And speaking of movies

[annathepiper]

Finally also saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with solarbird and spazzkat last night, at the Meridian downtown after work. That was fun.

I expect everybody and their grandmother’s already seen this one too, but I’ll keep reasonably spoiler-free anyway and simply that that for my money, this implementation of the plot was a lot tighter than the book. They did a decent job culling the big honking brick that is Book 6 down to movie-length, I think. By necessity this does mean that there’s a certain lack of depth to what’s left on screen, but that’s kind of okay for me still; we’re closing in on the big climactic end to the saga, so it feels okay to get more epic in scope and to have less focus on the day to day details of what’s going on.

Plus, I must say that this was a visually stunning movie as well. We all felt that the Obligatory Quidditch Scene(TM) made quidditch actually look like a sport, which was pretty neat. Also neat to see them playing during a snowstorm. AND… oh okay, so I’ll get at least a little spoilery…

The scene towards the end where Harry and Dumbledore are sneaking into the cave to swipe the Horcrux was decently creepy, even if we all were going “OHNOEZ Harry is getting glommed by the All Singing All Dancing All Gollum Zombie Cabaret!” And seeing Dumbledore cut loose with the setting the lake on fire? DAMN, Albus! That? That is why you do not fuck with Dumbledore.

Man, and this is what he can do when he’s at the end of his life, an old and wizened wizard. I just get a little in awe thinking about what he must have been capable of when he was in his prime. Wow.

Mirrored from annathepiper.org.

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I just get a little in awe thinking about what he must have been capable of when he was in his prime.

If he could do that, and *couldn't* stop Voldermort, think how awesome James and Lily must've been, whose combined effort *did* stop him? *That's* a tale worth telling.

Come to think of it, Harry ought to turn out to be pretty awesome, too, if he comes up against a good match to hone his skills against. But that's a story that probably *won't* get told... alas. (Unlike, say, Star Wars, which is proving to be the Energizer Bunny of 'verses...)

[annathepiper]

Well, Voldemort didn't show up until Dumbledore was already pretty old, yeah? The Dumbledore we see in the flashback of him meeting young Tom Riddle was already looking fairly grizzly around the edges. And that was in keeping with what's described about that scene in the book, as I recall. No, I'm talking Dumbledore when he was younger than that, and actively in his prime.

And certainly grown Harry in his prime ought to be pretty damned impressive, though yeah, I'll be content if we don't get that story. I'm increasingly a fan of stopping a series at a decent breaking point, I am. :)

[demongamer.livejournal.com]

The best part is, Dumbledore is doing the giant firey thing at the cave, and the duel in book four all without word charm chants.

[annathepiper]

I hadn't caught that! That is cool.

[kisanthe.livejournal.com]

You know, there's an episode of Yu-Gi-Oh where Yugi (I feel so geeky...) has his Dark Magician in play. His opponent uses a magic card that ages every monster on the field by a thousand years, which in some cases leaves them toothless and defenseless. However! The Dark Magician is a different sort of beast. His power is through learning, not physical strength, and the older he gets, the stronger he becomes; and so instead of destroying him the magic card turns him into the Dark Sage. He creaks like a mother and can barely move, but WHOOSH go his ungodly strong spells!

I think it's the same with Dumbledore. When we see him in action we're not seeing the remains of the mage he used to be but a wizard who is in his prime. His physical gravitas never much mattered and his mind hasn't gone, so magic-wise he's surely every bit as strong as in youth and then some. ;)

[annathepiper]

Fair point! I would not be surprised if that's the interpretation we're supposed to have, just because Rowling does play her wizards and witches (at least the ones as old as Dumbledore) fairly "traditionally". So yeah, it would make sense for the ancient wizard to be the one able to kick much more ass.

Though I do really wonder what Young Dumbledore was like, too. I keep thinking about that lovely fanart I saw once which depicted him with long red hair and with the phoenix. :) I'd like to see some good fanart of Young Dumbledore cutting loose with magic like that.

[wildshadowstar.livejournal.com]

I can't remember what book it was in, but I think the comment went along the lines of Dumbledore was the only wizard that Tom Riddle was ever scare of, or something like that because Dumbledore was such a better wizard.