Today’s Prayer Focus
Oscar®Oscar® Nominee for Best Visual Effects, and Best Art Direction
MOVIE REVIEW

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

also known as “The Deathly Hallows,” “Harry Potter y las reliquias de la muerte (1ª parte),” “Haris Poteris ir mirties relikvijos—1 dalis,” “Harry Potter és a halál ereklyéi 1.,” See more »
MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for some sequences of intense action violence, frightening images and brief sensuality.

Reviewed by: Daniel Thompson
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Teens Adults
Genre: Fantasy Adventure Mystery Kids Family Adaptation Sequel
Length: 2 hr. 27 min.
Year of Release: 2010
USA Release: November 19, 2010 (wide—4,000+ theaters)
DVD: April 15, 2011
Copyright, Warner Bros. Picturesclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures
Relevant Issues
Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures
Immortality

ETERNAL LIFE—What does the Bible say about it? Answer

Eternal death in the Bible

Teenagers
Teen Qs™—Christian Answers for teenagers
Teens! Have questions? Find answers in our popular TeenQs section. Get answers to your questions about life, dating and much more.

sword

knife

goodness

tombs and burial in the Bible

mourning

dancing

curse

wolves

snake

owl

Racism

What are the consequences of racial prejudice and false beliefs about the origin of races? Answer

Racism, Ethnicity Issues and Christianity
Get biblical answers to racial hot-topics. Where did the races come from? How did skin color come about? Why is it important to have a biblical foundation for such issues?
Occult

sorcery in the bible

witches

witchcraft

enchantments

magic and magicians in the Bible

What is the Occult? Answer

THE OCCULT—What does the Bible say about it? Answer

Is Harry Potter Harmless?
Ever since the popularity of JK Rowling’s first book took hold, the debate rages. What is a Christian to think of the Harry Potter worldview and philosophies? What’s wrong with Potter?

True goodness

How do I know what is right from wrong? Answer

How can I decide whether a particular activity is wrong? Answer

What is goodness?

sin

fall of man

Are we living in a moral Stone Age? Answer

Featuring Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore), Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), Rhys Ifans (Xenophilius Lovegood), Bill Nighy (Rufus Scrimgeour), John Hurt (Mr. Ollivander), Ciarán Hinds (Aberforth Dumbledore), See all »
Director David Yates
Producer Heyday Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, David Barron, David Heyman, Tim Lewis, Lionel Wigram
Distributor Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures. Trademark logo.Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company

“Part 1 one of the epic finale”

As you read these words, the Harry Potter film series has surpassed “Star Wars” as the highest grossing series in movie history. The seven books by British author J.K. Rowling took the world by storm in 1997, and they have lived on in film. The Potter series is not only a worldwide phenomenon, but, also, a lightning rod for conversation in the Christian community about what is and is not appropriate in entertainment. Billed as the beginning of the end, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” is an expertly made film that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats before ending abruptly.

There should be several disclaimers within this review, but I guess I can narrow it down to one: this is a review of the film, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”. It is not a review of how well the book by J.K. Rowling is translated to film. Many times, fans of the Potter book series complain about how the movies leave out important elements and characters. Rowling has recognized what many avid readers of her books have not: the Potter films have not been made to identically represent the novels, but to be the director’s representation of the overarching story. This is why Rowling herself has served as executive producer in the Potter film series, and has personally signed off on each director and script of the series.

In the seventh chapter of this series, we find our hero Harry and his two best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley reeling over the death of Professor Dumbledore. The dark Lord Voldemort has taken over the ministry of magic and is now on the hunt for Harry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to find and destroy seven horcruxes that give Voldemort his power. Then and only then will Harry be able to defeat the powerful dark Lord. From start to finish, Harry and the gang uncover one mystery after another, while constantly on the run from all sorts of trouble, including Voldemort, dementors, and the menacing Dolores Umbridge. All of this running leads to a stunning conclusion that the viewer will not get to experience until this summer when “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” is released.

The quality of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” is on par with the previous two films in the series. Returning director David Yates is excellent behind the camera, and it seems that the lead actors get better with every film. The supporting cast is second to none, led by the wonderful Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort. Voldemort is a character of such profound evil that even though he has very little screen time, you feel his presence lurking around every corner. Much of this is due to the outstanding performance by Fiennes. The special effects are mostly top notch, aside from some sloppy CGI work on the house elves. From a technical standpoint “Hallows Part 1” stands above any of the previous Potter films.

The only fundamental problem I have with the film has more to do with the production studio than the movie itself. In an apparent money grab, Warner Bros. has split this last installment into two parts, which basically reduces this film to an expertly made two and a half hour trailer for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”. While avid fans of the book would say that there is too much important information to fit into one movie, “Part 1” is clearly padded by at least 45 minutes. It reminded me a great deal of “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”, a well made film that has the main characters traveling from start to finish. Just like that film, “Hallows Part 1” ends abruptly and cannot stand alone. If “Part 2” is as riveting, together the two films will represent the best Harry Potter movie of the entire series.

By this point in the Harry Potter series, you have probably already reached a conclusion as to your feelings of the content in the series. If you look at every Harry Potter film’s review on this Web site, you will see a list of positive and negative responses that either praise or condemn its content. There are some that say Christians should have nothing to do with stories involving witchcraft or wizardry. There are others (myself included) who believe that in the realm of fiction, where the lines of good and evil are clearly drawn, a story’s inclusion of magic does not represent our involvement with it. “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, a movie series which many Christians laud because of the faith of the author, heavily features a good and evil wizard. Respected Christian author Charles Colson used the word “mechanical” when describing the magical elements of the Harry Potter series, and this is an accurate depiction of what occurs throughout the series.

Harry PotterIs the Harry Potter series truly harmless?—Ever since the popularity of JK Rowling’s first book took hold, the debate rages. What is a Christian to think of the Harry Potter worldview and philosophies? Is there anything to be concerned about?

Two things that can be agreed upon about “Deathly Hallows Part 1” is that it contains a clear distinction between light and dark, and that it is not appropriate for kids or younger teens. Just as the readers of the Potter series have matured over the past eight years, so also have the dark and serious aspects of the film. With Harry, Hermione, and Ron mourning the death of Professor Dumbledore, while on the run from Lord Voldemort and the rest of the now jaded ministry of magic, darkness clouds the film from start to finish. Through this darkness the positive aspects of loyalty, friendship, and trust shine the brightest. Other content issues are a few mild profanities and one scene in which an evil horcrux makes Ron see glimpses of what appears to be Harry and Hermione together and naked. While it is quick and nothing more than their shoulders are shown, it is still more provocative than anything in the previous six films.

Instead of feeling tired, the penultimate chapter of this series of movies feels fresh. Gripping, moving, and sometimes funny, “Deathly Hallows Part 1” is a must see for fans of the previous six Potter films. It will also leave the viewer hanging and ready to drop down $10 more this summer to see how it all plays out. Eight movies is a long time to wait for good to triumph over evil. Better late than never I guess…

Violence: Heavy / Profanity: Mild / Sex/Nudity: Moderate

Editor’s Note: As usual, please be aware that the volunteer reviewer of this film is not a staff member of Christian Spotlight, and comments made in the review are those of the reviewer alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of our ministry. Lest there be any doubt, please understand that we do not recommend any of the “Harry Potter…” series, due to the fact that, although they are clearly fiction, they entirely involve both heroes and villains alike continually using witchcraft, wizardry and other occult practices (some clearly based upon real occult symbols, terminology, names, and practices)—and portray most of these in a fun and positive light, quite contrary to God’s Word. Furthermore, we are concerned that a small percentage of impressionable and emotionally vulnerable young people will, as a result, become easier prey for the growing number of real witches, Wiccans, neopagans, Satanists or other occultists seeking new initiates and offering these young people not only friendship as outcasts with shared interests, but, also, the possibility of achieving some personal power or self-realization through enchantments, incantations, divination, conjuring spirits, curses, supposed healing, worship, etc.

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—Fans of the book series should be pleased with this installment, since it is the closest adaptation of Rowling’s original novel yet. What changes are made are minor and relatively unimportant. The film is solid from a cinematic perspective, with some really good acting and special effects (the scene toward the beginning with Voldemort is particularly terrific).
See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Charity, age 27 (USA)
Positive—Let me begin straightforward. The biggest thing to remember about all the Harry Potter films (and books) is that the story is FICTION. They are made for the purpose of entertainment, not for turning people over to the dark side.
See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Lydia P, age 17 (USA)
Positive—***Spoiler alert*** Harry Potter 7.1 is a myth baptized by Christianity, and most Christians should see it. Harry Potter and his friends believe that love is the greatest magic (reminiscent of Narnia’s Deep Magic), and that the Christian concept of sacrifice is both holy and sad. Harry Potter is a maturing character who has been surrounded by his very own cloud of witnesses, the people who loved him enough to die in his place: his mother, his godfather, his mentor, and in this latest episode, his servant. Faithful readers of the series know that Harry is preparing to face his own martyrdom, of sorts, in which he too must become a Christ figure for his friends. I support the Harry Potter series because it is well-plotted, drawing from a long tradition of Christian authors. If Harry Potter (the character) met Jesus, he would love Him, because in the Harry Potter universe, he is slowly becoming more like Him. More importantly, Jesus would approve of Harry’s sacrifice.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Christian, age 18 (USA)
Positive—First of all, I am a Christian who finds nothing wrong with watching the Harry Potter movies and reading the books. I know there are many people who think this series comes straight from hell itself, but I personally choose to see beyond the “sorcery” and enjoy the themes of friendship, sacrifice, and biblical parallels to be found in the Harry Potter story. While I did like this movie better than the sixth one, it’s still not my favorite. This movie was a little bit scarier than the first six movies, especially at the part when Hermoine is tortured. Also, at the scene when the locket is opened and Ron is tempted to jealousy by the dark spirit inside… the ghost-like versions of Harry and Hermione appear to be naked, and that is NOT in the book. So… if you enjoy the Harry Potter series you’ll probably like this movie; I only wish the director hadn’t made some of the choices that he did.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Kadie Joseph, age 18 (USA)
Positive—I have been looking forward to this movie for a long time, and I was very pleased with it, except for a nasty comment at the beginning which I thought was completely unnecessary (and not in the book). I think this one is much better than the sixth one, because they stayed true to the plot better. I thought the focus of the sixth movie was a little fuzzy. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Rebekah, age 29 (USA)
Positive—At our church not long ago we had a series called Q&A, and one of the weeks it was can I enjoy movies and culture and be a christian. And it came down to yes, you can. Just like many christians now who grew up in the 60s watching the strong man movies with Hercules and so on and there was magic in the shows. A double standard? A lot that we see on TV or in films is harmful or destructive from the point of view of a follower of Christ. In fact, you can make a strong case that TV is by its very nature, corrosive of truth and values. (See the article “Television: Agent of Truth Decay” by Douglas Groothuis.) However, what concerns me here is the way followers of Christ sometimes seem to demonize one particular film or series, while blandly and blindly accepting others that are just as destructive. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Jason, age 34 (USA)
Positive—Frankly having read ALL of the Harry Potter books and having practiced witchcraft before coming to Christ, I see no correllation between “Witchcraft and Wizardry” of the books and real witchcraft. In fact, the books and in this movie show a boy becoming a man who (almost with unrealistic perfection) stands for right and fights evil. The only even partial argument I can agree with or condone on why not to see this movie or read the books is that these “MIGHT” (and that’s a big might) encourage young children to pretend witchcraft which could lead to the occult. This however is not a problem inherent in Harry Potter, but rather in the inquistive nature of children, and must be tempered by a parent explaining to young children that Harry Potter is not real. Frankly, if they don’t understand this, they probably can’t read, so I doubt you have too much to worry about.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
S Williamson, age 22 (USA)
Positive—I really liked the film, I could tell because I was still shaky and crazy about the action after the movie was over. I was upset that they didn’t show Wormtail’s death (aka Petigrew). They had enough time to show the scene if they took out the stupid dance scene and zapping Wormtail (the dance scene looked like they were celebrating).

You are probably wondering why I would rate this positive and offensive and say negative comments about it ,but the reviewer on the movie was right about it being offensive. First off, there are good morals in the film, but there were also brief nudity scenes where Harry is half naked geting dressed or swimming in his boxers, and also where Ginny’s bare back is showing when asking to be zipped.

There is also a scene that turned me off; when the Horcrux scene of Harry and Hermoine passionatly kissing and seen as naked (but no parts shown)—I found that harmful for kids to see. Second, some parts were missing from the book, though they put in stuff that was not in the book.

My review sounds negative, but I like part of this film because there were a lot of sacrificing and caring in the scenes of escaping. Plus the ending scene of Voldemort breaking in Dumbledor’s tomb was a perfect ending for the end of part one.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Anna, age 18 (USA)
Positive—“Deathly Hallows Part 1” has set a benchmark not only for Part 2 to try and match, but for all movies of the genre to aspire to. Harry—a Davidic (and a semi-Christ-)figure to those around him—finds himself overwhelmed, at the begining of the film, by the deaths of those he loves. He attempts to flee in the dead of night, but is accosted by Ron, who reveals that the battle is not about Harry, but about stopping Voldemort from restructuring the wizarding community in his own image, and then we learn later Voldemort’s aim of subjugating the Muggles (non-magic folk: us) under his tyrannical regime.

Voldemort is portrayed as a Herod-like figure in “Philosopher’s [US: Sorcerer’s] Stone,” and as an overtly Satanic figure, and even an Antichrist figure, from Book 4 onward (“the Beast that was, and is not, and yet is… And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven…” of Rev. 17:8 and 10). The books, and the films, are really a parable explaining how tyrants gain power; it reveals that “good” people are easily swayed, keeping silent when they should speak out, and how civil servants are simply “Doing their jobs” when the Hitlers and Stalins and Mao Tse Tongs order round-ups of Undesirables.

What I wish was highlighted more, in the film, are the two very strong Bible quotes that appeared in the seventh book: “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (which appears on the grave of Harry’s parents: it is in the film, but is barely noticeable unless your screen is big enough for it to be seen), and which, in the book, sets Harry to wondering if it were a Death-Eater’s oath; and “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” which is something to do with Dumbledore, but I cannot remember if it was on his gravestone.

That said, the song to which Harry and Hermione dance (and you’ll need the subtitles to really appreciate it) features lyrics that give a good parallel to the Christian’s life on Earth: Hey, little train! Wait for me! I once was blind but now I see; Have you left a seat for me? Is that such a stretch of the imagination? Hey little train! Wait for me! I was held in chains but now I’m free I’m hanging in there, don’t you see; In this process of elimination, Hey little train! We are all jumping on The train that goes to the Kingdom We’re happy, Ma, we’re having fun It’s beyond my wildest expectation Hey little train! We are all jumping on The train that goes to the Kingdom We’re happy, Ma, we’re having fun And the train ain’t even left the station ~ O Children, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds [partial lyrics only].

While I don’t know whether Nick Cave is a Christian, this song—a dark, Springsteenesque story—carries some very powerful words which pay at least lip-service to Christianity, and it’s certainty of the offer of redemption in this world.

Anyway, back to HP 7. We now have the scene set for Golgotha/(semi-)Armageddon in the eighth movie; I hope the final film lives up to my expectations—and I have to say that the stars have continued to grow into their roles, especially Emma Watson, who has, for my money, been the best of the three, though the two male leads really have inhabited their roles since “Azkaban” for Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and “Goblet” in Daniel Radcliffe’s (Harry Potter) case.

Use it to point teens to the true story of the One Who died, but now is alive forever and ever, the God, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Gary Davis, age 49 (United Kingdom)
Positive—I have to wonder why reviewer Daniel Thompson gives this film a moral rating of “Offensive”—and then somehow never gets around to explaining just /why/ it’s morally “offensive” when it’s obvious he enjoyed it. In any case, I just rented this the other day and was as impressed with this as with the previous installments in the series. I’ve only read the first book, but overall I’d have to say this is probably the best film series ever produced, because of its consistent quality over the course of now 7 films.

On magic: If I were writing a fantasy novel, I’d construct my fantasy world differently from how J. K. Rowling did it. Having said that, contextually it should be obvious that while she borrows the terminology and trappings of real-world witchcraft, she /re-defines/ these things so that magic in this fictional world is treated mechanically. In that case, it is analogous to electricity in the real world: if you’re scientifically minded you can learn how to use electricity and make machines that run on it. In the fictional realm, Harry and his friends learn how to use mechanical magic—without getting any power or knowledge from occultic sources! So when Christian Answers gives a disclaimer that automatically brands the Harry Potter stories as contradictory to Scripture—well, they’re just plain wrong.

They’re wrong because in the context of Harry’s world, the “magic” simply does /not/ have the same source or properties as “magic” (sorcery) in Scripture. The terminology may sound the same at times—but it’s not defined the same and therefore /is not the same thing/. What the Bible is condemning isn’t actually what’s found in Harry Potter.

Overall, the HP series is morally acceptable (at least in the film versions) because it is a rather straightforward depiction of good vs. Evil, and the building of heroic, self-sacrificial character.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Andy Derksen, age 43 (Canada)
Positive—I enjoy a good piece of fiction as well as I like to be well-read/well-viewed. While I never would have seen the movies or read the books, if not for all of the hype that has surrounded them, this movie held my attention and was very well made. The cast and crew of the film did a phenomenal job. Looking forward to the final film this evening. … it is a lovely piece of filmmaking!

However, don’t be fooled—it does provide very graphic descriptions of the occult and is about witchcraft. For those who may be struggling with your faith or those who are highly susceptible to the spiritual realm, I don’t recommend you see it. It very well could be a doorway that allows Satan passage into your mind and thoughts and opens you to higher spiritual attack. Be smart about your spiritual state and ability to stand. … It is for this reason that I cannot recommend it.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Carrie, age 34 (USA)
Neutral
Neutral—I would write positive on this film, but there were parts that were missing from the book and disappointed me:

1.) Ginny giving her b-day present to Harry (a kiss)-not a kiss after zipping her!
2.) Wormtail meets his betrayal of death by his own hand.
3.) Bellatrix “Cruscio” Hermione-not carving her.
4.) Tonks declaring her pregnancy and the rest cheering.
5.) And the Malfoy Manor part wasn’t as long as the book.

Now, for my disappointment in/and the scenes that was not in the book:
1.) Ginny showing a lot of back skin while being zipped and later kissed.
2.) A Horcrux Harry and Hermione practically tonguing and the top naked sides were distubing, which didn’t need to be shown.(in the book they were clothed).
3.) Harry being in a lace bra who’s Fleur and also when he’s has his clothes off and dives in a lake was distubing.

Overall, the films turns boring when they escape the Malfoy Manor. I would say that Harry Potter 5 and 6 is far better then this film, but I will see the 2nd part of HP7 in 2011.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Stacy, age 19 (USA)
Neutral—I like this movie, but there is objectionable content.
1) Harry and Hermione are used in the Horcrux and are seen kissing passionately in the nude.
2)Ginny asks Harry to “zip her dress up”, and her bake is bear, but fortunately they didn’t do anything extreme or intense, they kiss for a couple of seconds and then stop.
3) There’s more spells and hexes.
4) There’s heavy violence (But that I can handle), which shouldn’t be recommended for the ages 13 or less. I found that the Half-Blood Prince (the last film) held more morals and was less offensive.
5) They take the Lord’s name in vain about 4 times and a few swear words.

I liked this film and it was interesting, and I’m a fan of the series, but I can’t say it was better than the Half-Blood Prince.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Jessica, age 21 (USA)
Neutral—I am indifferent to this film because little happens, and it is an obvious attempt to squeeze more money out of the franchise. I do, however, take exception to several people being critical of non-existent nudity. If a bare back and naked shoulders are enough to set people off, then what is next for christians, burkas? I’ve seen racier content in Disney cartoons. …
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Brad Goodman, age 32 (Canada)
Neutral—…I enjoy Harry Potter. So do my children. None of them nor their friends are turning out to want to grow up to be witches or warlocks. It’s a story, meant to be enjoyed as just that—a story. Most kids at some point wish to have magical powers. These same kids eventually grow up and are assimilated into the realities of work and responsibilities as grown ups. Why force them to lose the magic of imagination and childhood before they have to? It’s a story. Normal people don’t get carried away and grow up to become pagans because of Harry Potter. …
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Darlene, age 36 (Canada)
Neutral—I like this release the least of all the Potter movies. There was very little technical wizardry in it, and the plot just wasn’t that interesting. My adult daughter, who has a better understanding of the entire Potter series, thought it was good, because she understood more about what was going on. However, I can’t recommend someone spending their time and money to see it.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 2½
Joe, age 62 (USA)
Neutral—I was not allowed to read/watch this series until I was an adult (family rule). Last year I read the books and watched some of the movies, because I was hoping they would be similar to The Chronicles of Narnia, I had wondered what they were about, and because I needed a way to un-stress. I greatly enjoyed reading them, but I am glad my parents had me wait until I was older. The reason is not because of the magical elements of the books, but because of moral ambiguity.

In the story, Harry is raised by his neglectful and rude relatives, so he has no accurate gauge of morals. When he reaches Hogwarts (his school) he can often get away with breaking rules, if he is doing it “for the greater good” or Dumbledore (the Headmaster) is feeling sorry for him. He also tells lies to authority figures (who also keep truths back from him, because of his age, that he needs to know). Harry and Ron also often convince Hermione to do their homework for them and, as far as I remember, are never confronted on this. This leaves an atmosphere in the books of mistrust. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
E. H., age 24 (USA)
Negative
Negative—I liked the movie, but it wasn’t nearly as good as “…the Half Blood Prince” (the 6th film). There were more curses, hexes and spells than the other films. Also, there are two scenes that bother me: 1) Ginny asks Harry to zip her dress, revealing her bare back (that wasn’t even in the book) 2) When the Horcrux opens and tries to make Ron angry, it shows Harry and Hermione naked and kissing intensely (even though they showed the side of them, not entirely naked, it was still disturbing.)

The movie got a bit boring after they escaped from the ministry. And I went to the midnight premier, so you can guess that I was pretty excited, but I was a bit disappointed after I have viewed it.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Jessica, age 20 (USA)
Negative—What I have a difficult time with is that so many reviewers label this movie as offensive, but then spend the entire time praising its contents. Bottom line is, if you know this is to be entertainment, you must ask yourself, to God would this be entertaining? Would this be glorifying? Especially since they take the Lord’s name in vain. Come on Christians, let’s not be shallow… Let’s remember to walk the walk where our eyes and ears are concerned. If your eye offends you…
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Brandi, age 29 (USA)
Negative—When you are waiting on the characters waiting, you have a problem. This movie gets so bogged down in the middle, it never resolves the mire 'til the last 10 minutes, and that’s a gracious estimate. I will not, and I cannot sit thru this title ever again. It is on par with some of the worst movies I’ve seen in my lifetime, e.g., “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and “Enemy Mine.” If you’ve ever seen any of those, or even “Red Sonja” (with that Russian chick and Arnie Schwarzenegger), you know what I mean. Cheesy… with awful sets, languid pacing, and laughable dialogue and acting. Truly, the works! More so than a fully loaded Subway sandwich. You dig?
See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 2
Mega Tron, age 24 (USA)
Negative—My daughter recently brought a borrowed copy of this movie home from school, and, as usual, I reviewed it before letting her watch it, and I must say I was disgusted. Having never heard of this movie before, I didn’t know what to expect. Black magic! Witchcraft flaunted, as if it were to be encouraged for children. The characters who were supposed to be the heroes were as satanic and as far from Christ as the villains.

For example the teenage girl Hermione used Satanic incantations against her innocent (and I assume Christian) parents, so she could leave home and run away with two boys. The small portion of wedding that we did see showed no sign of being a genuine wedding, in the eyes of The Lord, and when characters ate, no one said Grace or a Blessing of thanks! Further more, bewitched jewelery showed two of the children having sex!

My outrage at this film does not end here, but I do not have the will to list every transgression against Christ! I did not see the point of the film, at all; the story made no sense to me, characters came and went with no explanation as to who they were. There was no mention of God’s Heavenly Glory or The Saviour! As I’m sure you could imagine, I did not let my daughter see this filth, and I roundly scolded her for bringing into my home.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: none
Christine C, age 41 (Canada)
Positive—I am making a reply to a negative comment written by a woman and watched the movie before her daughter could watch it and called it satanic, I will say this. Christine, I know you mean well and I applaud you for keeping a eye what your daughter watches, however, it appears that you haven’t read the books or seen all the movies to understand what is happening. Hermione didn’t erase her parent’s memories to run away from home and to run with two boys, she did it to protect them from Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort and in the book, it mentions that she plans on giving back their memories after defeating Voldemort. Also, there was a wedding reception shown, not a actual ceremony where the couple exchanges vows. The images that the locket showed Ron was so he can be deceived.

We are also living in a time where everything is secularized, so not every movie has a family sitting together and pray before a meal. In my opinion, Harry Potter is a good book series that has some good morals along with the characters being typical teens.

Although I love the books and movies, we should be careful who reads them. The books and movies are not for the impressionable, naive, and young children (in my belief, are Satan’s easy targets). I saw the movie with my mom and the daughter of my aunt’s friend and I liked it. The ending had me waiting for part two, which I saw with my sister. I loved it and saw it twice.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Lydia, age 18 (USA)
Negative—At one time, I loved the HP series, books and movies, so I am basing this review on knowledge of both. In fact, I’ve read the books over 10 times each! However, I have recently realized that I had abandoned the truth and completely compromised myself by infatuation with this worldly thing. It is NOT OK to act and love what the world does. The fact that sorcery is only a medium to tell a fictional story is irrelevent. Why does the method get excused? Witchcraft is an abomination. Why on earth would God approve of us using something he abhors to tell a story?

Christians are in dangerous territory, and HP is only one area where we’ve explained away evil as good… We seem to have forgotten that God is altogether holy and hates sin of any kind. Those who live by the Holy Spirit, please don’t sear your consciences. Please consider before you watch this.

“There shall not be found among you anyone who… practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord…” Deuteronomy 18:9-12.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Jenna, age 29 (Canada)
Negative—When people talk about Harry Potter, witchcraft, etc. As relating or paralleling “christian” life and morals, they are talking in terms of gnosticism. Gnosticism is the pseudo-christian belief system with a multitudinous array various sub-beliefs, secret practices and secret knowledge… that have little to nothing to do with practical, and holy, Christianity. The fact that people can recognize “christian” morality in Harry Potter while being shown scene after scene of people using witchcraft to achieve it has a certain affect on the way a person will view witchcraft in the real world. That affect creates an emotional attachment to power, or the desire for power.

But why, oh Christian, is being empowered by Adonai, the king of the universe, not enough? The Biblical, Adonai honoring, way to view witchcraft is to view it as an aberration of true spiritual power. What you are really craving (even strictly entertainment-wise) is the power that you see being displayed on film. Adonai alone possesses the power to give life, while a witch can only summon “spirits of the dead” (necromancy), and yet it never occurs to any of the characters we’re supposed to see the BEST in to call upon Him so that His glory can be displayed above all the rest.

And please, please don’t pretend to say that they (Harry and Co.) somehow metaphorically call upon Him in some strange, undisclosed, way that alludes to “the power above all powers” or “the power of love” which must be God. People can demonstrate love, lots of it, and be going to hell because they hate Adonai and do not abide by His holy law. Being accused of witchcraft is not the same thing as actually practicing it. Accusing someone of being a witch (in the past) was often the result of one woman or man being jealous of another person’s God-given abilities (natural abilities, not supernatural), or blessings pored out on them by Adonai, the king of heaven. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: none
Luke Josiah Spink, age 31 (USA)
Comments from young people
Positive—I really liked this film. It clearly states the fight between good and evil. I would recommend people the age of 16 or older (there is brief nudity) to watch this entertaining film. :) In the second part of Harry Potter 7, you will find that some of the characters make sacrifices. :)
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Paulina V., age 17 (USA)
Positive—I have been a fan of the Harry Potter franchise for a long time. We are all entitled to our opinions and if you don’t enjoy witchcraft or wizardry this movie is obviously not for you. There were a few scenes I found slightly offensive (having watched this movie with my father) but they were short lived. The Deathly Hallows was far more scary than any other Potter movie has been. In my theatre they were several young kids who I don’t think should have been watching this movie as they looked very frightened. All in All Know what you can handle when seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Harry Potter fan wise. I found the movie very good as it relates to the book . Except for the escape from Malfoy Mannor I feel they should have kept closer to the book.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Mary, age 15 (USA)
Positive—Honestly, half of the people reviewing this negatively have probably not even read the books. If you have read them, you would know that Harry Potter is about the power of LOVE over death. Harry survives the Killing Curse because his mother sacrificed her own life to save his. I, also, think many people reviewing this negatively think that their children are stupid—kids know that magic is not good (OR REAL) and that they should not (AND CANNOT) meddle with these things. It is merely a medium of fiction used to portray an excellent story, and a good value. Perhaps we must step back and realize that we know magic is not real, and cannot be tampered with anyways. This is not the Puritan era, and some super-stingy Christians who review these things like Puritans are giving the rest of us a bad name!

Lighten up a little bit—if you take magic stories for what they are—mere stories, mere fiction—you may be able to enjoy some beautiful literature! Aren’t storytelling, writing, and reading all gifts from God? I do not believe that He would want us to miss out on a good story, nor do I think that works of fiction are to be regarded as anything more than works of fiction. Perhaps you will consider what I have said here—I sincerely think it could benefit many. God Bless.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Sean, age 17 (USA)
Neutral—Okay, so I must admit… this movie has a couple problems. I am a devout Christian, and I love Harry Potter. Most Christians might have a problem with the whole wizards and witches thing, but I happen to not find a problem with that in my thought process. It is simply special effects and sticks, these people are not really doing witchcraft.

However, there is more offensive content. There are a couple “Oh my God’s” and that’s about all the language. Maybe a “damn” or two. Language is fairly mild. Now, seduction is a different story. There is a scene where a Horcrux creates two characters who are kissing heavily. Nakedness is there, but not TOO bad when a character jumps into a lake. There is also a scene where several characters are changing. Nothing very bad… just make sure mature eyes are watching.

The moral values of this movie are great. Friendship, determination, caring, compassion, etc. One character is highly resistent to people risking their lives for him. There is heavy violence, blood, and death. Picture and sets were gorgeous! Either way, I loved this movie and recommend it to those who enjoy Harry Potter. It’s the best one yet!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Katie, age 12 (USA)
Positive—I thought the movie was done really well. I was thinking it wouldn’t be like the others,with Harry not being at school anymore, but it was still harrypotter-ish. The only things I recall being objectionable were Ginny asking Harry to zip her up and Harry and Hermione in the locket scene. The thing is the scene was so irrelevant, they weren’t even supposed to be doing that stuff, and they ruined a perfectly interesting part. But other than that I liked the movie, and am looking forward to Part 2.
My Ratings: Moral rating: / Moviemaking quality: 5
Rosey, age 15 (USA)
Positive—The comments on this movie I found a bit disheartening. First off to those who have actually know the story know that harry potter is about the battle of good and evil and the power in love. Although Harry Potter is a story about magic that’s almost taking a backseat to the story of friendship and loyalty. I’m a Huge fan of the harry potter franchise. This story has bonded my father and I together, we go and see all the new ones at midnight.

Honestly, in my opinion there is nothing satanic about this movie, and having seen all of them they don’t in anyway make me question my salvation or want to worship the devil. The movie itself was a bit darker and more frightening. The parts that could be considered sexual (the back of Ginny’s’s dress and the horcrux kiss?) I thought were well done. The zipping of Ginny’s dress was a small portion of her upper back, at the kiss between Harry and Ginny was sweet. I can see where people might be a bit turned off to when the horcrux Harry and Hermione kiss, but its supposed to be really passionate as to rile Ron up. The actual kissing was less than 5 seconds long and you can’t see anything besides a bit of their sides.
My Ratings: Moral rating: none / Moviemaking quality: 5
Meg, age 16 (USA)
Positive—This was a very good movie and has a very good moral to the story. It’s a fairytale, so if you want to be against it, you also need to be against Tolkein or C. S. Lewis.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Izzy, age 17 (USA)
Comments from non-viewers
Negative—I can’t believe that Christians find movies involving witchcraft and sorcerery acceptable. All Christians should stay away from such evil images as entertainment. And it saddens me that even the critic for this movie agrees with the positive reviews to this film. Satan clearly has confused and manipulated God’s people. We’ve been heavily accustomed to the things of this world. As God’s people we need to take a stand against such evil practice as this.

For God clearly says “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. …” Gal 5:19-26.

And also, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where “‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.,” Mark 9:42-48.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.,” Philippians 4:8.
Andre Wallace, age 35 (USA)
Negative—I know people view this as entertainment, but magic is real, and is satanic. In Harry Potter they are making satanic people good. Someone said they had Bible quotes, and that’s good, but that still doesn’t take away the fact that younger kids fantasize on those things. Older people are more mature and should be able to handle it, but this stuff doesn’t please the Lord. By watching it, you are simply encouraging witchcraft and satanic works.

“There shall not be found among you anyone who… practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord…” Deuteronomy 18:9-12
Pete, age 14 (Canada)
Negative—Harry Potter is a Satanic character. I did not have to watch the movies to understand this, I had already been asked by entertainers to “sell my soul” to get into the acting business. So when “Harry” first hit the news, I knew pretty much what it was all about.

The Bible says Satan rules this world and you can put it together if you break free of the motion imagery entrancement and realize that Los Angeles, CA, is the ruler of this world, led by the philosophies of the Devil. I never watch television and I never view movies, I do not wish to sit there with my mind drugged by the motion as L.A. dumps its principles into my brain. As it is, most people of the world watch television and are duped by the will of the show-makers into behaving, thinking, dressing, and voting the way Los Angeles wants them to. I say, “Come to Christ and throw away your TV!”
My Ratings: Moral rating: / Moviemaking quality:
Jack W. Scott, age 60 (USA)