Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  Simply one of the best Potter movies so far. I have to say David Yates as director has grown with each movie and in this one he brings the love of the subject to the screen. Like it says its part 1 . . so much to cover that well many other characters have very bit parts but overall… More
  Simply one of the best Potter movies so far. I have to say David Yates as director has grown with each movie and in this one he brings the love of the subject to the screen. Like it says its part 1 . . so much to cover that well many other characters have very bit parts but overall its a great film.

• Scott G

  
  People say that harry potter is amazing but others beg to differ but im with the people who thinks this saga is amazing! It presents all the points to make it good: action, some humour, drama and the energetic scenes that daniel radcliffe can sustain.

• Albert K

  
  I have never read ANY of the Harry Potter books nor have I seen any other Harry Potter book so for me to jump into the series on its near finale is a big smack in the face of all those following this series religiously. But I couldn't help but find that "Harry Potter and the… More
  I have never read ANY of the Harry Potter books nor have I seen any other Harry Potter book so for me to jump into the series on its near finale is a big smack in the face of all those following this series religiously. But I couldn't help but find that "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1" was expertly crafted. I can't recall an adaptation that has been created with so much production value and skill. The cinematography, acting, and pacing (even though I didn't know what the hell was going on) was spot on. A great movie. I'm sure it must've been even greater for those who have been following the series till now.

• Alexander D

  
  Let me make it clear that splitting J.K. Rowling's final book into two parts was a phenomenal decision. Book seven wasn't the longest, but it had by far the most events, the majority of which controlled the way the entire saga would end. But don't think that means… More
  Let me make it clear that splitting J.K. Rowling's final book into two parts was a phenomenal decision. Book seven wasn't the longest, but it had by far the most events, the majority of which controlled the way the entire saga would end. But don't think that means that DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART I is at all great. Sure, it's fairly decent, but as far as Harry Potter has gone, Radcliffe, Watson, Grint, Fiennes, AND Yates could have all done much better. At this point, we are jumbled on how this is going to end, and anyone who watches this without any background knowledge from the previous six films (particularly HALF-BLOOD PRINCE) will be lost on the plot. We're all perplexed by the mumbo-jumbo of whether or not Harry is going to find those Horcruxes (AND the Deathly Hallows--sigh!) and destroy the one who killed both his parents (how about that for seven years of planning revenge, eh?). More than anything, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART I is a road film. The whole series is for sure a fantasy saga, but the fact that this marks the only Potter film not to take place at Hogwarts stands out beyond every other genre and sub-genre. That said, number seven part one is a good improvement from number six. Both fans and newcomers will enjoy it, for sure, but it is quite imperfect.

• Emily A

  
  Hey look, Gordo from Session 9 is a Death Eater! One of the (many, many) pleasures of watching this movie is playing spot the famous British actor, but it is far from the least. I love watching the chemistry of the three main actors as they play off each other. They've worked… More
  Hey look, Gordo from Session 9 is a Death Eater! One of the (many, many) pleasures of watching this movie is playing spot the famous British actor, but it is far from the least. I love watching the chemistry of the three main actors as they play off each other. They've worked together for so long that they have a poetic and intuitive understanding of each others' timing and mannerisms. It's wonderful to watch. "Where's my wand?" Adunno-" "Give it to me!" No!" It also seems very organic the way Harry, Hermione and Ron have grown into people that can capably rise to the challenge of annihilating Voldemort and taking on his acolytes. I'm really looking forward to the second half, because I really want to see Snape. The ending is a rather natural split in the story too, and this movie stands on its own really quite well.

• Anthony L

  
  The cynic in me can't help but think they cut the book into two films to make a bit more cash but my sister (a huge Harry Potter fan) informs me that it was necessary and to be fair, the book does book pretty thick. That said, a lot of the film is spent with the three key… More
  The cynic in me can't help but think they cut the book into two films to make a bit more cash but my sister (a huge Harry Potter fan) informs me that it was necessary and to be fair, the book does book pretty thick. That said, a lot of the film is spent with the three key characters aimlessly walking through hills and countryside achieving very little. Still, for all the slow pacing and annoying teenage angst, it does get pretty dark! The opening scene was pretty shocking too, killing of one of the nicest characters of the franchise was disturbing but brilliant. It's just a shame that after such a great start it gets boring very quickly and never really recovers. It does look good though and I'm looking forward to the last instalment. Maybe I'd like it better if, and I'm surprised no one seems to have said this before, Daniel Radcliffe could act. There, I've said it.

• familiar s

  
  As visually captivating and as significant it might have been to lead towards the grand finale & for the series on the whole, I found this installment as "much ado about nothing" considering it individually. Hope the final one makes up for it if I ever get to watch it.

• Idrees K

  
  It was decent, yet I can't help but feel like they could've done more..

• Adam K

  
  'The Deathly Hallows' shuns previous Potter films and becomes a lot more darker and better. As the story develops the films picks up in pace and despite the sometimes poor acting, the script very good and overall the film, perhaps not the best in the world is very… More
  'The Deathly Hallows' shuns previous Potter films and becomes a lot more darker and better. As the story develops the films picks up in pace and despite the sometimes poor acting, the script very good and overall the film, perhaps not the best in the world is very entertaining. *** 3 Star

• Sophie B

  
  Good as a movie in itself however to leave a proper review I'd need to watch the series back to back as I'm not up to date on what's going on.

• Daniel L

  
  Best entry in the series.

• Louis R

  
  Cinematically and generally, it is one of the best, but the problem, and it is a big one, is that it is very much PART ONE. It doesn't have enough to stand alone as its own film, no big enough arc. It means the film feels very strangely paced and is always building slowly. It is… More
  Cinematically and generally, it is one of the best, but the problem, and it is a big one, is that it is very much PART ONE. It doesn't have enough to stand alone as its own film, no big enough arc. It means the film feels very strangely paced and is always building slowly. It is enjoyable to watch but it just trots along and then that's it. In contrast, the last part is all ending, so I would be very interested to see how they work cut together. It would be long, but possibly the best of the series. Who knows. Anyway, like Half Blood Prince, this is much better and more stylistically filmed- something we haven't really seen since Cuaron's handling of Azkaban, but Yates takes it further still, to satisfying effect. It's all blues and greys and sweeping shots. Lovely, and moody. This is where the central three characters have soom room to breath and a chance do some 'proper acting', expand their characters a little, and maybe prove their critics wrong. The results are mixed. Radcliffe is still a little self aware and although not appalling, can get a little dull. Partly this is due to the occasional but pronounced mis-step in Steve Kloves' usually smooth enough script. The odd line sounds a bit peculiar or slightly archaic or unnatural. Emma Watson is fine, as usual, nothing exceptional or disappointing. This is also a chance for Ron to do a little more than use mild profanities and crack jokes, and I suppose that goes okay. I wasn't blown away, but admittedly, Grint handles his darker scenes confidently. Good for him. It's pretty much as good as could be expected for an adaptation of this half, but the key problem is the funny pacing and story development. It leaves it feeling episodic and although we want more, it is more out of not having had our fill than having loved what we have seen.

• Tim S

  
  The money-making machine keeps turning, and now we come to the next to last film in the Harry Potter series - The Deathly Hallows Part 1. Instead of having a straightforward final part to close out the series, the filmmakers instead decided to divide the huge final novel into two… More
  The money-making machine keeps turning, and now we come to the next to last film in the Harry Potter series - The Deathly Hallows Part 1. Instead of having a straightforward final part to close out the series, the filmmakers instead decided to divide the huge final novel into two parts for the film adaptation. Again, I haven't read these books so I can't talk about how well-adapted they are, but I will say this: even though there are a lot of complicated and much-needed character dynamics going on this one, even more than the previous films, this definitely isn't the most jam-packed film story-wise. There are great gaps where hardly anything happens at all and the story has no momentum. I assume all of the great action set pieces are being saved for the final film, but if so, this film suffers for it. It's executed and shot well, and there are some nice moments peppered in there, albeit sparingly, but I'm really starting to feel that most of this could have been trimmed down and combined with the other to form a grand three hour finale. However, that's just my two cents. Now that I'm a bit more versed in these films and how they work, I await seeing the final part and epic conclusion to the series with anticipation. I just hope it has more going on in it than this one.

• Zach B

  
  Watching this film, two things went through my mind. The first was that, in terms of dark overtones and the aging of the series, this film finally shows how it needs to be, thus putting Harry Potter and the Order Of The Phoenix rightfully to shame. With that film, it went from… More
  Watching this film, two things went through my mind. The first was that, in terms of dark overtones and the aging of the series, this film finally shows how it needs to be, thus putting Harry Potter and the Order Of The Phoenix rightfully to shame. With that film, it went from darkness entering to series to just plain dark. But then restored some light with Half Blood Prince. Now the series has maturely aged into the darkness that this film is. The second thing that went through my mind was the same feeling I had when I first saw Kill Bill Vol. 1. The reason for that, other then this being the penultimate edition to the series, is due to how the film felt. Now, in terms of action, that is not what I am hinting at. It is just the feel that we are being teased and the great payoff will be coming up next. Now, with me watching this film, my overall reaction was just that: It done itâ(TM)s job by wetting our taste buds. Plus, it does the one thing that I have been wanting this entire film series to do: showcase the acting of the three main actors and show us how they have grown over the years. Now, are they able to pull that off? Well, letâ(TM)s see. First off though, we need to talk about direction. Ever sense his debut with O.o.P., I will admit that David Yates is now showing his talent for being behind the camera with this film. One thing, according to one director, that is hard to do would be filming for about an hour a card game (like War) and make it interesting. Due to most of this film taking place with them camping with them going to some locations here and there, it would be difficult to keep peopleâ(TM)s attention for even the longest of times. But, Yates shows he can direct a film to keep our attention and he deserves acclaim for this. He does not have the pacing go fast, but he does not have it slow. Besides, anyone that can make a film where we have our three main characters in a tent hunting small objects and make THAT interesting needs to have some talent. Now the acting. Due to this being a showcase of the talent of our three main kids (now adults), I will not waste your time by going into detail with each of them, but I will say this at least: They all shown that, in terms of talent and maturity, that they have grown. Seeing their chemistry together, and the way how Emma Watson (Hermonie) makes her character strong and tough plus focuses when Ron (Rupert Grint) leaves them to go out on his own. Yeah, that is what we need more in films: Strong female characters. And that is exactly what Emma Watson is in this film. Next the script. Taking the final book, and splitting it into two separate films, is the best thing this entire series as ever done. Now, the reason why is simple: there is so much development with the characters plus a crap load of revelations that have to be addressed that one film (unless it was going to be four hours long) would not be enough. So, this film is mostly just the exposition. But, what exposition it is! This shows exactly how I like to see a film: you get the plot, but it builds on itself, expanding what we know. It does not just support the plot. Too many films do that, but Steve Kloves just writes the screenplay that it expands on itself. Now, I know that this is an adaptation of a novel, but making the plot weak and not have it expanded can happen in an adaptation. But, luckily Kloves does this with justice. Finally the score. By now with the series, I just forget about the score. With the exception of Prisoner Of Azkaban, the score has always been the same and, for me, it is just not worth even talking about it. Overall, this is the best way to start off the finally, and the ending will leave you in tears. Bring tissues.

• Melvin W

  
  Kingsley Shacklebolt: The Ministry has fallen. The Minister of Magic is dead. They are coming. "Nowhere is Safe" Say what you want about the splitting of the final book into two movies. It's WB trying to squeeze as much as they can out of the series and, yeah… More
  Kingsley Shacklebolt: The Ministry has fallen. The Minister of Magic is dead. They are coming. "Nowhere is Safe" Say what you want about the splitting of the final book into two movies. It's WB trying to squeeze as much as they can out of the series and, yeah that's probably right. But for me, I'm a fan of the split. It makes the last movie more epic that would have ever been had it only been one movie. I love the buildup in this movie to Deathly Hallows Part 2 and although Part 1 didn't have nearly as much action ad the others; it's still entertaining and satisfying. The plot continues away from Hogwart's. Now Voldermort is raising hell all over the place and the wizarding world is at full-blown war. Part 1 really is only about letting Harry, Ron, and Hermoine learn about the Horcruxes and how to destroy them. There's not much in the way of fighting with Voldermort, but I think you'll get your fair share of that in Part 2. I know I did. The buildup to the final film is what is really fun about this. When this came out in November and I saw Voldermort retrieve the elder wand; I have to say I was extremely pumped for the last movie. Now if the final movie wouldn't of delivered; I would say I felt cheated, and my love for this movie probably would have come down. But Part 2 delivered and was more fun because they made it all climax; instead of just putting it into an hour at the end of one movie. I think a lot of Harry Potter fans do appreciate the 2 parts of the last book. The casual viewer may feel it's not needed; but who gives a shit about them. These movies are for the fans.

• E.J. B

  
  Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 is the first half of an epic masterpiece. It's the best book in the series, and at this point, it's the best film in the series. This is the film where Harry, Ron, and Hermione must go into the real world, away from Hogwarts and… More
  Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 is the first half of an epic masterpiece. It's the best book in the series, and at this point, it's the best film in the series. This is the film where Harry, Ron, and Hermione must go into the real world, away from Hogwarts and use what they have learned to complete a task that seems almost impossible. One of the film's most moving moments is at the beginning, when Hermione erases herself from her parents' memory. These are dark times indeed and no one is safe. The Ministry has fallen, and Voldemort's followers are killing humans and wizards alike, draining out what they feel to be the impurity of the wizard bloodlines. The three leads venture into the wilderness to find the remaining Horcruxes. By destroying each Horcrux, they slowly destroy Lord Voldemort, although make sure you've seen all the films up to this point to understand how all this works. At 17 years old, these children are becoming adults, and their sexual maturity is set on finding true love. It is obvious that Ron and Hermione are in love; they're just too scared to make the first move. Harry is in love with Ginny; they just haven't had a chance to explore said love. This sexual tension so often intrudes on the task at hand, but it is the reason they're all fighting to defeat Voldemort from the start. David Yates knows this series. He directs with the technical skill of Peter Jackson and the understanding of the story and the environment like Alfonso Cuaron. He is a great director, and he's really given this series it's own personality. This story is engaging and heartbreaking. Death touches everyone. This is not the same series that started with the Philosopher's Stone. The issues at work are decidedly adult and the violence is scary and brutal.

• Drake T

  
  In a word? Boring. I think the director was convinced that drawing out scenes of contrive strife would make the drama a little stronger. Well, it didn't. It's called a montage, use it. I can only watch these three for so long whining and crying in a tent. Yates wasted all… More
  In a word? Boring. I think the director was convinced that drawing out scenes of contrive strife would make the drama a little stronger. Well, it didn't. It's called a montage, use it. I can only watch these three for so long whining and crying in a tent. Yates wasted all this screen time for unsolicited angst when he could have instead put in more actual content pertaining to the story.

• KJ P

  
  While not the best Harry Potter film of the series, it is very hard to subject to a final analysis for this film, due to the fact that it is only half of a film, even though it has the equivalent running time as it's predecessors. The ending leaves you on the edge of your seat… More
  While not the best Harry Potter film of the series, it is very hard to subject to a final analysis for this film, due to the fact that it is only half of a film, even though it has the equivalent running time as it's predecessors. The ending leaves you on the edge of your seat wanting so much more, but you can't help but congratulate the filmmakers for doing such a fantastic job of where to split the two films without answering everything in the first half. I could have easily sat in my chair for another 2 and a half hours to see the second half, but at least I have something more to look forward to. There are still many more questions to be answered, and many more horcruxes to be destroyed. As Hogwarts crumbles to the ground and the entire atmosphere becomes evil, I couldn't be happier than what I am seeing in the first Part of the Worldwide Phenomenon that is Harry Potter. Not only is this one of the greatest series of movies, but keeping a franchise fresh for seven films in a row, is breathtakingly hard to believe. I know Part 2 will have me in tears, I was already tearing up here. As the time comes sooner and sooner for Harry's final hours, I can't help but feel emoionally torn apart that a franchise that I have grown up with and has had such a huge impact on my life is now coming to an end. There is only one thing left to say, "Harry is my hero, and whatever is on the horizon, I swear it will be death defyingly brilliant!" And so the story comes to an end!

• paul s

  
  In many regards this effort is far more inventive, humorous and rewarding than it's recent predecessors, and if not for a very slow "Harry Potter Goes Camping" middle section, this film does quite well. However, said middle section goes on waaaaay to long and instead… More
  In many regards this effort is far more inventive, humorous and rewarding than it's recent predecessors, and if not for a very slow "Harry Potter Goes Camping" middle section, this film does quite well. However, said middle section goes on waaaaay to long and instead of adding some kind of emotional gravitas simply left me thinking - ok, they split the last book into two films, but didn't have enough meat so they added all this filler (but at almost 3 hours long, why was the filler necessary at all?). I dunno - I always felt that this franchise, while being palatable, doesn't warrant all the rabid fandom. The characters while struggling with issues of friendship and those "grown up things", simply doesn't resonate for me the way they should. I guess that what I'm saying is that I should feel more invested in what happens to Harry and his mates after all these films - but I just don't - it's as if the artificial barrier between muggles and witches is too much to overcome. That being said, I was entertained by the story line of this film (as compared to The Half Baked Plot), and Helena Bonham Carter is just fab and such a bitchy witch - it's just too bad that the camping BS takes up so much film time. I must also comment that I thoroughly enjoyed the shadow box type animation used to convey the story of the Deathly Hollows - if only the rest of the film were up to that standard.

• Nikhil N

  
  Outstanding, a must see hit that can only be described as magical. Perfect set-up for final part although it feels like it is a set up. One of my favorite series of movies. Incredible story and acting. This movie trumps many others in this genre. Definitely one of the best movies of… More
  Outstanding, a must see hit that can only be described as magical. Perfect set-up for final part although it feels like it is a set up. One of my favorite series of movies. Incredible story and acting. This movie trumps many others in this genre. Definitely one of the best movies of the year.

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