Movie #385 - Harry Potter & The Dealthy Hallows (Part I)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
2010 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 26 min
Director: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bill Nighy, Richard Griffiths, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright, Fiona Shaw, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Timothy Spall, Michael Gambon, Robbie Coltrane, Brendan Gleeson, David Thewlis, John Hurt, Frances de la Tour, Rhys Ifans, Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson, Warwick Davis

The casts of these movies keep getting longer and longer! But what a great cast of main characters this franchise has built, honestly! I have to say that almost everyone chosen, even the most lovable characters and the most hated villains, are so spot-on cast that I have no complaints! And who doesn't think Carter is the craziest Bellatrix Lestrange there could ever be?

Anyway, back to this review. The seventh book took a lot of heat for being reeeeallly boring for the first half, likes its warming up for the epic battle at its conclusion.  But I've always argued that it should be exactly that. Rowling's writing has always been an excellent mimic for the feeling of her hero, and as Harry feels aimless in his wanderings for the horcruxes, we get to feel it right along with him.  I've always felt that to be a strength of her style, a treat for us readers. If you disagree, you're clearly just reading for the juicy bits.

So this movie also took a lot of heat for "dragging" and while I agree that it probably didn't need to be over two hours by quite so much, I think it captures that aimless feel of the book.  We get to see our favorite trio turn on one another and really feel the pressure, the burden placed on their shoulders at such a young age.  It's fitting, too, that we should sit and feel pressured, burdened by their struggle.  It's like the full-experience kind of movie and book we should expect from such a big franchise.

And I, for one, am a big fan.