Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Reviews

Hay rumores que dicen que David Yates estaba ocupado con la ultima cinta del niño mago y que por eso tuvo tuvo que relegarle la labor de dirección al director de fotografía de esta (Eduardo Serra). Independientemente de quien allá sido, lo cierto es que se saco la riata para hacer la mejor entrega de esta saga. Sigue excelentemente el tono de la película anterior, la puesta en escena y banda sonora son fantásticas a la hora de crear la atmosfera asfixiante que el director pretendía hacer que sintieramos y sobre todo, hila excelentemente el inicio con el final de la saga. Mis únicos problemas son algo similares con los de la primera cinta, algunas pistas se les dan a los protas porque si, aunque aquí almenos si que descubren otras por su cuenta. La escena de Ron escuchando por la radio acerca de la gente desaparecida por Voldemort esperando no oír el nombre ningún familiar suyo mientras viaja con un objetivo incierto se gano su lugar en el cielo del cine.

Hands down, the most boring movie in the entire franchise.

After viewing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I declared it the worst of the Potter films so far. It was quickly replaced, however, by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Still, when all was said and done, I enjoyed the films, as they still managed to mostly display what had made the more entertaining predecessors so enjoyable. Unfortunately, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (an extraordinarily tedious name to say or type), is the new weakest entry for the series, and it could hardly be considered enjoyable.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione set out on a quest to destroy the Horocruxes which keep Voldemort immortal. And that's essentially the entire plot.

There are a number of things that make the Harry Potter films enjoyable. The characters are the main reason, but also visual effects, music, humor, and the magical setting of Hogwarts. Unfortunately, very little of this is contained in this penultimate chapter.

Absolutely none of this film takes place in Hogwarts, which means that almost none of the characters that we've come to very much enjoy seeing are in this film. Harry, Ron, and Hermione eat up almost all of the screen time, while their character flaws are more noticeable than ever. Other than Bellatrix, most of the villains get only a single scene.

Neville is seen once, gets one line, and has completely lost his shy, clumsy personality that made him so likable in the previous films. Luna Lovegood is hardly in the film at all. And of course, almost none of the Hogwarts teachers are in this film. The one character that DOES return however, is Dobby- the house elf that makes Jar Jar Binks seem intellectual. Still, he only gets a few scenes. New characters like Xenophilius Lovegood and Rufus Scrimgeour get sadly little screen time.

There is almost no humor in this movie. This is most likely due to the darker tone, but the film is so dreadfully dull, a little more comedy would've helped things considerably.

The visual effects don't get too many chances to show off in this film compared to the previous entries, but the effects do sparkle when they're on screen. Admittedly, there is one less-than-convincing snake, but other than that, the visuals are great, though less so than the last four films.

The pacing is so absurdly slow that one will feel every second of the 146 minute run time. While the other Potter films have also boasted lengths of similar size, they never felt nearly as long. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows drags and drags.

I didn't even feel like it was building up to anything either. Other than in the very last scene, there's no great sense of anticipation. The whole film feels plotless and aimless.

There were really only two truly well done scenes. One involved Hermione Granger reading a sort of fable about three men meeting death, which utilizes some really nifty animation, though this sequence would've probably been enhanced by some music, as there is none during this segment. The other brief, but notable scene involves Bellatrix torturing a main character. This is notable because it's painful and horrific, without actually showing anything. It's by the strength of the onscreen acting that this scene is so successful.

Thankfully, the acting has not slipped much. The main trio of Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson are still solid in their roles. Still, as they're basically the only characters we see for most of the film, there's not much else to say in regards to acting.

The music was immensely disappointing given the composer on board: Alexandre Desplat. There was not a single moment where the score stood out. The entirety of the music felt like underscore, though in all honesty, that's really all it was. Now, this isn't really Desplat's fault. There simply isn't much for a score to do in this film, as nothing really ever happens during the movie. Still, this seems to be the weakest of the Potter scores thus far (a spot previously held by the score for the Half-Blood Prince by Nicholas Hooper).

Boring, uninteresting, and painfully slow, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 takes nearly everything that made the previous films so entertaining, and throws it all out the window. A disappointment in nearly every respect, Deathly Hallows: Part 1 lacks the sense of magic, wonder, and -most importantly- fun that this film very much needed. Deathly Hallows: Part 2 already has the expectations of keeping up the standard of a successful film series. Now it has to make me feel like watching this tedious and frightfully dull film was actually worth it.

As we come to the close of the worldwide phenomenon that is the 'Harry Potter' series, it's hard not to feel a mixture of excitement and sadness in waiting for the grand finale. Yet here is the much-anticipated Part 1 of the final film, and let me say that it's certainly a delicious appetiser for what should be a grand main course. 'Deathly Hallows: Part 1' is a fresh and dark addition to the series, with many slow scenes reflecting deep emotion, and other suspenseful and wonderfully thrilling action sequences. The film hits a good balance between the two, despite the middle section perhaps dragging slightly. Yet, for fans that have come to love the characters and care for them, some solid character development does not go astray. The acting in the series has never been better from the three leads (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint), all of whom shine brightly in their colourful roles. It is true that the absence of Hogwarts, and therefore a lot of the fun and humour of the supporting cast, does take some of the joy and life out of the film, yet it is not meant to be joyful and happy. This missing substance is compensated for by the wonderful sets and landscapes that grace the screen, and scenes of stunning visual effects that look and sound spectacular. The plot is very faithful to the books, much more so than the previous three instalments, yet lacks the back-story that allowed previous instalments to work on their own. To understand 'Deathly Hallows', one must be familiar with the series; otherwise it will be near incomprehensible. For fans such as myself, the adaptation works well. Non-fans may beg to differ. For those not acquainted with the seventh book, 'Deathly Hallows' is essentially a road trip. The protagonists, Harry, Ron and Hermione are on the move trying to find Horcruxes (pieces of the arch-villain Voldemort's [Ralph Fiennes] soul that must be destroyed in order to kill him), and hence tensions rise within the group as progress does not seem to be in sight. The three friends no longer have the help and the safety of Hogwarts and its pupils, and witness a world that is being torn apart by Voldemort's supporters, the Death Eaters. A number of confrontations and complications follow as the trio go on their way, including a violent and explosive sky battle, a struggle within the Ministry of Magic involving the returned Dolores Jane Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), a terrifying encounter with Voldemort's snake Nagini and a climatic skirmish at Malfoy Manor. Of course, it is disappointing to see some major changes to the plot, with some key scenes left out, yet interestingly some new and impressive additional scenes which do not appear in the book (or have merely been mentioned), are present which is pleasing to see. There has been controversy as to whether the decision to split the film into two parts was a valid decision. From seeing this film, it seems folly to suggest that it should have been one great film. Either it would have been disastrously long, or it would have left out many important details that are pivotal to the plot. Part 1 sits at a good length, and the split can only be seen as a disappointment due to the fact that it is another eight months until we see the complete 'Deathly Hallows'. In comparison to other 'Potter' films, it definitely ranks among my top favourites, though I am fonder of the later, darker and more mature films in series.
This is not a movie for kids, it is a movie for the fans who have watched this series grow with maturity since it's beginning. With humour, tragedy and romance, 'Deathly Hallows Part 1' is also aesthetically filmed and well acted, and has all the essentials to make a great film, even if it doesn't quite feel complete yet.

In this, Kloves could make a great script that appeals both fans whose worry too much about fidelity to the book about the fans who prefer a movie that flows well (like me). Yates proves to be the best director of the saga, and hits in all scenes, including creating beautiful scenes like the dance between Harry and Hermione and when Harry visits the grave of his parents, scary scenes like the house of Bathilda Bagshot and great action scenes like the battle of the seven Potters. In terms of performances, it's also the best one. Radcliffe finally shows a nice dramatic flair, Grint won't disappoint those scenes (and still shows its good comic timing). However the highlight of the trio goes all the way to Emma Watson, as her character Hermione also gets an interesting highlight in this chapter because it is the best in magic, it is she who takes care of Harry and Ron on the journey in search of the Horcruxes. And Emma doesn't disappoint, delivering a fantastic performance (the scene in which it erases the memory of their parents is one of the most beautiful of the saga for sure, thanks to her acting). The older actors do not appear much in this, since the movie focuses on the trio most of the time, but it doesn't disappoint in small moments in the scene (as always Raplh Fiennes as Voldemort is fantastic). Technically, is not the best of the series but is one of. The visual effects, Oscar nominations, although they are well used, are way far from being very realistic (the Chamber of Secrets, Dobby, was better than the new and the Prisoner of Azkaban, dementors, were much more realistic). The art director Stuart Craig has always been perfect, and that, even without the backdrop of Hogwarts, is still very good (the landscapes are gorgeous, and some scenes of destruction are great), deservedly nominated for an Oscar as well. The photograph although not as good as the Half-Blood Prince, is beautiful. But the coach will focus entirely on the soundtrack of Desplat. Many fans were calling for the return of Williams for the final chapters of HP, and I can say it was good he didn't return. Williams could hardly write a novel as beautiful as that Desplat composed. Besides beautiful tracks, Desplat also appears to be able to create good tracks for scenes of action and horror.

I am not necessarily a fan of Harry Potter, but I am a fantasy fan which helps. This latest movie did a much better job at making the characters realistic instead of just another screen character, in my opinion. Maybe the directing was better, but I believe it's because the actors are maturing. Lets hope they don't get type cast now!

*Flash!* The great Bill Nighy as Minister Rufus Scrimgeour enters the scene. His vocals set the tone of the dark times that lie within Hogwarts. Man I knew right off the bat that this wasn't going to be like the previous films.

The director and cast are top notch again. David Yates brings in an impressive presence to these films that you do not get in the first 4 years of Harry Potter. The darkness factor is portrayed through the overall dialogue, characters, camera angles, score and nature of it all. I love it! The acting has picked up significantly since The Half-Blood Prince. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) hasn't really been a joke of an actor, but we take him more seriously than ever. Alan Rickman (Prof. Snape), is once again phenomenal and as eerie as ever. Ralph Fiennes As Voldemort is just dead on great and I can't get over it! Another notable is Genny Weasley played by the lovely Bonnie Wright. She's improving as an actress and becoming less awkward haha.

In this installment, tensions are greatly intensified at Hogwarts. Many of its teachers and wizards/witches in the surrounding area, are beginning to disappear. Along with this, faith in Dumbledore is decreasing among the community and Voldemort's powers are growing stronger due to fear among the masses. Harry becomes the number one person to protect (and for the opposing side) "rid" of. Throughout the movie Harry goes on to find certain objects that deal with the main storyline, which I don't want to give away or explain (go watch the movie LOL!)

Now there are things left out from the book, however once again its a friggin movie and you can't portray or include everything from the novels. I don't know why people can't grasp this concept but its rather irritating. One of my favorite things about the film is the spectacular score by Alexandre Desplat. The sound is PERFECT for the film. Especially the track when Snape arrives to Malfoy Manor...oh man its bone chilling, at least to me haha. I found it odd that fans and viewers complained about the lack of action and that it was too "romantic and boring"....what?! I guess if you had an attention span the size of a rodent than its too boring but there's a good amount of action throughout the film. I didn't see how the film was really romantic, but that just humors me.

I loved the whole film and didn't find any of it confuzing or boring by any stretch of my imagination. The acting, story, direction and score are all superb and makes Deathly Hallows Part One a contender for the best film of 2010. I reccommend this film for any sci-fi, fantasy fan. Of course you should watch all of the previous films :p

Rating: 9.7/10

I finally got to see this movie last night, and this movie by far is the best in the Harry Potter series. I bought the Special Edition DVD yesterday and watched the extras. So of the deleted scenes should of been in the movie. The only thing I didn't like was they once again avoided Dumbledore's funeral. I was upset they didn't have it in the last movie. I heard rumors they were going to show it at the beginning of this movie, and much too my dismay it wasn't. They could of easily shown bit and pieces of his funeral during the opening credits and that would of been good enough for me and my fellow Harry Potter fans. Now I'm counting the days till part 2 I WILL be seeing that one in the theater.

When the first Harry Potter movie came out in 2001 I was only eight and I loved it. Then, after the first movie, a new Harry Potter movie came out almost every year and as we've seen the series grow in front of our very eyes along with the cast I've grown with it too. Now unfortunately there is only one movie left which is very sad but all good things come to an end at some point.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 proves to be a very worthy entrance into the Harry Potter series. Though it does feel incomplete which I guess it's suppose to I couldn't have asked for a more satisfying movie. Almost everything was wonderful in this movie however I did feel some of the camp scenes to be a bit dull at times and like Harry Potter and The Half blood Prince this movie is mostly talk with not that much action but, it is still a very entertaining movie. Other than some of the dull scenes the acting was terrific as usual, The plot and story are great and are both more complex now which is good, the dark tone is great, the pacing is nice, and this movie is beautifully filmed. So if you've loved this movie series as much as I have and you still haven't seen this movie, do yourselves a favor and go see it right now!

My daughter begged me to see this movie with her and I told her that I had not watched the previous movies. So we went to our local video rental and rental them all and just got the last one finished the day before we went to see this one. I love them all and can't wait for Part 2