One of the darkest and one of the best

Rating: 7/10 (4 January 2011)

If you're a hardcore HP fan then I'm sure this movie will not disappoint. The first of the last, this film really does have to perform, and perform it does.
The mood of the film is a dark one, one of the darkest. As it turns out, Harry Potter gets darker and more depressing as they go along. However, what do you expect? Harry's adventures aren't designed for laughs, even though there still are some. It seems there is a little less action in this film. It focuses more on the characters themselves: Harry's quest to defeat Voldemort, Hermione's regret having left her parents and Ron's feelings for Hermione. Yes, there are still some fighting sequences from the start, but you have to remember that there's still another film, and those who have read the books will know that jinxes, curses and punches are plentiful in the second half.
As for the acting, you get the impression that the film makers have called over Daniel, Rupert and Emma and said "look, this is the last film, OK? Let's make it a good one". As a result, the performance has improved dramatically. Superb timing, I think. Voldermort and Snape say very little in this new instalment, though you still feel their presence in some way or another.
Despite all these fantastic additions to the film, I still have a few complaints. Even though the book is split into two parts, the writers have cut some of my favourite scenes out. They completely missed Dudley shaking Harry's hand and toned down the torture scene with Hermione and Bellatrix to retain their 12A rating. I would forgive them, yet I discover that they have gone and added completely unnecessary sequences to fill them in. I personally loath the scene where Harry and Hermione start dancing. It ruins the feeling of the moment, so you end up thinking "huh?". When Ginny asks Harry to do up her dress, you wonder why the writers have included it. Surely they could've shown their relationship better than just showing off skin. I also think that the trios journey into the Ministry of Magic dragged on a little, and the miming was quite obvious.
Nevertheless, I still think it is one of the best films in the series, and Voldermort flying through the air was one of my favourite moments. It certainly leaves an impression on you when you leave the cinema.