Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1- P.P.M.R. (Positively Positive Movie Review)

I saw mixed reactions when Harry Potter fans found out Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows was going to be split into two parts. Some people were outraged and thought this was a ploy to make more money. Others were ecstatic, glad to finally see their favorite book given the airtime needed to cover it's many plot lines. I was in the latter group. I am the fan who makes grunting noises during the movie because something is changed or left out. I am the fan who waits in the line until midnight for the first showing. I am the fan who counts down the days to the next movie once it gets near. So, of course, I was the happiest person on earth when I found out they were doing a two-parter. In fact, I think they should have done it with more of the movies because they always had to leave so much out. Yes, I did see this at midnight when it came out and I decided I had to blog about it even though I started the blog after the movie came out. This said, it's time for the review:

EVERY Harry Potter movie leaves something out, it's a rule. EVERY Harry Potter movie leaves the book readers saying, "the book is better." This too is a rule. However, every Harry Potter movie is action packed and at least attempts to mirror the greatness it is based on. This movie is no exception.

Before seeing this, I wondered how they were going to cut up a book in which the majority of it is aimless wandering by teens. The book makes the wandering interesting but how could a movie? I was skeptical but it was awesome! Success! I was glued to the screen, as usual, and, even though I knew everything that would happen, I was entranced. The beginning was rushed too much for my liking and made the first death less impacting than the book, but I still cried. Yes, I cry whenever a character dies. The character death near the end (don't want to spoil it for non-readers) made me cry the most and gave the character more justice than the beginning death. There were many points that I thought were rushed but I still enjoyed them and was glad to at least see them make the movie. Examples of this are: the Dursleys leaving, the first escape from death eaters, the wedding, the death eaters meeting and the trip to the Ministry. I was glad they were included but I would have loved to have seen them fleshed out like they are in the book. Thus is life though.

The acting in the movie was excellent! Those kids have grown into great actors and it feels like you have actually seen them grow onscreen just as they were meant to grow according to the books. I love the flashbacks to the other movies because you can see just how much they have changed. I didn't find one bit of acting that I didn't love or believe and that is huge for me. Harry, Hermione and Ron were played perfectly, as usual, and I am always glad to see Hagrid, Fred and George on screen! Also, I am never disappointed with the acting from Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter, who portray scary Lord Voldemort, mysterious Severus Snape and crazy Beletrix Lestrange respectively. They are always amazing! This movie has one of the best casts I have ever seen and they always place talented actors into extraordinary roles. I could go on forever about the mass amount of talent in this film but, fear not, I won't. :)

Also great is the chemistry! They have slowly built the relationships of Harry and Ginny and Ron and Hermione and you finally see a lot of that come to light in this film. It is a great reward for those of us who waited patiently (or not so patiently) for it to happen in both the books and movies. I can't wait for it to continue.

The emotions from the book are felt throughout the movie. You still miss Dumbledore (if you don't know he died then really, read a book or see the last movie!) and you still mourn him. You feel heartbreak for Harry as he looks back on all the people he has lost, including his parents. You feel anger and resentment at Ron for his attitude problems that are consistent as usual. You feel compassion for Hermione as you watch the pain she goes through at every turn. Every emotion is felt and portrayed amazingly. They definitely do the book justice when it comes to portraying the emotions.

Also great are the special effects and many scenery changes. They did an amazing job of making J.K Rowling's many destinations in the book a reality. They also did an amazing job of bringing the magic to life. It's great to see the filmmakers' interpretations, even if they don't always match your own.

Were things missing? Of course. That's expected with a book so long. Did I wish there would be even more included since there are two movies? Yes but that is life and what I consider important isn't always important to others. Compared to the other Potter movies, I would say this is one of my favorites. I grunted my disapproval much less and enjoyed much more than usual.

So, all in all, a very good movie and an acceptable interpretation. Things would be slightly different if I made the movies but, alas, I don't, and it is evident that great heart and a lot of work went into making this movie a reality. I can't wait for the next installment!

Movie Rating: 1 Spoonful- We needed a little sugar-coating.

As spoken by a huge fan: The books are always better ;)

For great pictures go to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0926084/mediaindex