It’s officially the beginning of the end: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1,” the first part of the last movie in the Harry Potter series. The end is near, and Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is trying to destroy all parts of his nemesis’, Lord Voldemort, soul. With only one more movie left, “Deathly Hallows: Part 1” signifies the end of an era. Is this first part fitting of such an epic title?

Davis: School is over for the boy wizard, and danger lurks around every turn. This is not only the darkest Potter film to date, but also the one with the most suspense.

Alex: It’s definitely true. The score, editing and camera work all help to create a feeling of suspense throughout the movie. Given that the audience already knows that there’s danger lurking around every corner, the construction of the film only furthers the sense of foreboding.

Davis: Even when I knew Harry and his friends would manage, scenes felt frantic. I think Yates made a wise decision to use handheld cameras, especially in chase scenes. The relatively tranquil scenes, too, contributed to the suspense. Yates cuts between characters during conversation at strange times, disrupting the normal rhythm of a filmed conversation.

Alex: The editing in general was strange at times. There were some times that the reel just faded to black and into another scene. It disrupted the flow of the movie and didn’t seem to serve much purpose.

Davis: There wasn’t much balance behind the camera, certainly. As much as I liked the handheld cameras in chase scenes, Yates also chose them for some interior shots. The jerkiness proved more distracting than foreboding, and I found myself more annoyed than alert.

Alex: I don’t know. I like that the handheld cameras made the whole movie tenser. I also thought the actors were really successful at furthering the suspenseful tone of the film.

Davis: Past Potter films profited from a supporting cast featuring some of Britain’s finest, from Maggie Smith to Kenneth Branagh. In this film, Harry and his friends are alone, and I think these young actors really shouldered that mantle well. Rupert Grint, as Ron Weasley, really shined in this movie. He evolved from the dopey comedic sidekick to more of an exasperated and testy friend. Grint put more emotion behind some lines in this film than all the “bloody hells” of the previous films combined.

Alex: Grint was actually able to show different sides of his acting ability. I do have to say, though, that the few appearances from supporting cast members were also very memorable. As always, Ralph Fiennes was phenomenal as Voldemort in one of the opening scenes. In terms of new actors so far, Rhys Ifans stuck out as Xenophilius Lovegood. He brought his desperation for his daughter to life.

Davis: Whoever cast the Lovegood family brought some of the best actors to the series, without a doubt. The screen time with Ifans was some of the most memorable for me, especially when detailing the origin of the titular Deathly Hallows.

Alex: I have to agree that the “Tale of the Three Brothers” was one of the most memorable scenes in the movie. Its animation perfectly fit the childhood story. It was superbly done. I also really enjoyed all of the scenes with Dobby. I really missed him in the last few movies, and he was charismatic and memorable in this one.

Davis: Dobby’s return was most welcome. Both he and Kreacher, the other house-elf, looked so alive in this movie. The films’ ability to make the extraordinary look so ordinary without distracting us from the important issues, like love and death, is its greatest strength, and definitely why they’re good companions for the books. How do you think this one matches up with Rowling’s novel?

Alex: I think it matches up pretty well. Splitting the book into two movies definitely helped them fit in most of the details. While I was disappointed that some small, inconsequential parts didn’t make it in, I think it was relatively close to the first half of the book.

Davis: My heaviest criticism of this installment concerns its lack of character development. The book features Harry, Ron, and Hermione all struggling with developing feelings of doubt, love and desperation. Harry’s main internal conflict for the first half of the novel is whether to pursue Horcruxes (the keys to defeating Voldemort) or Hallows (which, if Voldemort acquires them, would make him the fabled “master of death”). The film omitted the internal conflict, and while Harry was more interesting in this movie than others, he was also relatively flat.

Alex: They did leave a lot of their inner struggles out, but they could add them into the next movie. I guess we’ll just have to wait until July to see “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.”