Editor’s Note: Given this movie’s significance, we have posted two reviews. See Michael’s review here.
David Yates, the director of the past few Harry Potter movies, is a wise man. He saved the big fight for the end. Lately he has stuck to more dramatic endings and less action-packed climaxes, favoring character-driven conclusions. This key strategy works excellent as a build up to this movie, and it has finally arrived. However, this time the movie lacks in a crucial but forgivable factor. See my spoilerish review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 after the jump.
I’m not a huge fan of the Harry Potter series as a whole and, in fact, I slowly lost the huge amount of interest I used to have for it. However, it still remains as a part of my childhood and is what first intrigued me to write in the first place, so I’ll never forget Harry Potter. This is why I wanted to see this fascinating conclusion because I know, for a lot of people, it’s an impacting end. If you’re cautious if this conclusion lives up to the mythology, it almost does it. It’s a very close home run but misses by just a tiny bit.
One of the things that made Harry Potter great was it’s immersible world. J.K. Rowling created our modern star wars, where you can dig deep into a vast universe. The movies accomplished this aspect but, as the series went along, it forgot that. There is nothing new to learn from Deathly Hallows. It stopped digging and started decorating. This is not such a bad thing though, and it actually works well for this movie.
All of the other movies ceased to be individual marvels and become educational so you can fully understand and enjoy the ride of this film. You feel comfortable and accept everything that goes on in this movie as it flows in a smooth pace. You don’t feel the need to nitpick or question anything that you see, which is very difficult for a movie to do. The artistic cinematography and perfect CGI help create this world and keep you invested.
But, of course there are those fans who are itching for key moments that the book delivered so well. (spoilers) Will Snape’s devotion be shown? Will we see the epilogue? Will Harry Potter die? All of these and many more are anticipated, and I am very pleased to say that it is all there, delivered wonderfully. It’s amazing how it was portrayed, with the possible exception of the action segments. Epic as they are, they felt slightly underused and brushed, but you still get to see them the way they are written in the books either way. The preparation for the epic finale is more exciting than the fight itself really. Surprisingly, this isn’t what made the movie an intense ride.
The film’s best tool for keeping your attention and giving you an intensity that you rarely see in a movie is emotion. The battles are secondary to what the characters say, do, and feel. The plot twists and revelations made me cry like a baby, and if you have any heart you will shed a tear to. The acting is amazingly delivered as well as it’s dialogue is written. For those who have never read the books but have seen the movies, I envy your experience. You don’t need to understand, you just need to listen.
So long, Harry Potter, we’ll miss you. A-
P.S. If you’re wondering if Mrs. Weasly shows her badassery: she does. She damn well does.