Potter-ing

We saw Harry Potter about a week ago. Probably more interesting things have happened in my life since then, but I promised a post containing what I thought of the film.

*SPOILERS START HERE*
It WAS excellent. When it began, it simply began. It didn't give you some big to-do about the Harry Potter 'verse. There was no time for that. There was a repeated shot of Voldemort getting the Elder Wand just as a reminder, Warner Bros logo, Harry Potter logo, and BOOM: Harry at Dobby's grave. Within the first minute, you're buckled in, ready for the last run of this brilliant ride.

The only problem I have with the beginning was how looooong it took and how much diiiialoooogue there was. I realize Griphook and Ollivander are old but good God how long does it take to tell Harry what he needs to know? I wonder if they felt they had to go slow to make sure the audience knew what was going on. If that was the case, r u srs? This is the EIGHTH film. If anyone in the audience is jumping in at this point, they don't deserve to know what's going on.

There were 2 other minor issues I had with the film. The entire time, I was counting horcruxes in my head. There were multiple points while watching where I went "Okay...the diary, the ring, the locket [and then from memory of the books] that cup-thing in the vault...[once we got there in the film] okay Ravenclaw's diadem aaaaaannnnnddd.......?" The end of the book totally escaped me.

And as Harry was going for the diadem he said something about how it was the last one. Well...of course it wasn't. They had 2 more to get and they didn't know what they were. Then they found out they were Nagini and Harry (the latter of which I totally called in the middle of reading the 6th book).

Other than those minor neural interruptions, I want to see the film again. I also want to read the book again, but have you SEEN that tome? It's too much for right now. My favorite moments in the theatre were closely related to audience reactions. Everyone cheered and clapped when Molly killed Bellatrix and the girl in front of me almost had a happy-seizure when Neville killed Nagini. It was pure fandom and I will miss it all.

I cried a few times, partly from reaction to the story and partly from how real these characters have been to me for so long. So when I lost Snape, when Neville became more than the bumbling kid, when two of my best friends finally got together...there was no way I couldn't react.

In conclusion, I just have one question regarding the entire movie saga: Where the hell was Charlie Weasley?!
*SPOILERS END HERE*

In non-Potter related news, one of my cooperating teachers is my mom's best friend from high school and thus a very close family friend. I will be teaching two sections of Oral Communication, World Literature & Composition and Sophomore Writing. ^_^ Internship, ho!