Warning: mild spoiler alert.

This movie was amazing. Or as the characters from “Harry Potter” might say, it was bloody brilliant. But before you label me as a die-hard Harry Potter and attribute my review to any biased opinion I may have, let me clear something up – I’ve seen all the other “Harry Potter” movies, so I have a firm basis of comparison. “Deathly Hallows” was by far the best one yet.

As expected, director David Yates provides viewers in “Deathly Hallows” with an engaging first half of the two-part finale. For two hours and 27 minutes, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) embarks on the final step of his journey, replete with evil enemies and countless struggles. With his best friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), Harry seeks to destroy the mysterious Horcruxes and subsequently weaken Lord Voldemort’s power. Yates is still able to juxtapose a powerful, action-packed film with slower, calmer scenes, despite splitting the seventh book into two segments. In one scene, our heroes may be avoiding the wrath of Death Eaters, while they may find themselves in the forest contemplating their next move in another.

In fact, I even fell asleep during part of the sixth movie, but managed to stay awake and entertained throughout the entirety of this one. Keep in mind I stayed awake while both running on little sleep and watching the midnight premiere – that’s the extent to which “Deathly Hallows” captivated me. Humor successfully complemented action throughout the movie. Notable is when Ron, disguised as a Ministry of Magic employee, kisses the wife of whom he is disguised right as his Polyjuice potion wears off. As both his “wife” and Hermione stand there shocked, Ron ashamedly replies “nice to meet you” and runs off. “Deathly Hallows” also differed from past “Harry Potter” movies in that it more successfully conveyed character development, although this may have been made possible because the splitting up of the movie allowed for more time. Viewers are able to watch the relationship between Harry, Ron and Hermione unfold, as they often find that their teenage angst sometimes gets the better of them. In fact, the scene when Ron returns to rescue Harry from the frozen lake after their quarrel over Hermione is perhaps the most powerful in the film.

All in all, Yates succeeded in directing a cinematic masterpiece that clearly identifies the main theme of the story – the struggle between good and evil. For a second, viewers even forget that Part 1 of the movie is simply setting up for the epic confrontation between Harry and Lord Voldemort that awaits in Part 2. The cliffhanger ending in “Deathly Hallows,” however, is enough to keep fans on edge and maintain the excitement for the grand finale that awaits next July. By David Zheng <[email protected]>