Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

 Of course, it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it's not real?

- Albus Dumbledore

So, seeing as I'm in the mood for blogging today, I thought I'd do a post about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I did part one last year, so it seemed fitting to follow it up. Plus, I've already seen this movie twice :) 

SPOILER WARNING: If you haven't seen DH2 yet, I suggest that you don't read this. Unless of course you're not worried about ruining bits of the movie, then please proceed! 

Last post I skimmed over my favourite scenes of the movie, so this time I thought I'd do a best/worst moments kind of post for different categories: 

• 4 Best/Worst Scenes
• Best/Worst Dialogue
• Best/Worst Cinematography  

All right, let's start with the top 4 best and worst scenes. 4 seemed like a nice number so this is my opinion on the two best scenes in the film and the two worst. 

Best Scene Number One - Escaping Gringotts

Not only is this scene epic because of the music score and the dragon climbing up the underground cliffs with Harry, Ron and Hermione clinging to its back for dear life, the opening of this scene is also brilliant thanks to Helena Bonham Carter playing Hermione in Bellatrix's body. 

When Helena first walks up on the beach as Hermione, she's already captured all the little gestures that Emma Watson brings to Hermione. Watching her facial expressions, the little shoulder shrug, and the way she tucks her hair behind her ear, my brain was totally convinced that polyjuice potion actually worked. 

The second time I watched DH2 was in 3D, and the winding, rickety roller-coaster that is Gringott's mine-cart track was so much fun. After snatching up the Hufflepuff goblet, the trio escapes on the back of the dragon who smashes through the ceiling and flies them to safety. Wicked. 

Best Scene Number Two - Preparing Hogwarts for Battle

Someone give Maggie Smith a trophy for being such a badass McGonagall. She, and the special effects, made this scene so epic and emotive. I can't even describe it. 

It made me think back to Harry and Ron arriving in the little boat on the lake in the Philosopher's Stone and getting their first glimpse of the castle. You're watching the place that you've grown up in have to fight for its survival. You're watching all the characters you've come to love be forced to defend their lives. You're freaking getting all teary in the movie theatre because this is JK Rowling's epic series ending in front of your eyes. Someone get me a box of tissues..... 

Thought those scenes were too good to be true? Well, you were right. Here come the worst two scenes in the movie. 

Worst Scene Number One - Molly VS. Bellatrix

I almost don't want to get started on how much rage I felt at the crappy portrayal of this incredible duel. In the book, Hermione, Ginny and Luna are duelling Bellatrix, who is almost beating them because she's holding not only her own wand, but the wands from two wizards that she's just killed. That's epic in itself!! 

Then, a killing curse narrowly misses Ginny's head and sends Mrs. Weasley into a protective mother storm. She shoves the girls out of the way, screams her famous line and duels Bellatrix Lestrange to the death. Oh, and did I mention that in the book this scenes takes place IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM WITH EVERYONE ELSE WATCHING?? It's supposed to be amazing. So I'm sorry, but that bit off to the side where Bellatrix flicks a curse at Ginny, Mrs. Weasley steps in the way and says her line in an undertone, then turns Bellatrix to dust with a few snaps of her wand while no one else is watching? Yeah, I don't even know what the hell that was. 

Worst Scene Number Two - The Prince's Tale

 

There's a lot of scenes I could have put here, but none that bothered me so much that I wanted to write about them. What I've chosen is kind of a small thing, but it REALLY annoyed me. The bits of the Prince's Tale flashback that included Alan Rickman weren't so bad, but the childhood bit was awful.

Snape says, 'look at me' to Harry, because we all know that he wants to look into 'Lily's' eyes before he dies. Then we get a shot of Dan Rad's eyes and grudgingly forgive him once again for his stupid allergic reaction to green contacts. But it gets worst. The very next shot is of Lily as a child, and she looks like this: 

I'm sorry, but how does that kid look anything like Lily? At all? She has dark brown eyes for goodness sake! It's a small detail, I know, but I can't even begin to explain how annoyed I feel by it. 

Oh, and that indie shot of Severus and Lily lying in the grass? Um, can someone say Twilight? I was cringing in my chair. It's not cute. It's cliche. Now get out. 

Anyway, that brings me to the best and worst dialogue in the script.

Best Dialogue: 

(Ginny runs in and sees Harry, Ron and Hermione with Neville)

 

Ginny: Harry! 

Harry: Hi there. 

Ron: Six months she hasn't seen me, and it's like I'm a frankie First Year. I'm only her brother... 

Seamus: She's got lots of them, but there's only one Harry. 

Ron: Shut up, Seamus. 

I lol'd. 

Worst Dialogue: 

Ginny (after kissing Harry): I know. 

What? She knows what? That was so dumb. Not to mention that's a pretty awkward kiss.

While on the subject of bad dialogue, Neville's speech in front of Voldemort was pretty crappy. I mean, they've got the incredible dialogue that JK gave him from the book, why not use it? I was so excited to hear Neville shout to Voldemort, "I'll join you when hell freezes over!" Not to be, apparently. 

On to the cinematography! 

Best Cinematography: Wide Shot in the Chamber of Secrets

Pretty much just this shot. Out of the whole film it's my favorite shot. It's brilliant. It tells so much; reminding you Ginny and Harry in the Chamber of Secrets years ago, how a horcrux was destroyed once before in the exact same place. It shows the magnitude of what Hermione and Ron are about to do, and it makes you take a deep breath in and hold it before Hermione brings the fang down on the cup and Voldemort's angry dark piece of soul floods the chamber. 

Worst Cinematography: Following Crane Shot After Escaping Gringotts

Excuse me, Mr. Cameraman, WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP MOVING!? 

To avoid the awkwardness of Dan and Rupert's bare chests and Emma trying to look like she's doing something because she can't strip off her wet clothes like the boys, they thought it would be better to give the audience flipping motion sickness so that they wouldn't notice. If you have to go to such lengths to try and 'fix' a scene, maybe you should take the hint and not do it like that at all! 

Heh, anyways. In conclusion, if you look that this movie as nothing more than a film and don't compare it to the books, it's really great. If you're going to pick it apart and compare every little detail to JK Rowling's writing then don't bother seeing it because you'll come out feeling like you want to shred something (but not the Harry Potter books, of course). 

I still stand by The Prisoner of Azkaban as the best Harry Potter movie ever.