when Voldemort curses him. So, what happened to his wand? Common sense says he dropped it. But then how is it they he 'magically' has it again back at Hogwarts? I consider this more of a continuity error on the part of the director. 

Also, that sense would have had more impact, if Harry had stashed his wand in his jacket, indicating to Voldemort that he had no intention of resisting, or of fighting back. Voldemort, who fears death, would have been humilated to see Harry so easily and willingly accept death. It, in my view, was a dramatic opportunity lost. 

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn