Ripped from the beloved children’s books and adapted into one of the biggest movie franchises in history, the epic tale of Harry Potter and his magical mates is (slowly) coming to a close with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. (Part 2 hits theaters July 15, 2011.) As sides clash, characters embrace their destiny and the studio rakes in piles of dough, we are meant to get the feeling that something special is ending. But does this seventh Harry Potter movie stand up to the rest of the series?
Deathly Hallows picks up some time after the events of the previous film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, with the gravity of the situation hanging heavy and the Minister of Magic (Bill Nighy) trying to convince everyone (including himself) that all is OK. He’s less than successful, as Harry’s relatives pack up and leave, Hermione leaves her parents (making them forget their daughter ever existed), and Ron is left contemplating whether his family will make it out alive even as they gather for a wedding.
This article appears in Nov 11-17, 2010.