Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010)

Warner Bros. looked at the last Potter book, saw two ticket stubs where there should be one, and gave us a camping movie. Part 1 is 146 minutes of three teenagers hiding in the woods, passing around a cursed necklace that turns whoever wears it into a grump. It’s moody and gorgeous and slow, and the slow part is the problem. Some of it is the best stuff in the series, though. The Ministry break-in, with three grownup actors playing the kids in disguise, is a riot. The animated Tale of the Three Brothers looks like a shadow puppet nightmare in the best way. And Harry and Hermione dancing in the tent to an old song is the quietest, saddest scene the saga ever did. It pulled $1.06 billion worldwide, so the split worked for somebody. A 6.3 because it’s half a movie and knows it, ending on a cliffhanger built to sell the next ticket. $2,218 says you hit play on Part 2 the second the credits roll because nobody can stop here.

What works: The Ministry heist, the animated fairy tale, and a lonely road movie mood the series never tried before.

What doesn’t: The middle hour wanders through forests with no plot momentum, and the whole thing stops on a cliffhanger instead of an ending.

Who it’s for: Fans who want every page of the book on screen and don’t mind a long camping trip to get it.