Tuesday’s Top Trailer: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Opening November 19, 2010 (Part 1) and July 15, 2011 (Part 2)



I don’t support taking multiple films in a series as one when it comes to year-end awards, but in terms of trailers, I encourage it. This trailer for the two-part filmic adaptation of the final book in the “Harry Potter” series offers up quite a bit of excitement related to both the film and the experience. I read all of the books, and made sure to finish the seventh book on the day it came out after having had the sixth one spoiled for me since I put it down in favor of AP English summer reading and never got around to finishing it in a timely fashion. I’ve seen the first film and bits and pieces of the third and fourth installments, but that’s it. Still, this trailer makes me feel absolutely comfortable going into these chapters without having seen the previous few, if not determined to do so. What I love most about this trailer is the brilliant advertising scheme. In addition to using catchphrases that (rightly) cement this as a monumental cinematic event, the division into two parts is also stressed perfectly. The title card of “Part 1 – November 2010” is followed by many thrilling images and quick scenes before “Part 2 – July 2011” appears on screen, assuring fans that there is a built-in anticipation period between the two when buzz is sure to be high. It’s practically guaranteeing a fantastic reception for both films. Hopefully the strategy will work better for this series than it did for the second and third “Matrix” films. Even if the first part isn’t a hit, the second part is the final chapter of a saga that has captured the attention of audiences worldwide for thirteen years now and is sure to become one of the highest-grossing films of all time. I recognize some of the scenes from the final book in the trailer, and having not seen the earlier movies, it looks like Ralph Fiennes makes for a great Voldemort (sorry, He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named!). I remember thinking when I was reading the final book that it would make for a terrific movie, and therefore the prospect of having two movies instead of one is even better. There will likely be another trailer, if not several, before the first part is released, but I am officially excited. Do you agree?