Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I

David Yates' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part I makes its intentions clear from the very beginning - We are leaving the safety of Hogwarts, and entering a very dark, cold, and unfeeling world. We get a sense of this right at the studio logo that opens the film. We see the familiar Warner Bros. shield as the opening notes of John Williams' theme plays (although it sounds slightly sadder and somber than we're used to), but as the logo flies closer to the camera, its surface begins to decay and rot into something darker and less familiar.

That kind of summarizes the film itself, as young heroes Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) find themselves exposed and out in the open for most of the film. The number of friends and allies they can turn to seem to be depleting by the second as the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) continues to grow in power and build his army. Harry and his friends are now seen as wanted enemies by the Ministry of Magic, and are forced to go into exile as they search out an ancient power that can save them. All of this, of course, is the build up to the ultimate confrontation to come. In fact, that's what Deathly Hallows Part I is - build up. Although it is never boring, those who are not completely steeped in Potter-lore might grow a little restless from time to time. The film acts almost as total fan service, re-introducing characters we haven't seen on the screen in seven or eight years, and expects you to be up to date on everything going on, even things that the books went in depth on, while the movie barely touches upon them.

I'm not trying to scare anyone away from the film, as it's very well done. Just as a casual fan whose only experience to the Potter world has been the films as they've been released, I felt a little bit behind, as I tried to remind myself who a lot of these characters were, and when I last saw them. I never felt lost, though. This is a fairly low key adventure to begin with. Much of the film deals with how Harry and his friends deal with the fact they can't really trust anyone but each other anymore. With the death of the wise wizard Dumbledore, there are no more comforting adult figures to guide and protect the young heroes. They can't go back to the familiar halls of Hogwarts, and must constantly stay one step ahead of their pursuers. This is where much of the drama of the film sets in, as we see how the forced exile effects the heroes differently, both physically and emotionally.

Much of the conflict in the film is actually internal, which surprised me, given how action-heavy the first half hour or so is. After a harrowing chase through the skies and even the streets of London early on, the remainder of the film deals with Harry, Hermione, and Ron slowly piecing the clues together of what they're supposed to do to stop Voldemort. It begins to resemble a two and a half hour scavenger hunt, as the heroes visit one location after another, gather information, and then move on. Fans familiar with the original novel will no doubt be fascinated, as they'll hold knowledge that other viewers do not. Those who are not familiar may find the pace uneven. Although I was never bored, I did find the pace dragged from time to time.

And yet, in the back of our minds, we all know that this is leading up to something big - the final showdown that we've been waiting to see on the screen for almost 10 years now. As everyone knows, the studio has decided to divide Deathly Hollows into two parts - a brilliant marketing stunt guaranteed to make them double the cash. This is the build up. Deathly Hallows Part II (set for release in Summer 2011) is where everything will come to a head, obviously. Is it all a big tease? Well, it's nowhere near as bad as it could have been. There's the expected cliffhanger ending, but at least it ends at a logical point in the story, and doesn't feel like the movie simply stops.

I think what I appreciated the most about this film is seeing how far the actors have come over the years. Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint have obviously grown into their roles so much to the point that it's impossible to picture these characters as anyone else. And all the returning actors and characters are sure to delight long-time fans. It really makes you appreciate just how well cast these movies have been from the very beginning. The franchise has been lucky, not only for being able to keep pretty much all their regular actors from the very beginning to the end (except, obviously, for original "Dumbledore", Richard Harris), but for finding actors who could grow and keep up with the characters as the series went along.

Deathly Hollows Part I is a flawed film that will probably appeal more to fans than to those on the outside. Still, I managed to have fun, and it has me interested in what's to come. Even though the film is incomplete, it did not bother me as much as some other films that leave things completely open for a continuation. At least we're guaranteed one this time around, unlike say, The Golden Compass. This may not be Harry Potter's strongest hour (Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire still remain my favorites of the films), but as a set up for great things to come, it entices just enough.

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