The Harry Potter film franchise has always stood in the shadow of the book series on which it is based, and it always will. There exists a certain imaginative charm in the books that simply cannot be captured on film. This is no fault of the filmmakers who have attempted to adapt the various books; it's just a difficulty that comes with the territory.
I initially hated Warner Bros.' decision to split the final installment in the series into two movies; it seemed like a financially-driven decision typical of today's Hollywood's corporate players (see: The Twilight Saga). However, I'm happy to say director David Yates and his team took this decision in stride and subsequently made the best Harry Potter film yet.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) opting to miss their seventh and final year at Hogwarts so they can pursue and destroy the Horcruxes, which hold the key to Voldemort's power.
I noticed something about halfway through this movie: this is the first time the three leads have been tasked with carrying a movie mostly on their own. The aforementioned Hollywood players behind the Harry Potter franchise have an uncanny knack for casting the who's who of British stage and screen royalty in their movies (I think Liam Neeson might be the only one who's missed out thus far). This time, however, we spend most of our time with Radcliffe, Grint and Watson, and we don't even visit Hogwarts. Fittingly, the three give their best performances to date. Their iconic characters feel like real people, and their chemistry reflects the time the actors have spent together on camera all these years.
The performances are definitely helped by the excellent source material. Deathly Hallows is an amazing final installment, make no mistake, and Yates runs with it. From the flying motorcycle chase to the infiltration of the Ministry of Magic to Harry and Hermione's visit to Godric's Hollow (my favorite scene in the entire book series), this movie is packed full of memorable scenes.
The Ministry of Magic scene deserves a special mention. In it, Harry, Ron and Hermione transform into Ministry employees using Polyjuice Potion. The employees, played by David O'Hara, Steffan Rhodri and Sophie Thompson, obviously don't look like the three lead actors, but their performances are hilariously similar. I'd love to ask Yates how he approached this scene; I wouldn't be surprised if some meticulous character workshops were involved. O'Hara, who many will recognize from his roles in The Departed and Wanted, is particularly funny in his interpretation of Radcliffe's walk and physical mannerisms.
That said, we spend a lot of time in the woods in this movie. This was perhaps the biggest complaint fans of the book had upon its release, and it remains here. Yates and crew do their best to switch it up a bit; they change locations and scenery several times, but it still feels like an inordinate amount of time spent wandering the forest.
Aside from that, there isn't much at all to complain about. The leads are wonderful in their roles, as is the supporting cast. The action is filmed perfectly, and the special effects are the best in the series. We've come a long way since Sorcerer's Stone.
It was really disappointing to see Deathly Hallows: Part 1 end. They picked a decent point to leave off, but waiting until July will be excruciating. I still hate the decision to split the seventh installment into two films, but there is a silver lining to that dark cloud: if we can have two movies that are this good instead of just one, then I won't argue. Part 1 receives my highest recommendation. Bring on Part 2.
4.5 stars out of 5
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