Coming to an exciting close!

Rating: 8/10 (23 April 2011)

After a long journey in both book and film format the Harry Potter saga is finally coming to a close. The millions of fans around the world will already know the outcome of the story due to reading the book when it was first published back in 2007. However seeing a film-maker's interpretation of the books is a whole new experience, and in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part One they will not be disappointed.
All the cast regulars return for this penultimate film in the series, as they will for the very last film, Part Two. Due to the huge scope of the story in the final book the film was split into two separate parts. In this film we get to see Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Rupert Grint as Ron, and Emma Watson as Hermione on a mission to defeat Lord Voldemort by seeking out and destroying the horcruxes which make him immortal.
There is an ominous feel to this film and a very real sense that we are heading for a final climactic showdown between Harry and Voldemort. Indeed, the Dark Lord has taken measures to prevent this occurrence by dispatching the Death Eaters to capture Harry. He has also taken control of Hogwarts and the Ministry Of Magic, meaning that in this film our trio of heroes do not have the support from others which they have enjoyed in previous adventures. Therefore they have to rely on each other and work as a team much more than ever before.
Despite not having as large a part to play in this film, The Deathly Hallows still features performances from many well respected British actors. Robbie Coltrane returns as Hagrid, along with Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, John Hurt, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith and of course Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort.
There is no doubt that this is the darkest Harry Potter film yet both in terms of content and the way in which it is shot by director David Yates. The strain of the foreboding situation even tells on the friendship of Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they try to escape from the Death Eaters that are hunting them. This is without a doubt the most grown up Harry Potter film to date.
As with all the films in the Harry Potter franchise, the big action sequences in The Deathly Hallows are exciting and visually stunning. They are more sinister in tone than normal to tie in with the general feel of the movie, and younger viewers may even be frightened by some of the imagery. They are handled absolutely correctly however to replicate the feel of the book, and to keep the audience entertained.
Despite the fact that it would be impossible to include everything from a Harry Potter book in the film version, the Deathly Hallows is a very faithful adaptation. Fans of the book will not be disappointed in the attention to detail shown here, and in fact Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part One is sure to leave everybody looking forward to Part Two and the completion of this much loved, record breaking series.