Throwback Thursday Review: 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1'

I apologize for the late review but I had a busy week and only just now managed to find rime to sit down and watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Next week I will conclude my Harry Potter reviews with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 to tie in with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. In the meantime other reviews you can expect from me soon include Arrival, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is the seventh film in the Harry Potter series adapting the first half of the final novel. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they undergo the mission left to them by Dumbledore to locate and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, pieces of Voldemort's soul hidden in various objects, in hopes of ultimately defeating Voldemort himself only to learn of the three most powerful object in magical history, the Deathly Hallows.

As you may know if you've read my reviews of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1 & Part 2 I'm not a fan of when a studio decides to split a book into two films upon adapting it for the big screen, seeing as both halves feel incomplete. That's once again the case with this film seeing as it's mostly build-up that doesn't pay off till the next half. 

David Yates returns to direct the final installments and thoroughly examines the politics of the Wizarding World amidst the chaos that has befallen it in addition to telling the crucial tale at hand. Yates once again brings the Wizarding World to life thanks to the phenomenal work from the cinematographer Eduardo Serra, costuming department, production design team, and visual effects artists. The enchanting world we've come to know feels plunged into darkness as a nice representation and symbolic showing of how Voldemort's rise to power would affect the Wizarding World. 

The screenplay penned by Steve Kloves does an excellent job translating J.K. Rowling's novel to the big screen, making miniscule alterations to either enhance the narrative or trim down the running time and fit everything necessary. 

One issue is that by the very nature of the story, the film is primarily the Hogwarts trio running around, hiding, and searching for Horcruxes and so naturally there's some teen angst and melodramatics among the group in the second act that isn't all that interesting to watch. It's not the fault of Kloves but only part of the source material being adapted that's being stretched slightly to extend over the course of four to five hours in two films, a factor that I believe makes a case for a Harry Potter Netflix series that could be quite successful as they can take as much or as little time necessary to tell the entire story of one year over the course of episodes in one season as opposed to one film and likely make for an entirely faithful adaptation of the source material. Alexandre Desplat takes up the mantle of composer and crafts a gorgeous score that is filled with both hope and despair and the perfect parallel to the events on screen. 

The cast includes returning members from the previous six films as well as some new additions that all prove up to the task. Daniel Radcliffe's Harry Potter continues to mature as he steps further into the role of the Chosen One and hero of the Wizarding World, Emma Watson remains the ever consoling and insightful shoulder to lean on as Hermione Granger, and Rupert Grint brings charm and courage to Ron Weasley. 

Ralph Fiennes makes a grand overcoming and enigmatic threat of Voldemort, making the inevitable confrontation between himself and Potter all the more exciting for the concluding chapter. 

Returning significant cast members include Robbie Coltrane, Brendan Gleeson, David Thewlis, Natalia Tena, Julie Walters, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Fiona Shaw, Richard Griffiths, Harry Melling, John Hurt, Simon McBurney, Toby Jones,Warwick Davis, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Dave Legeno, Helen McCrory, Jason Isaac, Tom Felton, Timothy Spall, and Imelda Staunton who all do well in the time allotted but are cast into a more secondary supporting role as the film focuses on the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione (the cast is so immense now that I won't bother listing out the character names for those who don't have a major role to play). Additions to the growing cast include Bill Nighy's Minister Rufus Scrimgeour and Rhys Ifans' Xenophphilius Lovegood who each have their own vital role to play in the overarching story.

In conclusion, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is another technically proficient chapter in the Harry Potter franchise with a grand visuals, an enchanting score from Alexandre Desplat, and tremendous performances from a gifted ensemble cast. It's problems lie in the feeling of incompleteness and some of the less interesting storytelling to be found in the second act. When paired with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 it makes an excellent companion piece but when separated it doesn't manage to stand confidently on its own.

Film Assessment: B-