The Deathly Hallows: Part II is an exciting, heart pumping, and near perfect finale to the Harry Potter series.

We last left our heroes as they escaped Malfoy Manor and our villain had acquired the Deathly Hallow, the Elder Wand.  Harry, Hermione, and Ron pick right back up where they left off, on the trail for Voldemort’s Horcruxes, and they have a lead on the possible location of the fourth.  Meanwhile, Snape is headmaster at Hogwarts and Voldemort may be realizing the fate of his Horcruxes.

The film opens with a couple scenes of exposition and then basically hits the ground running.  The pacing is fantastic and the film rarely gives you a chance to breath.  Those complaining about the ‘aimless’ camping scenes in Part I will have nothing to really latch on to here.  Besides a brief detour at Gringotts, most of the films action takes place at Hogwarts.  And when I say action, I mean action.  The film is basically a giant fight with only a couple minutes to compose yourself in between scenes.

The Battle of Hogwarts is wonderfully realized and even makes some improvements on the book by extending to some action not seen in the book.  The setting of defenses, the fight itself, the death eaters assault all work spectacularly and David Yates and team are even able to sprinkle in some humor.

The film nails it as an adaptation as well by cutting little and realizing most of the big moments about as good as I imagined.  Even when they depart from the book all the changes are in line and work with the original text.  They are even able to pull off the Kings Cross scene with seemingly ease.  Snape’s memories are also done brilliantly and serve as one of the highlights of the series for me.  The extension/changes to the final battle are all pluses in my book as well and I think they did a great job making the final showdown more epic and expansive between Harry and Voldemort.  There were a number of moments I was expecting to be tough to handle as an adaptation and Yates and his team pull it off.

Book lovers will find a couple quibbles here and there, but for the most part nothing essential is missed.  Relocating the infamous scene in the shrieking shack, changes to the fate of Harry’s wand, Dumbeldore’s extended history, and a lack of acknowledging Hagrid’s actions in the book will be the biggest red flags for book lovers.  Oh, also, they didn’t bring Peter Pettigrew back so I guess Dobby took care of him with that spell.  A shame we didn’t see his redemption and Voldemort’s hand do its work.  Wormtail’s fate and the bit around Harry’s wand was the only thing I really missed.

The actors are great as usual here as well from top to bottom.  Ralph Fiennes and Alan Rickman get the best material and turn in the best performances here, with Matthew Lewis nailing his big moment as well.  The story only allows for most of the supporting characters to have nothing but moments, but so much is happening it doesn’t feel like neglect.  Ciarán Hinds and Kelly Macdonald are the two newcomers to the cast and they both nail their small roles in the story.

In the end, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II is a fantastic finale to the series that will play wonderfully with it’s counterpart from here on out.  The film is an action packed spectacle to Part I’s slower build up and I can’t wait to see them play as one (I actually already am as this posts at midnight).  The Deathly Hallows is a contender for the best film in the series and this experience is one of the best you will find in theaters this year; as the series will live as one of the all time greats in cinema history.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an A

A few years back when the last Harry Potter book was released I went with my sister to pick up her reserved copy at Borders.  Stepping hesitantly into the throngs of Potter devotees I picked a seemingly safe place away from the costumed clusters animatedly discussing their favorite memories from the series and what is to come.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the books and all, but when an excited voice snuck up behind me shouting, “You’re a wizard, Harry!” and I turned around to find Dumbledore, Hagrid and a Death Eater laughing at my expression, I was clearly not as fanatical as they come.  No matter where you fall on the Potter fan spectrum, you will be pleased to know that they are looking to go out on top with the first half of the 7^th book’s adaptation to film.

Those of you who will be running out the theaters to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 can probably spout off the basic storyline of this chunk of the Potter saga, while the rest of you should stick your toes in the water back with the first novel and/or film because at this point drowning is the only way out without previous knowledge. In any case, here’s the nutshelled plot of Part 1: after Dumbledore’s murder at the end of book six and Voldemort’s growing power around the wizarding world, Harry, Ron and Hermione are forced to go on the run in order to find the remaining Horcruxes and put a stop to the Dark Lord’s nefarious plot (see non-fans?  I can hear you drowning gurgles).

For those of you frustrated that the final book of the series has been chopped into two films then there is a strong chance that it will still feel like something is missing when leaving the theater.  There is obviously no completed story arc on the grand scale, looking back not a whole bunch goes down, and as exciting as it is to end on a climax it really does make the wait all the more frustrating (let’s face it, I don’t need the cliffhanger to convince me to see Part 2).  Yet with that said, and as weird as the feeling was of not really feeling like I had seen a completed movie, Part 1 really is a great film that is able to do a lot with the partial story it contains.

Stylistically and tonally The Deathly Hallows is looking to keep with the melancholy feeling of the last film.  Mirroring the grimness of the story, a dark presence has moved over the sets and environments, bringing cool colors and dense shadows to create shots that really are beautiful.  Think Picasso’s blue period, but less depressing.  In other words there is a nice complimenting of the look and tone of the film, but because of the lack of rush to cram one book into 2.5 hours there is time for each shot and moment between the characters to breath, even the little ones that don’t further the main storyline.  Though Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in an extremely dangerous and stressful situation, they are still allowed the moments to be teens and enjoy the little things, making a story that can easily be summed up as “the tent phase” of the Potter experience fun, and I was surprised to realize that not once did I have a pouting moment about not stepping foot on the Hogwarts campus.  Sure there is still plenty of business to attend to, but these moments and bits of humor thrown in are a relief to what could have easily been a much more depressing (and boring) experience, thanks in large part to the perfected characters created by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson.

The choices in filmmaking have also done a lot to keep the film from falling on the less than exciting side of the spectrum.  With all of the special effects and CGI work of the Potter films to make this magical word come to life, a comfort level has been found with the formula of these films (not to be confused as a crutch; they just really know what they are doing at this point).  However, this time around there are a few noticeable changes to mix it up a bit.  As part of the constantly moving lifestyle the core three characters have to deal with, the camera has become an antsy character unto itself, with a lot of skewed angles, sweeps and movements around the sets.  For the most part it really helps with the franticness of some of the scenes, but a few times I did notice it more than I should have and was even taken completely out of a scene on one occasion thanks to my easily distracted nature.  In addition to the camera work, one of the major changes to what we are used to came in an animated sequence during Hermione’s reading of the story of The Tale of the Three Brothers.  It really was a surprising departure from the usual look of the Potter films, and this sequence that could easily be confused with something creating by Tim Burton was by far a highlight of the film.

As much as I wish they would have just put out the two films at the same time with a long intermission to break up the sitting, I am far less disappointed than I expected to be after only getting to see half of the story come to life.  At this point in the process the actors and filmmakers really know what they are doing in order to create the best experience in this world of witchcraft and wizardry, and as sad as it is going to be to no longer hear that familiar music as a new teaser is released for the next film, it is good to know that if they stick to what they created with Part 1, Part 2 really will be something that goes out on top.

Final Grade: A-

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 definitely feels like a part one, but it is executed nearly perfectly and it sets the stage for The Deathly Hallows to easily be the best of the Potter films when it is all said and done.

Picking up more or less right where the last film left off, Harry, Hermione, and Ron are foregoing their last year at Hogwarts in an attempt to track down Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes and destroy them.  And if that sentence made any sense to you than that is all you need to know about the film.  If you don’t, go read the books!

If you aren’t a Harry Potter fan, of either the films or the books, then there is no reason to apply here as the movie will not cater to you in the slightest.  That is a good thing and the film does a great job at respecting its audience and doesn’t feel the need to flash clips to reminds us what happened every time they mention something from a previous film; ala Return of the King.

Keeping pretty much the entire creative team from the last two films is a great move, and David Yates and his team take their talents to their limit here.  The tone of the film perfectly captures the book as this is clearly the darkest entry into the series and things get grim in a hurry.  Major characters will die, the mood in this world is somber and depressing, and hope is slowly being extinguished in everyone and thing.  The violence and imagery of the film is also the most graphic yet and with some gruesome, scary, and racy images thrown up on the screen.  The film also gets a great animated sequence in the Tale of the Three Brothers that feels right at home to the series even though it is a complete departure from anything we have seen in the series.

If you are a fan of the wonderful supporting cast in this series and you haven’t read the books be warned that there isn’t a lot of faces to look at outside the core three.  We are following Harry, Hermione, and Ron as they seclude themselves in the wilderness from Voldemort’s minions and that means we don’t seem them interact with anyone really beyond themselves.  Luckily, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint all turn in their best work yet and there isn’t a weakness in the bunch.  Watson especially has picked up her game over the last two films to catch up to Grint and Radcliffe who blossomed into great actors a few movies ahead of her.  Ralph Fiennes is the most prominent supporting face as Voldemort and he is as nasty and vile as ever; Fiennes has crafted one of film’s greatest villains.  All of the other surviving characters are played wonderfully as always as with the newcomers Rhys Ifans and Bill Nighy living up the series’ pedigree.

For fans of the books that are a bit over protective of their source material there won’t be much to complain about here either.  Splitting the film in two has allowed them to include just about everything in the book with negligible changes.  In fact, I think the film even improves on a bit or two, especially with the fate of the first fatality in the film.  For anyone that needs to know what changes there are in the film to properly prepare themselves are, (****SPOILERS****) we don’t get to see Kreacher and Voldemort together in the cave and Wormtail’s fate at Malfoy Manor is decidedly different and unclear.  Other than that you would have to be nitpicking and if are going to complain over such small things than you should probably just stick to the books. (**End Spoilers**)

In the end, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is the start to what seems to be the crowning achievement in the Harry Potter film series.  From the effects, the acting, the direction, everything is operating either at or above any other film in the series and fans will have little to complain about.  Sure the film is deliberately paced and a bit exposition heavy, but this is all build up to the film’s final act, which we will see in Part 2, and this film still manages to have its own three acts and a thrilling/heartbreaking conclusion.  I don’t know who this review is supposed to really be for as there is a good chance you are seeing this right now as it is published on the internets.  If you haven’t read the books or seen the films you won’t, and shouldn’t, start here but for me this was one of the best films of the year and a great start to what looks to be the best entry into the Harry Potter Series.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is an A

Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass have teamed up on an adaptation of Imperial Life in the Emerald City and the result is a decent political action hybrid that runs into some pretty big third act issues that really hurt the picture.

The story follows Chief Miller a WMD team leader for the Army and is coming up empty repeatedly on sites that are supposed to be legit and he begins to wonder why the hell he is over here in Iraq if there are no WMD’s.  After getting a tip from a local citizen, Freddy, who sees some top officials ducking into a secret meeting, Miller, is pulled into a chain of events that might uncover one of the government’s biggest secrets about the war.  Miller then starts to get pulled from both sides by a pair of clashing department heads for the White House and the CIA and he has to sort out whose intel he will believe to actually making a difference here in Iraq.

Now be warned, this is not an action movie, don’t believe what the trailer is selling.  With that said, the film does move along without any dry spells and there are a number of set pieces built more around tension rather than action that will hold your attention.  The characters though are paper thin with little to no depth to them and everyone is clearly playing a part.  Some characters even seem completely useless, i.e. the reporter, but I won’t complain too much because their scenes didn’t drag the picture down they just didn’t do much when you look back at the picture.  The film is solid, nothing amazing but quality stuff, until the third act hits and things begin to just get a bit ridiculous.  The film turns into a cat and mouse game and logic gets thrown out the window and I will just leave it at that.  The preachy stuff also starts to eek out at this point and the last two scenes are a bit too much if you ask me.

The actors in the film while given pretty thin roles at least do a fine job in the picture even if nobody delivers their best work.  Damon is serviceable as a military man and we believe that he cares as much as Miller does, I just don’t know how believable the character is when starts to go off the reservation.  This isn’t Damon’s fault though, I think his work sells the character and saves the believability of some of the bits and successfully creates an original character to add to his repertoire.  Greg Kinnear plays sleazy White House rep Poundstone to a T though we have seen him in this part before.  Brendan Gleeson plays one of the most reserved characters in his career but it would have been nice to have his character be a bit more illusive, but again this isn’t really his fault.  Amy Ryan is completely wasted on as the journalist trying to get to Poundstone’s source on WMD’s and does nothing but help move the plot along when necessary.  Jason Isaacs stars as the pseudo bad guy in the movie, a Special Forces member, and again he is serviceable but has nothing to really do other than be bad for no good reason.

In the end, Green Zone starts as a serviceable enough political thriller but runs into some issues in its third act that make it a tad forgettable.  The movie is still very watchable but don’t expect anything special or new brought to the table.  This isn’t the next Bourne movie like they are selling it and you can get a much better Middle East thriller out of recent entries like The Hurt Locker or Body of Lies.  There isn’t a lot to be learned here as most of the facts they throw at us are common knowledge about the War and the political message is tired and been beaten to death.  So if you are looking for a mildly entertaining thriller, that doesn’t have a ton of thrills and throws logic into the wind in the end game then go ahead and check out Green Zone as it is fairly safe and sterile experience.

Green Zone is a C-