Well guys and gals, this is it. Once this plotline is completed, the entire epic saga of the Boy Who Lived will be over. So, I highly recommend that you save some of those tears of yours for while the film is playing at the theatre you are going to watch it at (Like you are going to miss it!). This is the first time we ever see Harry outside of school. The question is: can he apply the knowledge that he has learned over the years to defeat his greatest enemy? This question also applies to the cast and crew, which is where I’ll cover ground first.
The cast from all the other films are back with a vengeance, and either love them or hate them, they give their all in this second to last installment. A lot of the characters are reduced to cameos though and that may impede a positive reaction from the audiences round the globe. But this film is not about Lupin, Tonks, or even the Weasley family. No, this is the ultimate character study between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Over the past ten years, you have either come to love or hate the actors that portray characters as influential as Frodo Baggins. But, I can honestly say that with each outing, Dan, Rupert, and Emma have all grown as actors. And they bring their A game to the table. They kind of have to, seeing as how for half of the film, they carry it. And then I had almost forgotten the best performance of them all: Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort. This is the only actor that in my opinion, can pull off the sheer malevolence and EVIL that is Voldemort. He is frightening to behold, even to those who pledge allegiance to him. And Fiennes has defined the character on film.
Even though a majority of the film was shot on location, there were also some beautiful sets. Most notably, the Ministry of Magic. When the bad guys take over, Muggles are crushed beneath Pure Bloods (or so the statue would have you believe.).
I’m also glad that they used the original sets from the first three films for the Dursley home. Seeing Harry visit his old cupboard for the last time was very moving. Also, we finally get a look at Malfoy Manor. And it is every bit as demented as it is huge. But much like the book, there is no Hogwarts this year. I guess we’ll have to wait for Part 2 to see what the Death Eaters have done to it. And this is as director David Yates put it, an Epic Road Film. And we see some very awesome scenery as the trio travel from place to place, avoiding Snatchers and trying to find a way to kill Voldemort.
The movie, while based on the book by JK Rowling, was written by Potter veteran, Steve Kloves. Kloves penned all of the Harry Potter films with the exception of Order of the Phoenix. And he wrote a spectacular script that I must say, is one of the most faithful adaptations to date. And he did it while adding some of the flair that gave Prisoner of Azkaban its charm and appeal. He gave the Big Three a lot of character development while letting us know what old Snake Face was doing behind the scenes. He wrote a script that was not cliché. Granted, he based his work off a book that is anything but a cliché. And I applaud him for bringing us some of the best dialogue this side of Inception. And for a movie as dark as this one, still allows for some form of levity. Mostly between Fred and George, and Ron and Hermoine.
Then there are the Special Effects. These are breathtaking in their execution. Even more so because I saw the movie in IMAX. That opening chase sequence was amazing.
And while the house elves Dobby and Kreacher have come a long way, they are still as fake as can be. Gollum definitely looked more real to me. But everything else was spot on magic. I could actually believe a motorbike could spit fire from its exhaust pipes. I could see a toilet be the front door to the Ministry of Magic. But there is also a great animation sequence that makes it all worthwhile. Remember Hellboy II? That opening animation that was just freaking awesome? This one is Harry Potter blows that animation out of the water. And its actually a lot better than just watching Hermione read the Tale of the Three Brothers off a page. I give the Special Effects Department a thumbs up!
But a lot of my praise goes to David Yates. Yates, introduced himself to the world by directing The Order of the Phoenix. He gave Harry Potter his own brand of style while taking him to darker places that previous installments had thus far not traveled to. And lets face it, Yates KNOWS a good action sequence. That final battle in OOTP, was astounding. And he has not lost his touch, with the opening flying motorbike chase a very memorable scene. His cinematography for Half-Blood Prince was nominated this past year for an Oscar. And he has really upped the ante as he takes Harry to places that he has never been before. And I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us next summer!
Now, onto the tricky part. This is the reason why a lot of people who were still new to Harry Potter left the theatre: the plot. WARNING: if you have not seen any Harry Potter film, this one especially, there are SPOILERS. If you have not seen a Harry Potter movie before, Deathly Hallows Part 1 is NOT where you want to start. It takes off at mach ten and never looks back. The film barely explains anything, assuming the viewing audience has seen Harry before. There are many references to Chamber of Secrets, when Harry killed the basilisk and stabbed Riddle’s diary (a Horcrux) with a basilisk fang. How Harry almost swallowed his first Snitch (I hope you know what that is by now!). And of course, everyone recalls how Snape killed Dumbledore in the last film. This is not a film for beginners. This is a film for finishers. But there are a few things that bug me: (1) the mirror fragment was never properly explained. If you have read the books, you know it was a gift from Sirius in OOTP.
(2) Bill, Fleur, their wedding, and Mundungus Fletcher. Don’t get me wrong, it was awesome to finally see Bill Weasley (Charlie was absent again), but it all seemed kind of rushed. Harry didn’t seem to have that much of a problem being rushed into a plan with people he’d never met before. And of course (3) the ending. As most of you know, The Deathly Hallows was never meant to be split in two. This is ever more apparent when I watched the film. It doesn’t have that much of a cliffhanger. Granted, Voldemort finally acquiring the Elder Wand at the end does present a pretty good cliffhanger. If it was done properly. Throughout the film, you know that he is looking for something, but the plot is so rushed that it doesn’t really give anyone a chance to understand the gravity of the fact that You Know Who now has the most powerful wand ever made. Add that to the fact that when the film ends, only the readers know where Harry and Co. are, Shell Cottage. But its only a house in the background. But other than those gripes, this is imo the best film is the series. Believe me, I had a lot more problems with the Prisoner of Azkaban than I did with this one.
I have always said that every film have problems. It’s just that some films can’t hide theirs. And Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One does an outstanding job of working past all of the little technical problems that come with a big budget film, the plot decisions that come with creating a cohesive continuity, and issues that come with one of the most highly followed franchises in the past fifteen years. I started reading Harry Potter in the third grade. I have been hooked ever since. And to see the books that I keep on my top shelf come to life over the past ten years has been an awesome rollercoaster ride. True, there have been dips and jolts, the most nauseating loop-de-loops, but it has been a fun ride nonetheless. And the ride isn’t over yet! The journey ends July 2011 and you can bet that I will be there to see it!
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