Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Kristy Sturdivant
July 14th, 2011
**SPOILER ALERT** Although we generally keep all of our reviews spoiler-free, certain aspects of this review might be considered spoilers if you haven’t read the books.
As I’m standing in line with the rest of the crowd, patiently waiting with eager anticipation for one of the most promising movies of the year, I notice an electric feeling in the air as everyone is fidgeting and waiting for the doors to open. As I’m accepting my 3D Harry Potter glasses (oh yes, they’re shaped like Harry’s very own spectacles) I glance over at the poster in the case and it hits me. The tagline catches my breath: “It All Ends.” I try to swallow the choked up feeling in my throat and realize that the next couple of hours are going to not only be the most exciting of the year, but also one of the saddest. Because even though Warner Brothers has over used the tagline, it truly is the end of Harry Potter.
In HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2, our favorite wizarding trio of Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) are in search of the final Horcruxes, aka the little pieces of Lord Voldemort’s soul that he has entrapped in various objects. We have four left to find in this final film and the action starts as soon as that Warner Bros. shield crosses that screen.
Let’s start with the direction and style of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (HP 7.2) presented by director David Yates. Mr. Yates has directed the last four Harry Potter films and he has really outdone himself in this final installment. He manages to maintain the integrity of the story and keep the film at a quick pace that will satisfy movie fans as well as Potter fans. One of my favorite scenes in this film is when Harry looks into Snape’s memories after his death. It’s quite an amazing piece of filmmaking; watching someone’s memories come to life on screen. A tough thing to explain, but when you watch it you’ll know what I mean. Not only that, but he added more style to this film, which was lacking in some of the previous installments. The use of slow-motion was used perfectly and only served to heighten the intensity of a film that already had me biting my nails.
The action in this film is amazing. The opening scene of Voldemort claiming Dumbledore’s wand and Harry mourning Dobby sent chills up my spine and the emotions just kept getting more intense. Potter fans will know what I mean when I say that this series can move you to tears of grief as well as happiness. I actually swelled with joy, triumph and excitement while watching Professor McGonagall rally the troops of stone knights to protect the castle and seeing Neville pull that sword from the hat. I’m actually tearing up right now just thinking about it.
Since this is the last film in the series I should also mention how awesome the cast was. We’ve watched Radcliffe, Grint and Watson grow up on screen and bring to life some of the most amazing literary characters of all time. I think I’d just like to give them a thank you for committing to such a big production and maybe even jeopardizing their future acting careers by staying on one project for so long. And although much will be said about their personification of the cherished characters, their abilities as actors should not be overlooked.
I, like many Harry Potter fans, have enjoyed all of the eight films in the series and the sheer nature of this last film make it a movie event. But what pleases me most as a movie fan and a Harry Potter fan is the fact that director David Yates and everyone involved with the film really saved the best for last.
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