First Harry Potter 7.5 screening was last week (spoilers)

[Deadsy 19]

and instead of posting the whole thing I'm just going to post the important parts (in my Snape-obsessed opinion).

 

but Alan Rickman (Snape) and Maggie Smith (McGonagall) really do steal the show. Snape gets to become a fully emotional character in this film, as evidenced via the phenomenal Prince's Tale memory sequence, slipped into the ranging and bloody battle for Hogwarts. Snape is a heartbroken shell of a man when Lily is killed, and we see every level of those emotions in Rickman's performance. The Prince's Tale scene is one of the best moments in the entire series, and stays with you long after you leave the theater.

Following a short montage of Voldemort taking the Elder Wand from Dumbledore's grave, the film opens with Hogwarts Headmaster Snape observing as students are marched, in lock step, across a courtyard in the castle.

In a change from the book, a number of shots were added to the memory scene showing Snape at Godric's Hollow, discovering the dead bodies of Lily and James. Snape falls to the floor upon seeing Lily's body, and then cradles her in his arms, sobbing, as the year-old Harry Potter looks on from his crib. Rickman's scenes with Michael Gambon (Dumbledore) also hit the mark, showing the backstory of Dumbledore's search for the horcruxes and Snape's love for Lily. Young Snape, Lily, and Petunia have been cast perfectly as well... even young James Potter seems to have been captured the way Snape's character remembers him from the book.

In Snape's death, Rickman gives a chilling performance along with Ralph Fiennes, who goes on a Death Eater killing spree as he learns the last bits of his soul are being systematically destroyed.

ALAN RICKMAN's PERFORMANCE

He will tear out your heart. Do not be surprised if he gets an Oscar.

[Ekho 52]

I'm not surprised Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith steal the show, although I didn't think Professor McGonagall would be in the film that much from my (somewhat murky) memory of the book.

[jan 14]

Yep, not surprised to hear about Alan Rickman at all. Good to know that McGonagall is a show-stealer too -- I was disappointed with her in the books in general.

[Deadsy 19]

I'm not surprised Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith steal the show, although I didn't think Professor McGonagall would be in the film that much from my (somewhat murky) memory of the book.

 

She wasn't in it much, but her moments were pretty awesome. She ties the Carrows up with some nifty magic, she duels Snape, organizes the school's defenses. She also duels Voldemort (with the help of two other Order) for awhile at the end, but I'm sure they took that out of the movie. Oh and when she thinks Harry's dead she screams (or makes some other kinda super sad noise) and I was like "aww"

Edited April 9, 2011 by Deadsy