Akting Out

The Ending We’ve All Been Waiting For

No more lessons to be learned. Students are now soldiers. Hogwarts is briefly a fortress before becoming a battleground. Voldemort is thrust from menacing presence to visible antagonist. It really does all end here.

Deathly Hallows 2, the epic conclusion to J.K. Rowling’s world-renowned Harry Potter franchise, picks up immediately following the conclusion of the first Deathly Hallows. Time runs out on Harry, Ron, and Hermoine in their quest to locate and destroy the legendary horcruxes of Lord Voldemort, thus rendering him mortal. Seems old Snakeface has felt the burn of his soul being destroyed and chooses to take the fight to Harry Potter and company, setting the stage for an awesome final confrontation between characters we’ve grown to love (or hate) over the past ten years.

There is little doubt that fans of the book series will take umbrage with David Yates dark, dramatic direction of the film. Some details are glossed over while others are omitted entirely, giving the production a rushed feeling, like homework done on the bus. Still, this is the darkest, most action-oriented incarnation of the series, and a lot of blood is left on the floor. To keep the film accessible to all fans (this did begin as a children’s series, after all), more brutal scenes from the film have been left out, although we do get to see the aftermath. Mr. Yates spends a good portion of time ramping up to the inevitable battle and a little too much time on one character’s introspective, but this is hardly enough to take away from how good the movie is.

For fans of the film alone (and I am) this is what we’ve been waiting for. Virtually every character reaches a satisfying conclusion (although I still would’ve liked to see one get what was coming to him) and almost every open plotline is sealed up nicely. Watching Harry and Voldemort finally go toe-to-toe, after years of building up to it, is the film’s highlight in my opinion. Their final battle is everything we’ve been waiting for, and David Yates directs it masterfully. It’s a battle between good and evil fought on all levels. They throw spells at each other, and they even get their hands dirty in a brief, physical confrontation.

This is a very fitting, satisfying conclusion to a stellar series, worth seeing twice for those of us who have waited forever for it to get to this point. Great film, worthy conclusion.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) handed gamers a huge victory by voting in favor of the EMA (Entertainment Merchants Association) in a case that began six years ago in the state of California. Introduced by the honorable Leland Yee and signed into law by Arnold Scharzenegger (the case was originally called Scharzenegger Vs EMA), the law made the renting and selling of violent video games to minors a crime. The law was immediately challenged by the video games industry, which stated that video games were protected by the first amendment. In an overwhelming 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court agreed, and the law was repealed yesterday.

So we won. Now what?

Let me first state that I don’t think kids should be playing games like Call of Duty and Resident Evil. I think the rating system exists for a reason, and as the first generation of gamers approaches middle-age, we can sometimes take for granted that not everyone knows what we do about our favorite pastime.

I don’t like the idea of the government (or anyone else) telling me what I can or cannot do. If we had lost this battle at the Supreme Court, I was afraid of our government overriding the ESRB and dictating what we could or could not publish as developers. Think about it. If a law states that violent video games cannot be sold to children, and the powers that be decide your title is too violent to be sold to children, how does that affect your bottom line? Or even worse, your ability to create?

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again; WE NEED TO ENFORCE THE RATING SYSTEM. We need to take responsibility ourselves for what our kids are playing.

Figure 2 Super Smash Brothers, by Nintendo, is a great family title.

Figure 3 Ninja Gaiden 2, by Team Ninja, most definitely not fit for children.

I don’t believe, nor have I ever believed, that violent video games are at the root of our children’s problems. I could believe that violent video games create more aggressive tendencies, and again, I’ll scream it from the mountaintop; IT’S A PARENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE WHAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE EXPOSED TOO.

Before we go running, screaming into the street to celebrate this victory, we need to realize that an opportunity, maybe our last opportunity, has presented itself. We need to show the government that can police ourselves when it comes to our gaming, and our kids. The ESRB serves no purpose if no one is paying attention to it. The ratings exist for a reason. Now the Supreme Court has decided to stay out of the sale and development of our content, we should now prove we were worthy of the decision.

Thanks for reading.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night
Please Do Not Believe The Hype
Let Those Who Watch The Lantern’s Flight
Go See This Movie
It’s Almost Right.

When you take into account that this movie has essentially failed at the box office, and it has been horribly panned by critics and fans alike, I was leery of seeing it. I might have passed it up altogether if a friend of mine hadn’t extended a last-minute invitation. I had multiple reservations about this film from the moment it was announced; foremost was Ryan Reynold’s ability to play a convincing Hal Jordan. Discussing the movie with a friend, and my hesitation to see it (he was in favor), we started discussing Ryan Reynold’s range. I asked him to give me a case where Ryan Reynold’s played the bad guy.

Being a fan of Green Lantern, it wasn’t just this story I was interested in. Of course, this movie is an origin story, telling the story of cocky pilot Hal Jordan’s acceptance of the ring of power from the dying Abin Sur, the reluctance of the long-established Green Lantern Corps accepting a human, and the inevitable first conflict that would establish Hal Jordan not only as a capable Green Lantern, but the one who would rise to become the greatest of them. Yes, most of us know that story.

A lot of us don’t know that Sinestro, once their finest warrior, would become their greatest nemesis. A lot of us don’t know that Hal Jordan would eventually be driven mad (check out the Death of Superman to see how it starts) and nearly destroy the entire corps while becoming one of the DC universe’s most tragic characters. Whoever played Hal Jordan didn’t just have to sell me on the cocky pilot; I wanted to see the seeds planted of what he would become in this film as well. I wanted to see Sinestro’s infallible arrogance.

For the most part, I wasn’t disappointed. The movie is far from perfect, in fact, it’s not even great, but it’s still a good time.

Hollywood has to walk a fine line with films like these; paying close attention to the fans, who will eviscerate something if they feel it’s done wrong, while being accessible to newcomers. Despite heavy doses of fan service, Green Lantern falls off the line occassionally. While stalwarts will recognize the hand of Geoff Johns, so much canon is ignored that it’s nearly offensive. This is especially true in the case of Parallax’s origin, which will surely cause a few “WTF?!” from fans.

Casting in this film is both hit-and-miss. I was blown away by Ryan Reynold’s portrayal of Hal Jordan, who transitions from arrogant pilot humble hero-in-training. Like most aspects of this film, his character development is often hurried, but he took the role seriously and you can tell in his performance. One can believe Ryan Reynold’s Hal Jordan will one day go nuts, if Hollywood chooses to go that route (are you reading, Hollywood? Go that route, please). Another pleasant surprise was Michael Clarke Duncan as Kilowog, drill instructor to the Green Lantern Corps. Again, when I heard this, I rolled my eyes. Big black guy playing big bad drill instructor? Seriously?

Instead, Michael Clarke Duncan brings a lot of heart to the character, turning what could’ve been a cliché performance into a role we would’ve liked to see more of. Mark Strong is another surprise as Sinestro, although there’s more talking than action from him. Sure, he can rouse the troops, but we never really get to see why he’s revered as the greatest Green Lantern. No shortage of arrogance on his part, and it’s in the lines he doesn’t speak. It’s in his eyes as he addresses the Guardians and meets Hal Jordan. The only real miss here is Tim Robbins as a Senator Hammond, a complete throw-away character, and I think he knew that.

The special effects are what they should be, but nothing jaw-dropping. A chief complaint I have with the film is that they did not use Parallax’s true form, which I think would’ve been a lot scarier than the thing they dredged up.

Top: The True Form Of Parallax

Bottom: The Film Form Of Parallax

Overall, Green Lantern isn’t nearly as bad as what you’ve been led to believe. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as both a fan of the series and a filmgoer. Most performances are surprises and the special effects are plausible, if nothing special. This is good Saturday afternoon fun, and if you don’t expect strict adherence to the canon, you’ll have a good time.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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Worthy

While I’m a huge comic book fan, until recently, my preferences have run more towards DC. Even as a Marvel fan, I never really cared for Thor. When the movie was announced, I wasn’t that enthralled by the previews; Sir Anthony Hopkins as Odin was my primary reason for wanting to see this film. Although I read up on recent events on Thor’s timeline to be a little more familiar with what to expect from the movie, I went into this with almost no expectations. I came out believing that Thor may be one of the best films Marvel Studios has ever produced, right up there with the original Spider-Man.

Penned by J. Michael Straczynski (scribe of the incredible Superman: Earth One) and aptly directed by Kenneth Branagh (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), Thor is success on almost all levels; stellar character development performed by a top-flight cast, sweeping views of Asgard’s majesty fused with up-close, dirty takes on small-town Earth life, rousing action sequences and story that dares to be just a little original.

Newcomer Chris Hemsworth shines in the title role, displaying all ranges of emotion from arrogant warrior to fallen hero to reborn heir-to-the-throne, and Natalie Portman keeps up in her role as astrophysicist/love interest Jane Foster. She appears to be enjoying herself a lot more in this film than in the last two Star Wars movies. Sir Anthony Hopkins is, as always, brilliant in his portrayal of Odin; here is a king and god who is very much aware of his own shortcomings, especially when it comes to his two children. Every decision visibly weighs heavy on him. Idris Elba (Luther, Daddy’s Little Girls) is impeccable as the all-seeing Heimdall, and Colm Feore (Face/Off) was chilling, pun intended, as Laufey, King of the Frost Giants. The standout performance has to go to Tom Hiddleston, who played the god of mischief so well that he nearly steals the spotlight from Thor. This story is not just about Thor’s beginning’s; it’s about Loki’s as well, as he discovers his true origins and turns sibling rivalry into a very deadly battle with millions of lives on the line. What I liked most about Tom Hiddleston’s performance is that I couldn’t help but pity Loki and the little-brother syndrome, despite everything he does, in the end, he just wants to be loved and adored like his big brother. Tom Hiddleston brought plausibility and humanity to the role of Thor’s arch-nemesis, and in my opinion, is the best role in the film.

The soundtrack and scenery are epic; ranging from the glorious, beautiful city of Asgard to the dusty streets of middle America, this is a gorgeous film. This is also testament to the proper use of 3D, which may not have been necessary for this film to succeed, but its usage here is subtle and hardly noticeable, without inducing headaches. This is the best 3D film I’ve seen since Tron: Legacy.

We’re also treated to a cameo appearance of Clint Barton (future Avenger Hawkeye) well-played by Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker).

Overall, comic book fan or not, almost all moviegoers should enjoy this film. It has a compelling, well-executed story, beautiful scenery, a moving soundtrack, and a good sense of humor. Whosoever shall see this movie shan’t be disappointed, but thy fans eagerly awaiting the Avengers film hast more to look forward too.

PS: Want a second opinion? Hop over to Josiah Muskrat’s Facebook page and check out his review of Thor.

Thanks for reading.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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The ‘Fast’ Franchise Cashes In

Ten years after the first film’s release comes (what should be) the climax. This enjoyable, albeit predictable film serves more as a thank-you to longtime fans at the expense of those who’ve never seen any of the movies.
All of the major players from the last four films are accounted for, brought together for one last run. This film is heavy on character development and fan service, eschewing fast rides and blistering races. Whether or not you enjoy this movie may depend on your familiarity with the universe.

Fast Five picks up immediately following the conclusion of the fourth film, where O’Connor (Paul Walker) and company have managed to spring series antihero Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel, who is all but typecast at this point in his career) in an exciting, yet completely implausible escape sequence.
In the time that’s passed, O’Connor and longtime girlfriend Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) have fallen on hard times, living as federal fugitives constantly on the run.
In the midst of an unexpected complication, the two turn to old friend Vince (Matt Schulze, the script overlooked no one) who hooks them up with a risky, but high-paying gig. Despite Dominic’s intervention on this job, things go wrong, and suddenly the group escalates to, as O’Connor puts it, “The top of the wanted list.”

With the walls closing in, Toretto plans one last job that will enable them to disappear. In order to pull it off, they need to pull in the best. And we’re off to the races. Pun intended.

Justin Lin has helmed the franchise since the dubious Tokyo Drift, and he doesn’t let up here. This film is an action flick through and through, tightly shot and expertly paced, while the action sequences themselves are frenetic, but not jarring. The result is a film that is very well put together.

Dwayne Johnson is a great, two-dimensional addition to the cast as Federal Agent Hobbs, who channels Tommy Lee Jones in his relentless, southern-spoken pursuit of Toretto. Johnson was introduced to threaten Toretto, whose ruthlessness and physical superiority has been a staple of his character. Watching Johnson and Diesel play off of each other, building to the inevitable showdown between the two, is one of the film’s highlights. The fight is worth the wait, but again, you may have to suspend your sense of belief for a bit.

Unfortunately, it looks like gorgeous rides and generous blasts of nitrous are no longer necessary at this point in the series. There is one flat-out race in the entire film, and even then, all participants drive the same car. If you’re movie to see rides shown off at top speed, you will be may be disappointed. The story is absolutely mediocre as well, even though it’s still a lot of fun. In the end, after all the planning and sophisticated trick driving, it comes down to…well, you’ll see. The climax is implausible but a blast to watch, more reminiscent of the Italian Job than The Fast and The Furious.

Fast Five’s selling points are also what works against it; the characters, the camaraderie, and the banter are enjoyable if you’re new to the series, but a lot of the inside jokes will be lost on you. Still, for an opening summer flick, this film is very much a lot of fun and worth eight bucks at the door, even more so for longtime fans. Old-schoolers and action-film fans will enjoy this, but newcomers may want to wait for Vudu.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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The Child Assassin Misses The Mark By A Wide Margin

Hanna (Saoirse Ronan, The Lovely Bones) is not your average teenage girl. She can speak Spanish, Italian, German, and Arabic like a native. She can bring down a two-hundred and fifty-pound buck with near-pinpoint accuracy. She is a deadly close-quarters combatant with a diminished capacity for fear and a high tolerance for pain. Hanna has lived sequestered from the rest of the world, raised by her rogue CIA-agent father Erik Heller (Eric Bana, The Time Traveler’s Wife). But as children tend to do, Hanna desires to see and explore the outside world, despite the enormous danger the revelation of her existence would put her in. She convinces her father that she is ready for this by first disarming, and then reversing, a fatal situation in her sleep.
So, with a flip of a switch that places father and daughter back on the grid, the film begins.

And pretty much ends there, as well.
An excellent cast and veteran acting skills are not enough to save this cinematic hodgepodge.
All of the ingredients are here for a great film; the naïve, but deadly child assassin who wants to know who she is, and what her place is in a world she’s never known, the equally deadly but aging father who bravely accepts the inevitable by releasing his daughter into the wild, to the highly-ranked, cold blooded agent (aptly played by Cate Blanchett, in a far cry from The Lord Of The Rings) tracking them both, this movie should’ve been much better than it actually was. Joe Wright’s direction is disjointed and disorienting at times, meant to demonstrate the frenetic pace at which Hanna must take in her new situation, but actually jarring the viewer. The pacing is abhorrent, with long, sometimes unnecessary scenes of Hanna trying to fit in with an offbeat family. These scenes might have worked had the characters been fleshed out at all. Instead, the family is only used for about a third of the film, and then cut loose.

Chemical Brothers provide decent music that doesn’t match the film. It comes off as inspired by the Bourne franchise (as does much of the movie), but the electronic tempo moves faster than the jagged action sequences. Speaking of the action sequences, they’re nothing spectacular. Eric Bana looks physically in shape, but much more time should’ve been spent on executing the choreography. Saoirse Ronan moves quickly, fiercely, and fluently, with the training of someone who began studying only a year ago; just well enough to pull it off.

The ending is horribly predictable and insulting, the climax falling flat.

In good conscience, I can’t recommend spending money on this movie. It feels like several average ideas thrown in with a few great ones and then put on film. Instead of “Adapt Or Die”, the tagline should be changed to “See And Regret”.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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I’ve long said that parents should be taking responsibility for what their children watch, read and play, especially since the nineties when violent video games became a controversial topic. Rather than censor the violence, I feel it’s better to educate parents so they don’t bring games into their home that they may not want their children playing. I grew up gaming; most of the people I grew up with are still gamers themselves, so it’s easy to take the knowledge for granted. I assumed that everyone was familiar with the ESRB and the ratings system. I was wrong.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend and co-worker was telling the story of how she picked up a PS3 for her children and Call of Duty: Black Ops to go along with it. My jaw hit the floor at hearing this; no way would I ever allow either of my kids, no matter how good their grades, to play something like that. I couldn’t understand why this woman would allow her children to be exposed to something so gratuitous, and I was about to lay into her until she explained that she had absolutely no experience with video games. Her kids had asked for it, and she bought it, it was that simple.

That’s when it hit me what little some parents know about these games their kids are playing.

Now that gaming is a mainstream hobby, I think it’s more important than ever to educate parents, and any interested party, on the ESRB and the rating system in general. As gamers who have grown and become parents ourselves, it’s not just our responsibility to defend our livelihood; it’s also our job to help those not in the know make better decisions.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB for short) is a nonprofit organization that functions the same way the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) does. The difference is that where the MPAA rates movies, the ESRB rates games. Because ratings are so rarely enforced, the efficiency of the ESRB has often been questioned.

Almost any video game available for purchase has been rated by the ESRB, and can be viewed in the lower left hand corner of every title.

Figure 1: Rockstar’s wildly successful “Grand Theft Auto” has earned its M rating from the ESRB. Note the tag in the lower left hand corner of the picture.

All titles are broken down into the following categories, with short explanations explaining each rating. Here’s a quick explanation of what you need to know, along with a breakdown of each rating.

Figure 2: The ESRB Rating System

The most common games these days are typically rated either “T” or “M”. When it comes to a T-rated title, I strongly encourage you to research the title a bit. Information is almost always available online, and while some “T” rated titles might contain material that you consider okay for your children, others may not.

Figure 3: Generally, Sega’s “Sonic The Hedgehog” series is comprised of titles rated “E”, which means the mischief in this game is okay for anyone to view.

Figure 4: Mortal Kombat, a long-running fighting game series, will almost certainly be an M-rated title upon release for its depictions of violence.

The best way to ensure what your children play is to first learn the title of the game they’re playing, and then enter that title into the search engine of your choice to see what the title is about. If the ESRB hasn’t rated it yet, wait for a rating to be assigned before making promises or decisions.

You can learn more about the ESRB by clicking here. There are also mobile apps available for both droid and iPhone users so information can be gathered instantly by snapping a photo of the title.

Thanks for reading.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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In the same vein as Super Street Fighter 4, Capcom triumphantly presents Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. Keeping enough of its predecessors to remain fun and familiar while ditching what wasn’t necessary (and shedding too many characters, one can argue), Fate of Two Worlds is a welcome return to the team-based crossover franchise.

The crack-addicted gameplay of MvC2 has entered rehab and emerged a more managable game this time around. While hyper-jumps, air combos, and team-based play are still the title’s hallmarks, they’ve been toned down as to reduce the risk of epilepsy, placing greater emphasis on learning the timing of button presses and commands, rather than mashing away to victory.

Fate of Two Worlds boasts more better-looking characters than its prequels, thanks to thicker shading. The Super Moves are still gorgeous and have that “OH-SH*T!!” feeling if you’re on the wrong side of them, but again, this time, it’s not over the top. Minor tweaks benefit the gameplay, such as the ability to maneuver Ryu’s beam-like Shinkuu Hadoken. The devil is in the details and the animation is almost flawless; check out Deadpool’s exaggerated movements to see for yourself (Is he MOONWALKING?!).

The double-edged sword is in the roster; Capcom strove to introduce characters not previously seen in fighting games, which meant that some old favorites had to go. Say hello to Wesker and Chris Redfield from the Resident Evil series; say goodbye to Ken and Sakura from Street Fighter. Luckily, the new characters keep it interesting (Dante is a most welcome addition for players who want to invest the time into learning him), and old favorites like Wolverine, Spider-Man, and Chun-Li are present. Besides, with D.L.C., and the promise of Jill Valentine, anything’s possible. The sound, as it should, compliments the game nicely, and while I wish more work had been put into the characters endings, this is a minor gripe.

Overall, fighting game fans will be satisfied, longtime fans will be satisfied, this is a great game. It’s been too long, but it was worth the wait. If any of Capcom’s representatives are reading this (Thank you!!) please don’t make us wait ten years for part four.

NOTE FOR PARENTS: This game is rated “T” by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, which means that it is typically okay for children over the age of thirteen to play this game. It does feature fighting violence, however, there is no blood spilled, and no bruising on the characters of any kind. If this was a movie, it would more than likely be rated PG-13. Remember this when your kids ask for it.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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Still Fighting For the User After Thirty Years

I was impressed with the idea of Tron: Legacy from the first trailer, but tried to remain objective; it’s a trailer’s job to hype the movie. Sure, the Tron universe looked much more evolved—and ominous—than its predecessor. Sure, Jeff Bridges playing both pro and antagonist looked as good as felt. I could even believe that Garrett Hedlund (Death Sentence, Four Brothers) could be a geek. An adrenaline-addicted geek, sure, but considering his past outings, I initially had a hard time buying him as being able to use an ATM without shooting it, much less hack high security. Plus, I’ve yet to see a film in 3D that didn’t induce a need for Tylenol. So, after nearly three months of waiting for Tron: Legacy to hit the big screen, was it worth the wait?

The answer would be a resounding, emphatic yes. Tron: Legacy is one of those movies that manages to get almost everything right, even drawing those in who have no idea who Tron is.

Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has had a rough go of things in the last few decades. After the destruction of the MCP (consider yourself old-school nerd if you didn’t have to look that up) and his subsequent rise to the top of Encom, he managed to get married, have a son, and lift Encom to the top of the software world. Then, one night, after telling his young son Sam a bedtime story, Flynn leaves for work and never comes home.
Fast forward to the present day. Kevin Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) is an aimless, albeit brilliant young man who likes to cause trouble for his father’s company. After publicly embarrassing Encom (a scene in which the uncredited Cillian Murphy plays the son of the original Tron’s nemesis), Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner reprising his original role as Tron’s programmer) visits Sam’s home. It seems his father sent Alan a page from the old arcade, the one that’s been shut down for nearly thirty years. Kevin goes investigating, and, well, you can figure out what happens from there.

Hats off must first go to the special effects team of this movie, which in my opinion top Avatar. The world comes together beautifully and seamlessly. Everything in the Tron universe feels like it should be there. This is also the first 3D film I’ve seen that didn’t cause headaches; the effect is very subtle, and instead of feeling like you’re on a roller coaster that may be coming apart, you’re not even aware of how much you’re drawn into this world until you leave the theater. Gone are the lightcyles of yesterday, which were limited to straight lines. The Grid features new cycles that reveal twin engines, light trails that can be toggled and bend, flowing over three dimensions. This is Tron as it was meant to be.

The story holds up well; father and son reuniting, trying to undo Kevin’s mistakes and get the both of them home. The father-don dynamic feels very Disney, asking the hard questions while granting a happy, albeit bittersweet ending with a morale to boot. Daft Punk provides an atmospheric soundtrack that compliments the film perfectly, and is beautiful in its own right. Fans of the two-person group, and the genre, will find this money well-spent.

If Tron: Legacy has a failing, it assumes that viewers will have seen the original film, have a passing handle on modern tech jargon, or both. I saw this movie with a friend who had never seen the original (although he thought “the chick in 3D was hot”, there, Robbe, I said it), who kept asking me what a user was. Then again, the film was good enough to convince him to go hunt down the original, so it’s not much of a gripe. The disc battles aren’t that memorable; the ones in the first film didn’t work as hard and were more fun to watch.

Bottom line; if you have kids who’re into video games or technology, or you yourself are, go see this movie. If you’ve seen the original, go see this movie. If you want to know what the big deal is, go see this movie. This is the best outing I’ve had in the theatres in a long time, and I can’t wait to see what they include in the DVD. Tron: Legacy is a win.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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So that person you’ve been interested in forever finally gave you the time of day. You took them out, spent time getting to know them, and enjoyed the company so much so that you saw them over and over again. Then, when it’s all said and done, and you’re so wound up that you can barely stand it, they push you away, look at you in all sincerity, and say; “I can’t do this now. But next time.”

If you can relate to this story, then you’ve seen “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.”

That isn’t to say it’s a bad movie. It’s just that after sitting through all the films, practically growing up with this character, instead of getting the first half of an epic climax, we instead get a two-and-a-half hour trailer for the second film. In fact, some of the scenes they use in the trailer aren’t even in this film.

Although David Yates continues to demonstrate his expertise directing the Harry Potter movies, this movie feels disjointed at places. Long scenes of dialogue and tension are interspersed with such frenetic scenes that anyone with ADHD will feel right at home. It’s occasionally difficult to keep up with what’s going on, but overall, it comes together well.

It’s a long, long outing, too; I overheard one patron say “I felt like I just sat through a six hour movie.” I’m not a fan of this trend that calls for extensively long films, no matter how good they are. And honestly, as a fan of the series, I can’t say this movie was worth sitting three hours in a theater for.

I expect the final film to be epic; the first installment of Deathly Hallows was the pre-game before the Super Bowl. It’s what you’ll sit through for the main event. Hardcore fans will find something to love, but casual fans may find their money better spent elsewhere.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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