A QUEUE for the latest instalment of the Harry Pottersaga at the Savoy cinema wound its way out through the glass doors and into the drizzling rain and semi-darkness of Dublin's O'Connell Street yesterday evening.
Those standing in the rain had already bought their tickets for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but were waiting in line to get the best seats.
At first glance, the patient moviegoers were simply a reflection of the popularity of the children's film, but there was something missing. Where were the children?
There was hardly a single one in sight. No doubt the penultimate movie in the series will attract plenty of minors over the weekend, but yesterday it seemed to have drawn those who were children when the first Harry Potterbook came out in 1997.
For anyone who has been living under a stone for the last few years, the Harry Pottermovies are a blend of science fiction, fantasy, action, adventure and drama and are based on a series of seven books written by author JK Rowling.
Potter is a child and then a teenage wizard who attends wizard school, meets wizard friends and fights a bad wizard to the death. The final tome in the series, The Deathly Hallows, published in July 2007, has been divided into two movies. Part two will be in cinemas next July.
The Harry Potterevening performances at the Savoy were already sold out yesterday afternoon when those who had attended its early showing emerged, blinking from the darkness. They had gone into the cinema at 1.45pm and had not been released until 4.20pm, but the endurance test had not wilted their enthusiasm.
Callison Stratton (20), from New York, a student at UCD, thought the movie was fantastic. Dressed in a Harry Potter T-shirt and a "Gryffindor" scarf, Ms Stratton said she had read the books "multiple times".
"It was everything I hoped for and more. I couldn't ask for a better Friday; it was the best day of my year," she said.
"There were parts left out, but I'm sure they'll cover those in the next movie."
David Bailey (17), from Bray thought the movie was really good and had seen all the others.
"It's probably the best so far," he said.
Although Stephanie Croizet (20) hadn't read the books and hadn't even seen all of the movies, she enjoyed yesterday's show nonetheless.
On holiday in Ireland from France, she said it did make her jump in one or two places.
"It frightened me a little, but that's okay, I'm 20, I'm no more a child," she said.
Grace Gannon from Stoneybatter also admitted to being a little frightened: "I knew what to expect but it was definitely scarier than the others." For Anne Kelly and her sister Maria from Blanchardstown, west Dublin, the movie was enjoyable, and the special effects were good, but their loyalty lay with the books.
"I really liked the books," Anne said. "I'm not sure you'd have been able to follow it if you hadn't read them."
