"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" (2010)

When I first heard that "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the conclusion to J.K. Rowling's modern literary classic, was going to be split into two movies, I was worried it was all about the money. It thankfully turns out, however, that it was really all about the story. The choice for a split in this final installment is an artistic one, and it seems only fitting now after having seen "Part 1." Director David Yates, who directed the fifth and sixth installments, has skillfully guided us through a string of "Harry Potter" films that are consistently excellent.

In this most emotionally and cinematically rewarding installment yet, there's a sense of melancholy for the impending end, which arrives next year with "Part 2," as Yates steers us into a more serious, elegant and meditative film about characters we have grown to love and care for, those we have watched since they were children and who are now intelligent young adults taking on the world outside the walls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

This is the furthest departure from any "Harry Potter" films that have come before. We receive but a glimpse of Hogwarts, and Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (Emma Watson) are not there. There are no longer Quidditch matches, classes, uniforms, petty crushes or any sort of adult supervision or guidance--these are all things of the past for our trio. Cast out beyond the walls of Hogwarts, they are on their own separate mission to find the Horcruxes with which to destroy Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Albus Dumbledore is dead and gone, and while the trio gets assistance early on from the likes of Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson), they mostly must remain on their own in order to ensure the safety of those close to them. Harry Potter is a human target with the Dark Lord's Death Eaters on the loose, so they decide it would be better to keep him in seclusion from others, which means traveling through vast wilderness and using Hermoine's endless resources to their advantage.

This drastic setting change is jarring at first but takes us to gorgeous landscapes that are captured by luscious cinematography from Eduardo Serra ("Girl with a Pearl Earring," "Blood Diamond"). The journey also takes them occasionally to the streets of London, which adds a shock of realism to what we've otherwise come to know as fantasy. The early portion of the movie wanders a bit, but it works considering the rather directionless nature of their journey at that point. We also wouldn't get some of the intimately detailed moments that we do if there wasn't this slight pause in the proceedings.

In one of the movie's most poignant moments, Ron has become fed up with waiting around for Horcruxes and storms off leaving Harry, and especially Hermoine, bewildered and lonely. In an effort to comfort Hermoine and lighten the mood, Harry wordlessly leads his friend in a dance inside their tent. This scene is not in the book, but it proves Yates has really come to understand not only these characters but the actors playing them, as well. A deviation from the text such as this comes as a welcome addition, an honestly tender and real moment marking the films and books as separate entities, but also a flourish of which Rowling would approve.

A lot of the older British cast is absent (Alan Rickman shows up only once as Severus Snape, and Helena Bonham Carter has one dastardly sequence as Bellatrix Lestrange), which leaves room for the three younger actors to really shine. Radcliffe, Grint and Watson all present their largest emotional range here than ever before. Their performances are accented with touchingly subtle nuances that were conspicuously absent before as the characters begin to struggle with each other as adults, and it's this elevation of feeling from them that makes this first part of the finale pack in the level of emotional grandeur that it does.

Tracking the adventure is the brilliant composer Alexandre Desplat, his first time working with "Harry Potter," whose score is haunting and bleak with touches of whimsy. This entry also uses stark silence to great effect most notably during both the opening and closing credits. A daunting chase sequence with Snatchers through the woods cuts out all music, too, as all we hear is the zapping of spells, the trampling of feet on the ground and heaving breaths.

Harry, Ron and Hermoine's infiltration into the Ministry of Magic is cleverly handled as is the telling of the story of the Deathly Hallows, which is presented with shadowy figures of animation that have a nice effect. The return of the house elf Dobby is also a welcome treat. Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves have set their formula, which has become especially familiar to us since "Half-Blood Prince," to even greater effect here with a perfect blend of pathos and humor.

While each entry certainly has been darkening in tone and mood, things have now turned to pitch black. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" is the slowest and saddest installment yet, beautiful and heartwrenching in its own right and a satisfying and standalone entry even when it ends at the midpoint acting as a stepping stone. "Part 1" braces its characters and its fans for the series' finish as we await with anxious suspense and a tinge of looming dread perhaps because we well know the next time is when we say goodbye.

Archive: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2007)

It's amazing how much the "Harry Potter" film franchise has evolved. Starting back in 2001 as a tale about a boy wizard and his magic, it has grown into something much more mature. Especially magnificent is the fact that these films have spanned over the course of 6 years, and so the general fan base has aged along with the films. With this fifth installment, "The Order of the Phoenix," we finally get a sense that we're on the brink of something really big and foreboding. This is what the series, especially the third and fourth films, have been leading up to. On July 21st, the 7th and final book will be released, and Harry Potter fans everywhere will finally find out his fate. In the world of the movies, however, it's just the beginning of the end with the darkest and gloomiest installment yet.

"The Sorcerer's Stone" and "The Chamber of Secrets" were under the much lighter direction of Chris Columbus. It was then passed onto Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron, who made the smart and stylish transition into the series' darker tones. Director Mike Newell was next and did an admirable job on "The Goblet of Fire." And now, British director David Yates, who has only worked with TV projects, has taken on "The Order of the Phoenix" and has even signed up for "The Half-Blood Prince." This director holds true to the series' new look with gloomy atmospheres in place of colorful wonderment.

Ironically, this movie is the shortest of the entire bunch, and yet it's the longest novel. This is because it's the first installment not adapted by screenwriter Steve Kloves who will be returning for the next one. Michael Goldenburg fills the gap and does a fine job doing so by slimming down the expansive novel into something that's fitting for the screen. It's a surprisingly compact package clocking in at just under two-and-a-half hours, and it feels extremely streamlined. It's faced-paced and moves along briskly, which is better than trying to stuff everything in. Although there's noticeably a lot missing from the rich book, it's still entirely faithful without feeling at all overstuffed. It will be satisfying to those reading the novels but may be confusing to those following just the movies.

Daniel Radcliffe just keeps getting better playing our favorite Harry Potter. He was only 11 in "The Sorcerer's Stone," and now almost 18, the progress he's made is astounding. As he stated himself in an interview, only now is he able to fully show this teen wizard's full range of emotions and truly convey his deeply-rooted troubles. Not only him, but his costars, as well, have matured notably throughout the years. Rupert Grint returns as Ron Weasley along with Emma Watson as Hermoine Granger, but the two of them have a lot less to work with this time around. The actual social aspect has been disappointingly downplayed to make room for the rest of the plot elements. There are no warm feelings on the return to Hogwarts because it's time to get down to business; everyone is colder and more distanced from each other. There is Harry's highly-publicized first kiss scene, however, which shows that there is indeed still some spark amidst everything else going on.

There are many familiar faces like Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), "Mad-Eye" Moody (Brendan Gleeson), Professor Lupin (David Thewlis), and Sirius Black (Gary Oldman); all of them are of course played by renowned British actors. All of these characters make their return, even though some of their appearances are frustratingly brief. There's also a new student, "Loony" Luna Lovegood, who is just as bizarre as she was in the book. As fans very well know, with each new entry there comes a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and this time it's Professor Dolores Umbridge who is certainly one nasty cup of poisonous sugar.

Played very well by Imelda Staunton, she masks her evil hostility with her fuzzy pink clothes, unctuous smile, and piercingly annoying giggle. She continually posts educational decrees up on the wall, preventing Hogwarts students from doing anything. Her method of detention is awfully cruel, and she doesn't even let the students practice magic in the classroom and has them studying theory instead to prepare for their OWL exams. This terrible woman even replaces Dumbledore as Headmaster at one point. It's all from the help of the Ministry of Magic, headed by Cornelius Fudge, who is trying to suppress the supposed rumor that the Dark Lord has returned.

Well, it's no rumor. Harry Potter knows this for a fact, and it's his responsibility to get others to believe him. He is full of rage and anger and doesn't understand why, and he is having unsettlingly recurring nightmares. There are those ready to help him, however, and that's where the plot begins to thicken. There's a secret organization called The Order of the Phoenix compiled of friendly wizards and witches working to prepare for and defend against the truth. Lord Voldemort, played by a sinister slit-nosed Ralph Fiennes, is certainly back and is building an army of Death Eaters. With a Defense Against the Dark Arts class that just isn't cutting it, a group of Hogwarts students is planning to fight back and has created secret meetings under the name of Dumbledore's Army. With the inspiration and help of Harry Potter, they learn complicated spells and zap each other around a hidden Room of Requirement in order to prepare themselves for the worst.

Helping with the storytelling are the always wondrous special effects. Although not as breathtaking as in previous installments with the magical Tri-Wizard Tournament from "The Goblet of Fire" or the terrifying basilisk from "The Chamber of Secrets," there are still some dazzling sequences involving a broom ride across the London landscape and a deadly battle with magic during the movie's climactic end.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is actually not sufficient enough to be a stand-alone movie experience mainly because it's a build-up to a magical war between good and evil that we never get to see, or at least not yet. We're in the middle of it all, and this is a time when Harry Potter and his friends must face a grim, adult world. There's more to prepare for than just their exams, and they must learn to protect themselves. Although Harry, Ron, and Hermoine interact differently than before, they're teenagers now and with all they've been through, they're closer than ever. I'm afraid to say that things are only going to get darker from here, and fans are aware that this is the natural progression. We've been with these characters from the very start, and it has been really something. This is the most extraordinary movie franchise of our time, and here is yet another worthy installment to behold.

The Magical Series Nears Its Finish

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince


I think Harry Potter himself put it best when he said, "I never realized how beautiful this place was." In talking about Hogwarts, he couldn't be any more right. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" brings the enchanting school of wizardry to life like never before and makes it an altogether awe-inspiring spectacle to behold. From a wand duel in a bathroom to a thrilling match of Quidditch, it all looks better than ever. And it's in no small part thanks to the introduction of cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel whose other work includes "Amélie" and "Across the Universe." With this Potter newcomer in the mix, the scenery is filled with dazzling set pieces and wondrous art direction that makes the world of Hogwarts feel like something fresh and exciting all over again. This latest installment in the beloved and wildly popular franchise is the most gorgeous yet, and not only that, it is arguably the best yet, the strongest since Cuarón's "Prisoner of Azkaban." Director David Yates returns for his second outing assisted this time by screenwriter Steve Kloves who wrote all of the other films aside from "Order of the Phoenix," the other of which Yates directed. Now that they've been brought together, they make the perfect marriage and bring to life J.K. Rowling's masterful seven-book saga the way it was truly meant to be.

We last left off with the acknowledgment that the Dark Lord is indeed back in power, and this entry solemnly picks up right from there. The Death Eaters are ravaging the Muggles and making their way closer into the corridors of Hogwarts where they can cause their most destruction. Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) has been stamped with the seal of evil and gets assigned to carry out an awful deed, and he is followed by fellow Death Eaters such as the maniacal vixen Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter). And it would appear that Severus Snape (the always excellent Alan Rickman) has Draco's back, but he shows over and over again the complex moral puzzle that he weaves. And he's still smacking students and enunciating each of his words individually with a sneer.

Meanwhile, headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) has recruited Harry to remain by his side and before heading back to Hogwarts for a sixth year, he takes him to visit an old friend. It's a man by the name of Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) who is a retired Potions professor that Dumbledore needs back to find out more information on a former star pupil, Tom Riddle, now commonly known as Lord Voldemort. The key to Harry's quest lies within a very important memory of Slughorn's, and a great deal of the movie focuses on the task of obtaining this memory. This loopy and absent-minded professor is a funny, charming, and welcome addition to the wide cast of characters. Certain familiar faces fall in and out of importance with each installment, but we're always given the obligatory viewing, so Hagrid, Wormtail, Filch, Lupin, Tonks, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, the Weasleys, the ever so lovely Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, and many more all make their appearances.

There are two storylines to follow, one of which is the tale of tackling teenage love. Ron (Rupert Grint) finds himself enraptured with the bouncy Lavendar Brown (Jessie Cave), and their "snogging" causes poor Hermoine (Emma Watson) to excuse herself to go vomit. Then there's Ginny (Bonnie Wright), Ron's little sister who is not so little anymore and is capturing the attention of Harry. The romantic foundations are being set, and they play out in a humorously cheeky fashion as if battling one's own raging hormones is as daunting a task as the actually life-threatening task that faces Harry. And that's the second storyline as the personal connection between Dumbledore and Harry continues to deepen and mature. They embark on a journey together to find what is introduced to viewers as horcruxes, seven artifacts that have pieces of Voldemort's soul residing within them. In the movie's most emotionally potent scene, the duo travel to an eerie lake where terrifying creatures of the undead lurk beneath the water's surface.

Through the intermingling of these two storylines, the movie strikes an ideal balance between the whimsical and the dark. It's much less fanciful this time out, even more so than the fifth installment. This could very well be a deliberate move on Yates' part due to the increasingly heightened sense of human drama that his characters are being placed amongst. This time they face truly dangerous situations where the horror is real. When a moment of devastating tragedy arrives, it has an astounding effect, which goes to certify the spell that the movie has been casting all along. By the end of this chapter, we honestly care about the well-being of these characters we've come to know so well.

"Half-Blood Prince" is extraordinarily well-made, a rush of moviemaking bliss, and I loved it. The ever-approaching battle of good versus evil is accompanied by a very well-equipped director for the job. David Yates has put special emphasis on the gathering storm clouds that are on the approach, and he has claimed the Harry Potter universe as his own superbly setting up the highly-awaited finale, "The Deathly Hallows," which he will also direct. It has been split into two parts scheduled for release in 2010 and 2011. Something huge is on the horizon, and "Half-Blood Prince" is yet another excellent step along the way, another momentary pause to anxiously wait for what's in store next.