Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

HP7 Part II was a dark and very entertaning conclusion to a truly epic series. (Warner Bros./aceshowbiz.com)

I’ve said in quite a few different posts throughout the years on this site that it’s an extraordinarily tall task to make a trilogy (or more) of movies that are all really good. Not one dud. The original three Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings…well, I’m sure there are others, but those are the science fiction trilogies that come to mind. What’s so amazing about the Potter franchise is that it wasn’t three, or four movies – it was eight. From start to finish, every single one of these films has been entertaining. Whether it was more childish fun in the first few, or much darker themes in the last couple, it left you fulfilled. No matter what you say about the movies, that aspect alone is truly impressive. The latest, and final, installment is a classic Potter flick – fun, gripping, and visually spectacular.

With all that praise laid upon the series, there has to be one side note: not one of the eight films has been a classic. None of them have been four-star, epic sci-fi films that I’ll remember as an all-time great. If you had a range of ranking them from 1-10, they’d all fall between 7.5 to 9. But let’s get down to this last film, the self-proclaimed epic conclusion to the worldwide phenomenon. While the first part of Deathly Hallows was immensely character driven, this one was on a much grander scale and filled with a hundred times the amount of action. I suppose it’s fitting, as director David Yates had the task of wrapping up one of the most cherished franchises ever. The climax, an hour-long (or so) battle at Hogwarts was as dark, violent, and intense as I’ve seen in all eight movies. No stone was left unturned, with deaths to heroes, destruction of the castle itself, and a near end of the world, in a way. The effects were outstanding, and so was the tension that built between our hero and villain, Potter and Voldemort.

It doesn’t lend help that I read these books years ago, and remembered just about nothing when the lights dimmed and the movie started rolling. At many points, I literally had no idea what the hell was going on. But with the knowledge that the books were some of my favorite stories ever, I’ll trust that it was a solid plot. It’s also very impressive the acting chops these kids have acquired over the years, going from child actors to full-blown, well…actors.

As noted before, it was very dark and very overcast just about the entire time. I really do respect the vision of the filmmakers to take that “risk” by potentially scaring away the younger fans. It truly encapsulated the mood of the story much, much better, and lent a genuine attitude and look to an epic finale.

Before I wrap this review, I must point out two things. The first, is that the final scene(s) of this movie (quasi spoiler alert) is so un-intentionally hysterical, I almost couldn’t believe it. Did they know that they’re allowed to use older actors? Are they aware that a bit of make-up and slicked back hair doesn’t add 20 years when your face is essentially the same, and you’re as tall as your tiny child? Oh well. The second though, is that I am genuinely disappointed that we’ve reached the end of this franchise. It’s certainly something that will attract fans for decades to come in the future, and we’re pretty lucky we witnessed these films first-hand.

 

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART II: (out of 4)

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