Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: Captivating

Rating: 10/10 (24 November 2010)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is absolutely spellbinding; a full-blown fantasy epic with the magic, heart, and characters we have come to love over the last decade's worth of Harry Potter films. However it is a different world. For our heroes Harry, Ron, and Hermione are no longer bound to the safe haven Hogwarts once provided, but are on the run, trying to find the Horcruxes to defeat Voldemort.
Dan, Rupert, and Emma have never been better, and Rupert especially manages to project genuine anguish and emotion into the audience, something we have not seen from him before. Emma Watson has always been in my opinion the strongest of the three, and its no different here. You can't teach the way she delivers lines and between her and Toby Jones as Dobby, the two of them steal the show. That's not to say that Daniel Radcliffe was not a standout as Harry. He carries the film quite well as our reluctant hero, and manages to convincingly pull off some very tense moments in the film. Ralph Fiennes as always is terrifying as the Dark Lord, even with his limited screen time, and Helena Bonham Carter is Bellatrix Lestrange (notably in the final few scenes which get quite crazy). This franchise really has casted better than any I've seen in quite some time.
The special effects as always are breathtaking, with many enthralling action sequences throughout, with some noteworthy cinematography from Eduardo Serra. The nature and scenery shots are absolutely beautiful and the darker, greenish tints play quite nicely with the film's mature tone. On that note this truly is the darkest film by far. Violence and gore is seen throughout, as well as some more adult themes, and the little ones should be cautioned. That being said, if your family has grown up with Harry Potter, then it should be no problem.
Unsurprisingly, this film adapts the book incredibly well, probably the best since Chamber of Secrets, due to its splitting of the final book. Some have criticized the film as being slow in the middle because of the camping scenes. I have to disagree with these critiques however, for it moved quite nicely, and every scene had information relevant to the plot. Fans of the books will be incredibly excited by the attention to detail portrayed in this "Potter", and the subplots included. David Yates has finally directed the film that will please both the die-hard fans and the casual moviegoer. All of the films have been masterfully done, but I am aware as a fan of the books, that some fans have been slightly disappointed by the adaptations of the last two films. That being said I was extremely satisfied by this film as both an adaptation and prelude. I do feel like this film will be especially fun to watch back to back once Part 2 comes out, which I can not wait for. If you have not seen the previous movies, or read the books, do not bother with this movie. You will not enjoy it more than likely, and be confused beyond reasonable doubt. Overall this film is absolutely mind-blowing, and now my favorite of the films that were previously Goblet of Fire and Prisoner of Azkaban. And yet, it is only half the journey. For the epic finale awaits in July, and as we draw nearer to the close of our beloved boy wizard, one can only wonder if the magic will ever really end?.....