That is how I always react to a Harry Potter trailer, but this time I don't think I'm going to be let down! I just have a feeling. The Harry Potter films can be hit or miss. They are chalk-full of emotional moments, particularly for a fantasy series (where there is more focus on sweeping, world-changing events than on character depth), so whether or not they are good quality films, I have ended up crying in each and every one.
Why do I have such faith in The Deathly Hollows Part 1? Well, for one thing, I think this book might be better suited to the film media in the first place. The tension between the characters, particularly Ron and Harry, is going to be beautiful when portrayed by these actors who have grown up together and gone through so much work to tell this story. Book 7 has also been criticized for its conclusion being focused more on action than on plot - something I think can be done much better in film than in writing. I realise that what I am referring to specifically comes at the end, and thus in The Deathly Hollows Part 2, but all of the flying chases, wizards' duels, bank robberies and jumping into frosty lakes after swords should look nice on screen. Maybe that's just my lack of visual imagination - I can never really picture Harry flying away from a dragon on his broom - but there is some very good material for a film adaptation of this book.
The other thing that appeals to me is getting away from Rowling's narrative voice on this one. As much as I love the conclusion of the series, the first time I read this book I very quickly got sick of how whiny Harry was about Dumbledore's death. Instead of having things happen in the first couple hundred pages of the book, Harry moped around by himself in the Burrow and dwelled on how Dumbledore kept secrets from him. Hopefully the film can portray this through a few lines of dialogue and some good acting, instead of pages and pages of whining. Pretty much my only qualm about book 7 - I think Rowling wrapped her masterpiece up beautifully.
So, these are just my thoughts and expectations prior to seeing the movie. I'll be back with a movie review shortly.
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