"The Ministry of Magic has fallen. The Minister is dead. They are coming."

Even if you weren't familiar with the book that it's based on, you could tell from the very first few minutes of Deathly Hallows that we're speeding toward the final confrontation. The bleak, subdued settings, and the overall dark tone of the visuals and story portray a world in which Voldemort's victory is almost complete, and there is little comfort or hope to be found for our heroes and their allies. Death and danger constantly surround Harry, Hermione, and Ron, as they seek to complete the difficult task that they've been left by a mentor who can no longer guide them. They must stand alone, but the stresses of such an impossible journey makes even depending on each other harder than it's ever been before. 

The final Harry Potter book was a good one, but it isn't my favorite. Which is why this movie isn't my favorite of the series, either, despite the fact that I think David Yates did a phenomenal job of adapting it to the screen. The decision to make two full-length films from the final book was of course the correct one, as there's simple too much that would have had to have been left out or glossed over with a single film. There still had to be some things left on the cutting room floor, of course, but the absence of these minor scenes don't hurt the movie more than they have in previous installments. The way some events have been streamlined or altered is actually for the better, in my opinion. 

Now the wait begins for Part 2, and it's not made any easier with the knowledge of how well-executed Part 1 is. This was a movie of smart choices by the filmmakers, from the use of a hand-held camera to give the "on-the-run" plot a gritty, realistic intensity, to the way the story ends at the perfect point. Harry Potter is going out with a bang - as he deserves. The best compliment I can give Deathly Hallows Part 1 is that when it ended, I was a little disappointed that the movie was already over. Even after 2+ hours, I wanted to sit and continue on to the second part right then. Fans won't be disappointed.