First look at Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2

Look at Neville Longbottom looking mildly bad-ass with a Bill Cosby sweater and the look of Arnold Schwartz....ok, never mind. It does look pretty cool, and gets me excited for the finale to the Harry Potter franchise.

What do you think?

Harry Potter plays Daniel Radcliffe

In one of the funniest interviews I've ever seen, we see Daniel Radcliffe confess that he is actually Harry Potter, and that he only plays an actor named Dan. Apparently, Dan is a fun character to play. This is a hilarious video. Thanks Funny Or Die!

I Am Harry Potter from Daniel Radcliffe

Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 1

The series taken from the beloved children's books and adapted into the biggest movie franchise in history is coming to a close with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. As sides clash, characters embrace their destiny and studios rake in the dough, we get the feeling something special is ending. So, where does the seventh Harry Potter movie rank in the series?

The second movie picks up some time after the events of the previous film, with the gravity of the situation in full force as the Minister of Magic (Bill Nighy) tries to convince everyone, including himself that everything is ok. As a result, Harry's relatives pack up and leave; Hermoine leaves her parents, making them forget their daughter ever existed, and Ron is left contemplating whether his family will make it out alive as they gather for a wedding.

Once we get the intro, we are treated to one of the best action scenes in franchise history as Harry's friends try to transport their most valuable cargo to a safer location. Things go terribly wrong; brooms fly, and good and evil do battle in the skies as Harry tries to get away in Hagrid's side car. This was my favorite part of the movie with some great scenes, and gorgeous action shots. We get a quick lull in the action before another death eater attack leaves Hermoine, Ron and Harry on their own, and on the run.

As someone who has never read the books, I always feel like there are stories hinted at that are never fully realized in the movies, and this one is no exception. Dumbledore's mysterious past is referenced, but left in the background. There were hints to movies past, from mention of the Basilisk in Chamber of Secrets, to the Sword of Gryffindor, and the golden snitch from the first quiddich game.

The actors only get better with age as you get the feeling Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint are as comfortable in their characters shoes as they are in their own. Radcliffe especially flexes his acting chops with several scenes of intensity in a CGI heavy scene. Ralph Fiennes has a more commanding performance than the last movie, playing the dark lord himself, and Helena Bonham Carter shows her normal crazy side in a rather brutal scene involving Watson's Hermoine.

This movie shows it's no longer for kids with torture, death, and a pretty hot scene involving Harry and Hermoine. While there are several bright spots in the series, Goblet of Fire being my favorite, this has to be lower on the list for me. The grayness in the movie, meant to enforce the weight of the world left me depressed. There were some amazing, beautiful, dramatic scenes, but at 2 hours and 36 minutes, I started to notice the length at times, specifically in the middle.

With the action packed beginning and the dramatic end, littered with just a hint of humor, like scene with multiple Harry's, or any time they change shape, the middle, with all its scenery, and emotion packed dialogue dragged. It seemed they just teleported from one beautiful location to another without any point or purpose with tidbits of swords and the origins of magic spread throughout their travels, with the radio spreading news of death in the background the whole way.

Overall, any Harry Potter fan will be flocking to see this movie no matter what I say, and the movie will set box office record after box office record, but in the end, I don't think this will be my favorite. With the grim feeling, and depressing backdrop, this movie won't beg for the repeated viewings the others will. Either way, Harry is more than worth your time. It's beautiful, wonderfully dramatic, with a hint of humor and some nicely done action. See it; if for nothing else, to see the buildup to the ending we've all waited for since meeting that young boy all those years ago.

EDITORS NOTE: This also appeared on Creative Loafing's website HERE and SpoilerTV's website HERE. Check out the comments from these great communities.

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 - Not in 3-D

Good news for Harry Potter fans as the premiere date for the latest movie gets closer, it was announced that despite several press releases stating it would be in 3-D, the movie will not be in 3-D when it hits theaters in November. I say this is good news because the "up converting" that has been done to the summer movies have left less than stellar results from fans and critics alike.

I am wondering, however, why there will be no 3-D action. The film technique revived by James Cameron's Avatar, has increased box office dollars quite a bit, and is likely the reason Avatar beat out Titanic for top spot in the dollar category. Since we all know it's all about the Benjamins, either someone stepped in to ensure the integrity and quality of the film, or they had a problem up converting. The latter would be surprising, since the Potter franchise has been a huge cash cow, and likely something studios would ensure would be the best it could.

So, are you happy it's not in 3-D, or do you like those funky glasses?

A new Harry Potter trailer is out, and it's really good!

Whether or not you are a fan of the franchise, you have to appreciate the mastery of this trailer. It sets the stakes really high, gives more screen time to Voldemort, the bad guy than the entire last film, and it creates a lot of tension. Oh, and there seem to be a lot of battles with the wizards.

Check it out:

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hollows Trailer

The new trailer for the first part of the finale of Harry Potter is out, and it is amazing! Seeing this trailer, you can kind of get a sense of how far we've been lead through this series, and how it's all coming to a head. November can't get here soon enough!

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hollows clip

This comes from the MTV Movie Awards, and it is a clip of the upcoming Harry Potter. I've seen all the movies, and I've liked some more than others, but I enjoyed the series as a whole, and I am really excited to see what the conclusion will look like.

In the clip, I noticed a few things; first off, no Hogwarts, a lot of Voldemort (compared to the last movie, when there was none), and some serious tension between the three friends (I'm assuming one of Ron's family members kicks the bucket), and finally, the kiss between Ginnie and Harry.

Harry Potter movie gets me all kinds of excited!

I am a huge fan of movie posters. The designs are intriguing, and their attempt to tell a story is often really great, but sometimes, they are just too busy. I am a huge fan of a simple concept in movie posters, and this poster has it right. Check it out, and join me in excitement for the last two movies!

How to sex up a trailer!

Now, we all know Harry Potter is a family movie right, with the wizardry and the family values and the murder, the sex...wait, wait, wait...it's not a family movie? Ok, I guess it borderlines on the tween crowd, and does its best to bush the line as far as it can. Apparently producers wanted to ensure they get the more grown up crowd to take interest in the new Harry Potter, so they threw this trailer together.

I feel so dirty, I mean, it has cute girls, and guys wanting to get lucky, and kissing, and a broom launch that is so obviously a metaphor for something else, I mean, the entire trailer is all about sex. I feel like the title should be "Harry Potter 6: Harry gets Lucky." It just seems like a desperate move to me, I mean, its obvious kids will be there in gaggles, but, this trailer shows either your worried they will have forgotten about Harry and are too worried about Bella and her fangy boyfriend, or your just desperate for more money. Either way, this whole trailer just feels like one of those $20 woman that sit on the corner of Fourth Street and ... ... and, never mind. Anyway, it just feels dirty. Check it out, and let me know what you think.