The moment those two enlarged eyes of Rufus Scrimgeour appeared on the screen, captivating his wizard audience with a message of false hope, I knew that I, the viewer, was just as involved.  Whether because of the immense screen that was displayed before me (the improved IMAX experience), or the fact that Harry Potter has been in my life for years, the thought of looking away from the tormented eyes of the characters on the screen was not an option to consider.
What surprised me the most was the drastic increase in maturity and wisdom in the “Golden Trio.” Ron, Harry and Hermione have gone through many traumatizing ordeals all involving Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters. It isn’t surprising to see that they’ve gotten their wands sorted and have begun to fight with instinct and knowledge, rather than luck like in the past few years. They’ve grown up with us.
Despite my age, I cannot deny jumping, squealing, or even shuddering from the fear that was constantly weaving its way through my mind and body. There has been debate over whether the past films were suitable for younger children; those doubts don’t compare to the questions that come up for Deathly Hallows. Bodies are “splinched” (distorted due to unsuccessful teleporting), torture is a reoccurring factor and death’s theme finally reveals itself. The PG-13 rating is perhaps even too lenient.
Director David Yates said that the reasoning behind splitting up the seventh movie into two separate parts was to include every detail from the epic final novel, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” The idea that Potter fans would be presented with the “real deal” was highly implausible to me and I prepared myself for the possibility of dissatisfaction. Fortunately, I was wrong. Anyone who doubted the power of Yates is in for a surprise.
From scene to scene, each transition was emphasized with the abrupt start of an intense score composed by Alexandre Desplat. The synchronism between the tone of scene and the score was entrancing. When the trio was being attacked, the instruments lost all sense of control, and when the select few scenes of intimacy were seen, soft flutes and violins sang in harmony.
When the screen flashed black, I knew that Yates has the hopes of his fans in his grasp and I don’t have anything to worry over once the later installment begins to tease us… again.