Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Disclaimer: Spoilers abound. Proceed at your own risk.

A mighty good read, and a worthy conclusion to a phenomenal series. J.K. Rowling has outdone us all with her remarkable plotting, weaving a gripping tale with such vividity and poignancy that it'd be impossible not to be moved and unreservedly impressed, especially for those who have grown up with the characters.

And as if taking a leaf from Orwell's book (pun intended), she has satirised the series (the Nazi regime being of particular interest) to ensure her books a place among the literary classics. As if it wasn't enough that they have become the best-selling tombs in modern history, and she herself is set to rival Roald Dahl as one of the favourite children's fiction author of all-time, becoming a billionaire in the process.

I'm now overwhelmed with this warm, fuzzy feeling after reading the exhilarating ending, and the genial epilogue. The resolution certainly didn't disappoint, and the final showdown must have been the climax of all the climaxes. I could virtually feel myself in the Great Hall, withholding my breath as I witness the duel that had been hinted at since the Prophecy was revealed.

Of course, the deaths were disturbing, especially the one of a certain house-elf, but the character that has seared himself into my memory is probably the one who redeemed himself eventually, as most would have guessed.

Before I give away any more of the story, I think it's time to stop gushing and let those who haven't read it for themselves. Cheerios.

Harry Potter

OMG it's down to the last book. I'm gonna get my greedy paws on "Deathly Hallows" (DH) in less than 12 hours. But I probably wouldn't be able to finish it tomorrow because I have a symposium to attend. =(

I wouldn't declare myself an ardent Potter fan, but the release of a new HP book never fails to excite me. I pre-ordered the last 2 books in the series and eagerly devoured them whole on the first day of release, which is what I intend to do for DH as well. And since DH is the grand finale, I've done some revision in the form of watching "Order of the Phoenix" (OotP) (how convenient!), and listening to the "Half-Blood Prince" (HBP) audiobook in the last couple of weeks. Heh, eye power preservation. I shall save the reading for tomorrow.

I was introduced to Harry and gang when I was in Sec 1, thanks to Ms. Kala. That seems like eons ago, before most of the population caught the HP fever. Harry and gang were 11 then, when I was 13. Now I'm 20 and they're gonna be 17.

It's actually quite cool to be able to grow up along, and identify with the characters, as they grapple with issues we encounter as students - exam stress, teenage angst, infatuations, rivalry, etc. It helps that the series has progressed from juvenile fantasy to darker, more brooding themes at about the same rate I shed my innocence and got inducted into the realities of the adult world. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the series as much had I been a kid or adult.

And so it's with great anticipation, and a little sadness (knowing that it's coming to an end) that I await the final conclusion to a significant chapter in my growing-up years. Let the magic begin.

GOF!!

GOF was a blast!! Definitely the best movie I've seen this year, but take that with a grain of salt coz u're hearing this from a HP fan.

Seriously though, the CG effects were brilliant, and the cast delivered a sterling performance, esp. the more experienced (i.e. older) members. I was pretty impressed with Michael Gambon (Dumbledore) although I really disliked him in POA. His flamboyant style of expression is in stark contrast to the late Richard Harris whose reserved reticence evoked a sense of wisdom more like the Dumbledore I envision in JK Rowling's books.

Characterisation was generally well done, with sufficient focus on flashing out the personality of each character even though most didn't have much screen time. Think Rita Skeeter and Cedric. I also thought Mike Newell handled the emotions of the characters after Cedric's death pretty well, though I think he was let down by Daniel Radcliffe's slightly rigid acting.

There were also many hilarious parts reflecting the classic British wit (Mike Newell being the first British director of the HP movie franchise), but I thought the romance aspect was overplayed. I didn't really like the Yule Ball scenes, especially when Hermione started screaming at Ron and Harry. I think Emma Watson went a little OTT there. Still she's really pretty to look at and played Hermione reasonably well. Rupert Grint (Ron) had much less screen time but he made them count with his "cute" expressions and exclamations.

Overall a great movie, with a good balance of narrative, action, cinematographic effects, and a solid story-line (that is if you have read the books) to boot. I might just find time to watch it again.

And yes, before I forget, AJ, Jinny and zejia each owes me $7.50 for the movie. =P

Next movie to catch: KING KONG!! The trailer was amazing, so LOTR-ish, or should I say Peter Jackson-ish. I don't really like Naomi Watts, but Adrien Brody and Jack Black shouldn't disappoint. As for The Chronicles of Narnia, I'm still not impressed.