The first HP movie I saw in theaters was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010). That's apart of my past I'd do over again to see the previous films on the big screen. This installment pioneered the idea of dividing a book into two parts. It's safe to say that this movie is still the best two-parter film. Many movies have unnecessarily divided theirs up, but Deathly Hallows actually deserves this. Read why here! Spoilers will follow.
Dumbledore is dead, and the wizarding world is on the brink of chaos. Harry, Ron, and Hermione start their quest to destroy all of Voldemort's horcruxes. This leads them to discover the Deathly Hallows. Heaps of events take place in this film thanks to the sturdy source material. To quell any more questions about why it deserves to be a two-parter unlike most, the horcrux missions could not be cut. Our protagonists have to find them all and doing so off-screen would be regretful. With that being said, let's move forward.
The beginning starts out swiftly. We see the Dursley's packing up and leaving. As much turmoil as they put Harry through, he still cared enough to warn them. There's a deleted scene with Harry talking to Dudley in a heartfelt manner, but it apparently ruined the flow of the opening. Change the flow then. We are left without the closure the book provides which is a mistake by the producers and director. This leads to us seeing newspaper headlines with titles like "Three Muggles Found Dead in their Home". Hermione makes a painful decision to cast the spell "Obliviate". This erased her from her parent's memories... How heavy must that have been for her?
Harry is awaiting the arrival of the order and finds looks into the cupboard under the stairs where he used to sleep in a wistful way. Once the order arrives, they take polyjuice potion to mask Harry into the crowd. Unfortunately during the flight, Hedwig is killed while helping Harry... It's a dismal moment for me each time I watch.
Bill and Fleur are getting married. Bill is the eldest Weasley brother, and Fleur was the Beauxbatons champion in Goblet of Fire. On the morning of, we have a humorous moment amongst the chaos. Harry and Ginny are kissing (after a classic "zip me up" bit), and George sneaks in unbeknownst to them with a nicely timed "Morning." The minister of magic, played by Bill Nighy, gives our three heroes their parts of Dumbledore's will. This will be crucial to their success.
Hermione's bag is something everyone wishes they had. I don't mean as a fashion statement but that it seemingly goes on forever. This helps among many things including getting a horcrux from inside the overtaken ministry. The actors the three take the form of are perfectly cast, and they mimic the main cast in many ways.
Ron departing due to the effects of the Horcrux is hard for Hermione. Harry attempts to make her feel better by things like dancing. However, it doesn't work. During this time, Harry and Hermione travel to Godric's Hollow on Christmas Eve where Potter was born. The snow and tombstones set the stage for an intimidating scene. Seeing an elderly woman turned into a snake is pretty disgusting. That's why it was nominated for visual effects.
In the night, Harry finds the sword of Gryffindor. It's an exceptional scene where Ron destroys the locket. This turns into the snatchers moment. Technical wise, the movie is stupendous. Moments like the invisible border where it pans in a circle between Hermione and a snatcher is an excellent example of good cinematography. This reminds me of how superb the editing and sound always seems to be in the Harry Potter films. David Yates, director of the last 4 films, knew exactly what he was doing (except the Dursley's exit).
The final moments are intense at times. Hermione being tortured by Bellatrix (Helena Bonham Carter is perfect casting) is cringy like it's supposed to be. Thankfully, Dobby comes to the rescue. Not thankfully, Dobby meets his demise after a successful rescue. Again, we are heartbroken considering how innocent and pure Dobby was as a free elf.
In the end, we all know Voldemort gets the elder wand from Dumbledore's grave. He visited an imprisoned Grindelwald for this knowledge. The shot of him shooting the lightning left us all wanting more, and we received just half a year later.
Overall, it's a near-perfect film that deserves more respect as a top half Harry Potter film in my opinion. My movie rating is an A.
Click here for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince review.
Click here for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix review.
Click here for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire review.
Click here for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban review.
Click here for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets review.
Click here for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone review.
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