This trailer was taken from: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” Trailer 2 Official HD (Video). September 22, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzfEH0UPEBo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Directed by: David Yates
Written by: Steven Kloves
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Bill Nighy and Helenha Bohman Carter
“These are dark times there is no denying” Those are the opening words of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and it perfectly defines everything that follows it. Since its humble beginnings, the Harry Potter franchise has taken the world by storm and now the final chapter is upon us…sort of.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Which in this review will be referred to as part 1 so I do not have to write that title multiple times) is without a doubt one of the, if not the best film in the Harry Potter film series so far and is definitely one of, if not my favourite. With part 1, David Yates has finally directed a good Harry Potter film with the previous two films being rather weak. Part 1 is both visually gorgeous, as well as atmospherically gripping with fine performances from its cast and moments of genuine emotion, excitement and humour. Part 1 is significantly darker than the previous 6 Harry Potter films and I would argue the scariest by quite a long stretch. There are some moments that watched in a cinema will definitely make up you jump with Voldermorts pet snake Nagini providing the films jump out of your seat moments. The films dark tone is much appreciated and greatly raises the stakes and intensity of the story. A scene right at the start where Voldermort and his gang discuss their plans at a table is a perfect representation of this, with a beaten up woman hanging in the air, she is brutally taunted, murdered and then used as dinner for Nagini. Does that sound like your cuddly, friendly family Harry Potter film?
Another highlight of Part 1 is its technical wonder, fantastic special effects, gorgeous art direction, cinematography, great sound effects and a great score all help provide a feeling of spectacle to the film. A sequence involving multiple Harry Potters is particularly technically impressive. Part 1 has many scenes that are the definition of thrilling, with a broom chase and a scene in the ministry of magic being especially exciting. While Part 1 is deliciously dark, technically gorgeous and incredibly exciting (in parts, more on that later…) it is the performances that also really stand out, to compliment the sense of dread and visual wonder that the film provides. Emma Watson gives perhaps her best performance of the series, while Rupert Grint gets to do a lot more than just be comic relief. However the real cream of the Harry Potter acting crop comes from the supporting cast who all in short scenes provide the film with real quality. Ralph Fiennes Voldermort is an absolutely superb and terrifying villain who dominates every scene he is in, Helenha Bohman Carter is her usual yet brilliant self as Bellatrix Lestrange, Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy is able to display a variety of emotions within a few mere facial expressions, Jason Isaacs is also fantastic as a broken man and finally Bill Nighy makes a short yet brilliant cameo.
For anybody who has followed the Harry Potter series from the start, this film contains many neat touches and emotional moments that will be appreciated. As Made Eye Moody says early on in the film “Yes, yes its all very touching” there is a real sense of nostalgia and how far the series has come throughout this film. However there is a moment in this film (Which I will not spoil) that is truly heartbreaking and incredibly emotional. While I did not cry, I had never felt that sad during a Harry Potter film and during any other film this year. It also demonstrates how CGI characters can provide just as much emotion as live actors.
However despite its dark atmosphere, fantastic visuals, brilliant performances and emotional moments the film does have its flaws. As this film is only one half of a larger story there is a slight feeling of incompletion once the final credits roll. However I argue that this film works perfectly fine as a stand-alone and has left me incredibly excited for part 2. The main flaw of the film however is that particularly during the middle section of the film it moves rather slowly and is rather dull. The film is going to test the patience of younger audiences. However despite the films length and slow nature in parts as well as it being one half of a story, the film is incredibly strong and one of my favourite films of the year. It contains some of my favourite scenes of the entire film series, such as the brilliant animation describing the deathly hallows, something that could work fantastically as a stand alone animated short film.
Overall Part 1 is dark, mature, gripping, visually fantastic, emotionally effecting and has a variety of great performances. While the slow pace and nature of the film may annoy some people, this is without a doubt one of the strongest films in the Harry Potter series and dare I say it the strongest. Its flaws affect the film quite a lot and it isn’t completely perfect but it has definitely made me anticipate part 2 more than I was going in.
One Sentence Summary: A dark tone, emotional scenes, gorgeous visuals and fantastic performances make this Harry Potter arguably the strongest in the series, even if it is slow and only half a film.
8-/10
Directed by: David Yates
Written by: Steven Kloves
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Bill Nighy and Helenha Bohman Carter
“These are dark times there is no denying” Those are the opening words of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and it perfectly defines everything that follows it. Since its humble beginnings, the Harry Potter franchise has taken the world by storm and now the final chapter is upon us…sort of.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Which in this review will be referred to as part 1 so I do not have to write that title multiple times) is without a doubt one of the, if not the best film in the Harry Potter film series so far and is definitely one of, if not my favourite. With part 1, David Yates has finally directed a good Harry Potter film with the previous two films being rather weak. Part 1 is both visually gorgeous, as well as atmospherically gripping with fine performances from its cast and moments of genuine emotion, excitement and humour. Part 1 is significantly darker than the previous 6 Harry Potter films and I would argue the scariest by quite a long stretch. There are some moments that watched in a cinema will definitely make up you jump with Voldermorts pet snake Nagini providing the films jump out of your seat moments. The films dark tone is much appreciated and greatly raises the stakes and intensity of the story. A scene right at the start where Voldermort and his gang discuss their plans at a table is a perfect representation of this, with a beaten up woman hanging in the air, she is brutally taunted, murdered and then used as dinner for Nagini. Does that sound like your cuddly, friendly family Harry Potter film?
Another highlight of Part 1 is its technical wonder, fantastic special effects, gorgeous art direction, cinematography, great sound effects and a great score all help provide a feeling of spectacle to the film. A sequence involving multiple Harry Potters is particularly technically impressive. Part 1 has many scenes that are the definition of thrilling, with a broom chase and a scene in the ministry of magic being especially exciting. While Part 1 is deliciously dark, technically gorgeous and incredibly exciting (in parts, more on that later…) it is the performances that also really stand out, to compliment the sense of dread and visual wonder that the film provides. Emma Watson gives perhaps her best performance of the series, while Rupert Grint gets to do a lot more than just be comic relief. However the real cream of the Harry Potter acting crop comes from the supporting cast who all in short scenes provide the film with real quality. Ralph Fiennes Voldermort is an absolutely superb and terrifying villain who dominates every scene he is in, Helenha Bohman Carter is her usual yet brilliant self as Bellatrix Lestrange, Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy is able to display a variety of emotions within a few mere facial expressions, Jason Isaacs is also fantastic as a broken man and finally Bill Nighy makes a short yet brilliant cameo.
For anybody who has followed the Harry Potter series from the start, this film contains many neat touches and emotional moments that will be appreciated. As Made Eye Moody says early on in the film “Yes, yes its all very touching” there is a real sense of nostalgia and how far the series has come throughout this film. However there is a moment in this film (Which I will not spoil) that is truly heartbreaking and incredibly emotional. While I did not cry, I had never felt that sad during a Harry Potter film and during any other film this year. It also demonstrates how CGI characters can provide just as much emotion as live actors.
However despite its dark atmosphere, fantastic visuals, brilliant performances and emotional moments the film does have its flaws. As this film is only one half of a larger story there is a slight feeling of incompletion once the final credits roll. However I argue that this film works perfectly fine as a stand-alone and has left me incredibly excited for part 2. The main flaw of the film however is that particularly during the middle section of the film it moves rather slowly and is rather dull. The film is going to test the patience of younger audiences. However despite the films length and slow nature in parts as well as it being one half of a story, the film is incredibly strong and one of my favourite films of the year. It contains some of my favourite scenes of the entire film series, such as the brilliant animation describing the deathly hallows, something that could work fantastically as a stand alone animated short film.
Overall Part 1 is dark, mature, gripping, visually fantastic, emotionally effecting and has a variety of great performances. While the slow pace and nature of the film may annoy some people, this is without a doubt one of the strongest films in the Harry Potter series and dare I say it the strongest. Its flaws affect the film quite a lot and it isn’t completely perfect but it has definitely made me anticipate part 2 more than I was going in.
One Sentence Summary: A dark tone, emotional scenes, gorgeous visuals and fantastic performances make this Harry Potter arguably the strongest in the series, even if it is slow and only half a film.
8-/10
