I have no comment or opinion to offer here. I probably should watch the other films once again before diving into the new chapter because they’ve blurred together, frankly, at this point. But “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I” hits theaters this weekend and I’m sure many of you will see it, so come on back here and give us your thoughts when you do.
Comments
72 responses to “Tell us what you thought of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’”
Loved it
Warwick Davis has now been involved with the three most valuable franchises in movie history: Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Leprechaun.
I thought it was an especially dark film, and definitely different from any film I’ve ever seen. I absolutely loved it, but I come from the opinion of a Potter fan, so I’m meant to love it. Others might not, but this is the only situation in which I don’t really care about that group of people.
Will see it tomorrow, but I have 2 friends who saw it at a midnight showing last night.
He is 31, she is 35. They are big Potter fans, have read all the books, & seen the movies.
Their reaction was thunderous. After not enjoying the last 2 Yates films, they thought this one was miles better than those. They also said the sold out theater seemed very high on it (electric energy, hooting, hollering, crying, clapping, chattering on the way out).
Shrugs. I’ll have my opinion tomorrow/Sunday.
As a stand alone film it’s a difficult one. No real ending, just a 150 minute episode of something larger. I liked the books and know where we are within the story at the end of this film. So I’d say it’s the best one Yates (who’ll probably never be a good director) has done so far. Less CGI, less music, less nonsense spectacle. That’s good. It focuses (maybe too) heavily on the three main characters (so did the book), but for me it worked.
All of this intrigues me, as critical consensus is good, but not great.
And when I asked them if the ending felt abrupt (what most reviews are saying), they said ‘not at all’. But they then went on to say ‘… but then, we’re huge fans of the series’.
This seems as good a time as many to mention that In Bruges is awesome.
as any
Mostly disappointing… The Three Brothers scene was incredible though.
Loved it. With PoA easily the best of series. Waiting for cinematography and art direction nod.
One of the best of the series. It may frustrate some of the more casual fans with it’s slower pacing and focus on characters over action set pieces and plot, as well as a lack of real conclusion, but I think the approach to this half of the final book is brilliant. The actors have come into their own in a way that it’s hard to believe how much older and more mature they are, and their talent shows it. The film is also notable darker and a somewhat depressing, somber affair. Gorgeously shot and featuring a fantastic score by Alexandre Desplat, as well as consistently top notch art direction, the film is a beautiful penultimate episode to what promises to be a finale for the memoirs. Run to your local theatre friends, the end is nigh.
As a fan I enjoyed it a lot, it was the most faithful entry since the first chapters thanks to the splitting decision, but it was superior to that films thanks to the direction of Yates and the improved acting. It’s bound to disappoint lots of viewers and critics because it feels frustratingly incomplete, but hopefully everyone will enjoy the completed project (Pt 1 +Pt 2). In terms of Oscars the cinematography was certainly gorgeous, as well as the art direction and the score by Desplat.
One of the best. I love it. It deserves nominations in: art direction, cinematography, music and visual effects.
This was my second favorite of the series so far, right behind ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’. From a technical stand point, it’s the best in the series so far. Incredible cinematography and score, great makeup, art direction and visual effects as well. The lead trio really gave it their all, and all three had moments to shine. That being said, I think Emma Watson gave the best performance, her best since ‘PoA’, and she was consistently excellent. Rupert Grint was also very good, showing that he could handle drama as well as he does the comedy. Daniel Radcliffe may never be a great actor, but he was good here, better than he’s been in the previous entries. The animated ‘Tale of the Three Brothers’ sequence was absolutely stunning. If it could somehow be nominated for Best Animated Short Film, I’d be all for it. My only complaint is that I have to wait until July to see the rest of the film. The wait will be excruciating, but it’ll be worth it.
i think it was the most well shot out of the bunch. i dug it a lot.
i thought it was excellent, on another plane from the rest of the films. From a technical perspective and from an acting perspective. Emma Watson really took this one over. I’ve been waiting for them to give Ralph Fiennes significant screen time…and I can’t wait for that to finally arrive in part 2. I’d say there’s real potential for them to finally break into Oscar territory this time.
certain nominations:
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Original Score
Best Visual Effects
maybe:
sound categories
Best Film Editing
Best Costume Design
Best Make Up
longest of shots:
Supporting Actress, Emma Watson
Best Picture.
Maybe my favorite so far. It had my mouth open for most the film. And as a Potter purist I only found offense to 2 or 3 changes from the book. Overall good but so lacking without Part II right after it.
Did they show any cool previews beforehand?
I liked it pretty well, and I’m a critical Potter fan. (Meaning, I’ve seen all of the movies a million times, read all of the books multiple times, but spend as much time bitching about the Potterverse as praising it.)
Anyhow, the visual effects were finally good enough that in a field of 5, I could see a nom. (Finally, the house elves didn’t look like complete crap!) However, the cinematography and art direction have both been better in previous installments, so I’m going to have to take a wait-and-see attitude once I know what this movie will be up against.
Overall, an enjoyable time and a real improvement on HBP. Also, I have to hand it to Kloves for making something this good out of a massively problematic book.
Oh, and I agree on the Three Brother love.
“Did they show any cool previews beforehand?”
Depends on how you feel about comic book adaptations.
The previews I saw were Yogi Bear and Sucker Punch. That’s it. But I saw HP at a sneak so a regular screening would probably have more.
Overall, this is a great series, and David Yates’ direction of this two-parter is spectacular.
With excellent performances, special effects and a hauntingly beautiful score by Alexandre Desplat, this is a great lead-up to next summer’s final installment.
You can read our full thoughts here: http://wp.me/pLwiv-1jg
-John C.
http://www.onemoviefiveviews.com
Going to see it tonight. One question I’m anxious to see – how do they explain that Voldemort chose his horcruxes to be items associated with the Hogwarts founders, when nothing was mentioned about that in the 6th movie? I can’t believe they left that most crucial piece of the story out of HBP – it kind of sets up where we start this movie. But then again, Yates & Co. sacrificed story, character development and action for teenage humor in the dreadful Half Blood Prince, so I shouldn’t really expect them to follow a plot.
Here’s hoping they fix that giant oversight within, say the first 15 minutes.
Kris, you should really see this before the year is over. There are plenty of note worthy shots in this film, and I’m confident that at least one of them deserves to be in your “best shots of the year” segment.
Sawyer,
There were a million things left out of that unholy mess of a movie, HBP, some of which have been shoehorned rather awkwardly into this one. The worst must Bill Weasley. As far as the horcruxes and the founders question, well, you’re going to be disappointed.
2 stars out of 4 – Cool opening sequence and enjoyed the whole Malfoy Manor sequence at the end – poor Dobby :,^( The middle section of the film was a bore and splitting the book into two movies was the wrong decision IMHO. Too much of what happened for about an hour and half was mostly inconsequential and could have been heavily condensed to improve the overall pace of the film. I love the HP series (both books and films) but this was one of my least favorite ones b/c it focused on the least interesting section of the last book. I am still looking forward to the epic finale next summer but this one was much ado about nothing. It is obvious they wanted to make this into a 3D film but had to drop it b/c it was being rushed and would have looked shitty (which I am glad they did b/c it would have been way too much of a gimmick in this flick.) I don’t think David Yates was the right fit for the series and the overall quality has noticably gone downhill since the 4th film.
They managed to make you fall in love with Dobby in a few short scenes, in no small part thanks to Toby Jones’s voice work. It’s characters like Dobby that prove that you can’t do convincing animation without an actor. It’s disgusting that people think animation is trying to get rid of/replace actors when it clearly cannot exist without them.
I’m a Harry Potter nut so, take it for what it’s worth, but I really enjoyed it. I really like the direction Peter Yates has taken this series tonally. This movie is essentially exposition for the final chapter, but, as a fan, I didn’t mind. Can’t wait for July.
Also, Helena Bonham Carter is obviously having a blast.
So… how about some opinions from people who aren’t die-hard Potter fans? That would be much appreciated
Nick,
I don’t know how many of those people have been brave enough to go out opening day with the people in costume. ;)
^Haha agreed. Also, watching it, I kind of think this film would be a little incomprehensible to someone who isn’t a fan and attached to these characters.
I thought it was alternately impressive and problematic. As someone who was floored by films 4, 5 and 6, namely their economical, streamlined nature, I think the decision to split it into two films could spell its undoing, and the first part faltered in the last 15 minutes.
But it doesn’t matter in the long run, because it’s still a strong, involving entertainment. And I think that Emma Watson deserves awards consideration. She is a tour-de-force.
This film has the best art direction of all of the film I’ve seen so far this year. Stuart Craig is such a talented production designer. David Yates mentioned in an interview with Collider that the shadow puppet animation in the Three Brothers story was also Stuart Craig’s idea. Such a talented person needs to be recognized by the Academy, and after working on the HP sets for 10 years, I am hoping that Stuart Craig will grab the Oscar for best in art direction. The man’s a genius
Cinematographer Eduardo Serra, the visual effects, makeup, and sound departments are also worthy of nods.
Speaking as a casual fan of the books, and someone who has some problems with most of the movies , I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this one; it’s easily the best movie in the series, and definitely one of the best things I’ve seen this year (although, as a caveat, I haven’t seen most of the year-end movies like Black Swan or 127 Hours). And I actually think that the split into two movies is what saved it. My problem with the past couple of movies is that they never felt like stories that someone was telling; they felt like a greatest-hits record, or a rushed Wikipedia summary with someone trying to cram in as many cool plot details as they could. But because this movie didn’t have to get through 800 pages of plot, it’s the first Harry Potter movie to unfold like an actual movie, with a naturally slow pace that had room for the characters and plot to breathe and time for a few smaller, less significant scenes (like the one where Harry and Hermionie dance in the tent) that added some great poignancy and emotional texture to the movie.
It was also absolutely gorgeous: It will be an outrage if this does not get a Best Cinematography, and maybe Best Art Direction, nomination.
I thought it was quite fantastic. The sixth installment will always be my favorite (in no small part to the absolutely GORGEOUS cinematography, which, quite frankly, remains the high mark for the entire series as far as technical achievements go), but not only is this first part more than able to bring the emotion and the spectacle, it actually made me care for all these characters…something that had never happened before. And that Three Brothers sequence…WOW. More of that, please!
Also, and of course, mileage varies…Dobby’s scenes completely forgave his presence in Chamber of Secrets. His final scenes were among the most beautiful and well-earned in all of the films (and I agree with the critics who mentioned it: the dance at the camp was a touching grace note to Harry and Hermione’s relationship, which received so many wonderful little touches in the last film).
Aside from some premature editing in parts, and the fact that the sixth installment, for me, is a perfect technical work of art (I don’t mean to beat a dead horse, honest), I can only imagine how absolutely incredible and nonstop Part II will be.
Bring it on, Yates. You have my respect and my patience. Thank you for doing right by these books…
It’s like Pirates 2+3 and Matrix 2+3. We’ll have to see Harry Potter 7-2 before we can really tell if the whole is amazing. Let’s just hope it doesn’t go to hell (like Pirates 3 and Matrix 3 did).
But so far: I LOVED the completely depressing mood over the whole film. Sure, a lot of thing were not explaned, and I can only imagine how lost a non-Potter-novel reader must feel like after watching it. Put it was very daring to have whole sequences without dialogue in the middle part. And I loved it!
Best of all: Emma Watson was the star of HP3 but since then she has only delivered bad, overacted performances this. With this she finally shows how talented she truly is. In a very calm and heartbreaking performance she shows amazing potential. I would actually nominate her for Best Supporting Actress if I could. It’s thrilling to watch her face throughout the film. She really tells a thousand words without opening her mouth.
All in all, all three main actors were great in this. I still feel bad that David Yates got handed the final 4 movies since his first (HP5) is the worst of the series. HP6 was fun, but let’s face it. It didn’t reach HP4 and was still a goblin compared to the giant that was HP3.
Now HP7 1+2 shows promise to become heartbreaking. I wouldn’t exactly call this the darkest, just the most serious. We feel the doom and the heartbreak in every scene. I can’t wait for the finale. If I could rank the films right now, it would be 3, 4, 7-1, 6, 1, 2 and 5, but it doesn’t seem fair because 7-1 is in no way a complete movie. And I am fine with that. When 7-2 is out, I will rank the complete 7 as a whole in my chart.
Once again it was made unbelievably well and you can’t fault the effort or passion of anyone involved, I was particularly surprised by my lack of eye-rolling when the trio were called upon to actually act.
Yet, as usual, there are numerous issues with this Potter film. In fact, many of the same issues I had with Inception: there was constant and confusing mumbo jumbo exposition and scenes rarely had a beginning or end.
However, I like Potter and these films have been consistently better than all other mainstream blockbuster films in recent years so I shall forgive their trespasses and be tempted to greatly anticipate what I hope is a great Part 2.
It was good in the way that every Harry Potter (except 1 and 2) have been good, but it failed to really do anything special like “Azkaban” or, a personal 2nd favourite, “Phoenix”. All of the good stuff was already there – the chemistry of the cast, Stuart Craig’s great production design, the effects, the teen issues – but most things that are truly UNIQUE to “Deathly Hallows Part 1” aren’t that great. Such as the meandering plot, the confusion, the ending and so forth.
It’s hard to judge as a movie since it’s so obviously just been cut in half and, unlike “Kill Bill”, doesn’t seem to really feel like it’s own creature. And yet there’s a lot going on there that is good and fun, but… yeah. I dunno. It’s strange.
Loved it! My favorite since PoA which was a masterpiece and the best movie of 2004.
They really made it for the fans. Now I`m not nitpicky if something is left out or changed because that`s how movies work but if you can make it the fandom way, go for it and this movie is really it. Well, this and DH Pt 2.
I really enjoyed the Ministry of Magic heist and the animation bit, everything else not so much. It all seemed rather perfunctory. And the LOTR references/thievery (corrupt piece of jewelry, Galadriel flowery white evil) were sad.
A bit disappointed with the film. The techs were excellent and there was no poor individual scene but the pace in the middle was some of the most deadly slow I’ve seen in any film this year. Obviously when they broke the book into two films, they decided to basically include everything from the book, but a lot of the middle section just felt like the characters were going on endless fetch quests and could’ve easily been condensed.
The series has a history of its films being too long and keeping this film roughly the same length despite being only one half of a story made the problem much worse, what could’ve been a very solid 100-105 minute movie instead becomes a slightly above average two and half hour movie.
firstly that photo will be a shot from the 2nd film but oh well ha.
really enjoyed it, very true to the books. not technically the best film – script not as good as it could have been, also some clumsy cinematography.
but overall a great lead on to next year which i think will blow us all away.
cant wait
I thought that this was the best work that Yates has turned in yet. I agree with Jack that the movie is a success because the film isn’t a narrative locamotive, blasting through all of the important plot points and sacrificing the nuances that made readers fall in love with the books to begin with.
As far as criticism over the middle portion of the film being too slow, I believe that it HAS to feel this way to clearly communicate the frustration felt by the core three, but also to make it seem somewhat believable
*spoiler alert*
that Ron would up and leave his friends after everything that they have been through, which is really one of the most important emotional storylines in the final book (even if he is under the influence of the locket). It strengthens Harry and Hermione’s relationship, which is essential for the audience to feel/understand, imo.
Solid like most of the series(except the 1st and 2 which were a bit below solid, and I don’t love Goblet). I feel like I need to revisit these all over again. Through the success of something like Twilight, I understand more than ever all the praise for this considerably better series. I still need to get around to reading the last 3 books, but this has been an entertaining ride and it will be a shame to see it come to an end.
As for this film, its slow to its benefit in some regards, but at other times unnecessarily so. Beautifully shot, and well made, though I Manny, that Half-Blood Prince might have been the peak of the series from a technical standpoint thanks largely to cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel. Of course the art direction is wonderful, and makes me want to watch the series over again to see the gradual changes within the art department. The performances are geared more towards the kids, and I don’t have any complaints towards them. Certainly has a dark somber feel, with certain plot details a tad lost on me, and the film lacks a real conclusion, but overall its well made, has some splendid sequences(one in particular, Three Brothers), and I like what Yates has done since The Order of the Phoenix.
Thought it was great. Miles better then the last one and potentially even the best of the series. It was dark and just plain awesome. Everyone I saw it with felt the same and I have yet to hear anybody say something bad about it. Funny how the critical consensus of this one is much worse than that of the sixth one which I have still yet to find somebody who enjoyed it. The fact that it is half of a movie is annoying and the ending is aggrevating but beyond that as a stand alone film it is incredibly done and it actually makes me believe that splitting the two up was a good idea.
p.s. so happy it wasn’t in 3D
I just have to give the disclaimer that I’m a DIEHARD Harry Potter (book) fan, so my opinion may be a bit biased. (I mean, I was eleven years old, i.e. Harry’s age, when the first book hit it big in the US, so I literally grew up with the character every step of the way.) But I thought the movie was completely awesome.
Okay, and I understand people’s complaints about the pacing and some of the misguided plotting and all that, but that’s because the 7th Harry Potter book TOTALLY SUCKS. Everything that’s awesome about the first 6 books just got chucked out the window in the 7th book. See this link for a good explanation of why it sucked, for starters.
So basically every problem that existed with the movie is something that would have been essentially unavoidable, and yet much of it became fodder for pure gold in the movie. They took the absolute worst aspects of the book and molded them into poignant moments for character development and conflict, etc.
And even though I totally loved the movie, it’s clearly a movie designed for fans of the book overall.
But the things that stick out as great even for people who might not be inclined to like the movie as well as I did include what everyone has basically already mentioned. The cinematography is PERFECT. I had been convinced that Wally Pfister had this thing in the bag (the Oscar, that is), especially after the horrendous snub of him for his career best work on The Dark Knight. And even though I think he may still eek out a win, I genuinely think Serra’s work is the most deserving I’ve seen all year.
I’m not as big a fan of Stuart Craig’s work in this franchise as everyone else seems to be, but this is definitely the best art direction of the franchise thus far (except for Prisoner of Azkaban). It feels much more down-to-earth and realistic, as if Harry Potter’s world is a world that actually existed, and has less of the cartoony otherworldliness in basically all the other films. Even PofA’s great work made the Potter world feel too much like a throwback to a medieval world, and not like an organic growth of a society that has lived alongside but separate from muggles for centuries. This one feels that way.
The animated Deathly Hallows sequence actually almost bothered me, but I’m learning to love it I think. It represents a real risk in a franchise that has often done everything it can to “play things safe” and never rock the boat. The more I think of it, the more I feel that there’s no way the filmmaker’s could have pulled off this obviously necessary sequence without doing it the way they did. This franchise has consistently punted when it comes to important exposition of backstory (Messrs. Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs, and Moony, anyone?). Not only did this one tackle the backstory problem head on, it did it in an aesthetic-defying gambit that totally paid off.
And I can’t just leave it there. In all, I think it’s utterly deserving of nominations in the following Oscar categories:
Cinematography
Art Direction
Original Score (assuming AMPAS doesn’t find some ridiculous way to exclude it)
Makeup
Visual Effects
In addition to those, though, I think there’s a real need for it to be considered in the following categories as well. They stand less of a chance, as I see things, but they merit serious discussion:
Adapted Screenplay
Supporting Actress (Emma Watson)
Film Editing
Costume Design, and, yes,
Best Picture
The most interesting case here is Emma Watson. The kids have been pretty consistently horrible throughout much of the series. Clearly their best work has been in the 3rd and 5th films, and they’ve usually been able to plod along with tremendous support from the performances by the illustrious range of character actors in the franchise. But this is the first film in which the three majors, Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson, have had to do significant amounts of onscreen work among only themselves, without Michael Gambons and Gary Oldmans and Imelda Stauntons and Helena Bonham Carters popping in every other shot to make them look better. Watson in particular has a few moments to really shine, and even though I think there are still some major flaws to her work in the film, the Best Supporting Actress field this year is weak enough that I think a serious campaign could be put forward to recognize one of the young ones for their obvious and serious growth over the years.
It’s no small feat to go from being some kid plucked out of obscurity to give hammy performances in a series that would have made hundreds of millions if it had been cast with Muppets, to being an actor who can balance drama, comedy, fantasy, horror, teen angst, friendship, betrayal, etc., in a supporting role for a character that people would love regardless of how well the performance went. Each of the main trio could easily have just waltzed onto the set of this film and delivered their lines with ease and without any investment, but they’ve all given their best work in the series, and these are performances that really do outshine the vast majority of what we see from their peers in Hollywood. They aren’t Saoirse Ronans or Juno Temples, but they’re still leaps and bounds ahead of even many more seasoned actors. And not only does Emma Watson give the best performance of the three, but she has the clearest path to a nomination.
Anyway, I’m just rambling at this point because I really need to go to bed, but I’m just going to end by ranking the movies in terms of their merit. Maybe my feelings will shift a bit over time, but I think that this is a very strong installment in an otherwise pretty weak franchise, so it’s fun to see how they stack up against one another.
1. Prisoner of Azkaban
2. Deathly Hallows Part 1
3. Order of the Phoenix
4. Chamber of Secrets
5. Half Blood Prince
6. Philosopher’s Stone (eff the American title!)
7. Goblet of Fire
It should be noted that the top three, in my estimation, stand head and shoulders above the next four. In fact, depending on my mood, I might be inclined to shift them around a bit, because over all, I think they’re all three “the best” each in their own way. But I really need to go to bed… !
Hmm, interestingly so far Hallows is ahead of another release this weekend, one that has much more Oscar buzz for major categories – Made in Dagenham. For BFCA, MC, and RT average rating.
I’m guessing the 81 BFCA currently for Dagenham will make them yank the Critics’ Choice seal, since a few weeks ago one that went down to 84 had its seal yanked. Which I would find funny because I’ve already seen newspaper ads for Dagenham with the seal. Unless it gets lots of $ for the “Blind Side spot,” this could hurt Hawkins and make way for, in my dream, Williams. Or in my wildest dreams, boot Kidman and Manville for Williams and Emma Stone.
The movie is dark, well written, great thanks to Steve Kloves, at ease with this universe and the decision to split the movie in two parts, allowing the movie to take the time to tell a story very well crafted. A nomination for movie and adapted screenplay yes, but only next year, I am afraid. Next year should be Potter’s year, at least a bit..
I loved it. No real ending, but it’s one of the best of the series, Gorgeously shot, with better acting, well written, beautiful score and a really good art direction. A solid and well made film.