This is my second time with his movie here. Jaime and I had started down the path at The Order of the Phoenix, we were having a lazy weekend so we just kept rolling. I'll bring up something here that I've brought up with latter movies in the Harry Potter series is that they grow up with him and go dark. This book was quite depressing and the movie embodies that as well.

Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is struggling. He's discovered things he didn't know about his hero, Professor Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), that has him shaken. Harry fled from school and on a search for horcruxes. They need to be destroyed in order to kill Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). He's joined by Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint). The problem is that they have one of the items and it is turning them against each other. I pointed out to Jaime that this feels like it is borrowing from The Lord of the Rings with what the one ring of power does to Frodo. They have to come up with a way to destroy this horcrux, find the rest and put an end to Voldemort. There is a children's fairy tale for wizards that could help as well.

What impresses me about these movies, including this one, is that they're well-made. They are popcorn horror films that kids grew up with. There are adult themes here. Harry is struggling with things that he's learned and trying to find a way to defeat the dark lord. I said to Jaime that there are things that Harry is faced with that someone his age shouldn't have to. The acting helps here as well. Radcliffe, Watson, Bill Nighy, Bonnie Wright, Alan Rickman, Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jason Isaacs to just parts of this stacked cast. That helps as well.

Now I've brought up in another review that these are popcorn movies. That's not to say that we don't get good cinematography here still. I think this is shot well. This is CGI heavy, but as the budgets increased, that got better too. I don't have issues there. I like the incorporation of mythology as well. Other than that, we get a good theme song and the rest of the soundtrack fits for what was needed. Another solid installment to the series.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.