A Rainy Day Review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

There I was early morning, unexpectedly standing in line in the cold to see the newest of the Harry Potter offerings, Harry Potter and the Dark Hallows: Part 1. Surprised at an invitation to a corporate showing of the movie, with five theaters reserved for the special event, I stood somewhat groggy waiting for the doors to open , looking forward to the morning treat. Always a Harry Potter fan, I was anxious to see the current interpretation and continuing saga of the Potter crew in Harry Potter and the Dark Hallows: Part 1. I wasn't disappointed.

The first impression of Harry Potter and the Dark Hallows: Part 1 is summed up in two words- dark and disjointed.

Each of the Harry Potter movies have been filled with the battles for good and bad, always with the wise and dignified Professor Dumbledore either at the helm or somehow guiding the fledgling wizards and established adult wizards along the way.

With the demise of Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, good begins to lose its foothold and the darker feeling of this movie is fitting. With no fearless leader to always rally the troops or offer living guidance, strength and wisdom along the way, the safety bubble of Harry's world pops and the rag-taggle crew is left to find their own way through the increasingly dark mire Voldemort is creating in order to destroy the valiant and brighter side of the wizard world.

The movie feels somewhat disjointed throughout but it fits the scattered struggle of Harry and friends, heroes with no real leader other than the will to help good overcome evil.

The ministry has been taken over by Voldemort and his nasty crew, but Harry is still the ever-present thorn in his side. This time Voldemort is stronger and even more focused on his goal to rid the world of his nemesis, Harry Potter. With the reappearance of characters such as Peter Pettigrew/Wormtail, the psychotic Bellatrix LeStrange and the sugary sweet but vile Dolores Umbridge, the poison begins to spread not only in the world of wizards and fantastical creatures but into the world of muggles as well. The dark side has no scruples. Even the Dursleys flee their perfect little suburban home in fear. Death and the battle crosses into the muggle world.

Delores Umbridge finds a foothold in the ministry again in the vile position of helping to cleanse the ministry of all muggle influence and blood. When Hermione's arm is branded , the likeness to the Jews who were branded in the Holocaust of Nazi Germany is chillingly obvious. Perhaps that nod to one of the more dark events in human history reinforces the depth of evil and depravity the forces of Voldemort are willing to sink to in order to gain the control they so desperately desire.

On a side note, there was some satisfaction seeing the vain Lucius Malfoy in a humbled and somewhat broken state, looking very tired and nervous, although still very much involved in the dark gatherings.

With the help and reappearance of many of the previous characters in the Harry Potter movies who are trying to keep Harry safe, Harry, Ron and Hermione work together to figure out the clues to destroy Voldemort's horcruxes and stranglehold while they and Voldemort seek the three items that lead to ultimate power.

With only brief appearances by many of the former much loved characters of the movies, the focus of the movie is the quest and the battles. Humour is still present, as usual some of it coming from the Weasley twins, George and Fred , although it did feel more somber.

Another red headed Weasley brother, Bill, is introduced in this episode and his wedding to another recognizable character, a former champion, is the setting for an attack by the Death Eaters. ( Trivia tidbit- Bill is played by Domhnall Gleeson, the real- life son to Brendan Gleeson who plays Alastor 'Mad Eye" Moody.)

If you are someone who is brought to tears easily, the beach scene near the ending is a tearjerker. Of course I have been known to shed a tear at Hallmark ads and E.T. The Extra-terrestrial, so take that with a grain of salt, but it was touching. An unexpected small champion proves his mettle in a sad way.

Because so many characters from previous Harry Potter movies were thrown into the mix, it did leave me wishing I could have seen more of them this time. Maybe they will show up again in Part 2.

I have not read the last two books in the series so I went in not knowing what to expect and with fewer preset images in my head, but the characters are still welcome old and new friends. Looking back at the phenomenon this series has become, who would have possibly imagined a series of children's stories would turn into this empire of both publishing and movies that it has. For those of us who are writers, it is the fairy tale we wish would come true for each of us and it is inspiring to know it can happen.

Predictably the last scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 was a cliff-hangar, leaving us all knowing there was more to come in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. The next part is scheduled to release in 2011.