Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 Review

Franchises like Harry Potter just don’t come around every day. Having garnered hundreds upon hundreds of millions of readers and watchers worldwide, it would not be a stretch to call the tale of The Boy Who Lived the most famous and financially successful in literary history. A few years back J.K. Rowling ended her flagship series with The Deathly Hallows, and just last November we were treated to Hollywood’s well received adaption of the first half of this final chapter (I myself awarded the film a hefty 8.0/10). Now here we are in July, and the saga that so many have fallen in love (and, in many cases, grown up) with has come to a cinematic close. But can the most anticipated grand finale in recent memory possibly manage to please the troves of dedicated fans begging for a suitable sendoff? In a word, yes. In fact so much of what the filmmakers have done here does such incredible justice to the source material that it is extremely difficult to judge the film in any manner but a brilliantly positive one. 

As has come to be expected, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 follows the struggles of best friends Harry Potter, Ron Weasly, and Hermione Granger, played by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson respectively. It’s quite something to bear witness to the leaps and bounds that these three leads have made over the course of their time in these roles. If one views it in a retrospective from Sorcerer’s Stone to Deathly Hallows, there’s really no comparison. Though the film begins feeling much like its predecessor Part I, it transforms into an inarguable action pic once the meat of the film is reached, which really revolves around the much anticipated Battle of Hogwarts. This is a surprising and satisfying move on the screenwriters’ side, as we didn’t see much any recognition that the place even existed in Part I, so Part II has a fulfilling “finish this how we started it" sort of aura. 

There’s a fine line between intelligent action/adventure film and special effects extravaganza, and Part II skyrockets above this line. It’s both relieving and very impressive that an emotional balance has been so perfectly kept amidst the near-constant barrage of wizarding mayhem (which is, may I add, perfectly realized by a team of special effects artists who have seemingly grown as much as the acting department has). We’ve never been treated to a Harry Potter film with such an epic feel all the way through, and for good reason: the best was saved for last. Voldemort’s assault on the forces residing in Hogwart’s school is both thrilling and terrifying, and its emotional repercussions can truly be felt now that we have grown to know and love each and every character who is now fighting for his or her life. This allows for moments of sorrow, great happiness, and revelation to blossom in segments of time that any normal film would only be able to convey after an entire runtime building up to them. 

On a similar note, a common fear can be put to rest among those fans who had spent nights awake and worrying about it. Of course the filmmaker’s won’t skimp on the sendoff of Harry Potter himself, but what about the wonderful cast of characters at his back? Will we see suitable sendoffs to Ron and Hermione, Neville, Luna, the Weaslys, McGonnigal, Dumbledore, Snape and so many more, in the space of just over two hours? For the most part, the answer to this question is a resounding “yes”. It’s actually quite a feat that the filmmakers were able to manage and not forget or skimp out on the subplots and side-stories of the gargantuan cast at hand. Though I would’ve liked to see a few characters receive a more grand final good-bye (i.e. Hagrid), that’s only to be expected in a film that’s otherwise chockfull of emotional and satisfying farewells to so many beloved characters.

It’s a hefty task to successfully close the final installment in a franchise like Harry Potter, and so it’s understandable that there are a few minor hiccups when it comes to the film’s closure. Not to give anything away, we’re given a glimpse into the future before the credits roll, and bear witness to a brief fragment of a select few characters’ adulthoods. Though this does to nicely project to the audience that Harry Potter is really ending, it’s a but of an odd aesthetic choice to have our final time with these characters not be a segment of their near-adulthood, and instead a view at what they’ll look like as middle-aged parents. Though this worked fine in the book, the film is such a visual medium that it’s a tad jarring to witness this huge transition in the space of a few minutes, so though it’s a satisfying close it’s not a perfect one.

Though a few very small missteps keep this final chapter from being absolutely perfect, it isn’t far from just this. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call Part II the best in the Potter franchise, and it could very well be one of the best films of 2011 once the year has closed. It’s a thrilling emotional roller-coaster that doesn’t let up in the action, the sorrow, or the valiant closing act. It’s rare that a series could remain so fresh over the course of eight film adaptions, but Harry Potter has done just this and then some. The Deathly Hallows Part 2 gets so much right that I am truly lost for words. I have only scratched the surface of what this film has to offer in this review. You simply must experience it yourself. It’s the grand finale that so many have waited so long for, and it is, I am happy to report, a truly magical experience.

Final Score:

9.0/10
"Amazing"