film

 

Well, I finally did it. It took me 34 years, but I finally saw Star Wars. I’m one of the few in my age-range who never did show an interest in the whole sci-fi genre of films, even though this was the beginning of a new era in special effects and technology. I preferred, and still do, dramas and romantic comedies. My 9-year-old wanted to watch it, though, so I bought the DVD. It amazes me that a film released in 1977 still attracts kids today -- just look at the licensed products selling strong to date. That, in and of itself, makes the series’ popularity pretty spectacular.

The darkest Harry Potter film so far has arrived on Beijing’s silver screens. While you can find reviews of it all over the internet, here is beijingkids' take on it. The sinister tone of the movie will come as no surprise to those who watched last year’s Half-Blood Prince and those familiar with the final book will be well prepared for what’s coming. As the penultimate of the boy wizard’s cinematic action-adventures it’s to be expected that the menace of Voldermort and his Death Eaters has been turned up and this is a series that despite being aimed at children has never shied away from dealing with loss. This has now become love and loss as the expected frissons of tension that teenage years bring has been thrown into the mix. It’s all terribly atmospheric and beautifully shot – in particular the animated Tale of the Three Brothers – and gripping enough for young and old alike provided that the older among you already have some emotional attachment in the franchise. As with any film that is split into two parts there is the usual problem of having to achieve something that feels like a conclusion and at the same time a cliffhanger; in that respect, it’s more successful than the film that preceded it. The only annoyance is that you’ll have to wait until next summer to get the satisfactory conclusion that you want.