The Magic Is All Right

The last time a Harry Potter movie did its thing in movie theaters around the world – that’d be Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 2009 – I declared the stage had been set for the ultimate battle between the bespectacled wizard and He Who Must Not Be Named.

Now that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 it out, though, I must revise that statement.

Director David Yates, who took over the franchise with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, has been ushering the Potter Gang and its portrayers – Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron), and Emma Watson (Hermione) – into young adulthood rather nicely, readying them for that final showdown against Lord Voldermort...and, in the case of the actors, life after Hogwarts.

It can be argued that under Yates’ helm, the movies found their tone more fully.

I personally would tend to agree with that assessment, but then again I think that everyone who’s ever steered a Potter movie was right for the job.

Chris Columbus introduced us to the magic, Alfonso Cuarón brought out the story’s darkness, Mike Newell upped the stakes....

This being the adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s seventh chapter in the saga gives the movie a more epic scope. By splitting the book into two parts, Yates & Co. certainly have added to that effect, but Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, yet another faithful-to-the-page take, alright, feels different.

It is by far and most definitely the slowest, most serious entry yet. And that’s both a good and a bad thing. By sandwiching the action with a long middle section during which nothing seemingly happens (or, OK, not a whole lot), the movie builds and builds to what promises to be a second part that shan’t be missed...but at the same time, this may frustrate Rowling-non-readers who may want to see some action.

There’s also a lack of magic in this one that some may find off putting.

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are out on their own in the Muggle world, without the guidance and protection of their fan-favored professors. We know the magic will be safeguarded as long as the young wizards are around, but we also see how strong the other side has grown. This is probably the most vulnerable they’ve been, and they will face real loss from now on.

A line has been drawn in the sand, and as the movie opens the trio is seen making the difficult decisions they must make to ensure they will survive what lies ahead. It’s heartbreaking, but necessary. Their commitment to their mission to find and destroy the Horcruxes containing bits of their enemy’s soul, and to one another is undeniable, which is not to say they and their loyalties won’t be tested along the way.

Meanwhile, Camp He Who Must Not Be Named has made great strides in furthering its agenda. Voldemort’s Death Eaters have seized control of the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts and are hot on Harry’s trail. By the end of the movie, it’s obvious this could go either way.

The stage is now set for sure, and Part 2, I hear from someone who has read the Rowling books, will be packed with action.

I cannot wait.

My Rating ***

Photo: Warner Bros.