Director David Yates takes a very mature style of storytelling in this installment in the Harry Potter franchise. This film is a lot of set up for the finale, however, it is able to keep the audience interested very effectively. It has moments that feel like they are being dragged out, and these moments can be disengaging for the viewer. For the most part the film's smart dialogue can salvage these moments. The actors all do very well in their representation of characters. The visual effects are stunning, and the few actions scenes that there is are intense and exciting. It does tend to cut out some potentially awe-inducing action, but overall it does a good enough job. Additionally, there is some emotional moments that are handled perfectly. All of these elements blend into becoming not only an entertaining movie, but an effective prelude to the climax in Part 2. It sets a dark tone, even more so than it's predecessors, to create an overall feeling of dread and despair for the protagonists. The protagonists are deepened and we are able to feel the pain that they are in. Some of the elements of the story are not as explained as elements from the other installments. However this film is descriptive and easy enough to follow for even a casual viewer to understand. Overall, I give this film a 7/10.