- Director David Yates - Hallows Horcruxes (talk | contribs)
Ever since the first of JK Rowling’s novels was published in 1997, Harry Potter and his world of wizardry have taken the world by storm. The books ignited a new culture of children reading and have rejuvenated the dead genre of kid’s fantasy. In 2001 Warner Bros. Pictures released the first of the film series to great acclaim and box office success. In the intervening 10 years, Harry and his friends have experienced the greatest of adventures and challenges along the way. The books finished in 2007 with Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, it has taken three years for the films to catch up, but this month sees the release of the film version of the final novel. That is the first part of the final novel, being as it is cut in two for its cinematic conclusion.
Picking Up Right Where We Left Off
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is about to turn 17, and when that happens he won’t be safe at his aunt and uncle’s house anymore. The Order of The Phoenix is moving Harry before this happens, but Voldemort (Ralph Feinnes) is aware of their plans.
Picking up were the final film left off, Harry and his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Harmione (Emma Watson) go on journey to find the remaining horcruxes that will lead to the destruction of the Dark Lord. In the meantime, Voldemort himself is looking for the mysterious objects known as the Deathly Hallows to lead his fight against the wizarding world. An animated sequence that the story of these objects is the film's brilliant highlight.
The latest film in the Harry Potter series goes along way to helping erase the errors made with the film version of Harry Potter The Half-Blood Prince. Returning series director David Yates sets up the tone right from the beginning with a somber warning about the looming war from new mister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour (Bill Nighy.) The film is a bleak and foreboding road movie with our heroes on a seemingly impossible mission with Harry even descending into despair about the impossible task that faces them.
Inside The Wizarding World
The Deathly Hollows is a great adventure movie with the usual Harry Potter strengths and weaknesses. The three stars are finally beginning to sit comfortably in their roles, but Grint is the only one who stands out against the supporting cast of powerhouse British and Irish character actors.
The main problems with this film also stem from the strongest aspect; the splitting of the book into two films. The good thing is Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves have given themselves plenty of time to pack in full story and to allow a real sense of dread infect the wizarding world, and early scene with some scary evil snatchers in a muggle coffee shop is truly brilliant. You get the feeling sometimes though that HP7 is really a best of from the book, and not a real adaptation of the material.
Part 2
The film is also a lead in for the huge finale that will come when Part 2 opens next July. The cliffhanger ending is clearly trying to ape the set up that was so perfectly achieved by Peter Jackson at the end of The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring but doesn’t quite get there.
Still Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 is an engaging, scary, funny and entertaining film. Its successes outweigh its failures and it only makes you more excited for the final part.
- Director: David Yates
- Writers: Steve Kloves (screenplay) JK Rowling (Novel)
- Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Feinnes, Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters, Alan Rickman
- Running Time: 146 minutes
- Country: USA/UK
Gregory Breen - Gregory Breen was born and raised just south of Dublin, Ireland in the town of Dun Laoghire. He lived in Canada in 2006 for a year and ...
