Why Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 is the most underrated movie

I don’t know how many times I’ve seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, which might be the most underrated Harry Potter movie. And still, expecting twice the magic, twice the emotion. But when the credits finally rolled, I sat still. Was that it? Two and a half hours of silent brooding, interminable camping, and—Merlin help me—Harry and Hermione dancing? I love the films, even the messy Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (yes, I see you, Dumbledore scream-yelling “CALMLY”). Boring? Maybe. The most frustrating? Absolutely. Here are some thoughts, inspired by Why Deathly Hallows Part 1 Left Me Unsatisfied (Video Essay).

1. The Grindelwald problem, why would you do that?

First, one of the film’s biggest sins, how it absolutely obliterated Grindelwald’s redemption. In the book, he won’t betray Dumbledore; he holds his ground, even as Voldemort hovers over him. It’s a poignant moment, a broken man gripping his final remnant of dignity. But in the movie? Poof. Gone. In exchange, Grindelwald practically gives Voldemort directions to the Elder Wand without resistance.

Why take away one of the few truly redeeming moments in his life? And now that we've gotten into his past with the Fantastic Beasts movies, it makes this even more of a mistake. Warner Bros. didn’t think about long-term continuity back then, but hindsight is a cruel mistress. Tell me I’m wrong.

2. The never-ending camping story (or how I learned to hate camping tents)

Ah yes, the infamous camping portions. Lingering shots of our trio looking miserable in different dank forests. And I know, they’re on the run, and it’s meant to be bleak. But did it really have to feel like we were watching a National Geographic documentary on wizarding survival?

The pacing of the film is laborious, elongating a handful of chapters from the book into what seems like an eternity. Those bonus minutes could have gone toward padding out key moments for example, I don’t know, the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows lore itself?

3. The dance scene that didn’t make any sense

Now, about that scene. The one that caused book purists to shudder. Nick Cave’s "O Children" playing as Harry and Hermione, alone in the tent, slow dancing.

Was it beautifully shot? Yes. Did it make any sense? No. This was not a sweet, brother-sister moment. The sidelong looks, the doom-and-gloom vibe, as if the movie told a different story that was never told. If your only exposure was the movies, you’d think there was a Ron-Hermione-Harry love triangle. But in the books, it’s plain: Harry and Hermione see each other as siblings. That scene only bent the tracks, though.”

4. The missed opportunities and the what-could-have-been

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 isn’t a bad movie, per se. It really could have been so much better. Rather than stretching those camping sequences into infinity, let’s take a look at more of Voldemort’s rise to power. Or reveal more of Snape’s internal struggle? Give us something — anything! -- to suggest that the stakes were, in fact, escalating. Because I mean, half the time, it really felt like we were just… waiting.

Maybe I expected too much. Perhaps my affection for the series left me both hard to please and unable to see satisfaction delivered. I couldn’t escape the sensation that I’d just witnessed a very long, very expensive preamble to Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2. And I found myself wondering did Warner Bros. raised the idea of splitting the book into two films for the story … or for the box office?

Was that a necessary slow burn to a decisive conclusion in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2, or a piquant missed opportunity? We'll have to see how the upcoming adaptataions handle it.