Perfectly Set-up for the Finale

Rating: 8/10 (20 November 2010)

David Yates is credited for having pushed the Harry Potter franchise down a shallow gutter. The last 2 movies in the series were an average fare compared to the previous versions, but with the new Harry Potter movie, he manages to push it all behind, and he might have just brought the franchise back to its glory again. But be warned, if you proceed to watch this movie without having followed the previous movies, or at least have failed to read the books, then this movie will be clear to you as a person who has just been cast the 'Obliviate' spell (which in HP terms, purges a person's memory). Another piece of advice, this movie is much more mature and darker than the previous movies. What started out as a fantasy for kids has moved to the next level and taken over the mantle of a wholesome movie for all the fans of the franchisee.
As usual, the movie starts with the the group trying to get Harry Potter to safety by flying him out of the Godric's Hollow out of reach of Voldemort and his gang of Death-Eaters. Some breathtaking scenes follow it up where he is escorted to the Burrows with the Death-Eaters and Voldemort trying to take him out. The rest of the movie deals with Harry, Ron and Hermione trying to solve the riddle of finding and destroying the Horcruxes.
The first part of the seventh movie definitely is a bit slow but caters out well as the movie progresses. The action scenes have been perfectly orchestrated, and some of the scenes have been shot extremely well. The first half does well to keep the movie audiences well attended. There is rarely a dull moment, but the problem arises after the interval, when the trio spend most of their time in a tent in the wilderness. This is where the movie starts to drag a little and there are long unnecessary stretches which could have been cut out of the movie to eliminate the extra minutes. But it never fails to let the viewer go with its interesting moments that occur at regular intervals. At 2 hours and 26 minutes, you might feel the movie is a bit long, and yes it is indeed. But its worth it. The screenplay is extremely well handled by Steve Kloves. The best part is how Yates plays with the viewer's emotions, especially during the climax where a thrilling part of the movie takes a wild turn and engulfs you with the other side of emotion that you would have never expected. Nonetheless, the high point of this movie is how well it is set-up for the launch of Part-II of the Deathly Hallows and an exceptionally well done animated sequence about a story of three brothers. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson who started out as kids, have grown out of the shell, and have probably given their best performance yet. (Especially Emma and Rupert). A special mention to Peter Mullan who portrays Yaxley, has a very small part, but plays it out extremely well. There are definitely the let-down moments, but the lead-up to the big finale is definitely exciting. Rating: 7.5/10