Potter fanatics all over the world spent December 17 anxiously awating the premiere of the first installment of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. Being the first installment for the last chapter in the Harry Potter series fans had big expectations and the movie did not disappoint. The opening began with a loud and clearly irked Minister of Magic – Scrimigeour – assuring the public that the Ministry still stood strong against the powers of Voldemort. The film then proceeded to see Voldemort as powerful as ever at the Malfoy Manor sitting alongside all his faithful followers.
The film is full of typical Potter adventures but with a dark twist. Harry is now on a mission to find the 7 pieces of Voldemort’s soul – called horcruxes – in order to finally kill Voldemort once and for all. The stakes run high throughout the movie and right from the start it is clear that people close to Harry can and will die in this journey to defeat Voldemort . In the first fight scene both Hedwig and Mad-Eye Moody met their deaths in an intense battle against the death-eaters and one of the Weasley twins – Fred- loses an ear. Though there are many tear-jerking moments through the course of the film comedy does run throughout. Among crowd favorites were when twin Fred walks in on his sister, Ginny, and Harry kissing and merely takes a seat to watch or when house-elf Dobby tries to one-up the bitter house-elf Kreacher in his search for Mundugnus Fletcher.
As is the case with all book turned movie films there were a bunch of inconsistencies between the book and the film. A major b-plot thorughout the book is Harry’s confusion about whether or not he really knows Dumbledore, which is completely lost in the movie. Ron, Hermoine and Harry’s visit to Malfoy Manor is much more extensive and Kreacher forming a friendship with Ron, Hermoine and Harry is completely lost in the movie. However, what was lost in missing plot was made up for in cinematic genius. The opening scene as Hermoine obliviates her parents is wonderfully depicted as we see all her baby pictures dissapearing from the family mantel. Dobby’s death is played out much more emotionally and when Bellatrix sears “Mudblood” across Hermoines arm the audience gets a real fear for her pure hatred towards those with unpure blood.
Some strictly movie-goers might claim this movie was too much plot, however, all this background information and these little details are necessary to create a sufficent set-up for the second installment. And anyways there were countless scenes which had even middle-aged movie-goers hiding behind their hands. Example A: When Harry and Hermoine visit Godric’s Hollow to search for more answers about horcruxes and the old and decrepit Bathilda Bagshot creeps up behind them more than a few “macho men” clutched their girldfriend’s hands in fear.
Truth be told, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part one was a sure-fire hit before it even hit the theaters. Die-hard fans would bend over backwards and shoot out a harmless, but still creepy, killing curse at any person who dared to insult their precious Potter films. However, looking through the lense of a mere movie-goer HP7 seems to have the perfect balance of action, romance, drama and plot necessary to create a stellar film and the end of the movie is sure to keep fans coming back for more. With this movie comes a cauldron full of questions: Will Harry find all the horcruxes? Will Hermoine and Ron finally admit they are in love? Who will die next? And most importantly will Harry Potter defeat Lord Voldemort? With Hp7 at the top of the box office for two weeks now one thing is fore sure, when it comes to movie sales Potter will prevail.
