Harry Potter

I gotta admit, I am super stoked about seeing the new Harry Potter movie. Now, obviously it has already arrived in theaters, so this post is a little delayed. You could argue that a true fan would have been there for the midnight released, possibly dressed in their Hogwarts robes. That may be so. It does not bother me, however, as I am not a die-hard fan of the Harry Potter series. Don't get me wrong--I loved the books, and I have enjoyed the movies thus far. J.K. Rowling created a truly fun and fantastical world with characters that are easy to relate to (if you remember the tragedy of your own high school years, in any case). I've also enjoyed the dark progression of the books and the level of seriousness Rowling brings to her audience. Unlike many young adult novels, she doesn't skimp around issues like jealousy, sexuality, and death. The reward, then, is a novel that while juvenile in some aspects offers up an enjoyable story and I am a fan.

This will date me a bit, but my first time reading the novels was over seven years ago. It was my senior year in high school and I had caught the flu something awful. My father had purchased the books for his own reading and generously lent them to me while I was ill. I tore through all four in just under two weeks. I don't need the highest-quality literature, I just want a good story, and that is exactly what Harry Potter was. Now my fandom falls a little short, because I read the fifth book...and then kind of skipped the last two. Realizing last Saturday that the sixth movie was about to be released, I borrowed the last two books from a friend and finished them this past week. As a rule, I try not to see movies like Harry Potter without having read the books first. It makes a large difference, because despite good intents, valuable information is always missing from movies.

The last two books were exactly what I wanted them to be: fast-paced, full of the whimsy and magic that I love, the predictable twists and that age-old struggle between good and evil. I'll admit that the ending of the final book was a bit of a let-down for me. The final fight between Voldemort contained too much dialogue and that, I feel, took a bit of the intensity out of the battle and its resolution. Also, the epilogue-type ending with all the pieces falling into their happy little places was reminiscent of Steven Spielberg--I simply don't agree that such tidy, happy endings are necessary. However, I still enjoyed both thoroughly.

So when will I go see the movie? Probably in another week or two, when the popularity has worn off. My father and brother will go with me, as they have for the other five movies. We'll go to a matinee where there are only a few other patrons; the one mom with her kids, perhaps two or three couples of various ages, and inevitably the solo guy, the one who looks like comic-book guy from the Simpsons with a huge tub of popcorn and a gallon of soda. He is prepared. He'll watch the movie with intensity, memorizing every deviance from the book and comparing the new director to directors past. He probably has a giant crush on Emma Watson (and who can blame him? She is both beautiful AND legal). I used to make fun of him, but now I understand. It really is the best way to experience a movie.

I'm stoked.