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

Director: David Yates
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
Runtime: 146 minutes

Synopsis: Harry and his two best friends begin their quest of finding Lord Voldemort's horcruxes.

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

• Performances: 8/10

Why? Not one bad performance to point out. Ever since Yates took over, Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint took their acting to a whole new level that fit their characters perfectly. The supporting also does a great a job even if they are not given a lot of screentime in this installment mostly centered on Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

• Screenplay: 8/10

Why? A lot of people consider the first part of the epic finale to be one of the most forgettable entries in the franchise. And I don't agree at all with this claim. Part one of "Deathly Hallows" perfectly set the table for its successor by showing us what the wizarding world has become now that Dumbledore's no longer. By killing off beloved characters like Hedwig, Moody, or Dobby, it became clear that the recurring theme of death was about to become even more critical in the last two chapters. The latter's death towards the end of the movie was handled with incredible care and gave the character the sent off he deserved while leaving us emotionally scarred (the same cannot be said about Hedwig and Moody, unfortunately). Another powerful scene came at the very beginning of the film and saw Hermione wiping her parents' memories of her, as she didn't want to be the cause of them potentially living with the heavy burden of losing a daughter. The rest of the movie mostly saw the three characters lost for answers, which sparkled some tension and disputes, adding another layer to their still ongoing development. 

• Special Effects: 9/10

Why? It shouldn't come as a surprise that the special effect team did a fantastic job designing the movie's abundant effects-filled scenes. I also loved the animated bit that explains what the deathly hallows are. 

• Costumes/Makeup: 9/10

Why? If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

• Editing: 7/10

Why? While the scene transitions were smooth and not distracting at all, I did feel that the movie dragged here and there and could've been about 10 minutes shorter. But hey, the Potterhead side of me doesn't have a problem with the movie being longer whatsoever. 

• Cinematography: 8/10

Why? Like every Yates entry, the film looks absolutely gorgeous and the scenery used in some scenes is breathtaking. The dark color palette reflecting the dark times the Wizarding World is going through works like a charm (no pun intended). 

• Score/Soundtrack: 9/10

Why? One of the film's strengths, like in every entry in the franchise. Alexandre Desplat perfectly uses John Williams' iconic score but makes it his own. The music feels like a character of its own whose mission is to take us on Harry's journey along with his friends (or enemies), and appears only when necessary.

FINAL GRADE: 8/10