[ S7:E7 "Orison" <<< Season 7 >>> S7:E9 "Signs & Wonders" ]
Individually and in different combinations, Vince Gilligan, John Shiban, and Frank Spotnitz were among The X-Files' most prominent writers, and were responsible for many of the series' great episodes. The three of them together first formed a team in season 4 on Leonard Betts (a perfectly solid freak-of-the-week episode that has the distinction of being the most-watched in the entire series during its initial run. according to viewer ratings), and later followed that up (with Chris Carter joining them) with Memento Mori (a particularly memorable mythology episode that won Gillian Anderson an Emmy). However, they were also responsible for the subpar season 5 mytharc Christmas Carol/Emily, and, after succumbing to the comedic tone of the sixth season, Dreamland as well. The team combine their forces once again for The Amazing Maleeni, and I can tell you it's not their best episode.
A jaded carnival magician loses his head after performing to a less-than-enthusiastic audience, which turns out to be the tip of the iceberg of a plot to rob a bank, involving sleight of hand on a grand scale, (ostensibly) in order to pay off a gambling debt. On paper, this sounds like it could have been a very clever episode, but the moment Mulder and Scully come on screen, you can tell the switch has been flicked and they're in comedy mode. There is potential in the premise for a cool story about a freak who takes advantage of his unnatural abilities to amaze and astound audiences, or even a story about necromancy. But that's not what this is. The end-of-episode wrap-up that explains how the trick was pulled off tells you that this episode was likely inspired by old-timey mystery shows. But for an episode that talks about misdirection, it's not nearly as funny or clever as Darin Morgan's best scripts. Between this, and The Goldberg Variation, I can't remember the last time I've felt so disengaged while watching an episode. Even the dregs of the first season kept me interested, but in this case I just feel bored. It's not enough to indict the whole season (which has had some good episodes so far) - yet - but if this turns out to be a trend, it doesn't bode well.
Memorable quotes:
LaBonge: What's in it for me? I mean, let's say I help you out. What do I get in return?
Scully: The feeling of pride that comes from performing your civic duty?
Maleeni: The great ones always know when to leave the stage.
(Yeah, I'm coming up dry. There's a lot of jokes in this episode, but nothing truly memorable).
Showing posts with label magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label magic. Show all posts
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Monday, October 12, 2015
V/H/S Viral (2014)
I think I may be getting burned out on found footage films. Not that I don't still enjoy a good one, but those are few and far between. I've always staunchly defended the found footage format from the relentless criticism that gets levied against it - and that hasn't changed. I will never write off a film solely on account of it being found footage. But I miss the days when a found footage film was a subtly crafted mystery, steeped in suspense - the footage being all that's left behind to document some unknown atrocity, allowing the finder (i.e., the viewer) to go inside and get dangerously close to the action as it unfolds, instead of reading a sanitized account of its aftermath in the newspaper over coffee and danish the next morning. Nowadays, it's little more than an excuse for every amateur on the block to try their hand at making a movie with the $25 camera they bought at Walmart.
Vicious Circles
That's not a very promising opening to this review, but I don't have a lot of great things to say about V/H/S Viral. To start with, the framing story doesn't really do a good job of framing the different segments of the anthology. You hardly even know when you're jumping from one to another. It also relies far too heavily on audio and visual interference to unsettle the audience (in spite of an utter absence, at the beginning, of any danger whatsoever), which is not one of my favorite clichéd tactics in the found footage toolbox. It also seems to be trying to make up for the franchise's past abuses towards women by opening on a romance, but it doesn't quite succeed. As a voyeur and a photographer, I'm getting tired of the lack of understanding so many people have as to why anyone would want to document the curves of another's body, or why some people are drawn to making records of life at least as much as they are to living it. You'd think if anyone would understand these things, it would be a film director. Alas, not this one.
Furthermore, in a movie titled "V/H/S Viral", the opening sequence should be designed to introduce the audience to the modern idea (well removed from the days of VHS tapes, you'll note) of videos going viral, and why people might be seduced by the phenomenon (not just the fact that some of them are). The sequence struggles futilely to evoke any sense of realism, however. Where are the teenage girls doing makeup tutorials and singing pop hits for YouTube, or filming their pets performing funny tricks? No, this movie is all about the darker side of human nature. (But is filming three seconds of a police chase from your front yard really viral-worthy)? But while I could envision a haunting film about the seductive phenomenon of viral videos, and the lengths to which some people would go in the relentless pursuit of their fifteen minutes of fame - or even about some kind of deadly 21st century chain letter - this isn't it.
Dante The Great
This segment is about a piece of trailer trash who gets a hold of Houdini's cloak, which enables him to perform remarkable feats of magic - not least of which includes amazing spacetime anomalies - but periodically has to be fed human sacrifices. Let me not understate this - this is a really neat idea. But it certainly aims more toward the realm of total sci-fi fantasy than anything related to the viral video phenomenon (apart from the flimsy connection of a redneck seeking fame through minimal effort). It's even filmed like a documentary, complete with interviews. The human feeding aspect seems to be thrown in mostly to justify a "horror" label, but while it's a potentially terrifying premise, it's really too wacky to create much of a scary atmosphere. The magic tricks, on the other hand, are fantastic. The confrontation at the end is as spectacular as anything you'll see in a big budget superhero movie - just on a smaller scale. I could definitely see Dante the Great being some kind of egomaniacal supervillain. It's a pretty fun segment, but I feel like it deserves a professional crew that could turn it into a full-length feature.
Parallel Monsters
This segment continues in the sci-fi fantasy vein, with a scientist/inventor building a technological gateway that opens a portal into a parallel dimension, wherein the inventor meets his doppelganger. They agree to switch places for fifteen minutes, and you're already beginning to worry that they might get mixed up and lost or something (or maybe I've watched too much Sliders). But a more certain sense of horror descends as the first guy begins to discover just how much different the other guy's universe is. There is a disturbing juxtaposition of Satanic imagery and porn, in what turns out to be a total sexual nightmare, from a world that seems to confuse violence with sex. When the people in the other world's faces start to glow, it's a little bit hokey, but the libidinal monsters they reveal to be residing in their shorts are 'b' horror gold. I'm not overly fond of mixing up violence with sex, but the concepts in this segment are too imaginative not to enjoy. I would have liked to have seen them in something with a more developed story.
Bonestorm
This segment is best poised to explore the lengths to which people might go in order to capture a video with viral potential, but instead of a haunting exploration of what the desire for fame can do to people, it's more of a portrait of a total douchebag who deserves to be sentenced to a mandatory lesson on journalistic ethics. A freelance videographer, he follows around a couple of skater punks with GoPros attached to their heads, trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to entice them into doing stupid stunts that will get them hurt, or even killed. He even goes so far as to lie to them about having the camera rolling, in a pathetic attempt to get them to re-try every dangerous stunt they perform that bears underwhelming results. The segment actually name drops both Jackass and Faces of Death, and features the kind of sexist douchebaggery we've come to expect from the V/H/S franchise.
The second half of the segment gets a little better, even as it ventures into the realm of fantasy. The videographer leads his subjects to Mexico with the promise of debauchery, but where you're maybe expecting a setup involving some kind of Borderland shit, what happens instead is that these kids just randomly happen into the middle of an esoteric ritual where they're beset by cultist freaks who may or may not be lepers or zombies. Yet, despite the assailants' apparently evil disposition, the skater punks still end up coming off the less sympathetic, as they flippantly initiate a murder spree to the tune of some hip hop track, like as if they think snuffing out people's lives is all just part of a music video. The skeleton zombies are really cool, but it's just unfortunate that they're encountered by such unlikable characters in a segment where you don't really care what happens, just so long as that sewer monster that keeps getting hinted at has a chance to come out and play - and even that turns out to be underwhelming.
Vicious Circles (again)
Two last comments before we're done. Towards the end of this segment (which is interspersed throughout the rest of the film), there's a part that takes place in the back seat of a taxicab. It starts out as kind of a male sex fantasy, only to devolve into a feminist revenge fantasy that feels awfully misguided. There is a lot of room in this world for an intelligent and sensitive treatment of the issues surrounding "revenge porn" (although you can bet you won't find it in this film - I don't know why they even bothered to take this approach, unless it's because they want to portray all segments of humanity in the worst way possible). But there's no more sympathy to be found in a woman who lies to a man in order to pull a gun on him and threaten to shoot his balls off, all because her ex-boyfriend filmed her and then sold the video to a porn site, than there is in the pathetic loser depicted in this scene, who seems calculated to misrepresent an entire industry, if not his entire sex as well.
I also find the idea that a porn leak can result in any kind of significant recognition or negative fame (unless you're a politician, or already a celebrity) to be an insincere approach to the theme of videos going viral. I would have surely appreciated a nuanced discussion of the kind of cases that involve a relatively tame cell phone pic leading to bullying and an innocent person's suicide, but again, this is not the movie for that. That's why, at the end, when the film decides to try on some social commentary, the pleas of "we're all sick", and "these videos fuck people up", sound pretentious, and fall on deaf ears, since what's been depicted throughout the whole feature is nothing even remotely resembling reality. At the same time, you kind of wish that guy hadn't uploaded the videos, after all. Not because seeing them - or wanting to be a part of this viral culture - somehow destroys our humanity (news flash: human nature itself is pretty despicable at times, and people have been trying to blame that on every popular trend since the dawn of man), but only to spare us the time wasted on watching this mostly pointless film.
Vicious Circles
That's not a very promising opening to this review, but I don't have a lot of great things to say about V/H/S Viral. To start with, the framing story doesn't really do a good job of framing the different segments of the anthology. You hardly even know when you're jumping from one to another. It also relies far too heavily on audio and visual interference to unsettle the audience (in spite of an utter absence, at the beginning, of any danger whatsoever), which is not one of my favorite clichéd tactics in the found footage toolbox. It also seems to be trying to make up for the franchise's past abuses towards women by opening on a romance, but it doesn't quite succeed. As a voyeur and a photographer, I'm getting tired of the lack of understanding so many people have as to why anyone would want to document the curves of another's body, or why some people are drawn to making records of life at least as much as they are to living it. You'd think if anyone would understand these things, it would be a film director. Alas, not this one.
Furthermore, in a movie titled "V/H/S Viral", the opening sequence should be designed to introduce the audience to the modern idea (well removed from the days of VHS tapes, you'll note) of videos going viral, and why people might be seduced by the phenomenon (not just the fact that some of them are). The sequence struggles futilely to evoke any sense of realism, however. Where are the teenage girls doing makeup tutorials and singing pop hits for YouTube, or filming their pets performing funny tricks? No, this movie is all about the darker side of human nature. (But is filming three seconds of a police chase from your front yard really viral-worthy)? But while I could envision a haunting film about the seductive phenomenon of viral videos, and the lengths to which some people would go in the relentless pursuit of their fifteen minutes of fame - or even about some kind of deadly 21st century chain letter - this isn't it.
Dante The Great
This segment is about a piece of trailer trash who gets a hold of Houdini's cloak, which enables him to perform remarkable feats of magic - not least of which includes amazing spacetime anomalies - but periodically has to be fed human sacrifices. Let me not understate this - this is a really neat idea. But it certainly aims more toward the realm of total sci-fi fantasy than anything related to the viral video phenomenon (apart from the flimsy connection of a redneck seeking fame through minimal effort). It's even filmed like a documentary, complete with interviews. The human feeding aspect seems to be thrown in mostly to justify a "horror" label, but while it's a potentially terrifying premise, it's really too wacky to create much of a scary atmosphere. The magic tricks, on the other hand, are fantastic. The confrontation at the end is as spectacular as anything you'll see in a big budget superhero movie - just on a smaller scale. I could definitely see Dante the Great being some kind of egomaniacal supervillain. It's a pretty fun segment, but I feel like it deserves a professional crew that could turn it into a full-length feature.
Parallel Monsters
This segment continues in the sci-fi fantasy vein, with a scientist/inventor building a technological gateway that opens a portal into a parallel dimension, wherein the inventor meets his doppelganger. They agree to switch places for fifteen minutes, and you're already beginning to worry that they might get mixed up and lost or something (or maybe I've watched too much Sliders). But a more certain sense of horror descends as the first guy begins to discover just how much different the other guy's universe is. There is a disturbing juxtaposition of Satanic imagery and porn, in what turns out to be a total sexual nightmare, from a world that seems to confuse violence with sex. When the people in the other world's faces start to glow, it's a little bit hokey, but the libidinal monsters they reveal to be residing in their shorts are 'b' horror gold. I'm not overly fond of mixing up violence with sex, but the concepts in this segment are too imaginative not to enjoy. I would have liked to have seen them in something with a more developed story.
Bonestorm
This segment is best poised to explore the lengths to which people might go in order to capture a video with viral potential, but instead of a haunting exploration of what the desire for fame can do to people, it's more of a portrait of a total douchebag who deserves to be sentenced to a mandatory lesson on journalistic ethics. A freelance videographer, he follows around a couple of skater punks with GoPros attached to their heads, trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to entice them into doing stupid stunts that will get them hurt, or even killed. He even goes so far as to lie to them about having the camera rolling, in a pathetic attempt to get them to re-try every dangerous stunt they perform that bears underwhelming results. The segment actually name drops both Jackass and Faces of Death, and features the kind of sexist douchebaggery we've come to expect from the V/H/S franchise.
The second half of the segment gets a little better, even as it ventures into the realm of fantasy. The videographer leads his subjects to Mexico with the promise of debauchery, but where you're maybe expecting a setup involving some kind of Borderland shit, what happens instead is that these kids just randomly happen into the middle of an esoteric ritual where they're beset by cultist freaks who may or may not be lepers or zombies. Yet, despite the assailants' apparently evil disposition, the skater punks still end up coming off the less sympathetic, as they flippantly initiate a murder spree to the tune of some hip hop track, like as if they think snuffing out people's lives is all just part of a music video. The skeleton zombies are really cool, but it's just unfortunate that they're encountered by such unlikable characters in a segment where you don't really care what happens, just so long as that sewer monster that keeps getting hinted at has a chance to come out and play - and even that turns out to be underwhelming.
Vicious Circles (again)
Two last comments before we're done. Towards the end of this segment (which is interspersed throughout the rest of the film), there's a part that takes place in the back seat of a taxicab. It starts out as kind of a male sex fantasy, only to devolve into a feminist revenge fantasy that feels awfully misguided. There is a lot of room in this world for an intelligent and sensitive treatment of the issues surrounding "revenge porn" (although you can bet you won't find it in this film - I don't know why they even bothered to take this approach, unless it's because they want to portray all segments of humanity in the worst way possible). But there's no more sympathy to be found in a woman who lies to a man in order to pull a gun on him and threaten to shoot his balls off, all because her ex-boyfriend filmed her and then sold the video to a porn site, than there is in the pathetic loser depicted in this scene, who seems calculated to misrepresent an entire industry, if not his entire sex as well.
I also find the idea that a porn leak can result in any kind of significant recognition or negative fame (unless you're a politician, or already a celebrity) to be an insincere approach to the theme of videos going viral. I would have surely appreciated a nuanced discussion of the kind of cases that involve a relatively tame cell phone pic leading to bullying and an innocent person's suicide, but again, this is not the movie for that. That's why, at the end, when the film decides to try on some social commentary, the pleas of "we're all sick", and "these videos fuck people up", sound pretentious, and fall on deaf ears, since what's been depicted throughout the whole feature is nothing even remotely resembling reality. At the same time, you kind of wish that guy hadn't uploaded the videos, after all. Not because seeing them - or wanting to be a part of this viral culture - somehow destroys our humanity (news flash: human nature itself is pretty despicable at times, and people have been trying to blame that on every popular trend since the dawn of man), but only to spare us the time wasted on watching this mostly pointless film.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Notes on The Deathly Hallows (book version)
Warning: Harry Potter spoilers!
Just barely over a year since I became interested in the Harry Potter series and started watching the movies, I have now finished reading the books!
And this time, I finally decided to write down notes as they came to mind while reading the story, instead of waiting till the end to pull my thoughts together.
* I'm surprised that Dudley redeemed himself, in the end. I guess that makes him a less pathetic character than Draco?
* While not unattractive in the movies (though she is inevitably overshadowed by Emma Watson's Hermione Granger), judging from the chapter illustrations, Ginny is a lot prettier in the books. Hence, I mind Harry pairing up with her (instead of Hermione) less than I do when I watch the movies (which are filled with great Harry x Hermione moments).
* Wow, I just discovered that some people ship Tom/Ginny (like from Chamber of Secrets), and I think that's fantastic. (Okay, that note wasn't actually related to this story)...
* Much clearer antagonism between Harry and Scrimgeour in the books. He practically grills them like a police investigator during the reading of Dumbledore's will!
* Even with the Deathly Hallows movie split into two parts, it's amazing what didn't make it into the movies. Like how Regulus got that locket, and Grindelwald's association with the titular Deathly Hallows. This is good stuff we're talking about.
* It's fascinating that with Kreacher, we're given a nice middle ground for how to treat house elves. You don't have to forcibly deny them their lifeblood, the work they are proud of doing, you just have to treat them with fairness and respect. It might be tempting to have a slave who is forced to do your bidding, but considering that elves have some nice tricks up their sleeves, it's probably better to get them to help you because they like you, not simply because they have to. Anyway, it's better for your conscience, and it shows what kind of a person you are, the way you treat your slaves.
* Rather convenient that Harry's starting to see into Voldemort's mind again. Not that I'm complaining, those bits of exposition are both exciting and integral.
* Dumbledore really was pretty distant. I guess I could understand if he didn't like to talk about his family, but there was more he could have told Harry, at least as much as using the sword to defeat the Horcruxes. I know he trusted Harry to be able to figure it out on his own and all, and he was an extremely busy man, but Harry had always seemed to be resentful of Dumbledore's distance. I would have thought, apart from wanting to protect Harry from the truth, that maybe his admiration of Harry would have led to more of a connection between them. Although I can't really fault Dumbledore for not treating Harry with respect (like few else do), even back when he was just eleven.
* Wow, after Harry and Hermione visit Godric's Hollow, it's such a low point, even more than I remember it being in the movie. With Ron gone, and Harry's wand broken, they didn't find the sword, almost got killed by Voldemort (who himself actually showed up!), and most incredibly of all, Harry inadvertently helped Voldemort discover who the wand thief was that he's been looking for! And when Harry re-experienced Voldemort's attack on his parents, it's amazing the confusion between Harry and Voldemort, that you can't even really tell if it's the one or the other...
* Amazing that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were friends. Even so, I don't think Dumbledore's letter was as damning as it was supposed to be. I've had plenty of discussions like that in my own youth. I'm sure it was a difference of interpretation, that led Grindelwald to become a powerful dark wizard, and Dumbledore to be the icon of respect that he was. Just because he thought Muggles could stand to benefit from the powers of wizards doesn't mean he wanted to enslave them or kill them on a whim or anything of the sort. Even so, I do agree that Dumbledore should have told Harry much more than he did. It's to a point that I've lost a lot of my respect for him. On the other hand, his current actions (noble and not) may be an attempt to make up for what transgressions he may have committed in the past. If anything, it seems that Dumbledore, immensely talented though he was, is not perfect (maybe not even close), even though he may have been right about Snape all along (the one thing that seemed to be the most obvious evidence of his flaws).
* Xenophilius (awesome name) strikes me as something of a cryptozoologist. With the Lovegoods, you have to wonder if they're outright crazy, or if there's some merit to their mysteries. Take Luna. She was one of the few in Harry's group who could also see the Thestrals, ironically "proving" that Harry wasn't crazy in seeing them. And she believed Harry's story about Voldemort's return before most. So you want to believe there's something to her ability to discern truth in the world, and you begin to wonder if the crazy things she talks about aren't true, after all. And Xeno, he knew all about the Deathly Hallows - it makes you think they have inside knowledge on things. But then again, maybe it's just that they're so gullible that they're the first ones to believe those things in the world that are true, but are so improbable that most others don't believe them. On the other hand, it seemed like Xenophilius knew that Erumpent horn wasn't really a Crumple-Horned Snorkack's horn, and he was going to use it to trick the people that took Luna. Yet he insisted (as he must, to keep up appearances, so that the trick would work) that it was indeed the horn of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Was this just an unusual circumstance, or is he not as sincere about other things as he makes himself out to be? It's all quite a mystery. No doubt, though, that Luna is unusually sincere, loyal, and a good friend.
* The chapter "The Deathly Hallows" is clearly a turning point, but it's also gotta be one of the most expository-rich chapters in the entire Harry Potter series. I'm so used to getting mere glimpses of exposition here and there, being served with more questions than answers, all throughout the series, which is frequently frustrating. But here in this chapter, we get so much. It's thrilling! I'm glad the group acknowledged that they have one of the Hallows already (the Invisibility Cloak), which went entirely unmentioned in the movie, even though I had been left with the conclusion that it was not unique (other members of the Order were using other invisibility cloaks, unlike in the movies where the cloak was unique). Also exciting to think of Harry being a descendant of the three brothers in the original story (although, wouldn't that also, frighteningly, mean that he's related to Voldemort? And wouldn't that mean that he's also descended from Salazar Slytherin?). And shocking that Harry suspects the Resurrection Stone is inside the golden snitch so early in the story. I love that Harry is so possessed with the idea of collecting the Deathly Hallows and the power/protection it will bring him. Maybe it's immodest or whatever, but he is fighting at a disadvantage, after all, and it's a very exciting goal to have in a fantasy story. I didn't feel as much emphasis on the Hallows in the movie, they were almost incidental, like some trinkets they happened to come across (except maybe the wand, which Voldemort [was allowed to, as a dark and proud wizard] make a big deal about) in the course of their journey.
* Wandlore is fascinating. If I were a wizard, I think I would be tempted to become a wandmaker.
* How the hell is Aberforth the Hog's Head's barman? In the movie, it looked like he was hiding in some underground bunker or something. Did anybody know who he was? He's supposed to be this big mystery, and now it feels like he's been hiding in plain sight all this time...
* The Deathly Hallows is definitely shaping up to be the best book in the series, with all that goes on. Breaking into Gringotts, the Horcruxes and the Hallows, on the run from the Death Eaters, and of course the great concluding battle against Voldemort. Plus it's totally awesome to finally get a look inside the Ravenclaw common room (I love that the password is answering a question!). ;-)
* When Voldemort kills Snape, I can't help thinking (and I had the same thought when I watched the movie), that his method of killing is highly suspect. I mean, it's pretty darn convenient that he kills Snape in a way that leaves him alone and conscious for the last few moments of his life, for Harry to slip in and take his memory. I don't suppose Voldemort knew Harry was hanging around, but considering the meaning behind his killing of Snape (re: the Elder Wand) I would have thought he'd stick around to make sure Snape was dead, as well as to kill him with his own hands. Is he so proud and overconfident as to overlook the surety of a nice, quick Avada Kedavra curse, which he's used so many times before? I mean, honestly, even if Voldemort was right about the wand passing into the hands of the one who killed its previous owner, then even by that logic, the wand would be Nagini's, not Voldemort's...
* Speaking of, I always thought it was curious that Avada Kedavra is so reminiscent of the antiquated magical spell "Abra Cadabra". Plus the "Kedavra" part seems to suggest "cadaver", which the spell can be said to create. The spell names are actually really well done in this series, often foreign-sounding but subtly suggestive of their effects. Like the Cruciatus Curse which subjects a victim to excruciating pain.
* Snape is a tough nut to crack, there's no two ways about it. I guess that's what makes him such an effective spy. I think Snape was a generally unpleasant person, with a genuine interest in the Dark Arts, who nevertheless had sincere feelings for Lily. It wasn't enough to change him into the kind of person Lily would have liked (I would argue that such a thing is impossible - we are who we are), but it was strong enough that he never wavered in his devotion to her. [Incidentally, I knew (with the benefit of foresight) that when Snape called Lily a Mudblood in that one memory Harry spied on during Occlumency lessons, it was something he regretted; I figured that even more than his humiliation at James' hands, it was that outburst against Lily that made that memory one of his lowest and most shameful].
So when Voldemort threatened Lily's life, Snape was forced to make a decision, and his devotion to Lily was stronger than his devotion to the Dark Arts. So he pledged his allegiance to Dumbledore, and even though they couldn't protect Lily, Dumbledore convinced him not to let Lily's death be in vain. I think from that point forward, Snape was genuinely good, if still a generally unpleasant person who was still interested in the Dark Arts. (And his attitude towards Harry was complicated by the combination of his hatred of James Potter and his desire to honor Lily's memory). Voldemort never believed Dumbledore's claim that love was the strongest kind of magic, and I think that's the reason why he trusted Snape, even to the end (and I do believe Voldemort trusted Snape, even at the moment when he killed him). He had to know about Snape's feelings for Lily, since Snape begged him to spare her, but he probably shrugged it off, not thinking that love could possibly override one's devotion to the Dark Arts (especially one as dark and unpleasant as Snape - who could imagine that one like him could feel love?). Yet another personal failing that led to Voldemort's fall.
But the most poignant aspect of Snape's most personal memories, in my opinion, is the point at which Snape implores Dumbledore never to reveal his devotion to Lily, to which Dumbledore responds, "My word, Severus, that I will never reveal the best of you?" I think that, right there, is Severus Snape in a nutshell.
* More answers when Harry "dies" and gets to talk with Dumbledore once more. I think that better explains Dumbledore's plan to die at Snape's hand, since he was dying anyway since foolishly putting on the ring/Horcrux (tempted by the Resurrection Stone - another detail left out of the movies). Dumbledore (and many of the characters) seems more human in the books, which have more time for exposition and characterization than the movies. He's also less perfect. I really like and respect him a lot, but after everything that's happened in this last book, I don't know that I revere him quite as much as I used to. He's less of an untouchable role model, and more of a flawed person, albeit an uncommonly respectable one. Maybe that's for the better.
I like that this series is full of complexity, and you have flawed characters like Dumbledore, who has dirty secrets despite being so well-loved, and Snape, who is a courageous hero in spite of his slimy personality and dubious proclivities. And the stance against trusting both the media and politicians throughout the series is very refreshing. After Dumbledore's parting speech, though, I really wanted Harry to gather the Deathly Hallows, even after it's been explained about how dangerous coveting them is - he was the one who deserved them in the end. I guess maybe I'm not as mature yet as Harry is at the end of the book. :p I guess this series is more than just an entertaining fantasy, but something of a life lesson, too, in certain ways.
I minded Harry coming back to life less in the book than I did in the movies, but I'm not sure if it's because, knowing what's supposed to happen this time around, I'm less committed to the seductive thought of Harry Potter dying at the end of the series, or if it's because the added exposition given by the books makes it seem less like cheating. Perhaps it's a combination of the two.
* Harry and Voldemort's duel was a lot more exciting in the book. The movie seemed to focus on the flash of the spells, whereas in the book, the verbal confrontation between the two wizards was emphasized, and that made it feel more personal, and more satisfying - Voldemort being defeated not just as a wizard, but as a person. And ultimately, it felt less like Harry winning by a "wand technicality", like it did in the movie, and more that he truly earned his victory.
* The Afterthought (er, Epilogue) actually bothered me less in the book. It was actually kind of touching, with the kids hopping around, the excitement of heading off to Hogwarts fresh in the air, recalling back to Harry's first trip on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago. A fitting coda to the series, I think. And I can't help noticing that Harry's son, Albus Severus Potter, if you take his initials, they spell out ASP, which is a type of snake...
Just barely over a year since I became interested in the Harry Potter series and started watching the movies, I have now finished reading the books!
And this time, I finally decided to write down notes as they came to mind while reading the story, instead of waiting till the end to pull my thoughts together.
* I'm surprised that Dudley redeemed himself, in the end. I guess that makes him a less pathetic character than Draco?
* While not unattractive in the movies (though she is inevitably overshadowed by Emma Watson's Hermione Granger), judging from the chapter illustrations, Ginny is a lot prettier in the books. Hence, I mind Harry pairing up with her (instead of Hermione) less than I do when I watch the movies (which are filled with great Harry x Hermione moments).
* Wow, I just discovered that some people ship Tom/Ginny (like from Chamber of Secrets), and I think that's fantastic. (Okay, that note wasn't actually related to this story)...
* Much clearer antagonism between Harry and Scrimgeour in the books. He practically grills them like a police investigator during the reading of Dumbledore's will!
* Even with the Deathly Hallows movie split into two parts, it's amazing what didn't make it into the movies. Like how Regulus got that locket, and Grindelwald's association with the titular Deathly Hallows. This is good stuff we're talking about.
* It's fascinating that with Kreacher, we're given a nice middle ground for how to treat house elves. You don't have to forcibly deny them their lifeblood, the work they are proud of doing, you just have to treat them with fairness and respect. It might be tempting to have a slave who is forced to do your bidding, but considering that elves have some nice tricks up their sleeves, it's probably better to get them to help you because they like you, not simply because they have to. Anyway, it's better for your conscience, and it shows what kind of a person you are, the way you treat your slaves.
* Rather convenient that Harry's starting to see into Voldemort's mind again. Not that I'm complaining, those bits of exposition are both exciting and integral.
* Dumbledore really was pretty distant. I guess I could understand if he didn't like to talk about his family, but there was more he could have told Harry, at least as much as using the sword to defeat the Horcruxes. I know he trusted Harry to be able to figure it out on his own and all, and he was an extremely busy man, but Harry had always seemed to be resentful of Dumbledore's distance. I would have thought, apart from wanting to protect Harry from the truth, that maybe his admiration of Harry would have led to more of a connection between them. Although I can't really fault Dumbledore for not treating Harry with respect (like few else do), even back when he was just eleven.
* Wow, after Harry and Hermione visit Godric's Hollow, it's such a low point, even more than I remember it being in the movie. With Ron gone, and Harry's wand broken, they didn't find the sword, almost got killed by Voldemort (who himself actually showed up!), and most incredibly of all, Harry inadvertently helped Voldemort discover who the wand thief was that he's been looking for! And when Harry re-experienced Voldemort's attack on his parents, it's amazing the confusion between Harry and Voldemort, that you can't even really tell if it's the one or the other...
* Amazing that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were friends. Even so, I don't think Dumbledore's letter was as damning as it was supposed to be. I've had plenty of discussions like that in my own youth. I'm sure it was a difference of interpretation, that led Grindelwald to become a powerful dark wizard, and Dumbledore to be the icon of respect that he was. Just because he thought Muggles could stand to benefit from the powers of wizards doesn't mean he wanted to enslave them or kill them on a whim or anything of the sort. Even so, I do agree that Dumbledore should have told Harry much more than he did. It's to a point that I've lost a lot of my respect for him. On the other hand, his current actions (noble and not) may be an attempt to make up for what transgressions he may have committed in the past. If anything, it seems that Dumbledore, immensely talented though he was, is not perfect (maybe not even close), even though he may have been right about Snape all along (the one thing that seemed to be the most obvious evidence of his flaws).
* Xenophilius (awesome name) strikes me as something of a cryptozoologist. With the Lovegoods, you have to wonder if they're outright crazy, or if there's some merit to their mysteries. Take Luna. She was one of the few in Harry's group who could also see the Thestrals, ironically "proving" that Harry wasn't crazy in seeing them. And she believed Harry's story about Voldemort's return before most. So you want to believe there's something to her ability to discern truth in the world, and you begin to wonder if the crazy things she talks about aren't true, after all. And Xeno, he knew all about the Deathly Hallows - it makes you think they have inside knowledge on things. But then again, maybe it's just that they're so gullible that they're the first ones to believe those things in the world that are true, but are so improbable that most others don't believe them. On the other hand, it seemed like Xenophilius knew that Erumpent horn wasn't really a Crumple-Horned Snorkack's horn, and he was going to use it to trick the people that took Luna. Yet he insisted (as he must, to keep up appearances, so that the trick would work) that it was indeed the horn of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Was this just an unusual circumstance, or is he not as sincere about other things as he makes himself out to be? It's all quite a mystery. No doubt, though, that Luna is unusually sincere, loyal, and a good friend.
* The chapter "The Deathly Hallows" is clearly a turning point, but it's also gotta be one of the most expository-rich chapters in the entire Harry Potter series. I'm so used to getting mere glimpses of exposition here and there, being served with more questions than answers, all throughout the series, which is frequently frustrating. But here in this chapter, we get so much. It's thrilling! I'm glad the group acknowledged that they have one of the Hallows already (the Invisibility Cloak), which went entirely unmentioned in the movie, even though I had been left with the conclusion that it was not unique (other members of the Order were using other invisibility cloaks, unlike in the movies where the cloak was unique). Also exciting to think of Harry being a descendant of the three brothers in the original story (although, wouldn't that also, frighteningly, mean that he's related to Voldemort? And wouldn't that mean that he's also descended from Salazar Slytherin?). And shocking that Harry suspects the Resurrection Stone is inside the golden snitch so early in the story. I love that Harry is so possessed with the idea of collecting the Deathly Hallows and the power/protection it will bring him. Maybe it's immodest or whatever, but he is fighting at a disadvantage, after all, and it's a very exciting goal to have in a fantasy story. I didn't feel as much emphasis on the Hallows in the movie, they were almost incidental, like some trinkets they happened to come across (except maybe the wand, which Voldemort [was allowed to, as a dark and proud wizard] make a big deal about) in the course of their journey.
* Wandlore is fascinating. If I were a wizard, I think I would be tempted to become a wandmaker.
* How the hell is Aberforth the Hog's Head's barman? In the movie, it looked like he was hiding in some underground bunker or something. Did anybody know who he was? He's supposed to be this big mystery, and now it feels like he's been hiding in plain sight all this time...
* The Deathly Hallows is definitely shaping up to be the best book in the series, with all that goes on. Breaking into Gringotts, the Horcruxes and the Hallows, on the run from the Death Eaters, and of course the great concluding battle against Voldemort. Plus it's totally awesome to finally get a look inside the Ravenclaw common room (I love that the password is answering a question!). ;-)
* When Voldemort kills Snape, I can't help thinking (and I had the same thought when I watched the movie), that his method of killing is highly suspect. I mean, it's pretty darn convenient that he kills Snape in a way that leaves him alone and conscious for the last few moments of his life, for Harry to slip in and take his memory. I don't suppose Voldemort knew Harry was hanging around, but considering the meaning behind his killing of Snape (re: the Elder Wand) I would have thought he'd stick around to make sure Snape was dead, as well as to kill him with his own hands. Is he so proud and overconfident as to overlook the surety of a nice, quick Avada Kedavra curse, which he's used so many times before? I mean, honestly, even if Voldemort was right about the wand passing into the hands of the one who killed its previous owner, then even by that logic, the wand would be Nagini's, not Voldemort's...
* Speaking of, I always thought it was curious that Avada Kedavra is so reminiscent of the antiquated magical spell "Abra Cadabra". Plus the "Kedavra" part seems to suggest "cadaver", which the spell can be said to create. The spell names are actually really well done in this series, often foreign-sounding but subtly suggestive of their effects. Like the Cruciatus Curse which subjects a victim to excruciating pain.
* Snape is a tough nut to crack, there's no two ways about it. I guess that's what makes him such an effective spy. I think Snape was a generally unpleasant person, with a genuine interest in the Dark Arts, who nevertheless had sincere feelings for Lily. It wasn't enough to change him into the kind of person Lily would have liked (I would argue that such a thing is impossible - we are who we are), but it was strong enough that he never wavered in his devotion to her. [Incidentally, I knew (with the benefit of foresight) that when Snape called Lily a Mudblood in that one memory Harry spied on during Occlumency lessons, it was something he regretted; I figured that even more than his humiliation at James' hands, it was that outburst against Lily that made that memory one of his lowest and most shameful].
So when Voldemort threatened Lily's life, Snape was forced to make a decision, and his devotion to Lily was stronger than his devotion to the Dark Arts. So he pledged his allegiance to Dumbledore, and even though they couldn't protect Lily, Dumbledore convinced him not to let Lily's death be in vain. I think from that point forward, Snape was genuinely good, if still a generally unpleasant person who was still interested in the Dark Arts. (And his attitude towards Harry was complicated by the combination of his hatred of James Potter and his desire to honor Lily's memory). Voldemort never believed Dumbledore's claim that love was the strongest kind of magic, and I think that's the reason why he trusted Snape, even to the end (and I do believe Voldemort trusted Snape, even at the moment when he killed him). He had to know about Snape's feelings for Lily, since Snape begged him to spare her, but he probably shrugged it off, not thinking that love could possibly override one's devotion to the Dark Arts (especially one as dark and unpleasant as Snape - who could imagine that one like him could feel love?). Yet another personal failing that led to Voldemort's fall.
But the most poignant aspect of Snape's most personal memories, in my opinion, is the point at which Snape implores Dumbledore never to reveal his devotion to Lily, to which Dumbledore responds, "My word, Severus, that I will never reveal the best of you?" I think that, right there, is Severus Snape in a nutshell.
* More answers when Harry "dies" and gets to talk with Dumbledore once more. I think that better explains Dumbledore's plan to die at Snape's hand, since he was dying anyway since foolishly putting on the ring/Horcrux (tempted by the Resurrection Stone - another detail left out of the movies). Dumbledore (and many of the characters) seems more human in the books, which have more time for exposition and characterization than the movies. He's also less perfect. I really like and respect him a lot, but after everything that's happened in this last book, I don't know that I revere him quite as much as I used to. He's less of an untouchable role model, and more of a flawed person, albeit an uncommonly respectable one. Maybe that's for the better.
I like that this series is full of complexity, and you have flawed characters like Dumbledore, who has dirty secrets despite being so well-loved, and Snape, who is a courageous hero in spite of his slimy personality and dubious proclivities. And the stance against trusting both the media and politicians throughout the series is very refreshing. After Dumbledore's parting speech, though, I really wanted Harry to gather the Deathly Hallows, even after it's been explained about how dangerous coveting them is - he was the one who deserved them in the end. I guess maybe I'm not as mature yet as Harry is at the end of the book. :p I guess this series is more than just an entertaining fantasy, but something of a life lesson, too, in certain ways.
I minded Harry coming back to life less in the book than I did in the movies, but I'm not sure if it's because, knowing what's supposed to happen this time around, I'm less committed to the seductive thought of Harry Potter dying at the end of the series, or if it's because the added exposition given by the books makes it seem less like cheating. Perhaps it's a combination of the two.
* Harry and Voldemort's duel was a lot more exciting in the book. The movie seemed to focus on the flash of the spells, whereas in the book, the verbal confrontation between the two wizards was emphasized, and that made it feel more personal, and more satisfying - Voldemort being defeated not just as a wizard, but as a person. And ultimately, it felt less like Harry winning by a "wand technicality", like it did in the movie, and more that he truly earned his victory.
* The Afterthought (er, Epilogue) actually bothered me less in the book. It was actually kind of touching, with the kids hopping around, the excitement of heading off to Hogwarts fresh in the air, recalling back to Harry's first trip on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago. A fitting coda to the series, I think. And I can't help noticing that Harry's son, Albus Severus Potter, if you take his initials, they spell out ASP, which is a type of snake...
Monday, November 21, 2011
Notes on The Half-Blood Prince (book version)
Warning: Harry Potter spoilers!
* I noticed in the earlier books that the author used a strictly limited third person point of view focusing on Harry, such that we, the readers, were not privy to any scenes where Harry was not present. We learned about Voldemort's resurrection - as the rest of the wizarding world did - because Harry was there when it happened. This was particularly apparent in the last book, as Harry's sharing of Voldemort's dreams/feelings felt almost like an excuse (though a good one) for us, the readers, to be able to know what Voldemort was up to without leaving Harry's presence.
Knowing that The Half-Blood Prince opens with a scene far removed from Harry - when Snape makes the Unbreakable Vow (and then the official introduction of the new Minister) - I was wondering if the book would deviate from Harry's perspective for that. I don't know if it's the first time the series has done so, but I thought it was interesting enough to be worth mentioning. Indeed, now that Voldemort is back and threatening the world outside Hogwarts, there are things of importance happening even beyond Harry's scope of knowledge!
* And speaking of Snape... Knowing what I do, having already finished the series in movie form, I can't help looking at Snape as a good guy. But Bellatrix's interrogation (due to her rightful distrust of him) reveals an important point - that Voldemort, a highly skilled Legilimens, grilled Snape on his involvement with Dumbledore at Hogwarts, and not only did not kill him, but decided to retain his services as a Death Eater/spy.
There are only two explanations for this - either Snape was able to convince Voldemort that he's bad, or Voldemort believed that he still has use to him despite his lack of total allegiance. In the first case, we are led to believe that Snape really is bad (and since the series' conclusion seems to contradict this view, I think it's possible that he legitimately "swings both ways", and can't conclusively decide between good or evil, which is why he can convincingly fool both Voldemort and Dumbledore) - unless...I suppose Snape could have extracted his most sensitive memories before meeting with Voldemort - like he did before Harry's Occlumency lessons in the last book. Presumably (judging how the magic is allegedly supposed to work) Voldemort can't read Snape's thoughts that aren't currently in his head at the time of reading.
In the second case, it's possible that Voldemort knew Snape's true loyalties lie elsewhere, but nevertheless had reason to believe that retaining his services could be beneficial to him in the long run. Considering that Snape's involvement is crucial in Voldemort's plan to assassinate Dumbledore, this is plausible. So plausible, in fact, that I'm beginning to wonder exactly how much use Dumbledore's brilliant plan to let Snape kill him to earn the Dark Lord's trust really was. What did they gain after all? Thinking back (to the movies), it might have something to do with tricking Voldemort into not understanding how Dumbledore's wand works. Didn't he also have something to do with giving Bellatrix a fake sword of Gryffindor? Yeah, wasn't he the one who showed Harry where the real sword is, which is of course integral to the destruction of the Horcruxes?
At any rate, it's complicated, and I'll have to wait and see what happens in the final book.
* I have to admit, I don't understand why Slughorn was so resistant to giving Dumbledore his memory. I know that he was ashamed of giving Tom Riddle the information he needed to create his Horcruxes, but as in the end Harry assures him, giving up the memory is the best and only way to make up for that, and is (in Dumbledore's opinion), crucial to fighting back and ultimately defeating Voldemort. I don't care how ashamed he was, and how much he might have been implemented in aiding the Dark Lord's rise to near immortality, but withholding that memory is nothing short of active resistance to the Order [of the Phoenix], and outright protection of the Dark Lord. Then again, he was head of Slytherin, not Gryffindor, so I guess I shouldn't expect noble actions of him where self-serving deeds could suffice.
* I love that the book delves deeper into Tom Riddle's life history, as well as the significance of the Horcuxes, than the movies did. It makes a lot of sense that the plan to defeat Voldemort would require diving into his mindset, and looking at the kind of person he is and was, in order to locate and take advantage of his weaknesses. The very fact of knowing about the Horcruxes is evidence of that - how important it is to understand Voldemort in order to defeat him - but I think the movies underplayed that fact.
And the Horcruxes themselves were regrettably glossed over in the movies. I think the idea of the Horcruxes is wonderfully fascinating - not just the idea of using items to harbor portions of your soul, as if they were extra lives, but the fact that they are treasures! I love treasures, and especially collectible treasures that form a set. But it's more effective if you know something about why those treasures are valuable, and the trouble it took to acquire them. I don't recall the movies ever mentioning that the ring was Voldemort's grandfather's ring, that the locket was his mother's, and that both were family heirlooms that presumably belonged to Salazar Slytherin himself! And I also like the idea of collecting trinkets from each of the founders of Hogwarts. It really is too bad the movie didn't include the scene where Voldemort asks Dumbledore for a teaching job at Hogwarts; it seems to me like that's a perfect scene to illustrate the transition between the curious Tom Riddle, and the malevolent Dark Lord.
* Dobby is less annoying in the books, because since he appears more often, he has more chances to demonstrate how helpful he is. Whereas, in the movies, he shows up in The Deathly Hallows and all you've got to remember him by is the crap he pulled in The Chamber of Secrets.
* I'm less annoyed by the Hermione and Ron pairing in the books, I think partially because I see Hermione more as a brilliant nerd, than the brilliant gorgeous nerd that Emma Watson makes. I still think she deserves better - namely, Harry - but what can you say if Harry simply doesn't have those feelings for her? Regardless, I thought Harry and Ginny's kiss (finally, towards the end of the book), was charmingly sweet. Even though it directly preceded the very terrible events of the book's conclusion, quickly destroying the happy feeling it created. The whole scene in the cave was very creepy and suspenseful.
"It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more."
* The "ghosts are transparent" exchange between Snape and Harry was hilarious! Snape is an off and on character - he was downright pathetic at the end of The Prisoner of Azkaban, but when he's on, he's really cool. The scene where Harry unknowingly uses Snape's spell to put Draco in the hospital - wow, what a scene, with Snape chastising Harry for using "very Dark magic", and one of his own spells, at that. At the end of the book, during the chase to escape Hogwarts, when he yells at Harry to stop calling him a coward - that was real. It has to take courage to be sneaky enough to double-cross the Dark Lord, and presuming Dumbledore's trust is founded, for him to agree to kill a truly great wizard that he respected and who treated him well (the sort of treatment I get the impression he hasn't received much of throughout his life) in order to do so. But so few people know enough about him to understand (and not knowing is precisely why they distrust him). He's a tragic character, that's for sure.
* I noticed in the earlier books that the author used a strictly limited third person point of view focusing on Harry, such that we, the readers, were not privy to any scenes where Harry was not present. We learned about Voldemort's resurrection - as the rest of the wizarding world did - because Harry was there when it happened. This was particularly apparent in the last book, as Harry's sharing of Voldemort's dreams/feelings felt almost like an excuse (though a good one) for us, the readers, to be able to know what Voldemort was up to without leaving Harry's presence.
Knowing that The Half-Blood Prince opens with a scene far removed from Harry - when Snape makes the Unbreakable Vow (and then the official introduction of the new Minister) - I was wondering if the book would deviate from Harry's perspective for that. I don't know if it's the first time the series has done so, but I thought it was interesting enough to be worth mentioning. Indeed, now that Voldemort is back and threatening the world outside Hogwarts, there are things of importance happening even beyond Harry's scope of knowledge!
* And speaking of Snape... Knowing what I do, having already finished the series in movie form, I can't help looking at Snape as a good guy. But Bellatrix's interrogation (due to her rightful distrust of him) reveals an important point - that Voldemort, a highly skilled Legilimens, grilled Snape on his involvement with Dumbledore at Hogwarts, and not only did not kill him, but decided to retain his services as a Death Eater/spy.
There are only two explanations for this - either Snape was able to convince Voldemort that he's bad, or Voldemort believed that he still has use to him despite his lack of total allegiance. In the first case, we are led to believe that Snape really is bad (and since the series' conclusion seems to contradict this view, I think it's possible that he legitimately "swings both ways", and can't conclusively decide between good or evil, which is why he can convincingly fool both Voldemort and Dumbledore) - unless...I suppose Snape could have extracted his most sensitive memories before meeting with Voldemort - like he did before Harry's Occlumency lessons in the last book. Presumably (judging how the magic is allegedly supposed to work) Voldemort can't read Snape's thoughts that aren't currently in his head at the time of reading.
In the second case, it's possible that Voldemort knew Snape's true loyalties lie elsewhere, but nevertheless had reason to believe that retaining his services could be beneficial to him in the long run. Considering that Snape's involvement is crucial in Voldemort's plan to assassinate Dumbledore, this is plausible. So plausible, in fact, that I'm beginning to wonder exactly how much use Dumbledore's brilliant plan to let Snape kill him to earn the Dark Lord's trust really was. What did they gain after all? Thinking back (to the movies), it might have something to do with tricking Voldemort into not understanding how Dumbledore's wand works. Didn't he also have something to do with giving Bellatrix a fake sword of Gryffindor? Yeah, wasn't he the one who showed Harry where the real sword is, which is of course integral to the destruction of the Horcruxes?
At any rate, it's complicated, and I'll have to wait and see what happens in the final book.
* I have to admit, I don't understand why Slughorn was so resistant to giving Dumbledore his memory. I know that he was ashamed of giving Tom Riddle the information he needed to create his Horcruxes, but as in the end Harry assures him, giving up the memory is the best and only way to make up for that, and is (in Dumbledore's opinion), crucial to fighting back and ultimately defeating Voldemort. I don't care how ashamed he was, and how much he might have been implemented in aiding the Dark Lord's rise to near immortality, but withholding that memory is nothing short of active resistance to the Order [of the Phoenix], and outright protection of the Dark Lord. Then again, he was head of Slytherin, not Gryffindor, so I guess I shouldn't expect noble actions of him where self-serving deeds could suffice.
* I love that the book delves deeper into Tom Riddle's life history, as well as the significance of the Horcuxes, than the movies did. It makes a lot of sense that the plan to defeat Voldemort would require diving into his mindset, and looking at the kind of person he is and was, in order to locate and take advantage of his weaknesses. The very fact of knowing about the Horcruxes is evidence of that - how important it is to understand Voldemort in order to defeat him - but I think the movies underplayed that fact.
And the Horcruxes themselves were regrettably glossed over in the movies. I think the idea of the Horcruxes is wonderfully fascinating - not just the idea of using items to harbor portions of your soul, as if they were extra lives, but the fact that they are treasures! I love treasures, and especially collectible treasures that form a set. But it's more effective if you know something about why those treasures are valuable, and the trouble it took to acquire them. I don't recall the movies ever mentioning that the ring was Voldemort's grandfather's ring, that the locket was his mother's, and that both were family heirlooms that presumably belonged to Salazar Slytherin himself! And I also like the idea of collecting trinkets from each of the founders of Hogwarts. It really is too bad the movie didn't include the scene where Voldemort asks Dumbledore for a teaching job at Hogwarts; it seems to me like that's a perfect scene to illustrate the transition between the curious Tom Riddle, and the malevolent Dark Lord.
* Dobby is less annoying in the books, because since he appears more often, he has more chances to demonstrate how helpful he is. Whereas, in the movies, he shows up in The Deathly Hallows and all you've got to remember him by is the crap he pulled in The Chamber of Secrets.
* I'm less annoyed by the Hermione and Ron pairing in the books, I think partially because I see Hermione more as a brilliant nerd, than the brilliant gorgeous nerd that Emma Watson makes. I still think she deserves better - namely, Harry - but what can you say if Harry simply doesn't have those feelings for her? Regardless, I thought Harry and Ginny's kiss (finally, towards the end of the book), was charmingly sweet. Even though it directly preceded the very terrible events of the book's conclusion, quickly destroying the happy feeling it created. The whole scene in the cave was very creepy and suspenseful.
"It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more."
* The "ghosts are transparent" exchange between Snape and Harry was hilarious! Snape is an off and on character - he was downright pathetic at the end of The Prisoner of Azkaban, but when he's on, he's really cool. The scene where Harry unknowingly uses Snape's spell to put Draco in the hospital - wow, what a scene, with Snape chastising Harry for using "very Dark magic", and one of his own spells, at that. At the end of the book, during the chase to escape Hogwarts, when he yells at Harry to stop calling him a coward - that was real. It has to take courage to be sneaky enough to double-cross the Dark Lord, and presuming Dumbledore's trust is founded, for him to agree to kill a truly great wizard that he respected and who treated him well (the sort of treatment I get the impression he hasn't received much of throughout his life) in order to do so. But so few people know enough about him to understand (and not knowing is precisely why they distrust him). He's a tragic character, that's for sure.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Notes on The Order of the Phoenix (book version)
Warning: Harry Potter spoilers!
* When Harry was waiting over the summer for news of Voldemort's return, it reminded me of what it was like after 9/11, when we all (or at least I) thought World War III was coming, and then nothing really happened.
* I am in love with Nymphadora Tonks' special ability. I would kill to be a metamorphmagus. I used to think that if I could have one magical item or ability from Harry Potter, I'd take an Invisibility Cloak; but upon further reflection, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be able to willfully change my appearance.
* I love how Hogwarts descends into chaos after Umbridge ousts Dumbledore. It just goes to show, you can only push so far, before the oppressed begin to push back - when the cost of obedience outweighs the fear of punishment. It's just a shame it takes that long, and that it's only effective when enough people are willing to fight back that they can't be easily stifled and singled out.
* I can't believe Umbridge was prepared to use the Cruciatus Curse on Harry! I was convinced at that point that I would view Umbridge as a Dark Wizard (Dark Witch?) - even if in no way affiliated with Voldemort. But then later, when even Harry used the Cruciatus Curse in his anger after Sirius was killed...I figured, as much as I still hate Umbridge, I have to at least give her the benefit of that doubt, else I'd have to consider Harry a Dark Wizard too.
* I was thinking that Voldemort must have been allowing the Ministry of Magic to go about its business, because out of coincidence, it happened to be working in his favor. Not believing the rumors of Voldemort's return meant that the Ministry was helping the Dark Lord to stay hidden and unknown. Plus, their meddling with Hogwarts was directly undermining Dumbledore's authority. But Voldemort was so focused on getting the prophecy, and scared to face down the Ministry head on in the end, that I guess maybe it wasn't necessarily part of his strategy, but just a coincidence in his favor.
* Finally, evidence that Dumbledore is not infallible, even if it has nothing to do with his trusting Snape - and I could see it all along:
"Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young..."
It's obvious that Dumbledore's plan wasn't working re: getting Harry to learn Occlumency. His mistake - a mistake that too many make too frequently - was to try to control another person's behavior, believing that lying to (or withholding information from) them is the best way to trick them into following your path. In this case, it was Dumbledore tricking Harry into learning Occlumency, when Harry's instinct was to resist those lessons. How could he be so blind as to not see that being honest and forthright with Harry was the best (indeed only) way to accomplish what must be done? But yes, it was his love and protective instinct that precluded him from being able to do it.
It's like in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. The old househand warns the new occupants not to open the bricked-in fireplace. He doesn't tell them why, apparently not realizing that their curiosity (and lack of a good reason) would only make them more eager to open up the fireplace and see what's inside. Maybe they wouldn't have believed him if he told them there were evil murderous spirits inside, but it couldn't have hurt their chances of opening up the fireplace against his wishes.
I'm getting diverted, but it's the same concept. Trying to trick someone into behaving a certain way by lying to them or withholding important information, instead of being honest and open and giving them the opportunity to choose to do the right thing, with full knowledge. I really thought Dumbledore of all people was better than that. Not to give the wrong impression, I still respect him and all that - and indeed, his blunder makes for a great example. And after all, he is aware of his mistake and regretful of it like few would be.
* Snape came off pretty pathetically in the third book. In this book, it's Sirius who comes off pretty pathetic, ignoring his tragic demise. Cooped up in his old house that whole time, eager to be reckless... It's a shame his hands were tied and he couldn't go out and be more of a hero.
* On a related note, James Potter doesn't come off very well via Snape's memory. Not very well at all. Of course, it's a little unfair to judge his character based on what is Snape's worst memory (or one of them), and quite possibly one of James' least proud moments in his life. We all have bad moments like that, when we do things we are not proud of, and it would be grossly unjust to judge a person's character based entirely on one of those moments. Still, James' arrogance does not come off well at all.
* Still looking forward to learning more about Snape's past, and his motivations, in the last two books.
* I was kind of underwhelmed to learn that Hermione's patronus is an otter. What's so great about otters? It's kind of unremarkable. On the other hand, it's only one letter shy of "Potter", so maybe it's an indication that Hermione truly does belong with Harry. :3
* I was relieved when Harry finally did his interview and told his story to the wizarding world. I really felt, all along, that the majority of the people sneering at him didn't necessarily disbelieve his claim about Voldemort's return, or believe the things the papers were saying about him. I think they just wanted to hear his story, to know just what happened, before coming to any kind of conclusion. Granted, I know it's not easy for Harry to talk about it, but I think he should have at least understood that - that they just needed to know more.
* In this book, one of the characters asks Hermione the question I've been dying to ask her - why isn't she in Ravenclaw? Predictable answer - the Sorting Hat considered it before finally putting her in Gryffindor - but it's nice to actually hear that confirmation that Hermione is total Ravenclaw material. Of course, given Cho and her friend's behavior, that may indicate the difference between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, with an emphasis on Gryffindor's honor.
* When Harry was waiting over the summer for news of Voldemort's return, it reminded me of what it was like after 9/11, when we all (or at least I) thought World War III was coming, and then nothing really happened.
* I am in love with Nymphadora Tonks' special ability. I would kill to be a metamorphmagus. I used to think that if I could have one magical item or ability from Harry Potter, I'd take an Invisibility Cloak; but upon further reflection, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be able to willfully change my appearance.
* I love how Hogwarts descends into chaos after Umbridge ousts Dumbledore. It just goes to show, you can only push so far, before the oppressed begin to push back - when the cost of obedience outweighs the fear of punishment. It's just a shame it takes that long, and that it's only effective when enough people are willing to fight back that they can't be easily stifled and singled out.
* I can't believe Umbridge was prepared to use the Cruciatus Curse on Harry! I was convinced at that point that I would view Umbridge as a Dark Wizard (Dark Witch?) - even if in no way affiliated with Voldemort. But then later, when even Harry used the Cruciatus Curse in his anger after Sirius was killed...I figured, as much as I still hate Umbridge, I have to at least give her the benefit of that doubt, else I'd have to consider Harry a Dark Wizard too.
* I was thinking that Voldemort must have been allowing the Ministry of Magic to go about its business, because out of coincidence, it happened to be working in his favor. Not believing the rumors of Voldemort's return meant that the Ministry was helping the Dark Lord to stay hidden and unknown. Plus, their meddling with Hogwarts was directly undermining Dumbledore's authority. But Voldemort was so focused on getting the prophecy, and scared to face down the Ministry head on in the end, that I guess maybe it wasn't necessarily part of his strategy, but just a coincidence in his favor.
* Finally, evidence that Dumbledore is not infallible, even if it has nothing to do with his trusting Snape - and I could see it all along:
"Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young..."
It's obvious that Dumbledore's plan wasn't working re: getting Harry to learn Occlumency. His mistake - a mistake that too many make too frequently - was to try to control another person's behavior, believing that lying to (or withholding information from) them is the best way to trick them into following your path. In this case, it was Dumbledore tricking Harry into learning Occlumency, when Harry's instinct was to resist those lessons. How could he be so blind as to not see that being honest and forthright with Harry was the best (indeed only) way to accomplish what must be done? But yes, it was his love and protective instinct that precluded him from being able to do it.
It's like in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. The old househand warns the new occupants not to open the bricked-in fireplace. He doesn't tell them why, apparently not realizing that their curiosity (and lack of a good reason) would only make them more eager to open up the fireplace and see what's inside. Maybe they wouldn't have believed him if he told them there were evil murderous spirits inside, but it couldn't have hurt their chances of opening up the fireplace against his wishes.
I'm getting diverted, but it's the same concept. Trying to trick someone into behaving a certain way by lying to them or withholding important information, instead of being honest and open and giving them the opportunity to choose to do the right thing, with full knowledge. I really thought Dumbledore of all people was better than that. Not to give the wrong impression, I still respect him and all that - and indeed, his blunder makes for a great example. And after all, he is aware of his mistake and regretful of it like few would be.
* Snape came off pretty pathetically in the third book. In this book, it's Sirius who comes off pretty pathetic, ignoring his tragic demise. Cooped up in his old house that whole time, eager to be reckless... It's a shame his hands were tied and he couldn't go out and be more of a hero.
* On a related note, James Potter doesn't come off very well via Snape's memory. Not very well at all. Of course, it's a little unfair to judge his character based on what is Snape's worst memory (or one of them), and quite possibly one of James' least proud moments in his life. We all have bad moments like that, when we do things we are not proud of, and it would be grossly unjust to judge a person's character based entirely on one of those moments. Still, James' arrogance does not come off well at all.
* Still looking forward to learning more about Snape's past, and his motivations, in the last two books.
* I was kind of underwhelmed to learn that Hermione's patronus is an otter. What's so great about otters? It's kind of unremarkable. On the other hand, it's only one letter shy of "Potter", so maybe it's an indication that Hermione truly does belong with Harry. :3
* I was relieved when Harry finally did his interview and told his story to the wizarding world. I really felt, all along, that the majority of the people sneering at him didn't necessarily disbelieve his claim about Voldemort's return, or believe the things the papers were saying about him. I think they just wanted to hear his story, to know just what happened, before coming to any kind of conclusion. Granted, I know it's not easy for Harry to talk about it, but I think he should have at least understood that - that they just needed to know more.
* In this book, one of the characters asks Hermione the question I've been dying to ask her - why isn't she in Ravenclaw? Predictable answer - the Sorting Hat considered it before finally putting her in Gryffindor - but it's nice to actually hear that confirmation that Hermione is total Ravenclaw material. Of course, given Cho and her friend's behavior, that may indicate the difference between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, with an emphasis on Gryffindor's honor.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Notes on The Goblet of Fire (book version)
Warning: There be Harry Potter spoilers in this post.
* I love that Moody's "Mad-Eye" can see through things - even Invisibility Cloaks!
* I love how Hermione is NOT crushing on Viktor Krum in this version. (He's definitely not her type - not that Krum's any worse than Ron, though :-\).
* I loved the entire house elf liberation subplot. It was a great allegory for slavery. Even down to the fact that the slaves feared their freedom, and most people justified the convenience of having slaves by believing that the slaves enjoyed their slavery - even perfectly reasonable, caring people believed this. There is no force as strong, or as corrupt, as conservativism.
* I am continually impressed by how much of an inspiration and a role model Dumbledore is. He has such wisdom and integrity. The way he treats people with respect who deserve it - whether human or giant or youth or former Death Eater - is so admirable; yet he is a force to be reckoned with against the agents of evil and hypocrisy and cowardice.
* I like how scathing this book is toward both the media (Rita Skeeter), and politics.
* I immensely enjoyed the confrontation between Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, at the end of the book. It really shows how inadequate politics are, and how fear and laziness can contribute to evil and corruption. And it also sets up the Ministry as an enemy (even independent of Voldemort's influence), and what is to happen to Hogwarts at the hands of Dolores Umbridge in the next book. Like many things, this is explained much more clearly in the books than it was in the movies.
* On that note, I also liked the explanation for what happened between Harry and Voldemort during their duel (Priori Incantatem). It makes a lot more sense than, "oh, guess what, these ghosts are gonna show up, but we're not gonna tell you why".
* The Goblet of Fire is the turning point in the series, and I think that's why it's one of my favorite parts of the story. The tension, and the despair when Voldemort finally returns. It's like the ending of The Empire Strikes Back, when the bad guy wins, and everything looks so grim, and you're dying to find out what the heroes will do to fight back. I'm looking forward to reading on!
* I love that Moody's "Mad-Eye" can see through things - even Invisibility Cloaks!
* I love how Hermione is NOT crushing on Viktor Krum in this version. (He's definitely not her type - not that Krum's any worse than Ron, though :-\).
* I loved the entire house elf liberation subplot. It was a great allegory for slavery. Even down to the fact that the slaves feared their freedom, and most people justified the convenience of having slaves by believing that the slaves enjoyed their slavery - even perfectly reasonable, caring people believed this. There is no force as strong, or as corrupt, as conservativism.
* I am continually impressed by how much of an inspiration and a role model Dumbledore is. He has such wisdom and integrity. The way he treats people with respect who deserve it - whether human or giant or youth or former Death Eater - is so admirable; yet he is a force to be reckoned with against the agents of evil and hypocrisy and cowardice.
* I like how scathing this book is toward both the media (Rita Skeeter), and politics.
* I immensely enjoyed the confrontation between Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, at the end of the book. It really shows how inadequate politics are, and how fear and laziness can contribute to evil and corruption. And it also sets up the Ministry as an enemy (even independent of Voldemort's influence), and what is to happen to Hogwarts at the hands of Dolores Umbridge in the next book. Like many things, this is explained much more clearly in the books than it was in the movies.
* On that note, I also liked the explanation for what happened between Harry and Voldemort during their duel (Priori Incantatem). It makes a lot more sense than, "oh, guess what, these ghosts are gonna show up, but we're not gonna tell you why".
* The Goblet of Fire is the turning point in the series, and I think that's why it's one of my favorite parts of the story. The tension, and the despair when Voldemort finally returns. It's like the ending of The Empire Strikes Back, when the bad guy wins, and everything looks so grim, and you're dying to find out what the heroes will do to fight back. I'm looking forward to reading on!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
Warning: this review contains SPOILERS from the second part of the seventh Harry Potter movie (the final part of the series).
That's it, it's all over. This movie is kind of complicated to review because you can either look at it a) independently, b) as the second half of the full Deathly Hallows experience, or c) as the conclusion to the entire Harry Potter series. As a standalone movie (though having seen the rest of the series), it was very exciting and entertaining. As the continuation of The Deathly Hallows, it was a fitting second half, where all the plotting and running around gives way to the final hefty showdown at Hogwarts. And as the conclusion to the Harry Potter series, well, it's mostly satisfying (more on that in a bit), and certainly you get what you were expecting - the final duel between Harry and the Dark Lord - and everything gets wrapped up neatly in the end.
The final battle was exciting. I really liked that the final showdown ended up being the siege of Hogwarts. Voldemort was somewhat less intimidating in the very end than I anticipated, but I suspect that's due to the fact that he fragmented himself into those horcruxes, and that by destroying them, Harry and friends were able to weaken him considerably even before the final fight. Originally I had viewed those horcruxes as if they were extra lives, but I guess I should have taken the "splinter your soul" (or however it was described) phrase more seriously. Now, I wonder if that was really the best idea. Would Voldemort have been more powerful if he had kept all of his strength within himself? And while we're speaking of the horcruxes, I would have liked to have learned more about their individual significances, though I suspect this may be elaborated on more in the books. They mainly seem to be valuable treasures, which is really cool, and I thought that deserved some more focus.
I stated all the way back in my review of the first HP movie that I like the concept of the wands (and my feelings haven't changed). There's a question, though, of how much power the wands themselves have, and how much of that power is the wizard's own. I like to think of the wands as being conduits for magical power, and that different ones - designed differently and with different materials - will magnify or manifest a wizard's power differently. But then there's also the issue of the wand's will, which is brought up in this film, and turns out to be of critical importance. I expected a more traditional power struggle (like Goku vs. Vegeta) between Harry and Voldemort, with Harry ultimately overpowering Voldemort with the power of his love and friendship, rather than Voldemort failing on a wand-related technicality. But the whole horcrux sidequest seems to suggest that it was always more a battle of strategy than brute strength even from the beginning.
So it turns out I was right in my suspicions about Snape, regarding Dumbledore's death. They were indeed co-conspirators. Though I hadn't imagined Snape's connection to Lily, but it explains a lot. I had wondered how Snape could have been a Death Eater, and yet had later gained Dumbledore's trust. I imagine there's probably more exposition in the books (which I am about to read), as there is a lot in the movies that is sort of glossed over, without going into much detail. I can imagine Snape would have been driven to the dark side due to his experience of unrequited love, yet I wonder how sincere his allegiance to Voldemort ever was, considering that he was able to renounce it, and climb so high as to become a trusted friend of Dumbledore. Was Snape a spy all the way back then, too? Or was it Voldemort's murder of Lily that ultimately turned Snape around? I can see it happening that way.
I talked a bit about Draco in my review of the first part of The Deathly Hallows. I was really hoping that he would come out and do something significant, to redeem his character (either as a reluctant hero or a respectable villain, either way). I guess he's just a weak person. And it's no wonder, his father's a spineless coward. It's too bad, though, because I could really see so much more coming from Draco. If he had been a stronger person, he could've become the next Dark Lord after Voldemort's demise. A true thorn in Harry's side. But I guess that's a story that wasn't meant to be.
I was really moved when it was revealed that Harry's fate was to sacrifice himself to be killed by Voldemort. Maybe it's because I have a bit of a martyr complex. Can you imagine how hard that would be? Coming to terms with the fact that you have to give up your life for the greater good? How could you find the resolve to march willingly to your own slaughter? It's a really heavy development, but I liked it. Though things sort of turned out differently in the end. Maybe the book is better on the details, but I felt a little gypped that Harry came back, after establishing that he was going to have to die. I know, it makes for a good narrative - force the audience to mourn Harry's death, and then give them a happy ending anyway. Plus, seeing Harry come back for the final bout is exciting.
But still, when you make super big decisions like that, you should commit to them. Can you imagine how much different the end of the series would have been if Harry had had to die (and stay dead)? It would have been much darker, yes, but they still could have prevailed over the Dark Lord in the end. It would be a bittersweet victory, for sure, but it would be more emotionally heavy, and perhaps more true to life. Sure, some significant characters did die, but the only one that truly leaves a gap is perhaps Dumbledore, and he was old, anyway. There's no constant memory - "oh, that's right, Harry's not around" - like a memento, of the great battle and just how much was sacrificed.
In fact, that's just the thing. The ending is too convenient. Too concise, too wrapped-up. Nothing has really changed. You get to the epilogue, and 19 years later, you're right back where you started. Almost as if nothing even happened. No real lasting scars or memories. And if nothing else, I was pissed that Harry wasn't the Headmaster of Hogwarts, or at the very least, the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher. Think about it, not only is Harry Potter the one who defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort, but he's the only guy who was killed, twice, by Voldemort, and lived. That's pretty bad-ass. I mean, what better Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher could you ask for than someone who is immune to the killing curse? And what's more, Harry could have been a Master of Death if he so chose, since all three of the Deathly Hallows passed into his hands (two of which he let slip through his fingers).
Regarding the ultimate pairings, I couldn't help but notice the trend of extraordinary people marrying mediocre people. (And ironically, both of those mediocre people are Weasleys). You got Harry, the boy who lived (and then defeated Voldemort), marrying a damsel in distress, and you have Hermione, the brightest witch of her age, marrying a talentless doofus. When it was first revealed that Harry was going to have to die, I thought that was the reason the author had put Ron and Hermione together - so that they could have some measure of happiness in the long run. Even though Hermione deserves to be with Harry. If there's any good to come from this, it's the reassurance for all the mediocre people out there that you may actually have a chance pairing up with somebody extraordinary. Keep the dream alive!
Speaking of Hermione, Emma was as good as ever in this movie, and actually very cute acting all sweet on Ron, even though I hated that it was Ron that was making her act that way. But as an added bonus, her polyjuice scheme in this part was infinitely more intriguing than the woman she impersonated in part 1 of The Deathly Hallows. Emma looked good dressed up in Bellatrix's goth fashions, and damn if I wasn't convinced at first that Helena Bonham Carter was acting in place of Hermione transformed. Their personalities are so wildly different that to see Helena acting more like an insecure Hermione than a wacked-out Bellatrix threw me for a loop. Well done.
So that's it. I think I've said enough. I'll defer you to some other more dedicated Potter fan to give you more celebration for the conclusion to the series. It's funny to think that I hadn't even been interested in the Harry Potter series until just December of last year - a mere seven months ago - as opposed to those who have been dedicated to it either from the beginning of the film series, or even longer, from the books' original releases. And that's where I'm headed now - to read up on the original story behind this epic film phenomenon.
Emma Rating: Sugary Sweet
That's it, it's all over. This movie is kind of complicated to review because you can either look at it a) independently, b) as the second half of the full Deathly Hallows experience, or c) as the conclusion to the entire Harry Potter series. As a standalone movie (though having seen the rest of the series), it was very exciting and entertaining. As the continuation of The Deathly Hallows, it was a fitting second half, where all the plotting and running around gives way to the final hefty showdown at Hogwarts. And as the conclusion to the Harry Potter series, well, it's mostly satisfying (more on that in a bit), and certainly you get what you were expecting - the final duel between Harry and the Dark Lord - and everything gets wrapped up neatly in the end.
The final battle was exciting. I really liked that the final showdown ended up being the siege of Hogwarts. Voldemort was somewhat less intimidating in the very end than I anticipated, but I suspect that's due to the fact that he fragmented himself into those horcruxes, and that by destroying them, Harry and friends were able to weaken him considerably even before the final fight. Originally I had viewed those horcruxes as if they were extra lives, but I guess I should have taken the "splinter your soul" (or however it was described) phrase more seriously. Now, I wonder if that was really the best idea. Would Voldemort have been more powerful if he had kept all of his strength within himself? And while we're speaking of the horcruxes, I would have liked to have learned more about their individual significances, though I suspect this may be elaborated on more in the books. They mainly seem to be valuable treasures, which is really cool, and I thought that deserved some more focus.
I stated all the way back in my review of the first HP movie that I like the concept of the wands (and my feelings haven't changed). There's a question, though, of how much power the wands themselves have, and how much of that power is the wizard's own. I like to think of the wands as being conduits for magical power, and that different ones - designed differently and with different materials - will magnify or manifest a wizard's power differently. But then there's also the issue of the wand's will, which is brought up in this film, and turns out to be of critical importance. I expected a more traditional power struggle (like Goku vs. Vegeta) between Harry and Voldemort, with Harry ultimately overpowering Voldemort with the power of his love and friendship, rather than Voldemort failing on a wand-related technicality. But the whole horcrux sidequest seems to suggest that it was always more a battle of strategy than brute strength even from the beginning.
So it turns out I was right in my suspicions about Snape, regarding Dumbledore's death. They were indeed co-conspirators. Though I hadn't imagined Snape's connection to Lily, but it explains a lot. I had wondered how Snape could have been a Death Eater, and yet had later gained Dumbledore's trust. I imagine there's probably more exposition in the books (which I am about to read), as there is a lot in the movies that is sort of glossed over, without going into much detail. I can imagine Snape would have been driven to the dark side due to his experience of unrequited love, yet I wonder how sincere his allegiance to Voldemort ever was, considering that he was able to renounce it, and climb so high as to become a trusted friend of Dumbledore. Was Snape a spy all the way back then, too? Or was it Voldemort's murder of Lily that ultimately turned Snape around? I can see it happening that way.
I talked a bit about Draco in my review of the first part of The Deathly Hallows. I was really hoping that he would come out and do something significant, to redeem his character (either as a reluctant hero or a respectable villain, either way). I guess he's just a weak person. And it's no wonder, his father's a spineless coward. It's too bad, though, because I could really see so much more coming from Draco. If he had been a stronger person, he could've become the next Dark Lord after Voldemort's demise. A true thorn in Harry's side. But I guess that's a story that wasn't meant to be.
I was really moved when it was revealed that Harry's fate was to sacrifice himself to be killed by Voldemort. Maybe it's because I have a bit of a martyr complex. Can you imagine how hard that would be? Coming to terms with the fact that you have to give up your life for the greater good? How could you find the resolve to march willingly to your own slaughter? It's a really heavy development, but I liked it. Though things sort of turned out differently in the end. Maybe the book is better on the details, but I felt a little gypped that Harry came back, after establishing that he was going to have to die. I know, it makes for a good narrative - force the audience to mourn Harry's death, and then give them a happy ending anyway. Plus, seeing Harry come back for the final bout is exciting.
But still, when you make super big decisions like that, you should commit to them. Can you imagine how much different the end of the series would have been if Harry had had to die (and stay dead)? It would have been much darker, yes, but they still could have prevailed over the Dark Lord in the end. It would be a bittersweet victory, for sure, but it would be more emotionally heavy, and perhaps more true to life. Sure, some significant characters did die, but the only one that truly leaves a gap is perhaps Dumbledore, and he was old, anyway. There's no constant memory - "oh, that's right, Harry's not around" - like a memento, of the great battle and just how much was sacrificed.
In fact, that's just the thing. The ending is too convenient. Too concise, too wrapped-up. Nothing has really changed. You get to the epilogue, and 19 years later, you're right back where you started. Almost as if nothing even happened. No real lasting scars or memories. And if nothing else, I was pissed that Harry wasn't the Headmaster of Hogwarts, or at the very least, the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher. Think about it, not only is Harry Potter the one who defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort, but he's the only guy who was killed, twice, by Voldemort, and lived. That's pretty bad-ass. I mean, what better Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher could you ask for than someone who is immune to the killing curse? And what's more, Harry could have been a Master of Death if he so chose, since all three of the Deathly Hallows passed into his hands (two of which he let slip through his fingers).
Regarding the ultimate pairings, I couldn't help but notice the trend of extraordinary people marrying mediocre people. (And ironically, both of those mediocre people are Weasleys). You got Harry, the boy who lived (and then defeated Voldemort), marrying a damsel in distress, and you have Hermione, the brightest witch of her age, marrying a talentless doofus. When it was first revealed that Harry was going to have to die, I thought that was the reason the author had put Ron and Hermione together - so that they could have some measure of happiness in the long run. Even though Hermione deserves to be with Harry. If there's any good to come from this, it's the reassurance for all the mediocre people out there that you may actually have a chance pairing up with somebody extraordinary. Keep the dream alive!
Speaking of Hermione, Emma was as good as ever in this movie, and actually very cute acting all sweet on Ron, even though I hated that it was Ron that was making her act that way. But as an added bonus, her polyjuice scheme in this part was infinitely more intriguing than the woman she impersonated in part 1 of The Deathly Hallows. Emma looked good dressed up in Bellatrix's goth fashions, and damn if I wasn't convinced at first that Helena Bonham Carter was acting in place of Hermione transformed. Their personalities are so wildly different that to see Helena acting more like an insecure Hermione than a wacked-out Bellatrix threw me for a loop. Well done.
So that's it. I think I've said enough. I'll defer you to some other more dedicated Potter fan to give you more celebration for the conclusion to the series. It's funny to think that I hadn't even been interested in the Harry Potter series until just December of last year - a mere seven months ago - as opposed to those who have been dedicated to it either from the beginning of the film series, or even longer, from the books' original releases. And that's where I'm headed now - to read up on the original story behind this epic film phenomenon.
Emma Rating: Sugary Sweet
Friday, April 8, 2011
The Devil Rides Out (1968)
Even though I don't officially consider myself to be Pagan, I like Paganism and have studied it with interest (and I am certainly more Pagan than Christian). So watching a movie about 'Satanism' is always interesting, because the popular conception of Satanism is based upon so many misinterpretations of Paganism. I feel like a black guy must feel when he watches blaxploitation movies that are filled with atrocious stereotypes. Yet I like movies about Satanism, and I almost feel a little guilty about that, because they tend only to propagate those ridiculous stereotypes. But mostly they're done in fun, not meaning to offend; and anyway, I know how to appreciate fantasy, and Satanism is a pretty exciting subject for fantasy. And what's more, I've actually attended a real Pagan ritual, and it was dreadfully boring. If they had dressed it up as a Satanic ritual (but without anything seriously evil), I think it would have been a whole lot more exciting. I mean, ritual is all theatrics, anyway. But then, that's my real faith talking - atheism.
Getting to the movie itself, The Devil Rides Out is a Hammer film starring the venerable Christopher Lee. I don't know exactly what 'the Hammer reputation' is (yes I'm a horror fan, but I wasn't even alive in the '70s), but this is a very good film, even taking its age into consideration. The suspense sets in almost immediately, and you're drawn into the fight against the powers of darkness. There's even a car chase on back country roads! The bare bones of the plot is that Lee's character, the Duc de Richeleau - having studied the effects of black magic, yet being on the side of good - is trying against all odds to pull his young friend Simon out of the clutches of the high priest of a cult of devil-worshippers before it's too late.
The black magic is actually surprisingly effective in this film, considering the state of special effects in 1968. It may not be seamless, but rather than being all about pomp and flash, it serves the story well, and feeds the atmosphere of fear concerning the nature of the dark arts. There's a great standoff where the good guys hold out the night within a circle of protection, while the evil cultleader weaves his spells from afar in an attempt to break their defenses. The mesmerizing power of the cultleader translates very well to the screen, too. Just looking into his eyes and hearing him speak is enough to convince you of his abilities. And the woman who plays the priest's reluctant medium has a perilously captivating beauty. The only thing that would have made this movie better is if the frenzy in the woods had actually been an orgy.
Regardless, I was very well entertained, and I recommend this film.
Getting to the movie itself, The Devil Rides Out is a Hammer film starring the venerable Christopher Lee. I don't know exactly what 'the Hammer reputation' is (yes I'm a horror fan, but I wasn't even alive in the '70s), but this is a very good film, even taking its age into consideration. The suspense sets in almost immediately, and you're drawn into the fight against the powers of darkness. There's even a car chase on back country roads! The bare bones of the plot is that Lee's character, the Duc de Richeleau - having studied the effects of black magic, yet being on the side of good - is trying against all odds to pull his young friend Simon out of the clutches of the high priest of a cult of devil-worshippers before it's too late.
The black magic is actually surprisingly effective in this film, considering the state of special effects in 1968. It may not be seamless, but rather than being all about pomp and flash, it serves the story well, and feeds the atmosphere of fear concerning the nature of the dark arts. There's a great standoff where the good guys hold out the night within a circle of protection, while the evil cultleader weaves his spells from afar in an attempt to break their defenses. The mesmerizing power of the cultleader translates very well to the screen, too. Just looking into his eyes and hearing him speak is enough to convince you of his abilities. And the woman who plays the priest's reluctant medium has a perilously captivating beauty. The only thing that would have made this movie better is if the frenzy in the woods had actually been an orgy.
Regardless, I was very well entertained, and I recommend this film.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Warning: this review contains SPOILERS from the first part of the seventh Harry Potter movie.
The Deathly Hallows is bleak. But then, the Harry Potter story has just been getting bleaker and bleaker since The Goblet of Fire, when Voldemort was resurrected. I'm very curious to see how it will all end (in other words, I can't wait for Part 2). The one startling difference that makes this installment unique among the entire series is the almost complete absence of Hogwarts (and what we do see of it has changed so very much). Harry and friends spend their time in this one on the run.
And there's some tension between our favorite threesome. Though Harry and Hermione seem to be getting closer than ever (she's so much better off with him...), Ron continues to be stupid. I think part of the reason Hermione is always so mad at him is because she's mad at fate (or the author) for having her fall in love with such a doofus. Ron almost redeemed himself when he showed up and destroyed the Horcrux, but to be fair, you have to measure that one noble deed against all the stupid things he's done over the years. Not a very good balance. I'll tell you, when they started talking about having a wedding, I thought for a moment it was Ron and Hermione they were referring to! Thank god it wasn't. I'm not ready for that yet, though it seems inevitable at this rate.
I really liked the Deathly Hallows story-within-a-story. Great moral tale, and seamlessly woven into the larger plot. A wand to command death, a magical stone to reverse it, and a cloak to evade it. Bonus points for Hermione being the one to narrate that story. =3
As much as Dobby annoys me, he really pulled off a magnificent stunt in this one. He earned himself a noble death. It seems fitting that he should be a sacrificial pawn - when Bellatrix's weapon leapt through the teleportation, I thought someone more substantial might end up dead, so I was relieved when it was just him. Though, saying that, I have to recognize the value of his exploits this time around. I love how he just snaps his fingers to disarm his opponents, like it's nothing at all to him.
At the beginning, when Hermione obliviated her parents, that was a very touching scene. I want so desperately to get to know Hermione, can you imagine knowing her, and then losing all those memories? So sad. But I see that it was necessary. That's just how desperate things have gotten.
The infiltration of the ministry was exciting, although I hated every minute that the beautiful Emma Watson was replaced by some stuffy old businesswoman (on account of the polyjuice potion - funny story, when the potion was first mentioned in Chamber of Secrets, I thought it was called "apologies potion"). No surprise at all that Umbridge of all people would end up wearing the Horcrux around her neck with pride.
Draco was pathetic again in this movie. At the beginning of the series, I saw him as this counterpoint to Harry, likely to become a powerful dark wizard to match Harry. But now Harry's going up against the likes of Voldemort himself, and Draco simply can't compete. He's always been a creep, and I don't forgive him for that, but his heart has been filled with hatred for so long, and it hasn't really gotten him anywhere. As a full Death Eater now, I think it's just more apparent what that has done to his father, turning him into a groveling coward before the might of the dark lord. And Draco's failure at killing Dumbledore - Harry said he wouldn't have done it, that he was lowering his wand when Snape stepped in - I could see him becoming something of a reluctant anti-hero, making some move to help Harry defeat Voldemort, not out of any concern or respect for Harry, but simply distaste for the dark lord's methods, how his regime of fear destroys people rather than fosters their talents. Of course, believing such a thing is possible is giving Draco more credit than he probably deserves. But I think there's potential for a more complex and well-rounded character there.
Emma looked fabulous on the big screen. I'm so glad I got a chance to see her that way. I just can't believe how gorgeous she is. I could stare at her for hours. Actually, that's pretty much what I've been doing all week. It was definitely worth it, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Convenient that there are seven parts to the story, and seven days in a week. This marathon was a lot of fun, and now I desperately await the second part of the final chapter...
Emma Rating: Scandalously Seductive
Addendum: Regarding the "rumored" scene, in which Emma Watson allegedly gets naked - it's hardly even worth mentioning (which is why I left it out of my review), but I might as well tell you my thoughts. I wasn't really expecting much, so I wasn't too disappointed. Hermione has dressed fairly conservatively all throughout the Harry Potter series, so I didn't really expect her to reveal much, even now (being legal and all that). But the thing with her is that she's so unbelievably gorgeous, it doesn't matter that she's completely dressed, she still stuns.
As for the scene itself, it was a magical illusion, so it was all CGed up, and Harry and Hermione hardly even looked like real people. I didn't know the nature of the scene beforehand - I had heard that it was a dream - so I was all prepared to complain about how they played it safe and abandoned a perfect opportunity to give the scene a real (rather than pretended) erotic draw to it (why are we so afraid of doing that?)...but, as it turned out, I don't think the scene was especially intended to be erotic in the first place, so I'm willing to turn a blind eye toward it.
Emma fans will still love this movie, but for the same reasons they've loved the rest of the Harry Potter movies, not for seeing her "naked" (which she's not).
The Deathly Hallows is bleak. But then, the Harry Potter story has just been getting bleaker and bleaker since The Goblet of Fire, when Voldemort was resurrected. I'm very curious to see how it will all end (in other words, I can't wait for Part 2). The one startling difference that makes this installment unique among the entire series is the almost complete absence of Hogwarts (and what we do see of it has changed so very much). Harry and friends spend their time in this one on the run.
And there's some tension between our favorite threesome. Though Harry and Hermione seem to be getting closer than ever (she's so much better off with him...), Ron continues to be stupid. I think part of the reason Hermione is always so mad at him is because she's mad at fate (or the author) for having her fall in love with such a doofus. Ron almost redeemed himself when he showed up and destroyed the Horcrux, but to be fair, you have to measure that one noble deed against all the stupid things he's done over the years. Not a very good balance. I'll tell you, when they started talking about having a wedding, I thought for a moment it was Ron and Hermione they were referring to! Thank god it wasn't. I'm not ready for that yet, though it seems inevitable at this rate.
I really liked the Deathly Hallows story-within-a-story. Great moral tale, and seamlessly woven into the larger plot. A wand to command death, a magical stone to reverse it, and a cloak to evade it. Bonus points for Hermione being the one to narrate that story. =3
As much as Dobby annoys me, he really pulled off a magnificent stunt in this one. He earned himself a noble death. It seems fitting that he should be a sacrificial pawn - when Bellatrix's weapon leapt through the teleportation, I thought someone more substantial might end up dead, so I was relieved when it was just him. Though, saying that, I have to recognize the value of his exploits this time around. I love how he just snaps his fingers to disarm his opponents, like it's nothing at all to him.
At the beginning, when Hermione obliviated her parents, that was a very touching scene. I want so desperately to get to know Hermione, can you imagine knowing her, and then losing all those memories? So sad. But I see that it was necessary. That's just how desperate things have gotten.
The infiltration of the ministry was exciting, although I hated every minute that the beautiful Emma Watson was replaced by some stuffy old businesswoman (on account of the polyjuice potion - funny story, when the potion was first mentioned in Chamber of Secrets, I thought it was called "apologies potion"). No surprise at all that Umbridge of all people would end up wearing the Horcrux around her neck with pride.
Draco was pathetic again in this movie. At the beginning of the series, I saw him as this counterpoint to Harry, likely to become a powerful dark wizard to match Harry. But now Harry's going up against the likes of Voldemort himself, and Draco simply can't compete. He's always been a creep, and I don't forgive him for that, but his heart has been filled with hatred for so long, and it hasn't really gotten him anywhere. As a full Death Eater now, I think it's just more apparent what that has done to his father, turning him into a groveling coward before the might of the dark lord. And Draco's failure at killing Dumbledore - Harry said he wouldn't have done it, that he was lowering his wand when Snape stepped in - I could see him becoming something of a reluctant anti-hero, making some move to help Harry defeat Voldemort, not out of any concern or respect for Harry, but simply distaste for the dark lord's methods, how his regime of fear destroys people rather than fosters their talents. Of course, believing such a thing is possible is giving Draco more credit than he probably deserves. But I think there's potential for a more complex and well-rounded character there.
Emma looked fabulous on the big screen. I'm so glad I got a chance to see her that way. I just can't believe how gorgeous she is. I could stare at her for hours. Actually, that's pretty much what I've been doing all week. It was definitely worth it, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Convenient that there are seven parts to the story, and seven days in a week. This marathon was a lot of fun, and now I desperately await the second part of the final chapter...
Emma Rating: Scandalously Seductive
Addendum: Regarding the "rumored" scene, in which Emma Watson allegedly gets naked - it's hardly even worth mentioning (which is why I left it out of my review), but I might as well tell you my thoughts. I wasn't really expecting much, so I wasn't too disappointed. Hermione has dressed fairly conservatively all throughout the Harry Potter series, so I didn't really expect her to reveal much, even now (being legal and all that). But the thing with her is that she's so unbelievably gorgeous, it doesn't matter that she's completely dressed, she still stuns.
As for the scene itself, it was a magical illusion, so it was all CGed up, and Harry and Hermione hardly even looked like real people. I didn't know the nature of the scene beforehand - I had heard that it was a dream - so I was all prepared to complain about how they played it safe and abandoned a perfect opportunity to give the scene a real (rather than pretended) erotic draw to it (why are we so afraid of doing that?)...but, as it turned out, I don't think the scene was especially intended to be erotic in the first place, so I'm willing to turn a blind eye toward it.
Emma fans will still love this movie, but for the same reasons they've loved the rest of the Harry Potter movies, not for seeing her "naked" (which she's not).
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Warning: this review contains SPOILERS from the sixth Harry Potter movie.
Severus Snape is the Half-Blood Prince. Not that I know what significance that has, other than him being the owner of the book of potions with all the notes in it. It's funny, all the way back in The Philosopher's Stone, when it turned out that Snape wasn't the bad guy, I didn't want to believe it. Now, I don't want to believe that he is the bad guy. Maybe it's true that Dumbledore can make mistakes, but the question remains: how did Snape convince Dumbledore that he was trustworthy? It's a humongous mistake to make. And though Snape is mean, and I described him in The Philosopher's Stone as having perfect "bad guy" mannerisms, I almost like him now. He's not evil enough, not angry enough, to truly be a bad guy. He's too cool, and collected. I want to believe that Snape's killing of Dumbledore was expected - and planned - by the both of them. That Snape still has some trick up his sleeve to use against the Dark Lord, and that if Dumbledore really is dead, then it was a necessary sacrifice that they had agreed upon...
The romance in this movie annoyed the hell out of me. Largely because much of it was Ron being an asshole and making Hermione cry. She deserves so much better than Ron, but it really seems like the story is gearing up for them to be together. I don't think I'll ever accept it. I think another part of my annoyance is that it all seems too fast. And I'm not sure if that's because I'm watching these movies so quickly one after the other, or because the movies themselves are condensing the events from the books (or both) - but it seems like these characters are jumping so quickly from one love interest to the next. Not that I have any problem with sampling the wares before you buy, but it just seems like there isn't enough time to enjoy the romance before it's on to the next one.
I remember Ginny having a crush on Harry back in the Chamber of Secrets, and I thought it was cute then. But Harry didn't seem interested and later he started going after the Asian chick. That was going well, and then it seemed to end so abruptly. (I know, she "ratted out" Dumbledore's Army, but it's only because they used the truth serum on her...is there no room for forgiveness?). And anyway, I thought Neville and Ginny were really cute together, and there was no mention at all of how they split up. But damn, the thing that annoys me the most is that Hermione is wasting tears on a real jerkwad like Ron. Maybe she wouldn't want to be treated like a goddess (though I would gladly do it), but at the very least, if I was in Ron's position, I'd know how to make Hermione feel loved and appreciated.
Gotta admit, I was thrown off a bit about those teleportation pods. I thought Draco was preparing them as a failsafe, so that he could escape when the Death Eaters showed up to torture him for failing his mission. But then at the last moment I realized he was using them as a door to let the Death Eaters in to Hogwarts. The whole scene with Dumbledore and Harry going after the Horcrux was very exciting. Especially the climax with Dumbledore's impressive fire magic. Really cool. Or hot. A lot of dread in this movie, even without Voldemort showing up. And also because I was anticipating Gandal--er, Dumbledore's fate - unfortunately, that was one spoiler that really couldn't have been avoided. But it went down so much calmer than I imagined it would.
If I have one thing to say to Harry for the last installment of the series, it's this: you can forget Ron if you want, he's pretty useless anyway, but you damn well better have Hermione by your side at all times, because she's a powerful witch, and very intelligent to boot. You need her help, so stop trying to do everything alone. That's one of the things I liked most about The Prisoner of Azkaban - Hermione, for once, had a really proactive role throughout the climax of the episode. She's great for support, but I want to see her in action some more.
Emma Rating: Gorgeous & Glamorous
Severus Snape is the Half-Blood Prince. Not that I know what significance that has, other than him being the owner of the book of potions with all the notes in it. It's funny, all the way back in The Philosopher's Stone, when it turned out that Snape wasn't the bad guy, I didn't want to believe it. Now, I don't want to believe that he is the bad guy. Maybe it's true that Dumbledore can make mistakes, but the question remains: how did Snape convince Dumbledore that he was trustworthy? It's a humongous mistake to make. And though Snape is mean, and I described him in The Philosopher's Stone as having perfect "bad guy" mannerisms, I almost like him now. He's not evil enough, not angry enough, to truly be a bad guy. He's too cool, and collected. I want to believe that Snape's killing of Dumbledore was expected - and planned - by the both of them. That Snape still has some trick up his sleeve to use against the Dark Lord, and that if Dumbledore really is dead, then it was a necessary sacrifice that they had agreed upon...
The romance in this movie annoyed the hell out of me. Largely because much of it was Ron being an asshole and making Hermione cry. She deserves so much better than Ron, but it really seems like the story is gearing up for them to be together. I don't think I'll ever accept it. I think another part of my annoyance is that it all seems too fast. And I'm not sure if that's because I'm watching these movies so quickly one after the other, or because the movies themselves are condensing the events from the books (or both) - but it seems like these characters are jumping so quickly from one love interest to the next. Not that I have any problem with sampling the wares before you buy, but it just seems like there isn't enough time to enjoy the romance before it's on to the next one.
I remember Ginny having a crush on Harry back in the Chamber of Secrets, and I thought it was cute then. But Harry didn't seem interested and later he started going after the Asian chick. That was going well, and then it seemed to end so abruptly. (I know, she "ratted out" Dumbledore's Army, but it's only because they used the truth serum on her...is there no room for forgiveness?). And anyway, I thought Neville and Ginny were really cute together, and there was no mention at all of how they split up. But damn, the thing that annoys me the most is that Hermione is wasting tears on a real jerkwad like Ron. Maybe she wouldn't want to be treated like a goddess (though I would gladly do it), but at the very least, if I was in Ron's position, I'd know how to make Hermione feel loved and appreciated.
Gotta admit, I was thrown off a bit about those teleportation pods. I thought Draco was preparing them as a failsafe, so that he could escape when the Death Eaters showed up to torture him for failing his mission. But then at the last moment I realized he was using them as a door to let the Death Eaters in to Hogwarts. The whole scene with Dumbledore and Harry going after the Horcrux was very exciting. Especially the climax with Dumbledore's impressive fire magic. Really cool. Or hot. A lot of dread in this movie, even without Voldemort showing up. And also because I was anticipating Gandal--er, Dumbledore's fate - unfortunately, that was one spoiler that really couldn't have been avoided. But it went down so much calmer than I imagined it would.
If I have one thing to say to Harry for the last installment of the series, it's this: you can forget Ron if you want, he's pretty useless anyway, but you damn well better have Hermione by your side at all times, because she's a powerful witch, and very intelligent to boot. You need her help, so stop trying to do everything alone. That's one of the things I liked most about The Prisoner of Azkaban - Hermione, for once, had a really proactive role throughout the climax of the episode. She's great for support, but I want to see her in action some more.
Emma Rating: Gorgeous & Glamorous
Friday, December 17, 2010
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Warning: this review contains SPOILERS from the fifth Harry Potter movie.
The Order of the Phoenix is kind of a dark movie. But very good. The way the ministry steps in and transforms Hogwarts into a totalitarian school system, with standardized tests, conformity, and loads of rules, sucking out all the life and happiness of the students - I'm convinced it was all part of Voldemort's plan, although the idea of politics creating all this evil independently isn't much brighter a scenario.
I hate the Umbridge woman with a passion. She's my least favorite Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher yet. When she eventually confesses in the woods how much she hates children, that's rather revealing. Who ever decided that the best people to teach children are the ones who hate them? Discipline has its place, but there must be respect, and understanding, and above all, concern for the child's wellbeing, as a person, and not a pawn to be molded into a vulnerable and suggestible agent of the state. Anyway, I would be more inclined to call a 15-year-old a young adult than a child.
"It's sort of exciting, isn't it - breaking the rules?" - Hermione Granger
Dumbledore's Army turned out to be rather different than I thought, just from hearing the phrase in the past. Not much of an army, but damned if it wasn't exciting. It's funny, the thought of Harry Potter being the perfect Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher had crossed my mind, and I thought maybe that's what he'd end up being after all of this is over. But it almost sort of happened a lot sooner than that. When I realized Harry was the one they had selected as the teacher, I was really excited. And he really was the perfect choice.
"Working hard is important, but there's something that matters even more - believing in yourself. Think of it this way. Every great wizard in history has started out as nothing more than what we are now - students. If they can do it, why not us?" - Harry Potter
I'm impressed with how Neville is really coming into his own. But this movie introduced a new character that really caught my interest. "Loony" Luna Lovegood, the white rabbit, was enchanting, with her long white locks and mysterious air. I wouldn't mind having her on one arm, and Hermione on the other. The Room of Requirement was great - appropriately, just what they needed. Even when the mistletoe appeared above Harry and his love interest. Hermione is such a good sport, but I can't stand not knowing what her feelings are. If she has any.
"I'm sure Harry's kissing was more than satisfactory!" - Hermione
The battle towards the end was rather exciting. Multiple wizards fighting simultaneously, spells flying across the room. And then there was the face-off between Voldemort and Dumbledore. I loved when Voldemort sent the shards of glass toward Dumbledore and Harry, and Dumbledore used a shield that ground the glass into sand. Excellent counter move. For a moment when Voldemort seemingly possessed Harry, I was afraid he was going to take control and attack Dumbledore, but luckily Harry pulled through (my perspective is probably biased, but I'm pretty sure it was seeing Hermione's face that brought Harry back to his senses).
"We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are." - Sirius Black
I was convinced by Harry's declaration, that the power he had that Voldemort lacked was love (and friendship). And I'm so glad Harry finally agreed to work together with his friends and stop trying to spare them and go it alone. But there is a frightening consequence to that decision, and that's that Voldemort will almost certainly strike out against Harry's advantage, by attacking his friends and loved ones. Very scary, indeed. But they can't just run away from it, they have to stick together and fight it out. Indeed, the prophecy has revealed what is coming - a final duel between Harry and Voldemort, and only one can survive. For now it's just a matter of getting there, and finding the power and confidence to win.
"You're a fool, Harry Potter. And you will lose...everything." - Voldemort
Emma Rating: Delightfully Delectable
The Order of the Phoenix is kind of a dark movie. But very good. The way the ministry steps in and transforms Hogwarts into a totalitarian school system, with standardized tests, conformity, and loads of rules, sucking out all the life and happiness of the students - I'm convinced it was all part of Voldemort's plan, although the idea of politics creating all this evil independently isn't much brighter a scenario.
I hate the Umbridge woman with a passion. She's my least favorite Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher yet. When she eventually confesses in the woods how much she hates children, that's rather revealing. Who ever decided that the best people to teach children are the ones who hate them? Discipline has its place, but there must be respect, and understanding, and above all, concern for the child's wellbeing, as a person, and not a pawn to be molded into a vulnerable and suggestible agent of the state. Anyway, I would be more inclined to call a 15-year-old a young adult than a child.
"It's sort of exciting, isn't it - breaking the rules?" - Hermione Granger
Dumbledore's Army turned out to be rather different than I thought, just from hearing the phrase in the past. Not much of an army, but damned if it wasn't exciting. It's funny, the thought of Harry Potter being the perfect Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher had crossed my mind, and I thought maybe that's what he'd end up being after all of this is over. But it almost sort of happened a lot sooner than that. When I realized Harry was the one they had selected as the teacher, I was really excited. And he really was the perfect choice.
"Working hard is important, but there's something that matters even more - believing in yourself. Think of it this way. Every great wizard in history has started out as nothing more than what we are now - students. If they can do it, why not us?" - Harry Potter
I'm impressed with how Neville is really coming into his own. But this movie introduced a new character that really caught my interest. "Loony" Luna Lovegood, the white rabbit, was enchanting, with her long white locks and mysterious air. I wouldn't mind having her on one arm, and Hermione on the other. The Room of Requirement was great - appropriately, just what they needed. Even when the mistletoe appeared above Harry and his love interest. Hermione is such a good sport, but I can't stand not knowing what her feelings are. If she has any.
"I'm sure Harry's kissing was more than satisfactory!" - Hermione
The battle towards the end was rather exciting. Multiple wizards fighting simultaneously, spells flying across the room. And then there was the face-off between Voldemort and Dumbledore. I loved when Voldemort sent the shards of glass toward Dumbledore and Harry, and Dumbledore used a shield that ground the glass into sand. Excellent counter move. For a moment when Voldemort seemingly possessed Harry, I was afraid he was going to take control and attack Dumbledore, but luckily Harry pulled through (my perspective is probably biased, but I'm pretty sure it was seeing Hermione's face that brought Harry back to his senses).
"We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are." - Sirius Black
I was convinced by Harry's declaration, that the power he had that Voldemort lacked was love (and friendship). And I'm so glad Harry finally agreed to work together with his friends and stop trying to spare them and go it alone. But there is a frightening consequence to that decision, and that's that Voldemort will almost certainly strike out against Harry's advantage, by attacking his friends and loved ones. Very scary, indeed. But they can't just run away from it, they have to stick together and fight it out. Indeed, the prophecy has revealed what is coming - a final duel between Harry and Voldemort, and only one can survive. For now it's just a matter of getting there, and finding the power and confidence to win.
"You're a fool, Harry Potter. And you will lose...everything." - Voldemort
Emma Rating: Delightfully Delectable
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Warning: this review contains SPOILERS from the fourth Harry Potter movie.
The Goblet of Fire was a very exciting movie. Probably the best yet. Tournaments are always a load of fun, and I just love stories where the bad guy wins. More importantly, this is just the turn of events I was waiting for. Voldemort revived, and ready to wreak havoc. Who knows what's going to happen next! Whatever it is, it's going to be serious.
"Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right, and what is easy."
So by now it's obvious that the instating of a new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher every year is a recurring theme. Every one of them has either been useless, or an actual follower of Voldemort. Professor Lupin is the exception, but even he wasn't in control of his dark side. I can't help thinking that this is some kind of statement about the futility of trying to fight against the dark side. You're left thinking that there is no effective defense against the dark arts!
I really liked Alastor Moody. It's too bad he turned out to be an impostor. He's a real no-nonsense kind of guy. I guess he's sort of the "criminal profiler" of the wizarding world. He was such a help to Harry, it's a shame it was all done for a most nefarious purpose. And it looks like the Peter Pettigrew character (a.k.a. Wormtong--er, Wormtail) turned out to be a lot more dangerous than I gave him credit for. (Incidentally, I thought he looked so bad in Prisoner of Azkaban because he'd spent 12 years as a rat, but I guess he's just really ugly).
So it turns out that Snape used to be a "Death Eater". Yet this is all in the past, and Dumbledore trusts him fully. But didn't somebody else say, "once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater"? I'm really curious about Snape's story, and what happened in his past, and why he's trustworthy now if he used to be a follower of Lord Voldemort.
"Hermione, you're a girl..."
"Well-spotted."
It's kind of too bad that Ron spent most of the movie either envious of Harry or jealous about Hermione. It's clear there's some romantic tension between Ron and Hermione. My reaction is complicated, because if Ron likes Hermione, I can sympathize, but she deserves no less a partner than Harry Potter himself. But Harry doesn't seem to have any romantic feelings for Hermione, although they are very good friends. And if Ron likes Hermione, I'm in no position to judge him for being afraid to admit it, but the least he could do is treat her a little nicer. I know, boys are supposed to tease the girls they like, but the least he could do is write to her over the summer!
"Is that...Hermione Granger? With Victor Krum?"
"No. Absolutely not."
I felt kind of odd about Hermione hooking up with Viktor Krum. Granted, Krum has the celebrity status Hermione deserves to be associated with, but I just can't see him being her type. He's so...brutish. Neville and Ginny were really cute together, though - I bet they had a good time.
I wonder about the scene at the end of the ball when Hermione proclaims that Ron ruined everything. I wonder if she meant that he ruined her night with Krum, or that he ruined the dance by not having the guts to ask her before Krum did. Because I wonder what Hermione's feelings for Ron are. It's kind of funny, in Chamber of Secrets, after Hermione comes back from being petrified, she hugs Harry, but then awkwardly shakes Ron's hand. Then in Prisoner of Azkaban, she gets scared and jumps right onto Ron without thinking...
"I'm not an owl!"
But in this movie when she was scared for Harry and went to speak with him in the tent just before the dragon contest - when she jumped on Harry, my heart just melted. She's so adorable. You'd think I'd be crazy over her dressing up for the ball ("well-mannered frivolity", ha!), but the truth is, Emma is just so naturally beautiful, that it's like painting a diamond. The diamond is already beautiful to begin with, you don't need to dress it up. That's for the rocks. The diamond shines on its own. But still, it was a very pretty dress that she wore.
Emma Rating: Breathtakingly Beautiful
The Goblet of Fire was a very exciting movie. Probably the best yet. Tournaments are always a load of fun, and I just love stories where the bad guy wins. More importantly, this is just the turn of events I was waiting for. Voldemort revived, and ready to wreak havoc. Who knows what's going to happen next! Whatever it is, it's going to be serious.
"Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right, and what is easy."
So by now it's obvious that the instating of a new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher every year is a recurring theme. Every one of them has either been useless, or an actual follower of Voldemort. Professor Lupin is the exception, but even he wasn't in control of his dark side. I can't help thinking that this is some kind of statement about the futility of trying to fight against the dark side. You're left thinking that there is no effective defense against the dark arts!
I really liked Alastor Moody. It's too bad he turned out to be an impostor. He's a real no-nonsense kind of guy. I guess he's sort of the "criminal profiler" of the wizarding world. He was such a help to Harry, it's a shame it was all done for a most nefarious purpose. And it looks like the Peter Pettigrew character (a.k.a. Wormtong--er, Wormtail) turned out to be a lot more dangerous than I gave him credit for. (Incidentally, I thought he looked so bad in Prisoner of Azkaban because he'd spent 12 years as a rat, but I guess he's just really ugly).
So it turns out that Snape used to be a "Death Eater". Yet this is all in the past, and Dumbledore trusts him fully. But didn't somebody else say, "once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater"? I'm really curious about Snape's story, and what happened in his past, and why he's trustworthy now if he used to be a follower of Lord Voldemort.
"Hermione, you're a girl..."
"Well-spotted."
It's kind of too bad that Ron spent most of the movie either envious of Harry or jealous about Hermione. It's clear there's some romantic tension between Ron and Hermione. My reaction is complicated, because if Ron likes Hermione, I can sympathize, but she deserves no less a partner than Harry Potter himself. But Harry doesn't seem to have any romantic feelings for Hermione, although they are very good friends. And if Ron likes Hermione, I'm in no position to judge him for being afraid to admit it, but the least he could do is treat her a little nicer. I know, boys are supposed to tease the girls they like, but the least he could do is write to her over the summer!
"Is that...Hermione Granger? With Victor Krum?"
"No. Absolutely not."
I felt kind of odd about Hermione hooking up with Viktor Krum. Granted, Krum has the celebrity status Hermione deserves to be associated with, but I just can't see him being her type. He's so...brutish. Neville and Ginny were really cute together, though - I bet they had a good time.
I wonder about the scene at the end of the ball when Hermione proclaims that Ron ruined everything. I wonder if she meant that he ruined her night with Krum, or that he ruined the dance by not having the guts to ask her before Krum did. Because I wonder what Hermione's feelings for Ron are. It's kind of funny, in Chamber of Secrets, after Hermione comes back from being petrified, she hugs Harry, but then awkwardly shakes Ron's hand. Then in Prisoner of Azkaban, she gets scared and jumps right onto Ron without thinking...
"I'm not an owl!"
But in this movie when she was scared for Harry and went to speak with him in the tent just before the dragon contest - when she jumped on Harry, my heart just melted. She's so adorable. You'd think I'd be crazy over her dressing up for the ball ("well-mannered frivolity", ha!), but the truth is, Emma is just so naturally beautiful, that it's like painting a diamond. The diamond is already beautiful to begin with, you don't need to dress it up. That's for the rocks. The diamond shines on its own. But still, it was a very pretty dress that she wore.
Emma Rating: Breathtakingly Beautiful
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Warning: this review contains SPOILERS from the third Harry Potter movie.
The Prisoner of Azkaban has a decidedly different feel to it than the previous two movies in the series. I figure that has a lot to do with the new director, and the shuffling of scenery at Hogwarts. I'll admit, the atmospheric environment of the shooting location is beautiful, and adds a whole new character to Hogwarts.
I suppose this movie is fairly popular, because nine times out of ten I've seen a Harry Potter movie playing on television, it's been this one. It is both a less childish movie, and one with a more nuanced, self-contained plot. Despite having seen some scenes from it out of context, that really didn't spoil the movie for me because the plot is rather intricate - friends who are enemies becoming friends that transform into enemies... It's all a bit confusing. (Seeing the "confrontation" scene in the Shrieking Shack for at least the third time - this time in context - only slightly helped me to understand just exactly what was going on and who was on whose side). And the time travel further complicates things, though it is a brilliant device. Everyone loves a good time traveling plot. And each time Hermione materialized in class out of thin air, that was so cute. She's amazing.
"You really are the brightest witch of your age."
The characters, now third-years, are visibly maturing. Emma looks a lot different in this movie compared to the previous two, and I suspect it's a combination of her growth (the little girl is now an adolescent), and the fact that the characters spend a lot of time in civilian clothes, rather than their school uniforms. But, Emma looks fantastic. Even bruised and cut up, and covered in dirt, her natural beauty shines through it all. Plus, that pink hoodie is cute.
"Oh yeah, I've been beaten loads of times."
I was so happy that Harry finally up and left his Muggle relatives. They are such insufferable idiots. Really, the worst kind of people. Although, his running away from home reinforces the fact that our little wizards are growing up and coming into their own. Harry is gaining confidence in his powers, and learning about his parents. Hermione's intelligence and diligent studying is really bearing fruit. And Ron, well, Ron is kind of becoming less funny and more annoying.
I have to mention how cool that map of mischief is. Oh, the trouble I could get up to with that and a cloak of invisibility...
It's interesting that this is the first story where Voldemort doesn't show up in some form. The super evil escaped convict turns out to be a good guy. The bad guys are a werewolf who is only a threat when transformed, and actually a good guy in human form, and a shapeshifting creep who hardly poses much of a threat beyond being a shameless betrayer. And the creepiest monsters in the movie were the Dementors (wannabe Ringwraiths), who are supposed to be serving the good side. (Oh, and there's the Executioner, who looked really badass). So I guess there's less of a clear "good and evil" thing going on, and the focus is on the characters' choices and their performance, proving their skills.
I feel like Dumbledore so frequently gets into positions where he has to condone a wrongdoing - like the execution of the hippogriff - because his hands are tied by politics, and he's unable to prove what he knows is right in his heart. I can't imagine how he puts up with it. But he's got to consider himself really lucky that he has such talented students like Harry and friends that are noble and talented, and so easily willing to break the rules.
I wonder where the series is headed, because I keep expecting some heavy developments that carry beyond each story's self-contained plot. Like in the last movie when Hagrid was sent to Azkaban, I thought that might be the setup for the next story, "The Prisoner of Azkaban", except Hagrid was released by the end of the movie, and PoA went in a different direction, rather than detailing some kind of harrowing rescue attempt. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I guess I'll soon find out. At any rate, Emma's presence is enough to keep me engrossed. Although I wish there was more demonstration of her character and personality outside of directly plot-related activities. I know, it's a theatrical movie, not a reality show, but I just really want badly to be friends with Hermione. I want to hang out with her. She's such a cool person.
Emma Rating: Simply Stunning
The Prisoner of Azkaban has a decidedly different feel to it than the previous two movies in the series. I figure that has a lot to do with the new director, and the shuffling of scenery at Hogwarts. I'll admit, the atmospheric environment of the shooting location is beautiful, and adds a whole new character to Hogwarts.
I suppose this movie is fairly popular, because nine times out of ten I've seen a Harry Potter movie playing on television, it's been this one. It is both a less childish movie, and one with a more nuanced, self-contained plot. Despite having seen some scenes from it out of context, that really didn't spoil the movie for me because the plot is rather intricate - friends who are enemies becoming friends that transform into enemies... It's all a bit confusing. (Seeing the "confrontation" scene in the Shrieking Shack for at least the third time - this time in context - only slightly helped me to understand just exactly what was going on and who was on whose side). And the time travel further complicates things, though it is a brilliant device. Everyone loves a good time traveling plot. And each time Hermione materialized in class out of thin air, that was so cute. She's amazing.
"You really are the brightest witch of your age."
The characters, now third-years, are visibly maturing. Emma looks a lot different in this movie compared to the previous two, and I suspect it's a combination of her growth (the little girl is now an adolescent), and the fact that the characters spend a lot of time in civilian clothes, rather than their school uniforms. But, Emma looks fantastic. Even bruised and cut up, and covered in dirt, her natural beauty shines through it all. Plus, that pink hoodie is cute.
"Oh yeah, I've been beaten loads of times."
I was so happy that Harry finally up and left his Muggle relatives. They are such insufferable idiots. Really, the worst kind of people. Although, his running away from home reinforces the fact that our little wizards are growing up and coming into their own. Harry is gaining confidence in his powers, and learning about his parents. Hermione's intelligence and diligent studying is really bearing fruit. And Ron, well, Ron is kind of becoming less funny and more annoying.
I have to mention how cool that map of mischief is. Oh, the trouble I could get up to with that and a cloak of invisibility...
It's interesting that this is the first story where Voldemort doesn't show up in some form. The super evil escaped convict turns out to be a good guy. The bad guys are a werewolf who is only a threat when transformed, and actually a good guy in human form, and a shapeshifting creep who hardly poses much of a threat beyond being a shameless betrayer. And the creepiest monsters in the movie were the Dementors (wannabe Ringwraiths), who are supposed to be serving the good side. (Oh, and there's the Executioner, who looked really badass). So I guess there's less of a clear "good and evil" thing going on, and the focus is on the characters' choices and their performance, proving their skills.
I feel like Dumbledore so frequently gets into positions where he has to condone a wrongdoing - like the execution of the hippogriff - because his hands are tied by politics, and he's unable to prove what he knows is right in his heart. I can't imagine how he puts up with it. But he's got to consider himself really lucky that he has such talented students like Harry and friends that are noble and talented, and so easily willing to break the rules.
I wonder where the series is headed, because I keep expecting some heavy developments that carry beyond each story's self-contained plot. Like in the last movie when Hagrid was sent to Azkaban, I thought that might be the setup for the next story, "The Prisoner of Azkaban", except Hagrid was released by the end of the movie, and PoA went in a different direction, rather than detailing some kind of harrowing rescue attempt. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I guess I'll soon find out. At any rate, Emma's presence is enough to keep me engrossed. Although I wish there was more demonstration of her character and personality outside of directly plot-related activities. I know, it's a theatrical movie, not a reality show, but I just really want badly to be friends with Hermione. I want to hang out with her. She's such a cool person.
Emma Rating: Simply Stunning
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Warning: this review contains SPOILERS from the second Harry Potter movie.
I feel like Chamber of Secrets raised the stakes a bit, what with Hagrid being sent off to Azkaban (which I presume is some kind of serious prison), and Dumbledore being pressured into resigning - even though things worked out perfectly in the end. And compared to The Philosopher's Stone, this movie was more tense, the mystery a bit deeper (it had me guessing for a long time). And darker, too - which can be attributed to the snakes and spiders motif.
Speaking of which, this movie had two really creepy monsters that I really liked. The first is the giant spider ("wait till you see the big one!"), Aragog. This is going to sound crazy, but I think this scene was actually creepier than the Shelob scene from The Return of the King movie. I think a lot of that comes from the multitude of spiders (of various sizes) in that scene. One humongous fantasy spider isn't entirely believable, but throw in a veritable army of them, in a dark forest, after showing what appear to be real spiders (at real size) elsewhere in the movie (and just prior to this scene), and you've got me squirming. I admire Harry's courage, but I think my reaction would have been closer to Ron's in this particular scene.
The other creepy monster is the end-boss, the Basilisk. He was really cool. Rather than just being a cheesy CG giant snake, he actually managed to be intimidating! Those sharp teeth, and that mean looking face. That confrontation was pretty exciting.
Jumping back, I just have to say, Dobby is insanely obnoxious. I don't care if his intentions are noble; he's a menace. And I can't forgive him for keeping Harry's friends' letters from him. I was romanced by the class at Hogwarts in the first movie, to the point of wishing I could be a student there myself. So when Dobby got in the way of Harry's friendships (what I wouldn't give for the opportunity to be friends with Hermione!), as well as his returning to Hogwarts, I perceived that as a direct threat. Anyway, Harry can handle himself against those who would plot against him - that much is clear.
It was also slightly melancholic to see our protagonists return to the school as second-years. I was really captured by the novelty of the school being this new and exciting environment in the previous movie. Now that they're settling in, welcoming a new batch of first-years (Ginny Weasley is cute, but she doesn't have the charisma that Emma Watson brings to the role of Hermione - which is just as well), the wonder is slowly wearing off. I guess I'm just afraid of them growing towards the point where I am inevitably going to have to leave them (two and a half hours to a year is too fast a rate to experience life).
I can't figure out whether this movie didn't have enough of a focus on Hermione, or if it's just that my addiction to Emma Watson is causing me to have unrealistic expectations. The latter is highly possible. My heart broke when she turned up petrified, though. I didn't like that they effectively took her out of action before the final confrontation, even if I was pleased at how that confrontation turned out.
I loved that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was hidden in the girls' bathroom. That's definitely where I'd hide a Chamber of Secrets. It's the one place in the whole school you're not allowed to go, even more so than the forbidden corridor with the giant three-headed dog. I think it's telling that you always have stories told from the perspective of the male characters. Like, Harry goes back to bed and sometimes you follow him to his bedroom, but when Hermione goes to bed, she leaves Harry and Ron and you don't get to see her until the next morning - the camera stays with the boys. Gotta preserve that feminine mystique (and women wonder why men don't understand them...). For once, I want a story that follows the girl into her own personal chamber of secrets...
Emma Rating: Incredibly Cute
"It is not our abilities that show what we truly are - it is our choices."
- Dumbledore
I feel like Chamber of Secrets raised the stakes a bit, what with Hagrid being sent off to Azkaban (which I presume is some kind of serious prison), and Dumbledore being pressured into resigning - even though things worked out perfectly in the end. And compared to The Philosopher's Stone, this movie was more tense, the mystery a bit deeper (it had me guessing for a long time). And darker, too - which can be attributed to the snakes and spiders motif.
Speaking of which, this movie had two really creepy monsters that I really liked. The first is the giant spider ("wait till you see the big one!"), Aragog. This is going to sound crazy, but I think this scene was actually creepier than the Shelob scene from The Return of the King movie. I think a lot of that comes from the multitude of spiders (of various sizes) in that scene. One humongous fantasy spider isn't entirely believable, but throw in a veritable army of them, in a dark forest, after showing what appear to be real spiders (at real size) elsewhere in the movie (and just prior to this scene), and you've got me squirming. I admire Harry's courage, but I think my reaction would have been closer to Ron's in this particular scene.
The other creepy monster is the end-boss, the Basilisk. He was really cool. Rather than just being a cheesy CG giant snake, he actually managed to be intimidating! Those sharp teeth, and that mean looking face. That confrontation was pretty exciting.
Jumping back, I just have to say, Dobby is insanely obnoxious. I don't care if his intentions are noble; he's a menace. And I can't forgive him for keeping Harry's friends' letters from him. I was romanced by the class at Hogwarts in the first movie, to the point of wishing I could be a student there myself. So when Dobby got in the way of Harry's friendships (what I wouldn't give for the opportunity to be friends with Hermione!), as well as his returning to Hogwarts, I perceived that as a direct threat. Anyway, Harry can handle himself against those who would plot against him - that much is clear.
It was also slightly melancholic to see our protagonists return to the school as second-years. I was really captured by the novelty of the school being this new and exciting environment in the previous movie. Now that they're settling in, welcoming a new batch of first-years (Ginny Weasley is cute, but she doesn't have the charisma that Emma Watson brings to the role of Hermione - which is just as well), the wonder is slowly wearing off. I guess I'm just afraid of them growing towards the point where I am inevitably going to have to leave them (two and a half hours to a year is too fast a rate to experience life).
I can't figure out whether this movie didn't have enough of a focus on Hermione, or if it's just that my addiction to Emma Watson is causing me to have unrealistic expectations. The latter is highly possible. My heart broke when she turned up petrified, though. I didn't like that they effectively took her out of action before the final confrontation, even if I was pleased at how that confrontation turned out.
I loved that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was hidden in the girls' bathroom. That's definitely where I'd hide a Chamber of Secrets. It's the one place in the whole school you're not allowed to go, even more so than the forbidden corridor with the giant three-headed dog. I think it's telling that you always have stories told from the perspective of the male characters. Like, Harry goes back to bed and sometimes you follow him to his bedroom, but when Hermione goes to bed, she leaves Harry and Ron and you don't get to see her until the next morning - the camera stays with the boys. Gotta preserve that feminine mystique (and women wonder why men don't understand them...). For once, I want a story that follows the girl into her own personal chamber of secrets...
Emma Rating: Incredibly Cute
- Dumbledore
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