Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

Posted by benjamin on November 20, 2010

In order to give you an adequate review, then I need to at least read the Potter books. Check on that one and just let me say that the Deathly Hallows was easily my least favorite of the series. Would the movie follow suit? Let’s see.

These days when watching a Potter film, I find myself more interested in the actors portraying the characters than the characters in the story. Harry Potter, a coming of age story, has essentially become a real life coming of age event for Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint. These kids were around 12 years old when the first film was released and here they are today in front of us on the screen as 20 somethings. As the characters have grown, so have the actors who have portrayed each of them. However, it is this growth that can make certain scenes still awkward for us. Sure, Harry and Ginny are a couple. Sure, Hermione and Ron are a couple, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still think of them as just kids on screen. The worst occurrence of this is for one scene in the woods where we are shown Harry and Hermione as…more…than friends. Like I said, awkward. (You’ll know the scene when you see it.)

But beyond the coming of age story, there is a family and heart and humor. It is the last of these three that I was most shocked at seeing because this is the point of the Potter series were all hope and happiness is lost as it seems they are facing an unbeatable opponent. But it is this humor that the writers use to keep things interesting and presented in a way that kids would and maybe should face these harsh realities. For a movie that is quite dark, there is a great deal of humor to help you enjoy the long journey and find some hope that everyone will make it in the end.

Visually, the movie is quite stunning. It is probably easy to do so when a franchise makes as much money as the Potter films but there are scenes were I was marvelling at the “magic” of cinema. One in particular is another wooded scene where Ron is facing off against a horcrux. If Lost had that kind of CGI, then maybe many people would not have laughed upon seeing the Black Smoke Monster.

Overall, I wasn’t thrilled with this movie. I realize that more now as I have to see it as a part of the journey and some of the better scenes will await us in Part 2. I’m just hoping in Part 2 that people such as Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean, Hot Fuzz, Love Actually) and Alan Rickman will be given a chance to shine alongside their dark companions, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes. Here’s waiting until July 2011 to finish the series.

The Verdict:

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