'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1' Is Out... Is it Any Good?

Harry Potter has had its ups and downs- more so than other franchises when you consider the evolution of the series. Whether you look at the movies, books, or video games- you see a similar trend. Not all fan HP fans agree, but with the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", the trend could not be more apparent.

The "Sorcerer's Stone," while highly original, was fairly dull compared to the others. The most action you saw took place during the Qudditch matches and the occasional confrontation with Malfoy. Overall it was enough to draw fans, but it just doesn't hold up well. The first sequel, "Chamber of Secrets," did a much better job keeping fans on the edge of their seats. The entire plot was surrounded by mysteries- the 'deaths'. the pasts of various characters, the horrors of the forest, and the diary.

Though very exciting and a fan-favorite, future releases have made it something of an oddity. It was similar to the first as being a predominately 'those meddling kids' entry. Then again, it seemed to be taking the series in a 'one-shot', 'stand-alone' adventure direction- one dropped in the very next entry, "Prisoner of Azkaban". It would fall to "Goblet of Fire," and "Order of the Phoenix" to cement Harry Potter as a tragic, magical adventure series. It's worth mentioning that "Half-Blood Prince" undid some of this development by trying to be a bit too ambitious with fleshing out the background characters and being a little more lighthearted. One could also say that most of HBP is pretty much a feature-length preparation for Deathly Hallows. Does Deathly Hallows emulate the previous titles or does it carve its own path?

It was a somewhat controversial, though welcomed, decision to split the movies in two. I, personally, was impressed by the attention to detail and wider range of our up-and-coming wizard experiences shown on the big screen. Fans annoyed by the somewhat comical portrayal of the last film's events will be glad to know that this one returns the series to its dark magic roots. Starting things off, it's very exciting. All the build-up of the last three films has finally culminated in the chaotic events of Deathly Hallows. True to the book, many of the best scenes retain their excitement on the big screen.

I cannot say this enough- Deathly Hallows definitely keeps you entertained. The movie hits you major scenes fairly quickly, but treats them with the dignity they deserved. It was nice to not feel like they were rushing through another chapter of Harry's life. There were some slight annoyances despite the better pacing. Some of supporting cast still manages to be more irritating than entertaining- Ron comes to mind. I was disappointed to not see more villains getting their 'just desserts', though I suppose that can wait.

I have to praise them for choosing a great cliffhanger to lead into Part II. I'm very much looking forward to it and feel that if it's portrayal is as nicely done as the first, I'll be very happy It's been a bumpy ride, but Harry Potter is just the sort of roller-coaster that the movie scene needs.

Source(s)
Yahoo Movies!