Where's the Magic?

Rating: 6/10 (20 November 2010)

Let me start by stating that I'm a huge fan of the books and have enjoyed the movie franchise that followed as a whole. But there are a couple of things that irked me while watching the new addition to the series.
First let me advise anyone who's going to see this movie to watch 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' first, since the story is a direct follow-up of the previous film. We are approaching the final hour in which Harry Potter, the boy who lived, is going to face He-Who- Must-Not-Be-Named in a battle to the death. Before he can face Voldemort, Harry must destroy the remaining Horcruxes, pieces of Voldemort's soul that make him immortal. The script itself follows the book quite closely, but it lacks structure. The feeling is as if the movie is just a mash-up of scenes with the same characters without any connection between them. And Kloves (the screenwriter) had to close all the loose ends he had created over the years which feels quite forced, introducing new characters that were supposed to appear in previous movies and so on.
Also, the direction seemed confused and clumsy, borrowing heavily from other movies (Metropolis, Bourne series, Lord of the Rings as an example). This movie had lost its magic. The wands in this movie could have be easily replaced with guns. The shaky cam adds nothing but confusion and the score is somber and un-heroic, it's not memorable as the timeless tune from the earlier movies.
There were a couple of good sides to the movie as well. It's nice to see how much the actors have matured and honed their acting skills. Rupert Grint is worth to mention as the best actor of the trio, simultaneously being funny, dim witted, brooding and heroic. The SFX are top notch, it's too bad that it has to deal with the bluish grayish cinematography that dulls every shot. The chemistry between the actors and characters is apparent on the screen and they're a couple of scenes that adds depth to their relationship.
Overall, the movie falls short with the botched script and the inconsistent direction, but it is saved by the actors, beautiful sets and locations and the SFX. If you're a fan, you won't miss it anyway, and if you're a casual viewer, I advise to watch the previous movie first and not expect too much. 6 out of 10