Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 was great.

I cried approximately 4-5 times (including one moment when I’m pretty sure I was the only one crying, but I was sobbing because this is my entire childhood ending)

Hoon loved it as well.

Actually, Hoon I think liked it better than I did.

Most of it was awesome. Most of it.

Spoilers (but not really as I don’t give anything away, especially if you’ve read the books) below:

The battle for Hogwarts had moments of greatness, but it was too short. I wanted to see more focus on all the students and all the professors and the Order just going at it. Instead, we saw flashes of that greatness and a lot of Harry, Hermione, Ron, running around all crazy and shit trying to find/destroy the last horcruxes.

Also, I think Fred’s death wasn’t what I had anticipated.

Neville Longbottom was the joy of the movie. Seriously, he was fucking awesome. More awesome in the movie than I remember him being in the books (although it’s been awhile)

Voldemort’s death was kind of anti-climatic for me. But that’s just me.

There were harrowing parts, parts where I just held my breath and prayed for Hogwarts and Harry and Dumbledore’s Army and the Order, and there were parts when I cried, big gulping sighs of saddness, and there were parts when I laughed (those were few though, in this movie). There were also parts when I thought, oh, that’s it?

But, overall, I couldn’t peel my eyes away from the screen and I was literally shaking with anticipation while the students/professors/Order readied hogwarts for battle.

Also, most of the effects were flawless and beautiful. Sometimes it seemed a bit over the top (uh, the all-white meeting Dumbledore in the station thing), but it was mostly awesome.

A must see for any Harry enthusiast (duh) and also for those who want to know how the story ends.

From two people, one who has never read the books, and only began watching the movies about a year ago, and the other, a Harry Potter fan from before they became the rage in America (I saw JK Rowling on Rosie O’Donnell in July/August of 1998 and begged for the first book, but didn’t receive it until Christmastime maybe, about 6 months before it appeared on teh NYTimes Bestsellers List), a fan who went to midnight screenings and book release parties, made her own wand, sorted her and her friends into houses (I’m definitively Slytherin), from both of us, we sat in awe of the movie for well over two hours.

And when it ended I felt a small piece of me had ended. A doorway to a special part of my childhood was closed. But I am happy.

Plus, a month from now, we’ll be gearing up to go to Harry Potter World, so I guess that childhood door isn’t quite closed yet.