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

I was not expecting much as the last installment in the series (directed, just like this one, by David Yates) was a disappointment and the book on which this film is based was, to me, a bit of a slog until it zip pow banged into sudden action.

As gifted a story crafter as Rowling is, I don't believe she's ever really been able to reach into the depths of feeling that her creations could and should possess -- to the point that, when reading the book, I argued HARD against a "happily ever after" for Ron and Hermione; I just didn't see it as anything other than a plot convenience (I thought Hermione and Harry made loads more sense as an eventual married couple). But on the screen? Emma Watson makes me believe her love for Ron.

I think Deathly Hallows is the best in the film series so far and even improves on the book, both in pacing and profundity (Hermione's love life being just one example of several improvements). I really like that the final book has been broken into two parts as this first movie was plenty long without ever dragging.

A-