Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2

"Only I can live forever."





IMDB it (Part 1)
IMDB it (Part 2)

Plot Summary: Really? If you don't know what Harry Potter's about you've either been living under a rock or imprisoned in an Austrian basement for 18 years. Either way, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows splits into two parts the final chapter of this franchise. Who will win - good or evil? I'm not much of a gamblin' man but I'm willing to put my money on "good."

I'm going to preface this by saying I have not read the Harry Potter books (I know... shocking, right?). That being said, I still love these movies and I'm very excited for this final one. Harry Potter has grown up and so have the movies. Each movie has been darker than the last, and this trailer leads me to believe that's not about to change. It started out as a light-hearted kid's tale about a boy whose fame precedes him due to being the only one who's ever survived an encounter with He Who Shall Not Be Named. Now, it's transformed into a deep multi-layer character story on good and evil. Not bad for a "kid's movie."

There are lots of elements in this trailer that make me excited for these movies: the promise of an epic battle between good wizards and bad, dragons, Ron kicking some butt finally, the increasingly graceful Hermione, and a final wizard-off between Harry and Voldemort amidst the ruins of Hogwarts. Very exciting, indeed! I've heard some complain about it being in two parts, and to that I say BOLLOCKS! The book is a whopping 1,322,098,234 pages and if they tried to cram it all into one movie it would be absolutely terrible.

Oh, and it's going to be in 3-D! After having seen Avatar 3 times, I'm fully on board with movies in 3-D. But not the kind the hokey kind that throws stuff at your face to try and make you jump - save that for the 80's. I'm talking about the kind that makes you forget for a second that you're watching a movie and gives you the feeling that you're standing next to the camera watching it being filmed. And I'm hoping that's what this is going to be like. When I saw the Half-Blood Prince in IMAX, the first 15 or so minutes was in 3-D and that looked very promising. I'm hoping it either looks the same or better for these.

I've got to hand it to the cast of these movies - each one has played their parts excellently and I've never felt like anyone's phoned it in. My favorite character is probably Bellatrix Lestrange, if only because Helena Bonham Carter plays crazy so well. But I've also got to give director David Yates heaping amounts of praise. He really took over the previous two films and injected a sense of danger and vulnerability that was missing from previous installments and I'm excited to see what he's done with these last two. Don't get me wrong, Chris Columbus did a great job keeping the playful and sheltered tone needed to draw in the young audience - the same he used for his 90's classics Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire. And I have to hand it to Warner Brothers for utilizing different directors like Alfonso Cuaron (Y tu mama tambien = awesome) and Mike Newell to give these movies a breath of fresh air and help mature them with their characters and audience. There was a rumor a while back that Guillermo del Toro (of the epic Pan's Labyrinth) was going to direct these chapters - how incredibly AWESOME would that have been?? But I'm confident Yates is perfectly capable of finishing the job wonderfully.

It's sad to think that next year will be the last year we see a Harry Potter movie. The first would have debuted 10 years prior so it's become somewhat of a normalcy that one is always around the corner. The Sorcerer's Stone was on TV recently and I almost fell off the couch when I saw how young the kids looked. It's crazy to think the first time I saw this movie was in the form of an illegally downloaded copy in my freshman college dorm room. Good times.

Verdict: Opening Weekend

Inception

"Dreams feel real when we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange."

IMDB it

Plot Summary: Leo is deeply involved in an operation involving stealing ideas from people's dreams. Corruption runs a muck, and his only way back to normal life (and a fiiiiiiine woman) is to complete one. final. job. With the help of Ellen Page, yay!

I have to be completely honest. I'm totally, 110% unabashedly bias in my verdict of this movie. Ever since I saw the teaser (which, by the way, I will never discuss those here - only full trailers), I had been waiting for the full-length trailer like a fat kid waiting for Easter. The scene with the city streets folding over itself? Chills. I've had the biggest desire to see this ever since and cannot WAIT until its July release. Damn the rating system - I'll be the first in line at Jordan's IMAX when this beast comes out. For several perfectly valid reasons, of course:

1.) Christopher Nolan. Really? Do I really need to go on from here? Despite his short resume, I'm convinced he's one of the greatest directors actively working. What he does with the rest of his career will determine whether or not that claim will be extended to "of all-time." Memento is incredible - even if only for featuring a lovely non-leathered Carrie Anne Moss. The Dark Knight, too amazing for words. This man took a tired comic book comic book movie franchise and transformed it into a masterpiece of cinematic wonder. 2012 can't come soon enough for his third foray into Gotham City. I'm thankful it'll be out before the world ends.

2.) Leo DiCaprio. Past Leo-mania aside, this is a guy who many considered just another teen heartthrob on his way to owning a rehab timeshare a la Corey Haim (too soon?), and has developed into one of the most talented actors of our generation. Say what you will about him, but I honestly believe that. All one needs to do for proof is watch Shutter Island, Revolutionary Road, The Departed, Blood Diamond, or the Aviator.

3.) Ellen Page. Down with the haters - I actually like Ellen Page. She has such a mature, self-aware attitude that really shows in her performances. Ever see Hard Candy? I recommend you check it out and re-evaluate your opinion.

4.) Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Again, another actor I consider one of the most talented of our generation. Damn the hipsters, I loved (500) Days of Summer. His turn in Mysterious Skin was emotional. And he was really the only redeeming quality in GI Joe. A former "child star" just like #2, he took the same career path by laying low and choosing smart independent films before breaking back into the mainstream a new man.

5.) Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard. Honestly now, when you really think about it, is this not one of the best overall movie casts in a long time?? I've placed these three in their own category because it looks as though they might be ancillary characters. But still, Michael is a class act, Cillian's had some great performances in Batman Begins and 28 Days Later, and Marion is simply stunning. Have to admit I never saw La Vie En Rose, but she was great in Public Enemies. And she's beautiful beautiful beautiful.

This movie has so much going for me. July is right around the corner and I'm starting to dread it's release. I'm terrified that it's going to be bad. The only thing worse for me than seeing a bad movie, is being disappointed in a movie I'm dying to see.

Then again, that's the job of a trailer. Hype up as many people as possible and cash in on opening weekend. CNolan doesn't do movies that way though. He's too much of an artist when it comes to film. Much like Scorcese. That's why I'm PRAYING this movie is everything I hope it to be and more.

The special effects look incredible (I'm sure even moreso in IMAX), the cast is brilliant, the director is amazing, and the story sounds, well, mostly original (I hate to admit it bears a very VERY slight resemblance to The Cell). I just know I'm hyping myself up for disappointment, but I don't care. I really don't.

I can't freaking wait to see this movie.

Verdict: yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesPLEASE