Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (7) - 10 stars out of 10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (7) - 10 stars out of 10

"Part One" is certainly not the light-hearted, family-friendly Harry Potter film to which we have grown accustomed. As the first film of the series to bear the PG-13 rating, its combination of disturbing imagery and dark thematic material make it a dramatic work of cinematic art instead of a children's story. Although this filim lacks the overwhelming amount of action from the first 6 installments of Harry Potter, its impact comes through the raw emotional acting of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Helena Bonham Carter. The three young actors who we have seen grow from kids to adults through these roles leave a strong impression. Few other actors appear for more than 5 minutes in this film and it all falls on these three talented actors. Between Radcliffe's underwater scene, Watson's screaming, and Grint's emotional monologue, the acting of the Harry Potter series has been elevated to a new level. Though the story sometimes seems like an introduction of content knowledge necessary to the understanding of the next film, the explanation of the Deathly Hallows pulls everything together. P.S. The storytelling of Watson's voiceover with the computer animation was stunning. It is amazing how Rowling's fantasy world transforms between the first film and this chapter, but it is delightful as witchcraft enters the muggle world. The ending makes it very apparent that this film is a link between the first 6 and the finale instead of a stand-alone film, which is precisely the intention. After Part One ends, your heart will be racing, ready for Part Two.