Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I

By Jenny Johnston
Editor

    The end of an era has finally arrived. Daniel Radcliff is making his last appearance as Harry Potter, one of the most beloved childhood characters, in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I.” This series holds a special place in the hearts of college students. The first of seven books was published in 1997 when most current students were in elementary school. Ten years later, the final book was published and Harry Potter was leaving Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, right around the time when students were graduating from high school.
    Shortly after, the first book “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” was published, the book was adapted into a movie and released in theaters in 2001. All books eventually became films with the last installment of the Harry Potter series hitting the big screen on November 19.
    Fortunately for die hard fans, producers split the final book into two movies, hence the “Part I” in the title. The dream will be extended eight more months until “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II” is released July 15, 2011. After living through 14 years of simultaneous new releases of books and films, it’s bittersweet that the end is here.
    Fans of all ages waited in line for hours for the midnight premiere. Some were young kids with their parents, but most were teenagers, college students and lifelong fans of the series. This kind of passion and following is something “Twilight” can only hope to compete against. The recent vampire craze does not even compare to the level of love and devotion for Harry Potter. They’re one of the few books that nearly every kid in the world read in less than 48 hours. Talk about captivating!
    The movie begins (after 30 minutes of previews) with Harry, Ron and Hermione all leaving their lives behind to save the world from the evil Lord Voldemort. They realize they must finish Dumbledore’s work by finding the remaining Horcruxes needed to destroy Voldemort. Members of the Order of the Phoenix arrive at Harry’s place to transport him to a safe house. Thinking they might be attacked by death eaters, six members take the Polyjuice Potion and transform into Harry’s doppelgangers. This is by far, the most hilarious scene in the entire film. The fake Harrys and the real Harry are escorted by a protector as they fly into the night. Right on cue, the Death Eaters attack killing one member and severely injuring another.
    Harry felt incredibly guilty about what happened and realized he is putting too many people in danger for the sake of his life. He decides to head out on his own to search for the Horcruxes. Of course, much to Harry’s resentment, Ron and Hermione follow along as all loyal best friends would do. Meanwhile, Voldemort has taken over the Ministry of Magic and enacted a world-wide search for Harry and his friends. The trio, who are already struggling in their quest, now have to remain unseen. They’re guided by small leads and few clues left behind from their past.
    Along the way, one of their friends, Luna Lovegood’s father, tells them the tale of the Three Brothers and the Deathly Hallows, which are three magical and powerful items. The first is the Elder Wand, which is thought to be unbeaten; the second is the Resurrection Stone which can bring back spirits of those who are dead; and the last is the Invisibility Cloak which makes the wearer invisible. The tale of the story ends on the rumor that any person who acquires these three items is the Master of Death.
    Harry, Ron and Hermione are thrilled they just discovered a big break in their journey, but unfortunately, their victory was short lived. They lingered too long to hear the story and Death Eaters captured them and brought them to Voldemort’s headquarters. Hermione quickly casts a Stinging Hex on Harry so his face is unrecognizable. The Death Eaters are unsure if the disfigured person is Harry so they torture Hermione to find out. A fight breaks out and the bunch narrowly escape. The movie ends with Voldemort robbing Dumbledore’s grave and stealing the Elder Wand from his grasp.
    The seventh book was the darkest one of the entire series, and the movie accurately depicts this mood. The movie lightens up with frequent moments of comedy, giving the audience a break from the deathly tones. In the first movie, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint (Ron) were 12 years old and Emma Watson (Hermione) was 11. At the time their acting was embarrassing, but after nine years of exclusively playing the same character, they’ve blossomed into talented actors, which is showcased in their final movie.
    “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I” is playing at all local theatres. As always, the Barrywoods 24 theater has half price tickets for week days and week nights, excluding IMAX. This is a perfect film to see with family or a group of friends.