Spoiler alert: New ‘Harry Potter’ movie delivers

Few movie previews have given me sheer chills of anticipation the way “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” did. So, needless to say, my bar was set incredibly high walking into part one of this epic two part finale. 

Yet David Yates’ meticulous direction leaves viewers emotionally and visually enraptured until the last nail-biting cliff hanger.

Like many of the Potter films, key parts of the film were rushed, including the beginning. Yates speeds through the introduction of the movie with an eagle-eye montage of Harry, Ron and Hermione setting their affairs in order. 

Viewers are prepped for coming events with quick shots of a ministry takeover, wizards in hiding and a murder within the first 10 minutes. 

It is clear this film is not going to be a campy romp with Harry and the gang. Instead, Yates pulls on the heavy desperation that litters the pages of “Deathly Hallows” and uses it as inspiration for the first in his two-part film.

The escape from the Dursley’s and the wedding are rushed as Yates condenses it down to two quick shots of action and one quick shot of dancing before he jumps right into the trio on the run.

When it comes to Yates’ depiction of the three’s journey through the wilderness of Great Britain, nothing is rushed. Every emotion and feeling is intensified. 

The feeling can be most felt as Harry, Ron and Hermione stand in the dank and dark halls of Grimmauld Place. 

Hermione utters the fateful line, “We’re alone.” While this line is accurate of their current situation, it also bodes true of each character. 

Yates so embodies their loneliness that viewers find themselves feeling  their despair. Yates intensifies this with dark and bare backdrops, far away cinematography, very little orchestration and minor discussion. 

The first half of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” is a slog through very little action and heavy speculation, and Yates does a beautiful job of taking this material and turning it into something beautiful.  

However, for a book that is light on action, any action present should have been taken advantage of, but just like “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,” action sequences are rushed and unfulfilling. From the battle with death eaters as Harry escapes to the capture at the Malfoy Manor, I was left wanting more. 

Even Hermione’s torture is edited down until it is a mere cut on the arm. Yet the unforgettable seen with Dobby makes up for any rush. 

I left the movie with tears streaming down my face as did the majority of my fellow moviegoers.

This film was an emotional roller coaster beautifully filmed and edited. 

Even those who are Potter virgins could enjoy the film for its sheer art and story. And those that have read the books will appreciate this film for its honesty. 

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