It is surprising to some people, given my general distaste for science fiction, that I love Harry Potter. But I do. It’s kind of sickening the way I do. I was Hermione for Halloween one year. I have a wand from Alivans (which is the Ollivander’s of the internet). I saw the third movie in IMAX and normal theaters. I saw the fourth movie the day before it came out, and then again at the midnight showing. I saw the fifth movie at a special pre-screening for Lexmark employees. I pre-ordered the seventh book and then immediately put my entire life on hold so I could read it, and save for a migraine midway through, I would have finished it in less than a day, instead it took 36 hours.
The true irony of that is that I absolutely refused to jump on the Harry Potter bandwagon. My buddy Ruth tried to get me to read the books, but no, I wouldn’t do it. Then my friend Angela brought over the first movie and practically tied me down to watch. It was pretty good. Ruth then lent me the second movie – and informed me if I liked them, I had to read the books. And so it began. I jumped into the Harry Potter fray just as the fifth book was being released. Head first, full-bore, and all those fun adjectives you want to throw out there.
All that being said, I hold a huge grudge against the movies after Christopher Columbus gave up on them. They are lacking so much. I mean, the first two lack a lot compared to the books, but starting with the third one, they really derailed. I can’t believe that detail-obsessed, non-rights-giving J.K. Rowling allowed that sort of bastardization to be done to her books. It only got worse when you got into the longer ones.
When I walked out of the fifth movie, my exact quote was, “Good luck to the next director trying to tie the movie back to this one with so many of the pieces missing.”
Needless to say, about then is when I checked out, movie-wise.
I saw the sixth one, don’t remember much about it.
Nor could I tell you I remember much about this one. I was busy doing other stuff at the time, so I really only half paid attention in the first place. But when I did look up and pay attention, I was less-than-impressed. There were so many things I don’t remember – too much questioning, “did that happen in the book, or has it been so long since I read it that I forgot?”
However, I will say that, the way they broke up the last book left this movie rather anti-climatic and it was lacking. Duh, it was lacking an ending. It could have been done so much better though.
I will be anxious for the series to end, mainly because it’s drug on a little too long. Between the crazy anticipation for the books, then the anticipation for the movies, then the writer’s strike pushing the movies out even more … and honestly, I think J.K. Rowling was grasping at straws to write this book, and it shows. The book series didn’t need to be seven books, and the movie series surely didn’t need to be eight. It’s just too much.
Wow, wouldn’t have expected that given the amazing Harry Potter love in the beginning? Nor was that really a review of the movie… but, you know, I just didn’t care.
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