by Donald Lind

Created on: January 23, 2011

“Deathly Hallows, Part One”: a sneak preview of Part Two”

At last, the end of the “Harry Potter” franchise in its cinematic form draws near.  The final book from J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” is also the first book to be divided into two separate films.  And Part One of the film adaptation has the following to say: Stay tuned for Part Two, coming this summer.

Not to say that Part One is not without merit; the films have managed to be consistently entertaining despite four directors tackling the series (with David Yates, helming this one as well, his third in a row, and also chosen to head the finale) and a wide influx of quirky new characters each year, portrayed by a small army of great British thespians, which despite their awesomeness, always threaten to steal the show from the young lead actors.  But this time, “Deathly Hallows, Part One,” is centered directly on Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, as it should be.

But the problem with this half of the story is that it is all a lead-up to the climax of Part Two, where we will finally see the conclusion of Harry’s battle with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and all the story elements will tie up.  What happens here is merely a precursor, a teaser of the major details of what will happen in its follow-up.  At two-and-a-half hours, this makes “Deathly Hallows, Part One” the world’s longest coming attractions for a film.

Thankfully, the three lead actors have matured into their roles (after all, they’ve played Harry, Ron and Hermione seven times now, going on eight) and manage to keep the film engaging while they’re often the only ones on screen.  This “Harry Potter” is now essentially a long chase/road trip movie, mixed with a treasure hunt and some “Lord of the Rings.”

With Voldemort’s dark power increasing thanks to the loss of Dumbledore, the Ministry of Magic has fallen under his control and  Hogwarts is no longer safe for Harry or his friends.  In fact, with the Death Eaters on the prowl, the muggle world is just as dangerous, so much that the group’s muggle friends and family have to flee.  After constant attacks by the Death Eaters at their homes and on the streets of London, Harry, Ron and Hermione run off on their own, without the help of the more powerful adult wizards.  

They hold on to the faint

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