Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

The Original BJ
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by The Original BJ »

I hope to have a chance to comment more on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 tomorrow, as today is a little crazy, but I would just like to chime in now that I have actually seen the movie. Because it made me think a Best Picture nomination is even LESS likely than I did before.

One thing it's unlikely for many Harry Potter fans to understand is that for those of us who haven't read a page of Potter (i.e. me), good chunks of these movies don't make much narrative sense. And, for me, this final installment made LESS sense than many of the earlier Potter films -- this might rank as my least favorite Potter since Chris Columbus.

I don't really mind that the movies aren't actual movies, and more like tie-ins with the books...but it also prevents me from getting at all sentimental about the end of this franchise, an opinion I have to imagine many in the Academy might share.

My wager is this: if Harry Potter gets a Best Picture nomination, I promise to read ALL seven Harry Potter books back to back. :D
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by Sabin »

...not like it matters really, but I am talking about watching every Harry Potter movie. What you guys are talking about, you can knock out in a day. I have to clear my weekend. How about all the Movie Movies (which are what? 87 mins a piece?) + I don't know...the first half of Season One of Mike & Molly. Something really horrible.
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by anonymous1980 »

Sabin wrote: Your Alan Rickman comment is the same thing as saying that the world could come to an end come 2012. It's not going to happen, but, yeah, sure...

(Alan Rickman will not, not, not be nominated for Harry fucking Potter...)
You wouldn't be THIS sure if you actually SAW the actual fucking movie.
What are you putting on the table if it's not?
I've already told MovieWes I will watch the last four Friedberg-Seltzer movies (Epic Movie, Meet the Spartans, Disaster Movie and Vampires Suck) for one entire weekend and review them if Harry Potter doesn't get a major nomination. (And yes, major is Picture, Director, Screenplay, Acting only).

I know it's a huge-ass gamble. But, hey, no guts, no glory.
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by Sabin »

MovieWes wrote...
I want in on this bet too, but I'll take it a step further. If Harry Potter is nominated in any of the major categories, I will watch all the Twilight movies over the course of a weekend and review them on Cinemasight, lol.
Just to be clear...Best Original Score is not a major category, correct? Because it's been nominated there before a couple of times. We're talking big eight here, right?

C'mon, Irvin! Biggest opening ever! Roll the dice. BET ME MONEY. LIKE, REAL MONEY. LOTS. DO IT!!!
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by Sabin »

anonymous1980...
There is also an outside possibility of Alan Rickman for Best Supporting Actor. He handled the flashback/revelation about his character splendidly (I get misty-eyed just thinking about that sequence. "Always" ) plus he's one of those "due" veteran actors who have yet to get an Oscar nom (he should've *at least* have gotten in for Sense & Sensibility). Personally, I hope he gets some traction.

I hope you and Sabin won't back out of this IF come December, it's starting to turn into a REAL possibility and chicken out at the last minute!
Your Alan Rickman comment is the same thing as saying that the world could come to an end come 2012. It's not going to happen, but, yeah, sure...

(Alan Rickman will not, not, not be nominated for Harry fucking Potter...)

Do you want me to change my signature? Fine, I'll do it. A yearlong reminder that I, Joshua Ari Staman, will watch all the fucking Harry Potter movies back to back if this new fucking Harry Potter movie is nominated for Best Picture.

What are you putting on the table if it's not? I keep wanting to make you wager that you will go outside and play with kids your own age for an entire afternoon, but that would be weird. Unless a lot of other Filipinos are unbelievable Potter-nuts and making the same predictions themselves on other message boards right now.
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by Sonic Youth »

I'm staying out of this debate (although I fall more on the side of Sabin and MovieWes) but shouldn't anonymous have to wager something as well? Maybe Oscar Guy, too? C'mon guys, make this REAL interesting.
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by anonymous1980 »

MovieWes wrote:I want in on this bet too, but I'll take it a step further. If Harry Potter is nominated in any of the major categories, I will watch all the Twilight movies over the course of a weekend and review them on Cinemasight, lol.
There is also an outside possibility of Alan Rickman for Best Supporting Actor. He handled the flashback/revelation about his character splendidly (I get misty-eyed just thinking about that sequence. "Always" :cry:) plus he's one of those "due" veteran actors who have yet to get an Oscar nom (he should've *at least* have gotten in for Sense & Sensibility). Personally, I hope he gets some traction.

I hope you and Sabin won't back out of this IF come December, it's starting to turn into a REAL possibility and chicken out at the last minute! :wink: :lol:
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by MovieWes »

I want in on this bet too, but I'll take it a step further. If Harry Potter is nominated in any of the major categories, I will watch all the Twilight movies over the course of a weekend and review them on Cinemasight, lol.
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by OscarGuy »

Harry Potter does claim the opening day record with a staggering estimated $92 million. The nearest competitor for that title (and previous record holder) was $20 million lower. Depending on how it holds over the next two days, this could easily knock down The Dark Knight's record...

New Moon was the next highest (and previous) one-day record holder. It made $42 M on Saturday and $27 M on Sunday. That's about $70 M for two days. Add that to the current Potter total and you have a final weekend tally of $162 million. The Dark Knight posted $158 million for 3 days. That's all if it makes New Moon money. If it makes more, it will be more, of course. After the dismal performances of the prior films (none of them topped the original's total U.S. Box Office, I'm surprised it's doing this well.
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by Sabin »

Mister Tee wrote...
When Sabin brought up the Star Wars franchise, I'm surprised he didn't mention Revenge of the Sith, which also closed out a series getting substantially stronger reviews than its recent predecessors, and was touted by some (cough Sasha Stone) as a possible best picture nominee, but ended up with a sole minor nomination.
While Revenge of the Sith got substantially stronger reviews, it was still received a pretty tepid reaction from critics. I'm astonished to learn that Sasha Stone even thought it had a prayer. All three prequels have the distinction of being in a universally reviled box set.
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by Mister Tee »

Wow -- I wasn't around all day, but somehow became a major part of a debate. (Thanks, Okri, for preserving my typos!)

A few stray thoughts:

Godfather III wasn't nominated because voters felt they owed it to the franchise. It was nominated because 1990 was a year of major suck -- I mean, they nominated frickin' Ghost! -- and G III was one of the few movies to get decent reviews and make a little money. But, you know, we can stipulate: in any case where a movie and its sequel both WON best picture, they'll have a fair shot at a third best film nomination.

When Sabin brought up the Star Wars franchise, I'm surprised he didn't mention Revenge of the Sith, which also closed out a series getting substantially stronger reviews than its recent predecessors, and was touted by some (cough Sasha Stone) as a possible best picture nominee, but ended up with a sole minor nomination.

Toy Story 3 might be the patron saint of Potter rooters for the rest of the year, but, I caution: there was feeling that the Toy Story movies were unluckily under-rewarded by having preceded the animated feature category. And the history of that abbreviated franchise was remarkable: the first was both a technological breakthrough and considered witty enough to start the tradition of nominating animated films under screenplay; the second was unexpectedly viewed as equal if not superior to the original. When the third film got critics to fall basically in line (though I found it somewhat less good than the previous two), it was in far stronger position than a Harry Potter film that's getting a good bit of "Okay, this one is actually pretty good" reaction. (And I will echo some of what Okri & BJ referenced me saying in the past: critics, when it comes to summer or franchise pictures, grade somewhat on the curve -- as, witness the number of critics who half-shrugged off Transformers 3, even though you know most of them would rather poke their eyes out than watch another Michael Bay movie.

I read all the Harry Potter books, and saw the first four movies in a theatre...but then just felt them dwindle to a "screw it, I'll rent it" level. That's the exhaustion that sets in with a franchise, and I wouldn't be surprised if many voters feel the same. It's hard to rev up best picture enthusiasm out of that.

Yes, the change to 10 nominees (or 7 or 9, as the case may be this year) improves the chances of studio efforts but: 1) they still prefer original material to something in a series; and 2) so far, the 10 have been 9-for-10 in securing screenplay nominations -- something no Harry Potter movie is ever going to manage.

Finally, something else BJ said: it's a fool's game to expect Academy voters to want to atone for things that disappointed YOU. Academy voters vote the way they like. They left out The Dark Knight because it wasn't their cup of meat; they omitted Dreamgirls because they didn't think it measured up. They weren't looking to correct for those mistakes anywhere along the line because THEY DIDN'T CONSIDER THEM MISTAKES. They've left off Harry Potter movies (even mostly from the special effects categories) because they didn't think they were that special. They don't view that as a mistake, either, so there's reason to think they'll be in any last-minute hurry to make up for it.
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by Okri »

I'll cosign. If Harry Potter is nominated in best picture/writing/acting OR directing, I will watch all eight (presuming that the last one is available on DVD, otherwise seven) between nomination day and oscar night. That is a promise.
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by anonymous1980 »

Sabin wrote: Life is about growth, Irvin. You can say all you want that I don't like anything, but there's not a shred of truth to it. I don't like these accusations that somehow I'm incapable of liking anything.
I was being hyperbolic. And what I meant was, you seem to have completely lost the fanboy in you.
If Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt 2 is nominated, I'll watch all of them back to back over the course of Oscar nominations weekend.
Is that a promise and can I have that in writing?
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by MovieWes »

Sabin wrote:Harry Potter won't be nominated. I know you're not making some grand prediction or anything, I get that,, but it won't happen. At all. If Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt 2 is nominated, I'll watch all of them back to back over the course of Oscar nominations weekend.
Now I actually kind of hope it is nominated, lol. :lol:
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Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Film Review

Post by Sabin »

Sabin wrote...
I am now going to salvage my weekend and read a book in a bar or something.
Hope you have fun. In the meantime, I'll probably be watching it for the 2nd time this weekend maybe in my Hogwarts robes (just kidding, I'm too cheap to buy those).

When I call you a Muggle, I mean that with affection. I know you're not a Potter fan (I don't think you're much of a fan of anything, really).
Life is about growth, Irvin. You can say all you want that I don't like anything, but there's not a shred of truth to it. I'm just growing and my tastes are changing, as is supposed to happen with life. Can you say the same?

Beginners (Mike Mills)
Certified Copy (Abbas Kiarostami)
Hanna (Joe Wright)
Meek's Cutoff (Kelly Reichardt)
13 Assassins (Takeshia Miike)
The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick)

Movies this year that I love. I have a longer list of movies that I like to some varying degree of quite a bit to somewhat, but we're halfway through the year and I have six movies that I love. That's not bad. Even The Tree of Life, a movie that I grapple with and have problems with, I have love for. I don't like these accusations that somehow I'm incapable of liking anything. I ust don't like all the mainstream movies that I used to.

Harry Potter won't be nominated. I know you're not making some grand prediction or anything, I get that,, but it won't happen. At all. If Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt 2 is nominated, I'll watch all of them back to back over the course of Oscar nominations weekend.
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