Your budget cinema entertainment options for the weekend include a chance to catch the beginning of the end for Harry Potter. ---

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 comes to bargain theaters beginning Friday. Its success comes largely from the accumulated connection to these main characters, even when the young actors are in a bit over their heads in some of the more serious dramatic scenes. While it's challenging for a movie built on a cliffhanger to be satisfying on its own, this one does a solid enough job.

Considerably less satisfying fantasy entertainment comes from Gulliver's Travels, with Jack Black starring in the (extremely) loose adaptation of the Jonathan Swift classic. Don't expect much in the way of political satire, what with the silliness built around Black's girth and very few actual jokes. But hey, if you've wanted to see a 3D movie without paying the insane 3D first-run ticket prices, Cinemark theaters in Sandy and Sugar House both give you the opportunity.