Harried Potterisms

I read all the books.

First, because of the buzz. Not because I had an age appropriate child in the house. So many people were talking about them, and plenty of the folks in South Texas were saying it was all about witchcraft so they wouldn't let their kids read it.

Whenever someone says a book written for kids will rot their brains, I always want to see if I agree. I think kids need to read, just for reading's sake. It doesn't really matter what they read, just THAT they read. But I digress.

So I read the books. And I found them charming. Nothing to ruin a perfectly well brought up Christian child, just a rollicking good tale where I found myself rooting for the hero. By like any really good book, it built a fan base. And those fans have opinions. They announced the movie would be made.

So I saw the movie. Was it the book? No. Was it a good movie? Yes.

At this point, there were probably four of the series in print and I was like everyone else--standing in line for the next installment. JK Rowling made money off me too.

Each successive book became longer and more intricate and each movie had more and more territory to cover. People became more dismissive of the movies and pounded the books saying they were superior.

People complained when the Dumbledore character from the first few movies changed. The actor died, and people complained that he had to be recast. Personally, I think
Michael Gambon did a fine job as Dumbledore.

What I never understood was the filmakers need to remove Voldemort's nose. I understand it made him appear 'snakelike' and more evil but that left me cold. Really? Noseless?

I have friends who feel like the story arc was 'rushed' somewhat and the Harry Potter with Dumbledore scenes were more deus ex machina than plot possibility. I understand the need for the mentor dying so the protagonist can stand on his own and fight the fight. But bringing back Dumbledore as advisor is a lot like having Obi Wan talk to Luke in his head. It takes a little getting used to.

The final installment in the story had to be broken into two movies. With the heft of that volume, it doesn't surprise me at all. Shoot, they made the Lord of the Rings into three movies and no one whined about that.

Here's what I think: the books were great. The movies were exceptional. They weren't the books by any stretch of the imagination and you did lose something, but they were good movies. The actors grew up making those movies and they did a great job growing up as characters on screen. The special effects were phenomenal and more and more intricate as the movies got darker and had more evil at play.

The final denouement between Harry and Voldemort was good. The last battle was big and all encompassing. There were unexpected heroes and heroines. I didn't cry, but I have friends who did.

I also like the 'years later' epilogue portion of the movie. I like knowing that Hogwarts would be rebuilt and that life will go on. They fought the good fight and now they get to have normal lives. We Muggles just get to peek through the window into their world.

I wonder what JK Rowling is doing now? Is she writing another book? I expect she never has to work another day in her life, but I have to report that I like the way her mind works. I hope she's got something else on the fire. It will give me something to look forward to.

--Sandee Wagner