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.
The rating in the USA is PG-13 and the UK is 12A. That’s for a reason and younger children may find it a little too frightening.
Wanda Cinemas was over half-full for the 2.50pm English-language showing (although the exclusively-adult crowd did not all manage to watch the film all the way through). Tickets should probably be booked ahead but if you have to wait there is an arcade in the cinema complex to occupy your time. The usual snacks are available and as cinemas go, it’s very comfortable.
Mega Box and Wanda International Cinema are showing the film in English with Chinese subtitles.
Mega Box, Sanlitun showtimes start at 10.35am, with showings in English almost every hour. Last time is 11.15pm.
Wanda Cinemas showtimes start at 2.10pm, with showings in English almost every hour. Last time is 12.05am.
