The Verdit Is In.......And It Ain't Good For Harry

Rating: 3/10 (8 October 2012)

For all the Harry Potter fans out there that are saying this was the scariest movie they've ever seen... Well, I'm not surprised. I mean really, since the Harry Potter series was written for kids, it doesn't surprise me that a bunch of 12 year old girls that have a thing for Harry thought this was terrifying. What does surprise me is that they all have IMDb accounts and have no shame in throwing 10 star ratings around like pink glitter and Tootsie Pops... But as much as I love insulting "the youth", lets stay on track and go over exactly why this movie blows.
The one thing you would think that a period piece like this would have going for it would be atmosphere, right? London at night in the early 1900s with the fog and gas lamp lit streets. Perfect setting for a scare, right? Well, think again dummy. The director manages to get NOTHING from this absolute gift. And even though the production is good and the surroundings look creepy and authentic... It is truly mind boggling how devoid of atmosphere this film actually is. And making matters worse, there's practically no music throughout the movie to set the mood properly either. Instead we are treated to an array of sound effects you would most likely hear at a cheesy haunted house at Halloween.
On to acting and dialog. Harry himself isn't that bad, but the writing and the direction is, and he and the rest of the cast suffer because of it. There is little-to-no chemistry between the actors and everything is rushed. Scenes start mid-conversation without characters ever having been introduced and interactions between them that should be creepy and unsettling are over within seconds in stupid 'shock value' scenes leaving you to just chuckle and shake your head in dismay at all the missed opportunities.
So, unfortunately for Potter fans no matter how many times you polish a turd, it's still a turd. And that's exactly what this film is: a big stinker. If you're hard-up for this time period I would recommend "The Others" which is much better than this mess.