It is finally November 19th and Harry Potter fans are finally getting to see the final installment of the saga. ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ was one of the most anticipated books as well as one of the top selling books. (8.3 million copies in 24 hours. Just for comparison…’Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn’ sold 1.3 million copies in 24 hours.) The weight of bringing the much adored book to life on film rested in the hands of David Yates. The pressure to do J.K. Rowling’s work justice along with delivering a package suitable for children and still pleasing to adults must have been crushing. At midnight last night (technically early this morning) the first showing opened to eager fans. So what is the verdict?

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ reviews are mostly positive. Most negative reviews surround the question of the film’s suitability for children. The heavy nature of the context of the books speaks for itself. I am guessing that those who have read the books will have to make a judgment call knowing what is in store for the wizarding trio. The film was given a PG-13 rating.

Rotten Tomatoes has the rating hovering around the 76% approval mark as of this Friday morning. (This will fluctuate as more reviews surface.) Critics are giving the 2 and a half hour film a 7.3 out of 10 rating while 90% audience members weighing in give it a solid approval. One factor that remains undisputed is the film’s animated telling of ‘The Three Brothers’ which explains the title of the film and ultimately plays a large role in the very end. Everyone is giving the segment praise.

Entertainment Weekly: “I don’t know which had the greater effect: my real melancholy at the thought of looming finality, or the elegance of this necessarily dark and serious penultimate film, in which characters/actors we have watched since childhood are now resourceful young adults. But I do know I felt a swell of love and awe wash over me from the very first wickedly creepy scene until the profoundly moving last one.”

New York Times: “While there is still one more film to go (Part 2 is scheduled for release in July), this one manages to be both a steppingstone and a reasonably satisfying experience in its own right. Some plot elements are handled with busy, “DaVinci Code”-like mumbo jumbo as the three friends must hunt down not only a bunch of horcruxes, but also the mysterious objects alluded to in the title. The deathly hallows at least provide the occasion for a lovely animated sequence, much as the inevitable preliminary battle scenes allow for episodes of explosive wand work. Even though it ends in the middle, “Deathly Hallows: Part 1” finds notes of anxious suspense and grave emotion to send its characters, and its fans, into the last round. ”

Washington Post: “‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1′ can’t be anything but unsatisfying. As the first part of the last movie in a 10-year franchise that has taken on almost theological meaning for a generation of readers and filmgoers, it’s meant to leave audiences wanting more. It’s half of a really good movie, full of the enchantment, emotion and incident for which the Potter series has become so fanatically cherished.” – 3 out of 4 Stars

The NY Post wasn’t so kind…“While this is no doubt a solid business decision and may well please devotees who demand extreme fidelity to Rowling’s text, I suspect many of my fellow Muggles will join me in checking their watches at regular intervals during this extremely s-l-o-w movie. Beautifully shot but a soulless cash machine, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” delivers no dramatic payoff, no resolution and not much fun. Hopefully we’ll get that in the final installment next summer.

I am guessing the critic at the NY Post has not picked up the book. If he would have, then perhaps he wouldn’t have expected to see something “fun.” Last I checked the title was ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ not “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure at Hogwarts.” The thing about this series is it’s details and information. It’s not a written work that is easy by any means easy to bring to film in a package under 3 hours. It isn’t muscley shirtless teens running around with pale and brooding boys who shop at Hot Topic and wear Armani Exchange. Potter isn’t about sex appeal/puppy love, nor does it need explosions and machine guns to keep you enthralled because there is an actual story with an insane amount of details, thought and planning beyond who has what super power.

There is a reason it is the second highest grossing film series (#1 is the Star Wars series). Even the 23 films of James Bond pales in comparison. I digress. I think the critic at USA Today put it best…

“Menacing and meditative, Hallows is arguably the best installment of the planned eight-film franchise, though audiences who haven’t kept up with previous chapters will be hopelessly lost.”

The film is for those who have actually picked up a book from the series. Directors of the previous films were forced to leave out vital characters (who were so prominent and now pivotal in the books), details and events. That vital information fell to the cutting room floor in the interest of time, so it’s no surprise some moviegoers will be lost. I’d say that the real treat is obviously the books. Hate to read? Get the books on CD or download them to your iPod. Listen to them in the car on the way to the grocery or working out. Jim Dale, the man who read the audio entire series, did an impeccable job. You will see that the films are great but are nothing compared to Rowling’s actual story of Harry Potter.

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Images Via: Warner Brothers