Just got back from the midnight showing.

Favorite scene:

Least favorite scene:

I just saw the midnight showing of Harry Potter. I thought it was great.

I would agree with mm1991, its very important to remember that the narrator is generally limited to Harry's perspective. He likes and depends on Ron for a lot of his information. All of Ron's siblings have gotten into Griffindor so of course Ron thinks that Griffindor is best. Both I also wouldn't say that Harry is blameless in his rivalry with Draco. James, Sirius, and Lupin are heroes to Harry . And reading between the lines one can see some passive-agressiveness and self-defeating behaviors from Lupin and Sirius is a very flawed character. I would say Cedric Digory is probably the most noble character in the book and he came from Hufflepuff.

I think the reader is supposed to rebel against the sorting - given that the sorting hat itself speaks out against the system.

Deathly Hallows blew out the midnight opening record (set by Twilight:Eclipse at $30 million) by grossing an estimated $42.5 million across 4,375 locations.

That number alone is bigger than Transformer 3's opening day. Potter is pretty much locked to break the opening day record of $73 million and could possibly break the opening weekend record set by The Dark Knight.

MinotaurforAslan,
I know it's minor for a movie, but it's $43.5M at midnight, not $42.5M.
But you have everything else spot on. It should get opening day record, and has an excellent shot at opening weekend.

I like celebrating a movie that's doing really well in the box office with fellow Narnia Webbers. Yay for Harry Potter!!

Several of the people I went to the midnight showing with are planning to go back again tomorrow night with more people. And the theater was packed last night. We got there fifteen minutes early and the only seats left were in the front three rows. It was a high energy audience, lots of collective cheering I feel a little disloyal to say this but I felt much more energy and excitement with this group than with the first showing of VDT (although I was in a play the first two nights VDT showed. So I didn't get to see it until Sunday night. So maybe not a fair comparison.)

this movie was EPIC!!!!!

I got at the theatre at 1 PM to wait for this movie and it was so worth it. I pretty much loved everything except

the theater was awesome. so much energy and it was great.

I loved

but this movie is amazing, I cant say enough good things about this movie

MinotaurforAslan, I know it's minor for a movie, but it's $43.5M at midnight, not $42.5M.

Whoops, typo xD

I feel a little disloyal to say this but I felt much more energy and excitement with this group than with the first showing of VDT (although I was in a play the first two nights VDT showed. So I didn't get to see it until Sunday night. So maybe not a fair comparison.)

Comparing a midnight showing of the final installment of the highest grossing movie franchise of all time with a Sunday night showing of a domestically dying franchise isn't a fair comparison at all. Saying there was more energy with the HP showing has nothing to do with loyalty to Narnia.

I always feel like I missed out with Harry Potter. I never read the books (which I hope to change pretty soon), and I've only seen the first movie. Is the first movie known for being kinda bad? Because honestly I got so bored while watching it, I'm the thinking the others must be better?

TheGeneral, I understand that you would feel this way. I've had a lot of friends tell me they didn't really like the first or second but they liked the later installments. You have to remember, the first book/film is meant for 11-year-olds. The second is meant for 12-year-olds. And so on and so forth. Personally, the series start to be relatable to all ages around the third book. I do think that all fans would agree with me that the first two installments are definitely "kiddie".

Just saw it this afternoon! Well worth the watch. My favorite part was definitely

The only big issue I had with the movie was

So, all in all: good movie! I'm sad to see the series finish.

I actually didn't mind

Oh man...where do I start? I had to sit through the entire credits until the theater staff starting appearing and lingering around waiting for us to leave, I just needed to "debrief" it all in my mind. I couldn't come back to the real world so quickly!

I suppose this review will start at the ending, and I'll say I LOVED the epilogue. I complely bawled through it, made much use of the kleenex I brought . I think because I'm basically a fanfiction addict, I read SO MANY fanfics with all sorts of pairings but a lot with the "Second generation" characters, so it was really weird and strangely emotional to see the kids and their parents like I'd imagined so many times.

All I could think throughout the whole movie was
a) Hermione is AWESOME. Simply AWESOME. Best female character in the history of literature, period. Hands down. THIS, folks, is a "strong female character". Not Bella Swan, not the latest model in the latest blockbuster action film, but HERMIONE.
b) J.K.Rowling is a GENIUS. I had to step back a little bit at one point and realize that this is a story that's been told for over ten years, I think. And I had to think "these are only characters", yet they felt so real. I haven't been with the story since the very beginning but it was so strange to think that its' been around for so long.

Favorite scenes:
When the teachers are casting protective spells around Hogwarts. Totally bawled here.
Mrs. Weasley fighting Bellatrix
Hermione-as-Bellatrix (brilliant, pure brilliance!) Helena Bonham Carter is a phenominal actor. She absolutely NAILED Emma Watson's stature, facial expressions, and mannerisims. Also I think polyjuice potion is an instant plot enchancer (Recipe for Excellent Plot: Just add Polyjuice Potion!)
Neville. Everything about Neville.
Harry saving Draco from the fiendfyre (Spl?)
Also everything about McGonnagal
Everything about Gringgotts (Hermione: "I have a plan, but it's pure madness!") and the dragon.
Narcissa asking Harry if Draco was alive, telling Voldemart that he was dead.

I basically adored the entire film, but if I was going to be nit-picky, here are some things I wasn't 100% happy about:

Fred's death--aka, where was it??? I wanted to see him actually die.
Hermione/Ron kiss. I was waiting for the line about Ron wanting to save the house elves. I think that would have been much sweeter then it was, also cutting straight from that scene to something else instead of having their moment in the middle of all the action cut some of the "oomph" from it I think
The "old" Hermione--aka, not very old. She didn't really look much different I think they shoudl have made her fatter or something.

Um, I think that's all right now. I'll probably think of a gazillion other things to say though!!

Hermione-as-Bellatrix (brilliant, pure brilliance!) Helena Bonham Carter is a phenominal actor. She absolutely NAILED Emma Watson's stature
Neville. Everything about Neville.
Also everything about McGonnagal
Narcissa asking Harry if Draco was alive

I basically adored the entire film, but if I was going to be nit-picky, here are some things I wasn't 100% happy about:

Fred's death--aka, where was it??? I wanted to see him actually die.
Hermione/Ron kiss. I was waiting for the line about Ron wanting to save the house elves.

1. I loved Bellatrix there. Yes, phenomenal is the word!
2. As Neville is my favorite character you can imagine how I was when the girl disappeared from the photo to get him. I was already in anticipation. And then he comes... I about died. Love Neville.
3. "I've always wanted to try that spell"- brilliant line.
4. Great moment with Narcissa.

5. His death, I wanted it. Along with the reconciliation with Percy. Percy just shows up and we have no explanation for it. My only criticism.
6. I forgot Ron says that about the elves. I can see them cutting it, since the whole SPEW plot-line was dropped entirely from the movies. It'd seem random. Sure we are given Hermione's disapproval of their servitude, but not does it go in detail.

I take it the new Harry Potter was a hit? I've been hearing about it ALL week! I've never actually seen the movies or read the books. Sooo I wanted to ask a bunch of HP fans are they all really good?? Should I try them sometime?

TheWarriorQueen - Oh my goodness, yes!!!!! The books and films are fabulous!

I haven't read a review so far that didn't like the movie. And I usually find film critics are particularly hard on Harry Potter movies for some reason.