Day 8: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Welcome to the last day of my eight-day long Harry Potter marathon. This is purely because I have not seen any of the Harry Potter's and I promised a whole lot of people that I'd watch 'em all when the last DVD came out. That was over a month ago, so I have to do it now. I will be blogging about my journey through Hogwarts...and such.

After six days of watching the Harry Potter series, I am finally at the end. Yes, it is sad to end the series, because I had a lot of fun. But when a series ends with a film like Deathly Hallows Part 2, I couldn't help but feel the happiness/sadness/whatever that true Harry Potter fans felt. And this was another 2011 film to check off my list. Now I can say that I have seen the entire Harry Potter series, so to whoever it was that said I don't deserve a movie blog for not seeing it, I've just earned my ownership of Cinematic Paradox. Yay. Anyway, the final movie from an outsider's perspective:

-I admit, I was pretty sceptical over this movie. As I'd spent the past two weeks of my life (not every day, mind you) cleaning shelves at work, and the trailer for this played on the loop disc every hour and a half. Basically, while the trailer is quite good, how many times did they have to have Voldemort saying "NNNNYYAAAAAAHH" in it? Like, seriously. As soon as I heard a "NNNNYYAAAAAAHH" I wanted to shoot myself (or maybe that was just the messy shelves making me feel that way), even if it was my main man Ralph Fiennes' voice.
-Then again, everyone went crazy over this movie. I don't know whether this was because it was the end of the series and it was a given that people would go crazy over it, or whether this was just a really good movie. I tend to go with the latter, but let's not forget that it would work better as a conclusion to a really epic series rather than a stand-alone movie.
-Anyways, I loved how Hermione disguised herself as Bellatrix. No-one could be as convincing as Helena Bonham Carter, as that clearly shows.
-It never fails to amaze me how many British actors have been in this series. It's particularly cool that Ciarán Hinds shows up in this one.

-It's interesting how Neville Longbottom gets a lot of screen time in this movie. He seemed really under-used in the series, to me.
-I loved the scene where McGonagall fought Snape. I always knew she was a complete badass.
-That shield around Hogwarts was pretty epic. This film definitely has to be nominated for Best Visual Effects, no doubt about it.
-Okay, so this whole series was made when we learned the truth about Snape and Dumbledore. Like, I just felt like that was the best moment of the series. And I always knew that Snape was a good guy (he's my favourite character for a reason). Except, my friend hasn't seen this film, so I was having a very hard time telling her why Snape was my favourite character.

-And a big WOW to learning the truth about our Harry Potter. Poor guy.
-Jesus, the Draco/Voldemort hug. Funniest thing I've ever seen. Mind you, I wouldn't say no to a hug from Ralph Fiennes.
-**SPOILER ALERT** I almost died when Molly killed Bellatrix. The Weasley's really are a family filled with badassery.
-This film's version of Heaven was pretty interesting. Looks like my kind of place.
-The final act of this movie is the definition of EPIC. I can see why so many people are trying to get this nominated for Best Picture. Unfortunately, I don't think it stands a chance, particularly because it has been missing from all of the awards so far.
-The ending was of course sad because we have to leave everyone behind now, but I didn't really like how it ended. Let's just say, the actors involved didn't look old enough, and it was a tad cheesy. But I imagine that there were a few tears being wept in the cinemas.
-If anyone deserves Oscar nominations for this movie, it would be either Alan Rickman or Ralph Fiennes. They both play their characters consistently well, and with a finesse that isn't seen in many of the other cast members. Because the Best Supporting Actor race is so weak this year, they have every reason to get in, but I think voters will forget them and they will remain as two of the most underrated performances of all time.

-Speaking of the actors, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint do tremendous work here. They really did come a long way since 2001.
-In fact, the whole series came a long way since 2001. To think that this series started out with a very tame kids movie...
-This movie remains a highlight of 2011. All of the posters say "the movie event of a generation". I couldn't possibly thing of anything more true.

So, there you have it. I have now watched all of the Harry Potter films, and before the end of 2011, no less. Many of you have suggested that I read the books, which is something I'll start right after I read War Horse (which I keep putting off because it makes me miss my horses so much), and I'll try to finish before the end of 2012. Otherwise, I had a lot of fun watching these films. Some were better than others, but I can't deny how much I enjoyed watching them! I'll definitely be going back to them every now and again.

What I got for Deathly Hallows Part 2 (going to the lower end of this rating):

Day 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Welcome to the seventh day of my eight-day long Harry Potter marathon. This is purely because I have not seen any of the Harry Potter's and I promised a whole lot of people that I'd watch 'em all when the last DVD came out. That was over a month ago, so I have to do it now. I will be blogging about my journey through Hogwarts...and such.

Well, now we have arrived at the big one. Deathly Hallows Part 1 is, of course, the first part of the epic finale to this series. I had to keep reminding myself that this was only released last year and my friends were going crazy of it only last year, because after watching them all I got used to these movies being over five years old. One of the bizarre side-effects of watching all of the movies at once. Anyhoo, from an outsider's perspective:

-I loved the way this movie opened. It shows a close up of Minister Rufus Scrimgeour (Bill Nighy) eyes, as he says "These are dark times, there is no denying." Then it shows all of the cameras flashing in otherwise completely dark place, with him standing in the centre. It seemed like something out of a political thriller. It was very stylish indeed.
-Haha, the scene where everyone turns into Harry Potter is quite hilarious. Especially Fleur Delacour's transformation.
-Fred Weasley: How you feeling, Georgie?
George Weasley: ...Saint-like.
Fred Weasley: ...Come again?
George Weasley: Saint-like.
[points to ear]
George Weasley: I'm holey.
Best.
-Fleur Delacour is back. I felt like her character had the potential to be so much more.
-Speaking of Fleur, I really liked her wedding dress. It was...different.
-Of course, that wedding wasn't going to be a joyous occasion. When are they ever in movies or TV shows? Why can't someone just have a happy, disaster free wedding for once? When I become a director, I'm going to put a happy wedding in my movie just to show that it can happen. The Death-eaters can stay the hell away.
-I loved how Harry, Hermione and Ron just suddenly turn up in the city. And I also love how Hermione has a bag filled with tricks. I just really like Hermione. If I was a student at Hogwarts, she'd be the kind of friend I'd like to have around.

-That fight in the cafe was pretty epic. I love how they can use wands like guns. Wands are a hundred times more interesting, though.
-I also loved how the three impersonate those members of the Ministry of Magic. That was cool.
-I liked Hermione's jacket, a lot. I want that jacket.
-And shame Umbridge. Whenever you go down, it is a happy occasion.
-This movie is quite dark about it's romantic strain. Especially when Ron has all those visions of Harry being far better than him, and then Harry and Hermione having a little 'snog' together.
-I also love how everyone kinda falls apart. When I say everyone, I mean that Ron decides to ditch Harry and Hermione. I must admit, all of them were being quite selfish, so I don't know how they put up with each other for so long.
-The scene where Hermoine reads the story about the Deathly Hallows is beautifully made. Interesting direction that David Yates took, to animate the story. And the animation style was beautiful, too. Somebody should make a whole movie with that.
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
-The scene when Bellatrix captures them all is pretty intense. Especially when Bellatrix tortures Hermione. Helena Bonham Carter is such a good actress.

-But that bitch killed Dobby. No one kills Dobby. It's such a shame that Dobby wasn't around so much because then I would have felt much more sad than I did. Still, it brought a tear to my eye, particularly as Dobby had just exclaimed that he was a "free elf". Such a heartfelt moment in the series.
-I've gone through this whole post without a love letter to Ralph Fiennes. He does tremendous work in this movie. God bless him. I love the way his voice sounds, too. Very nice.
-The end was nice enough, considering this was only half of the story. I am quite lucky that I didn't have to wait like, nine months to see what happened after that.

I actually really liked this movie. If it wasn't for Deathly Hallows Part 2, this would be my favourite. It was top entertainment.

What I got:

Day 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Welcome to the sixth day of my eight-day long Harry Potter marathon. This is purely because I have not seen any of the Harry Potter's and I promised a whole lot of people that I'd watch 'em all when the last DVD came out. That was over a month ago, so I have to do it now. I will be blogging about my journey through Hogwarts...and such.

We're getting down to the big stuff. Half-Blood Prince is the last step to Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2, so this one really had to make it count. And it sure did. From an outsider's perspective:

-My, have things gotten dark around here. Except I felt like this movie waffled about a little bit, but I guess it had to.
-It is very jarring to show how happy everyone acts even though they might die or something. Then again, if they acted how I imagined they'd act, then this would be the most depressing thing since Requiem for a Dream. Okay, maybe not that far...
-Okay, so I did like that there was a bit of a love square/triangle/pentagon/however many people were involved in the film. I felt sorry for Hermione because Ron was too busy with Lavender Brown. At first I didn't understand the relationship between Ginny and Harry but I came around to it in the end. But I think Hermione and Harry should be together. Just saying.
-Is it just me, or did Malfoy's hair get whiter? He's a very interesting villain. I don't know whether to hate him or not, because it's like he doesn't want to be horrible. But he just is.

-Speaking of villains, let's talk about Tom Riddle. Did you know that he is played by Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, who is Ralph Fiennes' sister Martha's middle child (I'm not a stalker, I just did my homework). I see talent runs in the family (and with a family name like Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, I wouldn't expect anything less). Despite his age and limited screen time, he managed to capture the darkness that I'm sure someone like Tom Riddle was going through. Colour me impressed.
-Jim Broadbent was awesome as Horace Slughorn. But he is also awesome, so that isn't saying much.
-I'm glad that the three principal actors have finally come to the party together. Usually one is better than the other, or one let's the team down, but now they're all on equal footing and it is cool to watch.
-The emotional strain of the movie is also in check. I usually found the emotional tone extremely inconsistent, but it is a lot better here.
-Helena Bonham Carter is eeeeeeeeeevil in this movie. But she is so devilishly good at it.

-Then again, she did set fire to Hagrid's hut. Bitch, nobody sets fire to my main man Hagrid's hut.
-Snape. Even though your character is technically the best that the series has, I hate you.
-How dare you kill Dumbledore?
-Wait, how dare anyone kill Dumbledore?
-If Malfoy couldn't do it, then why couldn't you?
-Dumbledore was awesome.
-That was actually a very sad moment. Which is why I feel like this movie was more emotionally in check than the other ones. Not because somebody died, but because it felt much more genuine in it's emotions than it did when Cedric died in Goblet of Fire.
-While the end showed the familiar shot of the river going out of Hogwarts, it wasn't a glorious moment like it has been in the other films. The music was dark, the place was dark, we know that even more dark times lie ahead. Which is something that is crucial to this series.

While I felt that this wasn't better than Order of the Phoenix, it is still an extremely good instalment. A very good build up to the final films, indeed.

What I got:

Day 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Welcome to the fourth day of my eight-day long Harry Potter marathon. This is purely because I have not seen any of the Harry Potter's and I promised a whole lot of people that I'd watch 'em all when the last DVD came out. That was just about a month ago, so I have to do it now. I will be blogging about my journey through Hogwarts...and such.

Due to immense tiredness from yesterday's festivities (more on that on Tuesday), I left watching Order of the Phoenix until early this morning. It was a good start to the day, especially as this movie brings David Yates on board to direct, which brings the seriousness I wanted from the series. From an outsider's perspective:

-It's weird how the movies keep throwing in characters, but not for long. Like, I forgot that Lupin and Sirius existed for a while. But then they came along. Sirius seems so underused, though.
-Otherwise, this is a really cool film. The best I've seen so far (even better than Half-Blood Prince, which I watched this afternoon). It's so cool watching the rebellion come together and the introduction of the Death Eaters.
-I was wondering when Luna Lovegood was going to come in. She is cool...but I expected her to be more loony. Then again, Evanna Lynch does the spaced out thing really well.
-Where is Dobby at? I miss him :(
-Whenever they go back to Hogwarts to have food, they always have nice looking pudding. It makes me so hungry.
-It was interesting to see why Snape is like he is. It was a bit sad, really. I actually think that Snape is one of the best characters in the series, and Alan Rickman definitely does deliver the best performance out of anyone. I just wish that there was more of him.

-Dolores Umbridge was extremely annoying. How dare she just come to Hogwarts and think that she owns the place. It was so sad when she tried to fire Sybill Trelawney, but then McGonagall saved her. Mirenva McGonagall, FTW!
-Mind you, Umbridge's office was pretty cool. I liked how there were a whole lot of cats in her plate display. Then again, I am a cat person.
-But Umbridge's methods of discipline are a bit far. If a teacher ever tried to carve a message into my hand I'd probably punch them or something.
-I really liked the direction of this. There was a lot more urgency, a lot more conviction, and everything is a lot darker. Plus, the editing is far better. The other films seemed to focus on just showing what is happening on screen, but this one decided to make it more exciting. Props to David Yates and his team, they really capture the darkness and maturity that I wanted to see from the series. I can't wait to see how his style progresses in the final films.
-I so didn't know that Hagrid has a giant half-brother. He just keeps getting awesomer!
-The relationship that Harry had with Cho was a bit weird. Cute, but weird.
-The final act is pretty intense. There isn't much fluffing about in this one. And we don't have the seriousness doused in 10 tonnes of family-friendly sugar.
-I have heard that this is the longest book, and yet this is one of the shortest movies. So I imagine that there is a lot missing. Still, the movie moves quite fast, which I liked.

-Helena Bonham Carter = love.
-The other films, to me, just felt a little like spin-offs to keep Harry Potter alive for as long as they could. This one stood up on it's own two feet. Something I've been waiting for.

So yeah, this one is my favourite of the series so far. I'm so glad things started to get darker. The darker, the better.

What I got:

Day 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Welcome to the fourth day of my eight-day long Harry Potter marathon. This is purely because I have not seen any of the Harry Potter's and I promised a whole lot of people that I'd watch 'em all when the last DVD came out. That was just about a month ago, so I have to do it now. I will be blogging about my journey through Hogwarts...and such.

To be perfectly honest, I have already seen Goblet of Fire before. Now this was back in the day when Twilight was cool-ish (note the ish). My friend got it out because, you know, she had a huge crush on Robert Pattinson and we decided to watch it. But I didn't remember that much of it. Which says marvellous things about my memory, since this was only two and a half years ago. Anyway, from an outsiders perspective (but this time, the outsider has seen it before):

-The opening scene (the dream scene) was very breathy. Did the actors go for a ten mile run before they filmed it?
-Let's talk about Robert Pattinson. I reckon Twilight ruined him. And now he just doesn't try hard enough. While his character wasn't exactly the kind that could make a star out of him, he was bearable in this movie. No, that's not because he's not in it every five seconds. But he just looked so young and fresh, and he acted so young and fresh. Now he just reminds me of a dirty old hobo. Which is such a shame, because he really had potential. Cheers, Twilight and all of your little teenage fans.
-I'm pretty sure there was some actual magic going on behind the scenes. The kids seem to grow a lot between films! Maybe it's just because I'm watching each of the films a day apart and I find it hard to process how they're growing so much. It really makes me wonder how fast I grew up...
-That Quidditch World Cup was pretty cool. Looks like my kind of place.
-The tent was awesome, too. I thought our three room tent that we had for our after-ball party was like the mansion version of a tent, but then I saw this one. Well, sorry!
-Minerva McGonagall said inception! She said inception! Which reminds me, I need to catch up with that movie again...

-The ball was pretty cool. Like, all the snow and stuff. Hermione looked really pretty, too. I remember when all of the tween magazines went crazy over how she looked at the ball. So, it took the surprise away.
-Ron looked pretty spiffy, too. I imagine that is quite a good Halloween costume.
-But I felt sorry for Ron and Harry's dates. It would suck to be them.
-Clémence Poésy is very pretty. Just saying.
-The film itself is quite entertaining. But it's not enough. The actors and stuff loosen up, but considering what happens at the end they shouldn't be loosened up so much. It is very light and fluffy for the most part, which makes the overall tone very uneven and odd to watch. I think the series has a very big problem: inconsistency. Hopefully things will get better.
-However, everything gets very dark towards the end of the film. *SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, but I'm sure you already know what happens anyway* When Cedric dies, it is a bit of a turning point for the series. And then we get introduced to Lord Voldermort. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time...I have had it in the back of my mind that the story actually kicks off with the arrival of Voldy, so I'm glad he's come to the party.

-Hehehehe, my main man Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes plays Voldy (sorry if it's not 'right' to make a nickname for him, but he has no nose so it's not like he'd be missing his full name). I was surprised by how much I recognised Ralph while he was playing Voldy. Like, he just doesn't have a nose. Or hair. But his eyes are still there. And his eyes are sexy. I love you Ralph. Can I marry into your family so I can have your last name? Cheers.
-But yeah, Ralph is pretty good in the little screen time he is given. Personally, I don't think that Voldy will be scarier than Amon Goeth (because that repulsive excuse for a human being actually existed - and of course, Ralph's portrayal of him is my favourite performance of all time), but Ralph always knows how to be villainous. I can't wait to see what he does with the character in the rest of the films.
-Yes, probably all I'm going to talk about for the next few films is Ralph Fiennes.
-Anyway, one thing that this film did not do well was include all of the characters. The others brought them in and out seamlessly, but this one left the large majority out and gave them some screen time every now and again so we could remember that they existed. Malfoy and Snape are barely in it.
-As I said earlier, there is a lot of inconsistency in this film. I didn't like the end at all. Cedric died, and it was sad, but the end made it seem like no-one cared. It was weird. Hopefully the toning issues even out soon.
-Mind you, this film isn't masquerading as a family film like the others. But it is masquerading as an action film. Which I don't like.

Goblet of Fire was okay, but I expected a lot more. As I said, with the arrival of Voldy, things should get more interesting. Well, I hope they do. Back when I 'watched' this movie, I rated it 6/10 on IMDb. Things haven't changed.

What I got:

Day 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Welcome to the third day of my eight-day long Harry Potter marathon. This is purely because I have not seen any of the Harry Potter's and I promised a whole lot of people that I'd watch 'em all when the last DVD came out. That was just about a month ago, so I have to do it now. I will be blogging about my journey through Hogwarts...and such.

I'd been told that Prisoner of Azkaban was a huge improvement on Chamber of Secrets. They weren't wrong. From an outsider's perspective:

-That bus ride was pretty cool. It was really fast and magical. I found myself like Alfonso Cuaron's direction already.
-I couldn't help but laugh about the ballooning aunt. I wish I was a wizard so I could do that to some people (wow, that sounds horrible).
-If I could live with any family, it would be the Weasley family. They're so cute! They get a bad wrap for being a family who uses hand-me-downs and stuff, but seriously? A family full of gingers? Count me in. They look like a good family who's fun to be around.
-Well, thank goodness. Tom Felton's hair is no longer melting into his head. In fact, everyone's hair looks better in this one. Apart from Snape's. He is good with his hairstyle for all intensive purposes.
-This one was a little shorter (135 mins). It was a good run-time, and definitely stayed entertaining for the whole thing.

-This Professor Lupin seemed like a good guy. Until the moon made him all crazy. But he was the kind of teacher that I would like to have. Plus, I've always like David Thewlis as an actor.
-Snape is awesome. The 'page 394' scene is so awesome. Well, he's kinda harsh, but you can tell he means well. And Alan Rickman does such a bloody good job of playing him it's no wonder that people are crying foul at his many snubs.
-The actors are slowly becoming more watchable. Like now, it's easier to believe in what they're doing. But boy, they did heaps of growing in a year. What is with that?
-I think I liked this movie because there was a lot going on, and also it was a lot more serious. The other films tried to be serious but they got too caught up in being like family films.
-Thank goodness Alfonso Cuaron came along. He really breathed life into the series. When I say that, I mean that his work in this film brought about the dark themes that the series is so famous for, leaving the first two in it's dust.
-But I highly doubt that this is the best of the series. It was good, but not that good. As the series gets darker I'll enjoy it a lot more.
-Gary Oldman is in it! Gotta love him. If only he could get that Oscar nomination this season.
-The werewolves in this movie are really creepy. If only Taylor Lautner could look like that and then Twilight wouldn't be so popular and the world could have nice things again.
-I wish Kenneth Branagh was still in the series.

-This movie really got me into the Christmas spirit. I wish I could have snow on Christmas.
-Hagrid is still my main man. He rocks.
-It was just awesome. I can't wait for the next one.

Three down, five to go. Sure, Prisoner of Azkaban was good, but it wasn't great. Still, it remains a high point in the series.

What I got:

Day 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Welcome to the second day of my eight-day long Harry Potter marathon. This is purely because I have not seen any of the Harry Potter's and I promised a whole lot of people that I'd watch 'em all when the last DVD came out. That was just about a month ago, so I have to do it now. I will be blogging about my journey through Hogwarts...and such.

After being impressed by Philosopher's Stone, I was wondering how Chamber of Secrets would compare. It seems silly to compare the movies though, since this is shaping up to be a series of films that are better together than they are apart. Again, from an outsiders perspective:

-I have a feeling that this might be the worst of the series. It wasn't really that great.
-The film just lacked conviction. It was fun, but it wasn't fun enough. It was dark, but it wasn't dark enough. It was just a huge 'meh'. And if I'm being honest, I can remember Philosopher's Stone better than this one.
-And, again, 155 minutes is a little too long.
-Anyway, the movie was good enough entertainment. I think it was more of a bridge between the first and the third (which I've heard is where things get good)...not entirely unnecessary.
-I would like a flying car. Preferably without a mind of it's own. But when Ron said something about the 'flying gear' I was like, I MUST HAVE ONE OF THESE! Mainly because I can't drive a normal manual car at all.
-Dobby is SO CUTE! Just the way that he talks and stuff. Plus, one of the later scenes between he and Harry when Harry gives him a sock is the best.

-Kenneth Branagh was in this movie. It's a shame he couldn't stay longer, because I really enjoyed his performance/character. Sure, he was a bit of a wimp who disguised that with a lot of cockiness, but I like characters like that. Plus, Mr. Branagh is awesome!
-I've decided that Hagrid is my main man. He is so cool.
-Is anyone else disturbed by the fact that Shirley Henderson plays a school-kid (Moaning Myrtle) in this movie? I love Henderson, but she was 37 at the time. And she still looked like a kid. That is slightly scary.
-You know when Platform 9 & 3/4 won't let Harry and Ron in? Well, I've secretly been waiting for that moment. Okay, that sounds really horrible. But when I first saw them run into the platform, I remember thinking "what would happen if they ran straight into it?" I expected the wait to be quite long, but Chamber of Secrets granted me with my wish. Goodness, I sound like a terrible person.
-I'm sorry, but Tom Felton's hair scares me. It like, melts into his head.
-The kids sure did grow up a lot in the space of a year or so. Their acting improved, but they're still having teething problems.
-The letter that Molly Weasley sends Ron is hilarious. I would love to send letters like that to people.

-Those little plant things scared the crap out of me. They were like little Gollum's with forestation on their heads. And they sounded horrible. Remind me to invest in earmuffs next time.
-Snape still has the same hairstyle. SEXY. Nah, I quite like Snape. In that evil sort of way.
-Rupert Grint has some pretty interesting facials. For me, he is taking the longest to gel in the series. Or maybe it's just my intense dislike for his character at the moment.
-The CGI is quite bad. Well, it is quite good for 2002, but then again, it reminded me of a straight-to-DVD Z-grade horror.
-At least there were no flashback scenes.

Okay, so this movie wasn't exactly great in my books, but I liked it enough. I'm sure it is just a build up for good things with Prisoner of Azkaban. Speaking of which, I'm off to watch that now. I hope it is an improvement...

What I got:

Day 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Welcome to the first day of my eight-day long Harry Potter marathon. This is purely because I have not seen any of the Harry Potter's and I promised a whole lot of people that I'd watch 'em all when the last DVD came out. That was just about a month ago, so I have to do it now. I will be blogging about my journey through Hogwarts...and such.

One thing I realised while watching Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is that I am going to have an extremely difficult time trying to conjure up proper reviews on these films. I sat there trying to pick out things that were wrong with it, but I was really just having too much fun. Anyway, some thoughts from an outsider's perspective:

-I know that they will probably get better as the series goes on, but I thought that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were pretty terrible. Sure, they were good for their age. I just felt like they were trying too hard to remember their lines that nothing else mattered. Trust me, I know how they feel - that's exactly what I did when I picked up the lead role in a class play. I put on a fake French accent to hide that fact, but I think that everyone could tell that the eight-year-old me didn't have much of a future in acting.
-I honestly found the characters a little annoying. Like the actors, I'm sure they'll fill out as the series goes along, but Ron and Hermione were not the kinds of kids I'd like to babysit. Harry was okay, though.
-This movie seemed hell-bent on being a family film. I know that things get darker as the series go on (jeez, I'm starting to sound like a broken record), but this one just wanted to be a kid-friendly enjoyment-fest. Now, I didn't have a problem with this as such, it was just a bit jarring. Mainly because in the darker moments, it still wanted to be a family film, and everything was covered in a layer of kiddy sugar-coating.
-I've always been a fan of 'how the story began' films (if you know what I mean), so I had fun with this one. It was cool getting introduced to the world of Hogwarts and magic and stuff. I particularly liked the scene where Harry went to get his wand.
-There are a lot of characters - who I imagine will all fill out - and I think I'm slowly picking up who are my favourites. I'll reveal them later, just so I can make sure that they're actually cool or not.

-Snape has a very interesting hairstyle. Alan Rickman is pretty awesome in the role, too.
-All of these movies are so long! If I'd read the books than I'm sure that I'd understand the running times, but two and a half hours is a bit much for me!
-In saying that, the running time whizzed away for me. There was a lot of fun to be had.
-The flashback scenes were really bad.
-Can somebody please explain to me why Voldemort had a nose?
-And one last thing: the main theme for Harry Potter sounds to me like a slightly warped version of 'Swan Lake' by Tchaikovsky. I may be the only one who thinks this.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a pretty good start. I was pretty entertained. It wasn't perfect, and it has a few teething problems, but things should even out. That's how much faith I have in the series already. Let's hope I am rewarded.

What I got: