MOVIE: Sorry for the Rant - PU to DH2

[Mike Crudele]

No: HPFGUIDX 191278

> > Steve: 
> > The burst of action, followed by confusion, followed by the slow suspense of Harry and Voldemort facing off, that worked in the books. But it simply doesn't work in the Producer/Directors vision of the heart of the movie. 
> 
> Geoff:
> But it could have done....
> 
> <snip>
> 
> It's not what has been lost that irritates me but what has been 
> CHANGED and to what end?
> 
> <snip>
> 
> This was not just any old scene; using your mountain analogy,
> this was the last, the ultimate peak to be reached. Six books
> and seven films were leading to this and it was not, in its
> conception meant to be a "Die Hard" finish. I am somewhat 
> surprised that JKR, who has reportedly retained some authorial 
> control over the films was in agreement to this ending.

Mike:

Unlike Geoff, I do have a decidedly strong preference for the books over the movies. So I am not an unbiased critic, FWIW. But I am in total agreement with Geoff on this point.

Not only do the movies turn Apparating into some kind of miny-jet zooming around kind of exercise, they turn the last scene into the same kind of visual, and include crashing into the castle peaks to knock off tiles. So are they supposed to be "movie apparating" or a different thing that just looks like "movie apparating"?

I also think the final showdown as written in the books would have worked in the movie. The showdown at the OK corral type of dance, with all the witnesses, and the brilliant burst of sunshine just as the final curses were flung... yeah, that could have worked just fine on the big screen. 

Instead, they were alone in the courtyard. Umm, how does the rest of the WW know Harry eliminated Voldy? He disintegrated after all, there was no body left. And didn't that same thing happen to him after their first encounter? I know, too cerebral for the "action movie" WB was making! :>(

I know this has already been discussed, but I wish to add my tuppence-worth to the 'did-they-show-how-Voldemort-died' confusion. I went to the movie with my wife, who has not read the books. In her view, she thought that Neville killing Nagini, Voldemort's last remaining Horcrux, caused Voldemort's wand to fizzle out as if LV had lost his power to cast spells. For myself, I was just confused, I decidedly did not see Voldemort's AK rebound on himself. And after reading this board's discussion on this point, I was definitely looking for it.

 
> Geoff:
> I think if you look through the posts on this topic,
> the breakdown of those who liked the last scene 
> against those who didn't was probably 50:50.

Mike:
Add me to the side that did not like the final scene. Does that change the ratio?

Oh, and let me also throw this in. My wife was thoroughly disgusted with Dumbledore in the end. She thought he turned out to be quite the bastard, with all of his conniving and maneuvering regarding Harry. Mind, this is someone who really liked Dumbledore after the earlier movies, and was not influenced by the books. I felt a tinge of satisfaction for mine, Alla's, Sherry's, and others opinions on the character of Albus Dumbledore.

Just another man's opinion,
Mike