saw hp7 at last

[pauraque_bk]

We drove to Cambridge to see HP7 because it was the closest place we could find that had it playing with captioning. This should have taken 3 hours each way, but took 4.5 hours getting there because Google's directions failed, and so did the directions kindly but unhelpfully given by many Cambridge locals.

Obviously we missed the movie, so we decided to wait for the next captioned show, several hours later. At least it was in Harvard Square and there were places to do Christmas shopping and hang around. The theater manager was nice enough to exchange our tickets, so no harm done really.

So we saw the movie at 6:30pm instead of 1:00pm, and afterwards managed to get ourselves back on the freeway, unfortunately without having filled the gas tank. By the time we realized we didn't have enough gas to get back, we were already in Vermont, which apparently doesn't believe in 24-hour gas stations, so we decided to just drive until the engine died and then call Triple A.

Oddly enough, the car kept running all the way home, despite the needle being below E and the "fill my tank, bitch" light being on for about 40 miles. An appropriate Hanukkah miracle, perhaps...

So after all that, was the movie good? I think it was an accurate adaptation of a book I didn't like. The book rambled incoherently, and so did the movie.

But I enjoyed the movie more, because I already knew going in that I wasn't going to like the story, and there was nothing the movie-makers could really do about it, so there's kind of no point in complaining. I think the director and actors did a good job with crappy material. I enjoyed seeing all the actors again, even those who only had a couple of lines.

-I think it was a smart move to play up Hermione's feelings about her parents. In the books Hermione tends to come off as hard to relate to because Harry doesn't relate to her very well; in this movie she seemed more human, and her friendship with Harry more believable.

-The animation sequence was pretty.

-Isn't Kreacher supposed to speak correct English? I remember discussing that.

-Different actor for Dobby? His voice sounded different.

-Hedwig dies heroically now instead of for no freaking reason. Another smart move.

-It says something about me (and this fandom) that watching Bellatrix torture Hermione elicits not anger and disgust, but happy memories of fanfiction I have enjoyed.

Everything else I could say is about the book and not the movie, so I'll leave it at that. I think they did the best they could with an unsalvageable story, and it was a pleasant enough experience for me.

Uno mas!

Comments

[laurelwood.livejournal.com]

You covered everything about the movie that I would have mentioned, only more, and better, so now I don't have to! I so agree with the going-in-knowing-you're-not-going-to-like-the-storyline point. I really disliked the book, and I felt so freed by that when I saw the movie because, woohoo! It couldn't possibly get any worse, and there wasn't any favorite part that they'd inevitably leave out. I enjoyed the movie so much more than HP6, despite the camping (the scenery was pretty, especially that place they stayed with the rocky stuff that looked like a stone brain). And I noticed Dobby's voice, too. I'll have to look up to see if there was an actor change, because it sure sounds like it.

Also, way to go with the Hanukkah miracle. I wouldn't have thought you could go so far after the "fill my tank, bitch" light came on.

[pauraque]

Yes, it was freeing, that's the word. I enjoyed HP6, though it suffered really badly from the romantic subplots (just like the book did). I can say that in HP7 I spent almost no time groaning, rolling my eyes, etc. Which probably had a lot to do with Ginny being in it only once, and that being quickly smoothed over by a funny moment.

But I think it was mostly the second half of DH that made me seriously consider throwing the book across the room at several points, so we'll see how the 8th movie turns out. I'd be amazed if it was actually worse than the experience of reading the book, so I guess I look forward to it?

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I think we said all the same things. :D

[pauraque]

That surprises me not at all! I just went back and read your post. It's funny that you mention wishing we'd seen what was happening at Hogwarts, because I certainly agree that would have been the more interesting story. But I've already read that story of course; you wrote it. :P

Bellatrix/Hermione in the movie certainly seemed like sexual imagery to me, I'm not sure how else one could view it? She's lying on top of her! I imagine that might have been disturbing to people who don't like that sort of thing...

[cschick.livejournal.com]

General rule of thumb with cars sold in the US is that you should be able to go between 25-50 miles with the gas light on. In general, newer cars are more pro-active about getting that light on.

Our 2008 car has a 15 gallon gas tank, gets 30 highway/23 city, and the light comes on around 12.5 gallons used.

[pauraque]

Well, at the time I said I figured that we could go for at least a while with the light on, because it's a warning light, the purpose of it is to give you time to correct the situation. I just didn't think it would last that long.