As far as visual stunners go, the newest installment of ‘Harry Potter’ looks better than ever. Not only does it look absolutely brilliant, but also everything seems to have matured since the previous films in the franchise.
The most noticeable being the acting. Daniel Radcliffe (as Harry), Emma Watson (as Hermione Granger), Rupert Grint (as Ron Weasley), and Bonnie Wright (as Ginny Weasley) share dynamite chemistry that gives them the impression that they’re more comfortable with each other than ever. Accompanied by phenomenal camera work, explosive special effects and superb direction (the experienced and classy David Yates,) this installment of Harry Potter is sure to be one of the greatest yet.
Unfortunately, for you die-hard fans, the adaptation from book to film was less than accurate or even graceful. Let me be quite clear when I say I’m a massive fan of everything and anything in the Harry Potter universe. If you ask me the name of an obscure side character or the pronunciation of a spell, I’m on it. If you need some insight on story progression or plot, I’ve memorized every detail. Now, I understand that movie adaptations based off books aren’t always accurate or even expected, but these series of films have been pretty close to the overall story and have paid attention to detail (ignoring many aspects of the fourth film.) Unfortunately, there are a few moments in the movie that really disappoint. For example, they cut out two major sections of the book that are not only crucial but hinder the overall movie’s flow and continuity. Now, I may be being a little hard on Steve Kloves, the film’s screenwriter, and he could only write so much due to previous writers cutting out other aspects during the franchises history. He did very well with what he was given.
Nitpicking aside, the film is a visual triumph. It was beautifully shot by Bruno Delbonnel, who brings a subtle brilliance to the silver screen. The biggest plus to this movie (and the next two to come) is director David Yates. He’s the first director in the series history to be behind the helm of more than one Harry Potter endeavor, and rightfully so. Yates did a fantastic job capturing the set-up and the mood for the upcoming seventh film, which is going to be broken up into two parts. He also brings a delightful subtlety that I haven’t seen in any of the Potter’s to date. It’s honestly refreshing and adds a lot of legitimacy to the franchise.
Even though I had a few problems with the book-to-movie adaptation, I left the movie very satisfied. What really put the smile on my face was the anticipation for the power, release, and fulfillment of the seventh and eighth films. Grade: A- Runtime: 153 Minutes Director: David Yates Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint Rating: PG for scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality
