With the latest Harry Potter movie out in cinemas now, I thought I'd restate where I stand on the franchise before weighing in on the new movie. First of all I like all but Part 2, The Chamber Of Secrets. The Philosopher's Stone is a near perfect Sunday afternoon / Christmas Day family movie; magical and exciting all wrapped up with a sense of wonder. Chamber was a dull rerun of Part 1, but without the wonder. The Prisoner Of Azkaban was more mature and all the better for it while Goblet Of Fire was all flash and action, but no excitement or substance.
For me the first four movies are dispensable. Just as you don't need to see the Star Wars prequels to appreciate the classic Star Wars trilogy, or that you don't need to have read The Hobbit to marvel at Lord Of The Rings, you don't need to have seen the first four Potter entries (or risk being turned off by the franchise.) That leaves director David Yates Potter trilogy, The Order Of The Phoenix (still the best), The Half Blood Prince and this year's finale (in two parts) The Deathly Hallows.
And, as anticipated by Yate's previous sterling work, it's a strong movie. Dramatically it's the best yet as relationships are strained, the world as we know it is falling to the forces of evil, and our heroes are barely escaping with their lives. Yate's mature and measured direction is stronger than ever in this seventh entry. Alongside the Darabont/Kubrick inspired framing is a more experimental type of film-making. There are scenes that remind me of other famous directors...magic wand shoot-outs done like Walter Hill...dream sequences like David Lynch...fairy-tales animated like Guillermo Del Toro and frenetic chase sequences like Paul Greengrass. It stops the multitude of exposition scenes from bogging down the film and gives the film an energy the franchise needs this late in it's lifespan. The young cast are improving all the time while there's some nice adult support from Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifan's doing stand-out work.
Plot wise it's mostly set up for Part 2. If Superman Returns was a movie about lifting heavy objects and Lord Of The Rings was a movie about walking, then Deathly Hallows is a movie about finding MacGuffins. Since both of those movies turned out to be classics, you're best advised to ignore that over-simplification of the plot and get immersed in the ride.
If I have a complaint it's that the film feels incomplete having been cut in two (with the second part being release in July 2011). While I do disagree with critic who say there isn't a climax or a natural break for the film to stop...it does make you want to watch the next part immediately after...but the break isn't as smooth as The Lord Of The Rings or Tarantino's Kill Bill. Oh, and another thing, while he's not in it much and is rendered more likable thanks to Yates restrained direction, Dobby The House Elf is still an annoying worm.
The most action packed of the series since Goblet Of Fire, as many jump scares as The Half Blood Prince plus a few more regulars to meet their doom, Deathly Hallows Part 1 is well worth checking out. More than that, it would probably be the series best entry if it wasn't for that pesky break. Roll on Part 2.
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