Dumbledore is dead, Voldemort grows stronger by the day, and Harry Potter, left only with the vague mission of destroying the remaining horcruxes (pieces of Voldemort's soul embedded in hidden objects that make him, effectively, immortal). Joining him, as always, are his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, as they both choose to leave behind their homes to help Harry fight the battles to come. A series of trials and tragedies befall the trio, including an aerial escape, a daring heist, and a fight with a rather large snake, as their bonds of friendship are tested and their wills are pushed to the limit. All the while, Voldemort is putting the final pieces on the board for his final push to controlling the wizarding world.
The acting in Harry Potter and the Deathly - Part 1 may be the best in the entire series, despite a noticeable lack of Alan Rickman. Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson have grown as actors as they have aged, and all give excellent performances. Warner Brothers got truly lucky when they cast these actors a decade (or so) ago, because all of them have serious chops and all of them still look like the characters from the book. Additionally, Ralph Fiennes is wonderful as Lord Voldemort the few times he's onscreen: he is charismatic, darkly funny, and indisputably terrifying, all without a proper nose. Considering the large cast I will just list off some of the other fantastic actors working in this movie: Alan Rickman, Jason Isaacs, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Helen Bonham Carter, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, John Hurt, Rhys Ifans, and many more.
Harry Potter, while ostensibly a series for children, got progressively darker as its protagonists aged, and this is the darkest one yet. Harry's snow-white owl Hedwig gets killed as collateral damage, Ron's brother loses an ear, the three are forced to abandon friends to potential imprisonment and death: it is not light fare, fantasy or no (which is a very unfair stereotype, by the way). I don't mean to spoil, but there is a scene where a derogatory term is literally carved into someone's arm. The interpersonal issues the group face are less superficial and more personal and befitting of seventeen-year-olds; essentially Harry, Ron, and Hermione are sexual beings by this point and are preoccupied with such things (also saving the worlds and overthrowing dark lords).
This seventh film is the most restrained, though still possessing a substantial amount of special effects (handled beautifully), and is more reliant on atmosphere and mood then any of the previous entries. Whereas before the films would take place in a brightly lit castle, this one is set primarily in sparse, cold locations, from the dismal home Harry inherited from his godfather (Gary Oldman, we do so miss ye) to the forests they flee to. As the penultimate entry in such a vast franchise, much of the film is spent moving the pieces into place for the grand finale to come, which causes the film to lack a clear resolution, though it picks a good place to end.
This seventh of the eight films making up the Harry Potter epic is the most down to earth (relatively) and the most personal (definitely), but it still can't help but feel like it's missing a third act, which is to be expected considering that there is also a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. In the end, though, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 works as one of the stronger entries in an already very strong franchise.
8/10
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