Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I

Movie:  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I
Like/Don't Like:  Knights of Columbus, I LOVED IT!!!!!

Here are a few complaints I've heard about this movie:  It's too long.  It's too truncated.  It just feels like a build up for the final one.  It's slow in the middle. 

And to all of this I say:  BALONEY.  And not just any baloney but old baloney that has been sitting in the fridge for months and has turned green.  Truth be told, I haven't actually eaten baloney in years but it was a staple of my childhood so I know baloney and all that whining about this movie is baloney.  Because have you seen it?  It's rad.

(Side note:  the only criticism I will allow is on that bit with Harry and Hermoine making out when Ron is trying to kill the horcrux.  On that they are all right to whine.  And also, give me a break.)

The whole thing just felt right.  All the technical aspects clicked, from the music to the locations to the direction and angles of the camera.  They all just worked.  And the kids have improved leaps and bounds with their acting. It was true to the book without being a copy of it and it captured the dark tone perfectly.  And that animated part in the middle was genius.  As was the casting of Rhys Ifans at Xenophilius Lovegood.  I felt like it paced itself really well.  There is a whole lot of story to get in and a lot of that is spent wandering the forest but it did a good job at keeping the action moving.  And in defense of cutting it in half - let's get real, it had to be done.  They cut it in the perfect place and give you a little resolution to tied you over until July.

July! I'm so relieved that I loved it this much.  Except that now I have to start on my paper chain until the next one.