Both a Triumph and a Failure in Some Ways...

Rating: 8/10 (26 November 2010)

This is not a film propelled by its plot. Plot, specifically, is its central weakness.
Probably its greatest strength is the cinematography. Its a visually gorgeous film in every way possible. The house elves look better than they ever have, the weird inky trails the Death Eaters leave as they fly is even better looking than in any previous film.
And, of course, the characters, as should be, are the focus. It is hard to write an entirely fair critique having read the books, but the characters continue to reveal their complexities and their weaknesses. All around, they continue to gain depth.
But, to delve into this film's weaker point, one must look at it as a standalone film, which is what it tries to be, and succeeds on some levels, but fails on others.
Unfortunately, it very much feels like the first half of a story. There is no resolution, which is not problematic in itself, except for the fact that a good deal of the film feels stalled in the woods. This is by far the slowest of the films, and the least spectacular in the literal sense of the word. The magic is not gone, nor is the humor, which, honestly, is handled very well considering the dark overtones. However, we spend a good deal of the film hanging out, aimlessly, in the woods.
Aimlessness is exactly the problem, and its a frustration that is supposed to be shared between the characters and the audience, but it wavers quite dangerously over a line called "tedium." And some of the film does begin to feel tedious, as if we're only stuck in certain scenes because that's what has to happen on screen in order to get to the next thing. I noticed a certain relief in my theater when something funny happened, as if everyone was thinking, "Alright, something finally happened." Like they were a little too eager to laugh, and needed something, anything, to keep their attention on the screen.
Of course, this seems nitpicky, but considering that the story here is meant to garner interest, and to increase the tension, and that it gets a little tiresome before the end credits roll, something is clearly not working as it should.
Yet, considering that this is practically spot-on with the first half of the book, it's hard not to have sympathy for the production team. Whatever problems the book had, so too does the movie have, and for fans that is going to seem great, but the movie still does not move in an entirely satisfactory way.
This is to be fairly expected, and for someone unfamiliar with the story, I imagine it must leave one waiting tensely for the next installment.