This movie starts in a much different place than the book does, starting first on Harry and his friends rather than Voldemort. This change however, is something I really enjoyed. It shortened the scene of the Dursley's evacuation of their home, but added additional reflection from Hermione and Ron as they prepare for the oncoming war. One very powerful scene involves Hermione (beautifully acted by Emma Watson) wiping her parents memories of her. The camera pans along the pictures around the home as she is wistfully wiped from them, leaving her as a blank slate in their lives.
The movie follows the plot decently, however, the shortened run time of the movie makes the movie's biggest weakness. No plot point is skipped over, but certain scenes could've been extended for much more of an impact with the audience. The opening chase for instance, where Harry battles the Death Eaters in the skies above London could've been extended, allowing for more drama and action, as well as the inclusion of the small plotline of Stan Shunpike.
However, the biggest problem with the film is that it cuts out the all important list of Horcruxes that Harry has to find through the two films. The sixth movie cut out the same list, and it could leave viewers a little bit baffled as they attempt to figure out what they are. This makes the movie feel a bit unfinished, and makes me believe that the director was forced to leave a lot on the cutting room floor.
Certain scenes are perfect. The trio being on the run, the fight between Ron and Harry, these things were done really well through the books. Another one of the highlights is the scene between Harry and Ginny in the kitchen of the Burrow. In the book, this scene happens a lot differently, and the movie's change works better in my opinion. Another one is when they fight the Death Eaters in the London café. This scene shows the dangers they face very well, and shows how the trio has to fight amongst a guerrilla war against Voldemort in order to stay alive.
However, amongst these scenes, other scenes stand out among the worst scenes of the film. The best example of this comes from when Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to impersonate Ministry employees in order to find Dolores Umbridge and retrieve their first horcrux. In the book, this scene is very tense, and Harry shows his ability to perform as a more clandestine operative in the ministry, and more than capable of blending in and surviving.
In the movie though, this scene is done in a very jokey way, with the actor who is playing Harry under the effects of the Polyjuice Potion looking out of place and wonky. This scene is important in the story, showing how things have changed in the Wizarding World, and how Voldemort is ruling behind the scenes.
The other major problem with the movie is that the movie holds a two and a half hour run time. By no means is this the longest film, but it's the most plot-heavy film in the series. When the filmmakers decided to split Book 7 into two pieces, that means that they should've allowed more run time for both films in order to get the full story of the novel.
With this shortened run time, there are certain key things that the books have that are missed, one of them being from Book 6, in which Harry learns exactly what Voldemort made into his horcruxes. So, since we learn that as readers, yet not as moviegoers, how in the heck does he know?
Other scenes suffer from this as well. Things such as the opening battle and chase with the Death Eaters as Harry is leaving the Dursley's suffer from being no more than the blink of an eye before it ends. Other things, like the Stan Shunpike sub-plot, were completely cut. Things that could've gone deeper into Harry's personality were removed, and these things are vital to the books to show how Harry is not truly as infallible as he seems.
The wedding scene was also removed for a shortened cut of the fated reception in which it is revealed that the world had changed. This change was only minor, along with other certain cuts in the film, but there is another major change that urks me. In the books, the character of Wormtail owes Harry for sparing him in the third book, which in this book, Harry cashes in that debt. For Harry cashing that debt in, Wormtail's life is taken by the very gift he recieved from Voldemort in book 4, a metal hand to replace the one he cut off to revive Voldemort. In the movie, he is just knocked unconcious.
Another small change is the character of Grindelwald. In the book, he denies Voldemort the location of the Elder Wand, feeling remorse for what he did during his rise to power. In the movie, this scene shows a more hateful Grindelwald, who leads Voldemort straight to where he wants to go. This small change actually will change the whole view of Aberforth's story in the second movie, and I don't agree with that direction.
Now, all Harry Potter fans turn to July 15th, in which the eighth and final movie is to be released to the world. Warner Brothers just released the first actual trailer for that film, and it tells viewers that the showdown will be an epic one. However, after the release of this film, I can't help but wonder if the next film will be all action and no plot, or if things are going to actually live up to the epic quality of the book.
My review:
2.5/5 Stars
Now, to show the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2:
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