Voldemort: Origins of the Heir

Even though I thought this film would be way better and more fun I was -sadly- wrong. It wasnt fun at all. Although it started great with some really nice and to be honest beautiful actions scenes for a film with a budget that was out to prove that passion means more than money they failed to prove that. The story doesn't offer anything to the whole harry potter universe. The writers tried to make the whole movie something you wouldnt expect so you would stay focused but that didnt work there wasnt anything really unexpected not even the ending was really unexpected the fact that the heir's die is not a secret in this movie they though that it was and we the viewers did not know that. Another thing this movie failed to do successfully was the acting that was just plain bad. The actors really seems like they tried to do something there but they did not succeed they are not believable most dont feel their character and because of the way they act it might make you just to stop the film and close it because of the awkwardness. If it wasnt for the anticipation upon this film the good camera and an average editing ( Well some hours on after effects but lets not get into that) I wouldnt watch this film and if anyone would wanna watch they should but if they are not sure then they sure shouldn't. Personally I am really disappointed from it and especially from the people that made it and the public statements they made

First of all, let me make it absolutely clear that Voldemort: Origins of the Heir is by all means a short film. With that in mind, it really shows how much dedicated fans can accomplish with a 15,000 euro budget and a runtime of less than an hour - with no motivation other than their love for the series.

The result is a minimalistic, dialogue-heavy film full of references to characters and events from the official Harry Potter movies/books. The inconsistencies are either too small or too few to matter, though hardcore fans might notice. It is essentially a small backstory made into a film. As such, it will probably appeal to longtime fans, but at the same time leave them wanting more, due to the film's short length.

The production values are surprisingly good for being a fan film. The special effects are nice and full of eye candy, certain sequences are really well edited, and the portrayal of Tom Riddle stands out.

It is a polished film with some memorable lines here and there. They really could have messed up on this one - and they didn't. If you are a fan of the Harry Potter series, go give it a watch. It's free (due to the non-commercial nature of the film), it doesn't stray too much from the canon, and, after all, it only lasts an hour.

I really wanted to like this, or at least find it interesting. I've been a Potterhead ever since I was a child and I always hope for the best whenever any new films, spinoffs, plays, etc. comes out. What was Voldemort's origin story? That's actually a pretty good idea for a side-story, so I hoped the filmmakers' will add some interesting twists to this question even if their work is amateurish.

But nah. It practically told everything we already knew about.

Even if you take the Harry Potter brand outside of this film, it's still pretty bad. A low budget and unknown actors shouldn't be your main source for criticism, sure, but poor execution is always hard to get past by. The story is convoluted and uninteresting, the acting (and dubbing) is poor, the dialogue is overripe, the characters (outside of a few exceptions) are two-dimensional. It's an amateurish production that's also a boring one.

The cinematography, special effects, and lighting are actually competent and are almost worth being in your average Hollywood blockbuster. Some of the ideas are good. I liked the costumes and the very beginning. There was a lot of passion and hard-work behind the camera, and I will give credit there in an age of cynical, lazy cash-grabs.

It really saddens me to leave such a harsh review on a Harry Potter-based story, and maybe I'm too narrow-minded of a viewer to not notice more positives. But Voldemort: Origins of the Heir just didn't do it to me as a fan and as a viewer. It isn't insanely stupid like that Cursed Child play book, but it's nothing more than a shrug. :( I'll review something good later. I'm tired of talking trash about everything 'cause I feel like a pessimist.

The storyline of this movie was very poor. It is a series of flashbacks for most of the movie, and at the very end there is a "turn of events" right before the movie ends.

I only enjoyed the costumes, some of the camerawork (except those mouth shots when a character is speaking...) and some of the characters. Apart from that, a poor effort. I understand it's a fan movie, but writing a good storyline doesn't cost anything.

It's not great, but it's a fan film! It's a load of fans with a tiny budget making something that they clearly love. If you go in knowing that and expecting that, you'll enjoy it.