Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Can you say amazing? The seventh installment in the Harry Potter series may just be the best yet. Although the characters are all grown up and facing not only the evil Voldermort but also their feelings for each other, the movie works and feels like a more grown up version of the original Potter movies.
Daniel Radcliffe's portrayal of Harry Potter is at its best in the new film. He and Emma Watson have so much on screen chemistry (even though the two aren't supposed to have any chemistry) it's crazy. The play off of each other's emotions and their characters seem to be more in love with each other than they should be if they are truly only friends. Rupert Grint's portrayal of the emotional Ron also works well in the new film and shows Ron's angst at Harry and Hermione's steamy relationship. The actors finally allow for their characters to grow and develop into well-rounded adults.
The cinematography also surpasses that of the other films. David Yate's take on the seventh Harry Potter works completely. The film is darker than it's predecessor's but with good reason. The seventh book is much darker than the earlier books and the problems faced by the characters are darker and worse than ever before. However, I do feel that the film may have been too dark for children. But this doesn't concern me much considering it was not made to be a children's film. With a solid PG-13 rating if parents decide to take there kids to see this movie than they will just have to deal with the subsequent nightmares. Because there will be nightmares. From a scene where a woman's decaying body crumbles into a snake and viciously attacks Harry to an animated sequence where Death stalks three brothers and causes one to hang himself because of a broken heart, the movie is much more adult than the earlier films.
Deathly Hallows may not have been the best Potter book, but it was by far the best Potter movie. The adult themes, character development, and dark imagery all create a beautiful interpretation of Rowling's novel. Also, for those die hard Potter fans, the movie stays pretty close to the book with no noticeable changes.
Hope you all go see the movie and enjoy it!

-H

Toy Story 3

You know how people have a thing against sequels? People just think that if a movie's a sequel it's automatically going to be terrible. And in many cases, they're right. But Toy Story 3 is a major exception. Not only was Toy Story 3 a good sequel, I feel that it may possible be better than the first two. It is, for sure, the best movie of the year so far and will be popular with audiences for many years to come.

The plot of Toy Story 3 is absolutely heart-wrenching. Andy is all grown-up now and is preparing to go to college. We see the process of Andy growing up: of iPods and laptops replacing dolls and blocks, and of beloved toys ending up in the bottom of toy chests or in the attic. Once the montage of Andy's growing up is finished, Andy is forced to decide what to do with all of his old toys: college, attic, or trash. After some animated mishaps the toys all believe Andy means to through them away and somehow end up being donated to the Sunnyside daycare, where a seemingly kind old bear takes them under his big furry arms and shows them the joys...and horrors...of daycare life. The plot seems simple enough, almost too close to the plot of the second film, but something made this movie stand out. Something made this movie heart-breakingly amazing!

Since this is an animated movie I can't comment on the actual acting, however, the voice acting was incredible as was the actual artistry of the animation. Sticky to the roots of the first two movie, Tom Hanks does the voice of Woody and Tim Allen portrays Buzz. The two interact with each other, verbally, like old pals and the animation of the facial expressions is so realistic it's almost eerie. You forget, even though the animation isn't as "real" looking as some animation of late, that you're not looking at real toys, real living toys, interacting and talking to each other. All of the toys look so real, and adorable! Even the ones that are a little bit, on the, well, *SPOILER*, evil side.

Toy Story 3 will make you cry. You will cry for Woody who misses Andy and longs to get back to him, you will cry for Andy who must part with his childhood friends, you will cry because you know this is the end. The amazing story of toys that come to life when their owner isn't around is over. Pixar shoots straight to the heart with this movie. They know how to make you fall in love with the characters and then how to break your heart. However, as with any, G-rated Pixar film, there is always a silver-lining. While it may not be the happiest of endings, the ending of Toy Story 3 will make you smile and maybe even cry because of how tender the final moments are.

Toy Story3 is a family friendly movie that children of any age will enjoy. But this movie wasn't made for the children. It was made for those who were children in 1995, when the first Toy Story came out. This movie is finishing a story that was started many years ago and anyone who loves the first two movies will love Toy Story 3.

-H

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a movie about a fox who has a bad habit of stealing chickens and turkeys and other birds. When Mr. Fox and his wife got married, he promised her that he would start a new way of life, get a real job, and stop stealing. But once they move into a new tree, he starts to steal again from the three biggest farmers in the town. After he begins to steal from them, he gets them upset and the farmers come after him and his community.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a very cute stop motion movie. The animation is cute but something about it is really crude. With the recent improvements in animation, all animation appears very realistic and pretty. But Fantastic Mr. Fox isn't like that. It doesn't rely on pretty pictures like most animated films. It relies on the story and plot. The animals look real in some ways and sometimes they even look like stuffed animals. They're cute but also kind of savage and dirty, like real animals. Another great thing about the animation was the attention to detail. Everything worked and fit together perfectly and everything was very detailed, like the fur and paws.

The story is very good. It is well written and exciting, even intense at some points. Most animated are cutesy, but Fantastic Mr. Fox is more than that. Like most animated movies, Fantastic Mr. Fox has a point or life lesson. The lesson Mr. Fox learns is that he needs to stop caring so much about what he wants to have and more about what he already has like his wife and child.

The "acting" in Fantastic Mr. Fox is also very good. George Clooney is the voice of Mr. Fox. He does the voice very well and makes it sound like a fox. Meryl Streep plays Ms. Fox and also does a good job. But, I think, both Clooney and Streep got off easy. The script of Fantastic Mr. Fox gave them plenty to work with. The script was beautifully written with some truly hilarious lines and scenes. However, part of me doesn't think the movie was truly written for children. The director, Wes Anderson, is known for more crude and adult movies. But his venture into the realm of children's film worked very well for him, but he didn't completely leave the adult world. The animals in the movie deal with some adult situations like lying and stealing. And the animals do like to cuss, however they never actually say a cuss word. Whenever they cuss they actually say the word "cuss." It's cute, but not necessarily child friendly.

Fantastic Mr. Fox was nominated for an Oscar, but I think it was truly looked over by the public. Hardly anyone has seen this movie, but it's probably one of the best that came out last year. It's a fun and entertaining movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

-H