Viewed in
2010, 2011 (2)
Formats
IMAX theater, DVD
Premise
The first half of the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series.
Liked
Pretty much everything... I think...
Thoughts
Part of me wanted to put this review on hold until after the conclusion, months from now.
Much like the book, this chapter in the saga felt different, because our heroes were on the road, never stepping foot at Hogwarts. While there were mysteries to solve, it felt more like a long chase movie, full of deadly pursuits and close calls.
In context of the entire franchise, it was really fun watching the puzzle pieces come together, as events/characters from the first movies/books began to reveal their place in the whole tapestry in J.K. Rowling's imagination. The best thing about making this novel into two parts was that the film makers were able to take their time with minor characters and even bring the amusing side of magic back into the series. Also, it gave me time to shed a few tears as more and more beloved characters became casualties of war.
While the opening opening action sequence was fantastic (pity it was not in 3D), some of the later action scenes felt too hectic to understand what was happening. Also, Ron's big test was a bit over-the-top for me.
The biggest problem with the film was that as a stand-alone movie, it probably left too many loose ends. A lot of clues and characters seemed to nonsensical or lacked meaning. As the film neared the end, I did not want it to stop, because I knew and dreaded the fact that it would be months until I could see how everything ended.
Obviously, this probably was not intended to be stand-alone, but it did compel me to advise my family to hold off on watching this until Part 2 comes out.
Since my memories of the novel were hazy at the time viewing this title, I could not really compare it to the book. However, the differences I did recognize seem mostly logical from a film making perspective.
Technically, it did everything right, it made me laugh, cry, and get excited in the right moments. The unintentional side-effect was that it left me feeling incomplete. It was a little unnerving, but all I can do right now is trust that everything will make sense (and be worth it) in the end.
What I would change
No idea.
Random
In the credits, they listed a dialogue coach for Parseltongue.
