DVD RvReview… Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Wonder what Hans Gruber/The Sheriff Of Nottingham/Severus Snape has in store for Harry Potter this time round. And do you wonder what Ross McG thought about it? Well, if you do, check out the review below.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (four stars)
Unfairly derided by some on its cinema release last year as ‘the one with the tent’, the first part of the last part of the Harry Potter series is much more than just a boring camping trip. It begins at a blistering pace, quickly cramming in a high-speed pursuit, a wedding and a dust-up in a London café. Imagine, if you can, a really exciting episode of EastEnders… with wands. As ever, poor Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is in deep trouble. Like a no-nosed version of relentless blond-haired bully Johnny Lawrence from The Karate Kid, that mean old Voldemort is still trying to destroy him. As if that wasn’t annoying enough, his best friend Ron (Rupert Grint) thinks he’s moving in on his girl, Hermione (Emma Watson). The trio must put their hormones to one side, however, as they try to find the Horcruxes that are the key to toppling Voldemort.
Effectively a chase movie, Deathly Hallows Part 1 benefits from being the only Potter film not to rely on Hogwarts as a backdrop. Thankfully, there are more important things to worry about than Quidditch. The usual mix of key character deaths (to her credit, JK Rowling has never been afraid of bumping people off) and startling revelations (Harry is a Nick Cave fan) are bolstered by the film’s wide open spaces. Yet it is a stunning late animated interlude, crucial to the entire Potterverse, which provides the best moment of the film and perhaps the whole series. Can’t wait for Part 7.2.
This review first appeared in the Metro newspaper
Ross v Ross 
April 29, 2011 at 5:16 pm
It does stay fairly true to the book- but the book was weak-
this movie is just riddled with problems-
easily the weakest HP film- I really wanted to like it and the score is great-
I may have to write an essay on the issues with it-
a few bullet points of issues-
-the mirror fragment subplot
-exclusion of the taboo subplot
-humor injected into scenes that kills tension
-wasting the rest of the wizard world by focusing on the kids who really don’t offer any story development
just quick thoughts- but easily the weakest of the films-
the trailer for the last one doesn’t promise much more than a CG fest.. hopefully they are able to weave a story that balances action and heart, but i fear the worst.
May 11, 2011 at 10:05 am
Enjoyed this at the cinema but for some reason, on buying the DVD and watching it a second time, I thought it was a bit dull. Still, I look forward to the final-final film. Good review Ross.