Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

It was in July of 2000 when I finally gave in to Harry Potter mania and picked up the first book.  It was the summer that Goblet of Fire came out and I remember what a big deal that book's launch had become. In the days and weeks following its release, during my nearly daily trips to the Calgary airport, I remember seeing kids and adults alike completely absorbed into this big fat book completely oblivious to the rush of humanity around them.  I decided that a book series that was having this much of an effect on the general population must be at least worth looking into.  I bought Philosopher's Stone which was ossum and then I quickly bought and read the rest of the available books.  Just like Dwight Shrute my favorite is The Prizoner of Azkaban followed closely by The Goblet of Fire.  At that point I joined the longer suffering fans of the series in the nearly eternal waiting game as the remaining books and then movies came out.  Having just seen the final movie I can honestly confirm a feeling that I have feared for some time now.  Although I have enjoyed the entire series of books and movies the highs reached in the third and fourth books were never again attained in the later books or in any of the movies.

Even though DH2 has the advantage of containing several of the "r" words mentioned in my previous post on Catching Fire  (resolution, redemption, retribution etc.) as well as the series climax it just didn't quite live up to my hopes for the final movie.

To be fair, I think one of the main reasons for my waning interest in and general lack of  wonder for the final movies is just a time thing.  It's just been too long.  They tried to stretch HP out  for as long as possible to make as much money as possible but for me it's just been half a decade too long.

Apparently since Harry first entered Hogwart's there have been extensive renovations done inside Gringott's bank vault caverns. What used to be a system of quaint trolley cars is now a full fledged rollercoaster complete with 100% realistic drop of death spur line. (Don't forget your I.D.)  I suppose they figured they could use a new ride at Harry Potter Land in Florida so this explains the selling out  I mean the um differences.

Another thing that kind of put me off of the later movies is the battle scenes.  Particularly the suspiciously ballistic and/or explody nature of the spells being hurled to and fro betwixt the non-muggle types.  I mean why spend seven years in magic school if, when the chips are down, it seems you could do just as well with something like this.

I remember thinking that it's a good thing they didn't have cars at hogwart's or surely there would have been a car chase thrown in there somewhere too. Yikes!

In DH2, as you know Harry finally defeats Voldemort but apparently his timing was just a bit off.  When he returns from his final battle to what you would think would be a hero's welcome everyone is in the middle of high tea and pretty much ignores him. What's up with that?  I guess he should have delayed his entrance until they had cleared the crumpets and crustless sandwiches.

It just seemed like way too little for the reslolution of a seven year struggle.

The kinda-lame climax was followed by a "19 years later" epilogue which was just as out of place in the movie as it was in the book.  I think there were two reasons it was in the book. One was so that J.K. Rowling would have an excuse not to continue the story in more books. Two was to convince everyone that Hermione and Ron really did end up together and Harry did in fact marry Ginny. Her?

I never could fully buy into Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny.  I would have had Harry with Hermione and Ron with someone... else.  As for Ginny, don't really like her much and would probably have just sent her to public school for muggles in London somewhere.

The creation of the forcefield dome over Hogwart's was pretty cool.  It was fun to see Kelly Macdonald as Helena Ravenclaw.  I've always liked her. It was nice to see Snape's true nature revealed. I guess overall the movie was fine but... I found that, now that it has indeed all ended as the movie poster says, I wasn't really moved and didn't really care.  Did I mention that it's just been too long?  I guess I've already moved on.   7/10

P.S. What was with that fourth wall breaking blatant "Aliens" reference in the middle of a Harry Potter movie?  I'm usually fine with the occasional outside reference, especially the ones that don't go over my head, but this one was over the top and took me right out of the movie.  It was so obvious too.  Even though the first few words were slightly different, the situation was nearly exactly the same and even before she finished I was thinking that the next two words out of her mouth better not be what I think they're going to be but of course they were and suddenly I was watching Ripley in that loader robot thing fighting the Alien for the life of poor little Newt.

Catching Fire

Although I'm sure that most of you will have already read this whole series by now...

I finally finished this book today and actually had to search my blog for my The Hunger Games review to see just how long it's been since I read the first book in this series.  Turns out I posted that review on May 10 of last year, exactly fourteen months ago.  So much for my intention to read the last two books as soon as they were both available last August right.  I did start reading Catching Fire several months ago but what finally got me to get serious and finish it was accidentally reading a headline about how so and so is going to play what's his name in the upcoming movie(s).  I hate it when that happens, especially when I haven't finished the book yet because then I always picture the actor in my head when the character appears in the book from then on.  Extra loathing when said actor is nothing like the character I had already been picturing in my head.

Of course Catching Fire starts right where The Hunger Games left off and is very much a continuation of the original story as opposed to a whole new adventure that happens to feature the same core characters.

I did enjoy Catching Fire, very much in fact, just not quite as much as the first book.  The writing was the same and the story compelling but I think it does suffer just a little from middle child, I mean middle book syndrome.  First books are easy to love because they are fresh and new and have the advantage of introducing a brand new story.  I think this is especially true in The Hunger Games case.  Third, or last books have the advantage of containing the big payoffs of final resolution, redemption, retribution, revenge, retaliation, reward and of course the climax even though climax doesn't start with r.

Maybe it was because it is the middle book or maybe it's because this time I read it more in many short stints as opposed to my usual longer but fewer sittings but I just didn't get the same feelings from this book as I did from the first one.  I'm sure the writing was just as good, it seemed exactly the same, but for one, the shock value was mostly gone.  The premise of a future dystopia with its hunger games and kids being forced to kill each other had already been spent in the first book so its effect was greatly lessened this time around.  Although there were new aspects introduced to the story many of the situations which were repeated and that were written in great detail in the first book seemed to have been given significantly less attention this time so they left a much smaller impression. Of course this is probably inevitable but the combination of familiar situations being written in less detail and having less impact and the new aspects of the story also not being nearly as impactful even though they're brand new added up to a grand total unmistakably lesser than the first book for me.

That said, I do realize that the job of the middle book is to make some more money for the publisher and author while advacing the plot just enough to set up the whiz bang grande finale in the last book. Oh yeah, by the way, as was the rumor Catching Fire ends in a severe cliff hanger so I was so glad to have the last book handy and have actually already read the first chapter of Mocking Jay.

Maybe it was the short stints that didn't allow me to get right into the book like last time, maybe my heart is just a little harder than it was last year (I think I can actually feel it slowly turning to stone)  or maybe there just weren't as many or even any real heart rending moments in Catching Fire like there were in The Hunger Games.  I'm hoping I'll find them again in Mocking Jay. I'm betting I will.

Cars 2

I'll admit I didn't have my hopes set too high for this one.  Most of the reviews and reaction I'd read about Cars 2 wasn't very positive.  Many claimed that it is Pixar's worst movie ever, by far! Well maybe they're right or maybe they just didn't get what they were expecting.  If you're expecting another WALL-E, Up or Toy Story the Third then you will definitely be disappointed.  If you're willing to give Pixar permission to take a break from its usual funny with a heavy dose of serious, sappy and heart cockle warming then you might quite enjoy Cars 2.

It all begins with yet another Pixar short before the feature begins.  This one is called Hawaiian Vacation and I think it is the best Pixar short ever, by far!  It stars the cast of Toy Story 3.  It alone is worth the price of admission.

Cars 2 is not your typical Pixar movie, that's for sure.  Many have complained that it doesn't have a heart or at least not one that is nearly rended before it is of course ultimately mended as they always are in Pixar's world.  And hey, don't get me wrong, you know I loves me some heart rending and mending but that doesn't mean that there isn't room for other stuff as well right?

What Cars 2 does have is Pixar's densely packed humour of both the obvious and the more subtle varieties.  Also, in exchange for a lack of sap we are provided with a near James Bond style atmosphere and some great action sequences.  If you realize early on and then can get over the fact that you probably won't have a chance to even split open that cute little pocket pack of Kleenex that you packed in specially 'cause it's Pixar, you might just enjoy Cars 2 for what it is.

A couple of things that I particularily liked in Cars 2.  Remember in the first Cars movie there was that Tom Cochrane song "Life is a Highway" sung by Rascall Flats.  When I first realized that it wasn't the original I was disappointed to say the least.  However, I admit the new version grew on me and I ended up liking it as well.  Anyway, they did the same in Cars 2.  This time the song is "You Might Think" by who else, The Cars.  Of course, how perfect to have a Cars song in a Cars movie.  I could tell it wasn't the original  but had to wait until the credits rolled to see who did the cover.  Turns out it is Weezer, and they did a fine job I think.



One other thing I was particularily impressed with was the sounds of the race cars.  Cars 2 features a variety of race cars competing together.  Stock Cars, Formula 1 cars, rally cars and others.  They finally got the engine sounds right for a change and they don't just all sound the same.  It was refreshing that they took the time and made the effort to make things as authentic as possible for the different kinds of cars.

Is Cars 2 going to be one of your top 5 movies that you'd take with you to a desert isle.  Probably not.  Well maybe if there was a DVD player, TV and and a consistent supply of 110 volts then maybe... actually probably not even then.  What it is is a fun little movie.  It won't keep your two year old from running around the theater screaming while you text your BFF but I'm pretty sure that particular pair of parent and offspring won't be in your screening so you can relax and hopefully actually enjoy Pixar's WORST MOVIE EVER!  7/10