New Harry Potter trailer

I have a mixed relationship with the Harry Potter films. I've enjoyed all of them on first viewing, but only Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix have proved themselves good enough to withstand repeat viewings. All the others have got very old, very fast. And I thought Half-Blood Prince was poor, which doesn't bode well for this since it has the same director. But then again the trailer looks awesome. But then again trailers for almost everything but the very worst films always look awesome.

Still I'm going to stay hopeful about this though because I thought Deathly Hallows was by far and away the best of the books. Not only does it bring the whole thing to a conclusion but it's much darker, much more exciting, much more adult and draws a much deeper picture of the parallel world that HP inhabits than all the books that went before. So fingers crossed.

Not that I'll get to the cinema to see it because I never get out anywhere nowadays with a baby in the house. Here's looking forward to DVD.

Movies I take my lad to watch are the only ones I see at the cinema, otherwise it's a wait until they're on Sky/Cable.

MattDP wrote:

Still I'm going to stay hopeful about this though because I thought Deathly Hallows was by far and away the best of the books. Not only does it bring the whole thing to a conclusion but it's much darker, much more exciting, much more adult and draws a much deeper picture of the parallel world that HP inhabits than all the books that went before. So fingers crossed.

I thought the last book was a bit weak to be honest. I thought it introduced too many 11th hour elments (like the deathly hollows - were they really needed?) and had far too much unlikely coincidence in them - even for a harry potter book!
Also the "darkner elements" were often sloppily handled an just weren't needed, especially at the end.
Really liked the Snape thing, though I thought a bit more could have been done with it. And Voldermorts ultimate fate was anticlimactic.

I don't really see how they can justify splitting the last book - it wasn't THAT dense, there was heaps of stuff in it that could be cut out to make the one movie.

The movies are terrible (except for the third). I couldn't even make it through the fourth one. I don't understand why people like them.

Mr Skeletor wrote:

I don't really see how they can justify splitting the last book - it wasn't THAT dense, there was heaps of stuff in it that could be cut out to make the one movie.

Two words: MO. NEY. This is the end of the gravy train. I'm surprised they're not splitting it into twelve.

I'm with Skelly regarding the last book. The Deathly Hallows? Why was nothing ever mentioned before about Harry's invisible cape if it was so special already?

The bank robbery was a big stretch as well.

The deaths at the end were handled a bit poorly. "Show don't tell" Rowling. And the whole big dialog thing during the final duel with Voldemort to try and explain everything at the end...blegh. The wand ownership thing was uselessly convoluted and didn't make too much sense either.

Bullwinkle wrote:

The movies are terrible (except for the third). I couldn't even make it through the fourth one. I don't understand why people like them.

Try the fifth one (Order of the Phoenix). You might be pleasantly surprised.

Columbob wrote:

I'm with Skelly regarding the last book. The Deathly Hallows? Why was nothing ever mentioned before about Harry's invisible cape if it was so special already?

I have a feeling it was. I vaguely recall it being mentioned before that most invisibility cloaks were either impermanent or not so powerful. But I'm not re-reading vast chunks of Harry Potter just to find out.

Obviously just me with the book then. I really enjoyed it and I don't remember finding any of the things you've pointed out particularly jarring or out of place. In fact it's about the only one in the series I feel like I'd read again: perhaps I'll spot the problems when I do. It's happened before with books in a series that has high page-turning value, where the excitement and desire to see the story concluded takes over from my sense of literal criticism. I loved His Dark Materials when I first read it, but it fell pretty flat on the re-read.

MattDP wrote:

Obviously just me with the book then. I really enjoyed it and I don't remember finding any of the things you've pointed out particularly jarring or out of place.

No, I liked it too, as much as the others. I didn't find it particularly different, either. All that I liked about the previous six were there, and all the criticisms I might make about the series as a whole are there, too; in particular, Rowling's rewriting the rules as she feels she needs to. But that's hardly unique to Deathly Hallows.

However, it's the only one of the series I haven't yet read more than once. So, like you, maybe my opinion will change upon rereading.

I loved His Dark Materials when I first read it, but it fell pretty flat on the re-read.

I do not understand the love for this series. Especially books two and three. Is it because no one likes Catholics anymore?

I'm a pretty big Harry Potter fan, so I've read all the books multiple times. I agree with you Matt that the last book is the best. It feels like it's operating without a net for the duration of the book, it takes more risks than the other six, and it has a certain richness and maturity of theme that I find really appealing. The sense of menace and dread that has been building for about three books finally spills over, and it's very satisfying to me. Rowling isn't a particularly strong wordsmith, nor is she good with pacing, but she is quite good at story-telling, characters, and most of all, world-building. Deathly Hallows brings forth so much in the wizarding world, and it felt like I was constantly discovering cool things.

For me, the movies have always ranged from the excellent (Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix) to the good (the other four). I am really excited for the seventh volume to be put on film, although I'm a little dismayed it's being done in two parts. While it is probably the most plot-heavy of all the books, it's not like that made them divide Goblet of Fire (although if they had, it might have been a better movie). Mostly, I just don't want to wait for another six months to see the ending of the book played out on screen.

MattDP wrote:

I have a feeling it was. I vaguely recall it being mentioned before that most invisibility cloaks were either impermanent or not so powerful. But I'm not re-reading vast chunks of Harry Potter just to find out.

No I'm pretty sure that is from book 7. The thing is the cloak being a hallow doesn't make any sense - Moody could see through it, it appeared on the Maurderer's Map, yet in book 7 suddenly its undetectable? Talk about a plot hole.
My big problem with it though is that the deathly hallows are 11th hour McGuffins that just weren't needed. Harry is searching for Horcruxes, then suddenly he has to look for these things too? Started to feel like where is wally.

I did enjoy it, it has many great moments, but it was a little too flawed for me to be considered the best.