Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II (and the death of my childhood)


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I'm sad to say that the one thing I have lived for for the past 14 years has actually come to an end.  No more books, no more movies, nothing new for me to anticipate.  At least they did me the favor of making the last installment in the movie series memorable, emotional, and wildly entertaining.  I had heard rumors that this was the best of all the films so far.  I can't say I fully agree with that, but it was still one of the best.  I think the past three films in the series have been top notch, and that the Deathly Hallows Part I was actually a more enjoyable film than Part II.  Part II seemed very brief (even though it was 2 hours and 10 minutes long) and very sad (but that was to be expected.)

The acting in Part II was better than the acting I've seen in any of the Potter films.  In the past the young actors seemed to think breathing heavily could make any scene more exciting/frightening.  In this film they finally learned to use their voices, facial expressions and body language to convey the proper emotions instead of just excessive and loud breathing.  I had read of a few scenes that had been added/changed in translation from book to film, and I was a little wary about how they would affect my overall impression of the movie.  In the end, I liked the changes they made.  I've learned to sort of treat the Potter books and movies as completely different things rather than compare them word for word, because I'd always just end up disappointed that way. 

They did brush over a few things that I would have loved for them to elaborate on, because for me they were the most important and memorable parts of the final book.  However, some sacrifices had to be made in order to keep the movie a reasonable length (though I think all true Potter fans would have sat through a six hour finale without a complaint.)

What else can I say? This has been an emotional roller coaster for me.  I cried through most of the movie not only because it was one of the saddest movies of the series, but because I knew this was the end.  When I finished the 7th Harry Potter book at 3am two days after it was released in 2007, I cried harder than I have ever cried in my life.  My mom came in my room to see what was wrong with me and found me surrounded by tissues just sobbing uncontrollably.  She left as soon as she found out why I was actually crying, but she would've sworn I had just found out someone had died.  In my mind it really was like someone had died.  I grew up with Harry, Ron and Hermione and had grown deeply attached to them.  On completing the book I knew they would no longer be a part of my life.  Sure, I reread the books constantly, but it just isn't the same.  Now with the end of the films as well, I have a definite sense of emptiness that I just can't shake.  I may sound very dramatic right now, and most of you probably think I'm nuts, but I'm sure that some of you out there understand.  This isn't just some book or movie, or some imaginary tale.  To some of us, it is our childhood.  I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?   
J.K. Rowling, "King's Cross," Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore.

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I got me a hot date tonight!

...With Harry Potter...

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Robots in disguise.



This is a little late, but I saw Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon movie last Thursday (not in 3D), I just hadn’t had time to post about it yet.  This is the latest of Michael Bay’s explosive installments in the Transformer’s series.  I hear this is supposed to be the last of the Transformers movies, but I’m not quite sure if I believe it. 
The third film starred the always entertaining Shia Labeouf, and replacing Megan Fox (telling the media your boss is like Hitler is a sure way to get fired) was Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.  Though it was a nice departure from the abrasive (and toe-thumbed) Megan Fox, I still wasn’t thrilled with the female lead in this movie.  I think her acting was fine - better than I expected even -I just found her character to be so ridiculous.  She was constantly walking around like she was modeling for the Victoria’s Secret fashion show, she had an insane job that definitely doesn’t exist with a way-too ignorant attitude about her bosses’ obsession with her. Also, her face was weird to look at.  She has humungous lips.  Makes me uncomfortable. 
Something I liked in this movie is the way it sort of re-wrote part of history to tell the story.  X-Men: First Class did the same thing, just not as well as Transformers.  Both story lines are flat out ridiculous, but I think Transformers pulled off the insanity better by sticking closer to the facts. 
The worst part of this movie is how damn long it is.  Watching robots fight, crush cars, smash buildings and jumble around the screen for THREE HOURS isn’t my idea of a great time.  I think they could have cut it down a bit which would have made it just a fun play-date instead of a lengthy and tiring chore.  I only love robots in short increments.
Overall the movie had great special effects, the acting was fine, and it was entertaining.  You just need to decide if you can sit through the whole thing!

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"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." -Hemingway

Yesterday after work I made an impromptu trip to the movies, and had the pleasure of seeing a film that was literally MADE for me.  Midnight in Paris.  It combined all my favorite things into one! (The only thing that could have made it better? Sam Worthington in a starring role. Yum.)  It didn't have that handsome man unfortunately, but it did have quite the impressive cast!  This charming new Woody Allen film starred Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Cathy Bates, and Michael Sheen, just to name a few.   I had NO idea what it was about before I saw it, even after I saw the trailer.  I was overjoyed to discover fairly early on in the film that it involved my favorite artists and my favorite writers in my favorite city.  Had I known, I would have anticipated it more!
It's a whimsical story about a man (Owen Wilson) who discovers a unique and mysterious side to Paris every night at, you guessed it, midnight.  Rachel McAdams plays a perfectly Regina George-esque role, which I love from her.  This is definitely more geared towards a female audience, though I do think guys will still enjoy it.  It was an overall enchanting movie and simply a pleasure to watch. 
I am going to give this movie a "not worth it" BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S A BAD MOVIE!

It was magical and romantic and sweet and perfect for a person like me, BUT I just don't think you have to spend the money to see it in theaters.  It will be just as good as a rental, or to buy and watch over and over and over again.  I am thinking of a new rating system for movies, to start soon, just because my ratings make great movies like this look bad. DEFINITELY worth seeing, just not necessarily in theaters.

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Super 8... was it super great?


Today was the opening day of Super 8 in theaters, and naturally I went to see it as soon as I got out of work.  I have been looking forward to this movie since last year when I first saw the preview, so I couldn't believe the day had finally come. 
I don't want to give away any of it, because I don't want this blog to be about spoilers.  I just want to share that I really enjoyed it, and it's definately the kind of movie you want to see in theaters.  The acting was top notch - a bunch of new faces and some not so new, but great performances all around.  Elle Fanning is a m a z i n g!  Also, the movie had a phenominal soundtrack! It really complemented the movie and the way it was filmed, and made the whole thing seem reminiscent of E.T. or Close Enconters of the Third Kind (funny since Spielberg directed both those films and was the producer of Super 8) Though it sounded a lot like the music of John Williams, the soundtrack was composed by Michael Giacchino, who is obviously a good buddy of J.J. Abrams because he composed the music for Lost and Alias. 
If you read the reviews by the critics, you'll notice a lot of them think the movie sort of flat lined at the end.  I will just caution you to keep in mind that J.J. Abrams wrote this movie, and it is very much his style.  Any Lost fans out there?  You'll understand what I mean.  While I do think the movie leaves something to be desired, it is overall an excellent film and most certainly worth a watch!

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I am super excited for Super 8




TOMORROW!!

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Kersmaaaaash!

Howdy ya'll.  Here is a quick rundown of the movies I saw this past weekend:

First off I'll start with Thor.  I had extremely low expectations for this movie, but I ended up being thoroughly entertained!  The previews for the movie just looked silly, and sure enough it was a very silly movie.  That didn't matter though, as long as you weren't hoping for a high-class, quality film with any sort of depth.
Thor had the comedy of Iron Man, combined with the acting of Much Ado About Nothing, with a little bit of viking splashed in. 
I think the best part of this whole film for me came at the very end (don't worry, this is NOT a spoiler.) As soon as the movie started I was thinking about Much Ado About Nothing, because the way Thor and his buddies acted and spoke reminded me of the acting of Kenneth Branagh in that film.  WELL FUNNY ENOUGH, and little did I realize at the time, FYI - IT WAS DIRECTED BY KENNETH BRANAGH!
What in the wooorld? I never even knew he was a director, but apparently that was very naive of me. 

Anyway, Thor gets a worth it in my book!  I am very happy I saw it in theaters, and I would recommend you do the same.

NEXT - X-Men First Class.  
What a silly movie.  I went into this with higher expectations than I had with Thor, and I was a bit disappointed.  First of all the entire premise of the film is just flat out ridiculous, but HEY! It's ficiton, you can do what you want I guess.  The acting was great for the most part (love you James McAvoy) but good lord, January Jones.  I don't know what happened there.  I won't go into this movie too much because I don't want to spoil anything.  Basically it's an interesting look back in time at Magneto and Professor X before they were Magneto and Prof X.  It gave them more depth for me and I think I will enjoy rewatching the older movies knowing what I now know. 
SO WAS IT WORTH THE MONEY?

Yep.

And for fun, just in case you didn't see this:

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