Magic Movie Moments with Harry, Part 7a: Everything Else

So we've covered some of the multitude of things that are great about these films, but as we all know, they are not without their flaws.  Don't get me wrong, I love the films, especially because I have been able to regard them as separate entities from the novels on the whole, but there are always going to be struggles when one attempts to adapt from a beloved book.  Here are a few places where the proverbial ball was really, really dropped.

Plot Holes Abound (Goblet of Fire)
One of the very best parts of Goblet of Fire, the novel, was the immense complexity of the plot, and specifically the means by which Voldemort returns to power.  Central to this explanation is Barty Crouch Jr, played with wonderful creepiness by David Tennant in the film version.  However, the screenwriter totally botched the explanation of why we were even introduced to this character, and didn't come close to explaining the critical role he played in the Dark Lord's return.  Perhaps they were simply counting on moviegoers to be too scared and shocked to question exactly how they ended up there.

Mayhem at the Burrow (Half-Blood Prince)
Not only did this have the potential to throw continuity for a loop going into the final two films, it just felt wholly unnecessary.  Half-Blood Prince the book gave lots of ways to illustrate the growing threat and power of Voldemort and company, they didn't have to burn Ron's house down!  It did give us a pretty great visual, I guess, but I would have rather had them use that time (and budget) on some of the scenes which were in the book but ultimately cut from the movie, such as additional trips into the pensieve with Dumbledore.

False Hope for Harry/Hermione Fans (all films, possible exception of Half-Blood Prince)
Guys, it's time you all accept something, just in time for the final film this week, where it will be cemented in film history forever.  It's Hermione and Ron.  They're the ones who belong together, who have always been intended for each other, and who (SPOILER) wind up married to one another.  Unfortunately, it would appear that the filmmakers have forgotten this, and on more occasions than can really be excused.  Long gazes at Hermione in her dress robes (GoF) and slow dancing (DH1) notwithstanding, Harry and Hermione are only ever going to be platonic friends, regardless of how nice Dan and Emma might look together.

Harry and Ginny (Half-Blood Prince)
One character who has been consistently shortchanged in the films is Ginny Weasley, particularly when it comes to her romance with the Boy Who Lived.  Yes, it does come up rather suddenly even in the novel (Half-Blood Prince, for those wondering), but the films somehow turn it into even more of a mess.  JK Rowling wrote a great story for Harry and Ginny, one that was realistic and entertaining, and many of the moments she penned (the kiss in the common room, in particular), were OBVIOUSLY written with the films in mind.  And what did the filmmakers do instead?  Gave us awkwardness on top of awkwardness, a thoroughly anticlimactic first kiss, and not even the courtesy of a proper breakup at the end of film 6.  So many people complain that Bonnie Wright is not a very talented actress, but I would turn that statement around and ask when she has been given anything truly decent to work with.

Snape's Worst Memory (Order of the Phoenix)
Okay, here's the thing about this scene.  We learn later that Lily is the key part of the reason it is Snape's "worst memory", and in the film she doesn't even appear, despite the fact that they cast her and presumably filmed a scene in which she was featured.  This is one of the many ways they've failed to execute the Snape/Lily subplot, and as it stands, people who have only seen the films have no idea that Snape and Harry's mother even knew each other, much less had any kind of relationship.  How DH2 will remedy this in the course of a few scenes, we will have to see, but my biggest complaint about this whole business is the fact that JK Rowling had final approval on changes made to her stories, and you'd think she might have been concerned that they omitted such a critical detail.

Magic Movie Moments with Harry, Part 6: Half-Blood Prince

The sixth film in the Potter series, much like the novel which provides its basis, gives us a sense that we are at the beginning of the end.  Foundations are laid in this movie for things that will not be fully realized or resolved until this Friday in DH2.  It is for that reason that some people may have found the Half-Blood Prince film boring or confusing (maybe both), but from the stance of someone who still has that book in a tie for her favorite of the series, it actually comes off pretty well.

Muggles and Magic
Now, this scene is actually a bit of a rewrite from what we get in the opening chapter of the book (which features a conversation between the Muggle and wizarding Prime Ministers), but I think in terms of translating from book to screen, showing the bridge collapse (which is mentioned in the book's version, just not shown), is actually a better choice.  We get the message loud and clear:  this wizarding war is getting out of hand, to the point where it's affecting the Muggles who aren't even supposed to know that magic exists.  Plus, seeing the menacing steel of the Millenium Bridge (which I've walked on!) collapse into the Thames is just plain eerie.

Snape Weaves a Web
Snape has always been a complicated character, and one never very far from suspicion.  Half-Blood Prince plays with this even more, from the first scene in which he appears (a very well-executed retelling of the novel's second chapter, made all the better by the brilliant acting of Helen McRory, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alan Rickman), to the film's climax when he (SPOILER) fires the curse which kills Dumbledore.  By the film's end, as in the book, we are more bewildered than ever as to where Snape's loyalty lies, and this is almost enough on its own to draw people in for the seventh film.

Meet Tom Riddle
An entire subplot of the sixth book is the history lesson/character study of the boy who would become Lord Voldemort, and has Harry struggling to understand what his weaknesses might be.  Because a lot of what we learn about Tom Riddle comes through various discussions as well as peering into Harry's own mind, it is understandably difficult to translate to the screen.  That said, the flashbacks we do get to see in the film are well-executed and definitely try (can't say for sure that they succeed) to effectively convey this part of the story.  I especially like the memory of Dumbledore visiting a very young Tom at the orphanage where he lives.

Draco's Up to No Good
This part of the film is really well done, although that may be me still gushing over Tom Felton's impressive performance.  He does a phenomenal job showing Draco's insecurity and uncertainty as he embarks on a secret assignment from Voldemort, which culminates in his attempt and failure to kill Dumbledore.  Great acting and a very nuanced look at this character as he takes on new dimensions.

A Fitting Tribute
Now, the actual moment of Dumbledore falling from the tower onto the grounds felt a bit forced to me, as did some of the lead-up to his death.  What did really get me, however, was the response of his students out on the Hogwarts grounds.  There is a really fantastic moment where the music swells and, one by one, the students light their wands and raise them to the sky in silent solidarity with their fallen headmaster.  Since they omitted the very poignant funeral scene that the book provides, this is our chance to let Dumbledore's death sink in, and I think if I can't have the closure I'd really like, this is a decent consolation prize.

Only one more film to go before the big finale!  Excitement is building in every corner, and I'm going to have to start avoiding the internet soon to minimize the risk of spoilers.