Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Director David Yates’ third Potter film has the unique task of converting one half of the final volume in the series to the screen. I was anxious to see if this process would result with a whole movie with it’s own arc and development. I found that it did and while all the questions weren’t answered, many were. The story follows Harry, Ron and Hermione as they try to find and destroy the horcruxes that make up the fragments of Voldemort’s soul. In the meantime, Voldemort is busy controlling the Ministry of Magic and attempting to find a powerful wand that can once and for all finish off “The Boy Who Lived.” A handful of conflicts are resolved before the credits role so Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a successful stand-alone film.

While the cast is an abundant grouping of actors doing their best to make an impact on this mammoth film, the three leads steal the show. Rupert Grint transforms the deadpan Ron Weasley he spent six films creating into a layered character full of flaws and quirky habits more like an actual living person. Emma Watson’s Hermione Granger battles all sorts of emotional turmoil in a well-acted journey through a battle with remorse, high expectations and even physical torture. The much-improved sidekicks would lead the way if it weren’t for the chosen one himself, Harry Potter, well at least the actor who plays him, Daniel Radcliffe. With the toughest and most complex character in a multi-billion dollar film franchise, it’s unbelievable to consider the high level performance Radcliffe consistently gives with very little experience acting in anything except the scar and glasses role. Though Deathly Hallows Part 1 showcases his ability to play everything from comedy and action to horror with a hint of romance.

The film is lengthy at over two and a half hours, but the pacing fluctuates between edge of your seat hectic and comfortably slow. It doesn’t weaken the film however. With the full array of genres on display, the tempo fits and allows for the actors, music, and special effects to impress. As David Yates has done in his prior two Potter films, there are a good number of beautifully shot scenes that hold up against any Academy Award winner. In this case, paired with fine acting and some pretty darn good writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 crosses the boundary putting it in the same territory as award winning sci-fi and fantasy epics like Lord of the Rings. Overall, the film does the book justice and makes the fans proud. I loved it in the most biased way possible. (9.4 out of 10)