I would first like to say that most of the Harry Potter movies suck. They don't make a whole lot of sense on their own, and the only reason why a lot of people like them is because they do a good job of illustrating what goes on in fans' heads. The casting from the very start was nearly perfect, and visually, the entire franchise has been spectacular. However, the movies have lacked a sense of clear explanation and narration, and the last movie was no exception. In general, the eighth and final Harry Potter movie was about what I expected: hyped, visually amazing, slightly disappointing, but overall satisfying. It was enough to satisfy the immense fan base but not enough to be called a great movie. Being a book purist, there were many major parts in the movie that did not match up to the book, and I didn't like that.
Pros:
- Neville Longbottom: The mere fact that the prophecy could've applied to Neville as well as Harry makes him a very important character, and his true Gryffindor qualities really shown through in the last book. Arguably, the movie did a better job of emphasizing his importance. The movie was different from the book in that they made the slaying of Nagini much more dramatic, and gave Neville more dramatic scenes that really helped viewers remember that no, Neville is not a Hufflepuff.
- The Gray Lady: In the book, Harry's conversation with the ghost of Ravenclaw tower is not quite so dramatic. I also liked her little riddle about the Room of Requirement, and I also liked that Luna was the one that gave Harry the idea.
- The Flaw in the Plan: The movie almost completely changed the chapter from the book, which made the battle between Harry and Voldemort a public affair. In the movie, the two wizards "finished it together", which was both more visually pleasing and gave the characters a greater sense of finality. It wouldn't have necessarily been that important that the characters finished that way in the book, but cinematically, I liked that Voldemort and Harry had a more personal end.
- Ron and Hermoine's kiss: I liked that the movie showed Hermoine actually stabbing the Horcrux, while the book merely told us that it happened. I also liked that the kiss happened in the Chamber of Secrets. I was afraid that if the movie remained faithful to the house-elf comment in the book, it would've been awkward.
- "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!": I was literally waiting for that line the entire movie. I am so happy that they remembered to include it, because that line sums up Molly Weasley's strong Gryffindor character. She isn't just the doting mother who has lost a son in the battle; she is a strong witch that is strong enough for revenge.
- Eyes: If the movie is going to harp about the importance of Harry's eyes looking similar to his mother's, MAKE THEIR EYES LOOK THE SAME. I don't understand the difficulty of making their eyes look the same. If you can make Voldemort have no nose, you can give the two actors some color contacts. Also, Snape's last words were "Look at me", NOT "Look at me. You have your mother's eyes." You do not change last words. If you are going to change last words, don't talk about eyes that don't look the same.
- The Deathly Hallows: The movie didn't stay true to the freaking title. The movie does not emphasize that Harry is the master of death because he possesses the Deathly Hallows, and it does not talk about how his acceptance of death is why he truly masters it.
- Wands: I didn't like how Harry snapped the Elder Wand in half and threw it over the bridge. In the book, he repaired his phoenix wand and returned the Elder Wand to Dumbledore, where it truly belonged. With the way the movie was structured, Harry would've continued using Draco's hawthorne wand for the rest of his life, which is completely wrong.
- The Gray Lady: Although I liked how the movie set up the conversation, I didn't like that she didn't mention anything about the history of the diadem and the Bloody Baron. The Gray Lady just got really pissed off.
- Dumbledore: Dumbledore is truly the most complex character in this book, and the movie absolutely not do that justice. The entire drama about Grindelwald and the Deathly Hallows, Ariana and Aberforth, was not really explained in the movie. The chapter "King's Cross" explained everything about Dumbledore's personal conflicts, and instead it focused more on Harry, which was not the point of the chapter at all. I realize that it might've been boring to have a long conversation in the movie, but I think that the movie maker people could've found a way of illustrating Dumbledore's explanation through flashbacks or something.
- The Next Generation: Why does Harry's kid look like some flat-ironed hipster punk? The did such a good job at casting; why did they half-ass the kid? He looks like so...typical. I would think that Harry Potter's kid would look more like him, at least have some messy hair or something, not some Bieber Swoop and a plaid shirt.
