The worst of the books (and trust me, that’s saying something) becomes a decent if slightly disappointing movie, a definite step down from either of it’s excellent immediate predecessors. This time they’re clearly hamstrung by the source material- there are too many subplots, and not enough time to develop them all. Characters wander in and out, the cream of British acting talent reduced to a few portentous lines or, in the case of David Thewlis, one or two meaningful glances.
Director David Yates tries to give the whole thing a sense of scale, but he’s no Alfonso Cuaron, or even Mike Newell- after a riveting, gritty opening scene the visuals descend into the usual mix of dubious CGI and snaking camera movement. And the whole thing just feels terribly small scale after the sprawling episode four, with it’s pokey, one-location climax over much too soon. But it’s consistently entertaining, and still leagues ahead of those unwatchably dull first two chapters.
by Tom Huddleston | Source: 35mm Print
21 Jul 2007 11:05 AM | Submit Comment
