The much-hyped "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," hits the door on Friday, is where the magic stops being exotic and becomes deadly. Torture, tears, tragedy in the premices-- not even Harry's owl is safe.
The film, the first half of the final saga amazing in the hugely popular series of poter, is by far the darkest of the Potter movies till now and, while satisfying, makes the wait for next summer's conclusion that much more excruciating. We need relief!
Our now-adult heroes, Daniel Radcliffe,Rupert Grint and Emma Watso, have left the wizard school of Hogwarts to hunt and destroy pieces of the Dark Lord Voldemort's broken soul. Each must make sacrifices. One powerful scene finds Hermione magically erasing herself from her parent's memories -- and then her family photos -- so as not to leave a trail for Voldemort's Death Eaters.
Not that there isn't some fun. Harry and Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) have a spirited chase through London on a flying motorcycle, performing Olympic-style half-pipe maneuvers through tunnels. Meanwhile, seven friends transform themselves into clones of Harry to throw the bad guys off the scent; there's an amusing 360-degree shot that leaves Radcliffe (times seven) dressed in the clothes each character was originally wearing, lacy bra included.
Meanwhile, an animated telling of a fairy tale using marionette shadow puppets stands as one of the most beautiful se quences in the whole se ries.
But these small mo ments of respite take a back seat to a slow, marinating emotional tension. Like the actors themselves, Potter fans have grown up over the seven films -- it's been almost 10 years since the first one -- and it's reflected in the adult themes of loss and sacrifice.
That's particularly true of Ron, who grows jealous, tired and dejected on the hunt. Across the barren and lonely expanses -- forests and sea cliffs across the United Kingdom take center stage, instead of the past installments' more fantastical settings -- we see him become more distant. His departure from his friends is messy, raw and personal.
There's violence, too, as when Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) tortures Hermione by carving words into her arm. Wands are used as weapons, not toys.
In comparison to the books, "Deathly Hallows: Part 1" will stand as, perhaps, the most faithful adaptation. (It helps that, at two hours and 26 minutes, it needs to cover only half).
The film ends on a cliffhanger. Will darkness rule all in the wizarding world, or will Harry catch up to the Dark Lord and save not only his own life, but the lives of his friends?
It's heartbreaking, a little scary, a total thrill. It may be a fantasy, but the stakes feel real.
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