It All Ends Here

Rating: 9/10 (28 November 2010)

Part 1 begins as Harry, Ron and Hermione set out on their perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort's immortality and destruction--the Horcruxes. On their own, without the guidance of their professors or the protection of Professor Dumbledore, the three friends must now rely on one another more than ever. But there are Dark Forces in their midst that threaten to tear them apart. (Warner Bros. Pictures)
As the WB logo appeared deteriorating before my very eyes, I knew things have changed since the first HP film. Each succeeding HP film has gotten progressively darker as the series is coming to its end. HP7, the first part of the last film, doesn't change the pattern. It's a dark film, literally and figuratively. The film shows blood as if it were nothing and even the cinematography has gone shaky-cam style in some action scenes. However, being part of the last film and all, HP7 doesn't have a lot of action as one might have thought. It's arguably the slowest moving HP film to date and that's equally its main strength and downfall.
Having the pace slow down quite a bit hurts the film for the most obvious reason: It meanders, especially in the second act. I actually felt like looking at my watch, which never happened to me before in the previous films. However, the film is still filled with a lot of information. Non-readers will find themselves overwhelmed by the information hurdled at them and even I, who have read the books, felt confused in parts of the film. Ironically, most of the series' best moments are in this film. That's because the slow pace allows for a lot of intimate scenes between the three young actors, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.
These three actors have grown with each passing film and it shows here. I think Watson and Grint were really at the top of their games in this film. Radcliffe, while the weakest, is good too but not as good as the other two. While I'll take intimate scenes between them over action any day, there were just some scenes that were really tedious. Still, that didn't ruin the film for me. It just bothered me. The other cast members don't appear in the film as much, but it's appropriate considering the three main actors are isolated from society. Like the previous HP films, the cinematography and production are gorgeous and the score by newcomer Alexandre Desplat brings in a fresh voice to the franchise.
As a fan, I would say this is the most disappointing HP film to date, although that's no way to say the film is bad. It's a good film, but a very flawed one at that mainly due to it's slow pacing. The three actors are as great as ever and the film ends at the perfect point for part two. If you're a HP fan, there's no doubt you'll enjoy this.