Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

It can't be overstated how impressive the Harry Potter Franchise has become. Yes it's made a Buhgillion dollars, and yes it's going to make more, but money aside, the series has grown in a way that is almost unheard of, collecting the finest ensemble cast ever amassed along the way and pushing the boundaries of family entertainment. Regardless of how you view them, the films haven't rested on their laurels and simply coasted by on the film's fan base, they have improved and expanded with every installment. That tradition continues in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1. It isn't the best Potter film, (Alfonso Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban still holds that place) but in terms of maturity and depth it is such a huge leap forward it's frightening.

It comes from the source material. Rowling's finale to her titanic series of books stuck the landing in a way few thought possible. 'Dark' is the word of choice, and while it's an easy way to describe the story it's appropriate. The film follows the book's story rigidly. After the devastating blow of losing his mentor, Harry Potter has been left with an impossible task: Find and destroy the remaining fragments of Lord Voldemorts soul, the rub being that he doesn't know where they are, what they are or indeed, how to destroy them. The task is hopeless and without wishing to spoil it doesn't seem all that rosier come the end, an end that dumps a big fat cliffhanger on our lap to keep us excited for Part 2.

Which brings us to the obvious. Was the decision to split the book, a book which most agree contains a fair amount of, I don't want to say filler, but certainly "fat", artistically justified, or was it, as many feared, an excuse to get people to pay twice to see one movie.