Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

IN A NUTSHELL: Disappointing. With some interesting elements in the story and something unforgettably alluring in its tone and filmmaking, making some powerful moments, this altogether drags to a dud and sucks the utter life and excitement out of this finale. It’s a soulless Potter film with no magic. IN PERSPECTIVE: Sure, it's a part of a large movie, but that's not to say this isn't a movie. This is a movie, and if the vision is to separate the movie into two parts, they need to be made as separate movies because there are going to be treated as separate movies. Together they may work magically, but that shouldn't be taken into account in reviewing this individual movie. It's blatantly apparent that the vision for this two-part finale is aimed towards making money, and going out with a bang. To me Yates has an interesting vision and I had confidence, high hopes, and wishes for it. But in hindsight, the vision is passionless, lacking imagination, and ambition in it's delivery. There's no film fun from imagination in this. For a Harry Potter movie, that's disappointing. Guillermo del Toro, who was originally considered to take the director's chair for the Deathly Hallows, would've brought some passion, whether his vision was a two-part or one-film epic finale. To me, the idea of one film seems the better route. It's just, in this story, the flow is ruined through division. Yates did fantastic with the previous instalments, but seems overdue and miscast.