They're getting a little old to remain as the Magical Three Mouseketeers, but Harry, Hermione and Ron are back again, continuing the transformation of the magical series from light, optimistic and beautiful fantasy to just another horror story, with almost-continual explosions to serve as punctuation. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I," opens today, offering pre-Thanksgiving indigestion with the realization that there's still another one to come.
Watching the three kids go through puberty has sparked some interest, and the fact that Daniel Radcliffe has played "Equus" on stage, and soon will be on Broadway as J. Pierrepont Finch in a revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," shows there is life beyond Hogwarts. And the many veterans who have found some good paydays with Potter are hanging around. People like Alan Rickman, John Hurt, Robbie Coltrane, Miranda Richardson, Bill Nighy, Helena Bonham Carter, Julie Walters, Richard Griffiths, Ralph Fiennes and Michael Gambon always are fun to watch. And the voices of Simon McBurney, as Kreature, and Toby Jones, as Dobby, are just right, even if they seem to have been pilfered from "The Lord of the Rings."
I have two complaints, one with the movie, the other with the book that sparked it.
At almost 2 1/2 hours, the movie is way too long. And J. K. Rowling's tone is too dark. The early volumes had a charming quality, with Rowling writing lines she knew we would laugh at, and us looking for them, finding them and chuckling. Everything has become heavy-handed and grim, though maybe that's the way the world has become.
But on the plus side, this is a gorgeous movie, a treat for the eyes. Director David Yates, directing his third Potter film, has gathered a technical crew that has amazing skills. The cinematography is glorious, showing English countryside, its lights and darks, that make one want to immediately book a flight. Special effects also are imaginative and impressive, like the scene when a half-dozen Harrys suddenly appear is a delight. The story deals with friendship, loyalty, jealousy, the constant struggle between good and evil and lots of other things.
Too many of the actors are way over the top, but that's obviously the way Yates's vision is, and in many respects, that's the way Rowling wrote it.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I, opens today on several screens.
—Joe