Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Bill Nighy, Bonnie Wright, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs, Brendan Gleeson, John Hurt, Rhys Ifans, David Thewlis
Directed by: David Yates
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
2010
Times Seen:
Tim: 1
Summary: Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermoine (Emma Watson) race to destroy the Horcruxes before Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) completes his final plan.
Review:
Tim: The penultimate Harry Potter movie sets up the final showdown, but suffers a bit because this feels like a transition movie, progressing the story just enough but not giving too much away. That hurts the film a bit. However, this is still a solidly made film, and actually pretty amazing that the seventh film in a franchise is able to maintain the level of quality that this one has. It's pretty stunning.
I do want to state that while these films are surprisingly good, there hasn't been a great Harry Potter movie since Goblet of Fire. The last two films (both directed by David Yates) left me wanting more. They were certainly good, but by no means great. Unfortunately, Yates will finish off the franchise, as he directs this film, and the final one. Once again, Yates gives us a very good- but not great film. I actually think a better director should have been responsible for closing out this franchise.
This is the first film that departs from the typical format of Hogwarts playing a large part in the story. I'm actually very glad for that. While it was fun for a number of films to follow that "back-to-Hogwarts" formula, it got a bit tired near the end. This film was refreshing because of the unique formart. School is certainly over, and now it's time to get ready for Harry v. Voldemort.
The cast here is once again good. It's amazing to see how much Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson have grown up over the years. They are adults now, and that lends to the seriousness of the film. The supporting cast is huge, and none of them really get too much screen time. I once again love Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort. Bonnie Wright, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Brendan Gleeson, John Hurt, and Rhys Ifans are all good, but have small parts. Helena Bonham Carter has a little bit of a meatier role, and I liked that aspect of the film. However, the bulk of the movie is spent with Harry, Ron, and Hermione- as it should be. These three friends are front and center, and their relationship gets deeper, more complex, and interesting. That's really the best aspect of the film.
This movie does mostly what it was supposed to- set our characters up for the climactic finale. This film does feel like a set-up movie, as the story isn't pushed forward too much. There's some good action scenes, but this movie felt like the talkiest of the bunch.
While I am critical of several aspects of this film, I should stress this point- David Yates did manage to take a set-up movie and maintain the level of quality of the previous films. This movie still doesn't live up to the potential of the Harry Potter films, but it didn't decrease in quality, either. That is pretty impressive. If anything, this movie gets audiences ready for the big showdown in movie #8. That can be called a success.
At this point, we've come to expect this from the Harry Potter franchise. It's truly amazing how good these films still are, even after all these years. This will go down as one of the greatest franchises of all time. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 isn't the best film in the franchise, but it isn't the worst, either. I really believe the final film will be pretty amazing.
Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5
If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince