Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I sure did. 🙂 I didn’t take many pictures but I’ll try to post a holiday recap over the weekend.

So… this review (of sorts) is super late. But I wanted to write it for posterity. 🙂

I loved Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1. I really, really did. The movie felt less like an adaptation (the way Prisoner of Azkaban was) and more of a faithful translation of the book but it worked. It was dark, intense and suspenseful when it needed to be yet it also had moments of humor to temper all the emotions.

I have to say that the trio is amazing. The producers really lucked out many years ago with the casting of Dan, Rupert and Emma. This movie features them so much and they delivered.

Cutting the rest for spoilers…

Loved
1. The entire opening scene. Hermione obliviating herself from her parents’ memories. Ron standing outside of the Burrows. Harry watching as the Durleys leave.
2. Seven Harry Potters. Oh, the hilarity. Dan did a great job of capturing the quirks of the other actors/characters. And Harry in Fleur’s clothes! Bwah.
3. Hedwig’s death. *sob* I liked that they gave her a better death than in the book where she was stuck in her cage.
4. Death Eater meeting. CHILLS.
5. George walking in on Harry & Ginny in the kitchen. His facial expressions were classic.
6. “Come dad, Harry doesn’t want to talk to us. He’s just too polite to say so.” — Luna at the wedding.
7. Dobby & Kreacher, the awesome elf duo.
8. Hermione reading The Tale of Three Brothers, Ron interrupting to say that his mum always said midnight and Hermione’s glare in response. That was perfect.
9. Harry & Hermione’s dance in the tent. The way he took the locket off her neck felt so intimate. And their dance was full of love and sadness. My shipper heart was overwhelmed. And later I loved when Hermione said they should stay in the forest and grow old together. Awww.
10. Hermione’s torture scene. I’ve always been an Emma Watson apologist but was finally really impressed by her in this scene.
11. The feeling of isolation throughout the camping scenes.

Nitpicks
These are mostly omissions that I missed or think are important…
1. Harry & Ginny. Yes, still. They have no chemistry whatsoever and it pains me. Bonnie Wright doesn’t bring anything special to the role. Especially when compared to the way that Ginny is described in the books. She’s charismatic and spunky in the books. In the movies? Not so much.
2. No goodbye scene between Dudley and Harry.
3. Lack of invisibility cloak in the Ministry of Magic scenes. It just didn’t make sense considering how Harry is public enemy #1.
4. No memorial at the Potter house. 🙁
5. The trio not going to Luna’s room and seeing the mural she created of them.
6. No Harry & Ron hug after Ron destroys the horcrux. Actually, I think that scene needed more emotion from both characters in general.
7. Ron not yelling for Hermione during the torture scene.
8. The obvious way some scenes were shot that indicate they were meant for 3D. Blah.

Overall, though, this was one of my favorite HP movies (alongside Sorceror’s Stone and Prisoner of Azkaban). And as much as I’m looking forward to the conclusion, I’m a little sad too. The films will never compare to the books but I’m going to miss the anticipation. The build-up. The excitement. It’s going to be hard to see it all end.