Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

I can't remember who said that the ending is the most important part of a story (most likely multiple sources). But they're right. Give the audience a good ending, and you leave them salivating to hear the story again. Regardless, if every previous Potter film to date has seemed to wimp on the ending, it's because none of those were the true end to the story. This is THE end of the Potter franchise. And you'd be hard pressed to find a better ending chapter of a story. But I'm getting ahead of myself. It all started 10 (actually 9 and 3/4) years ago with these movies and almost 14 years ago for the books.

A strange orphaned boy with a strange scar, some wicked relatives, and a cupboard under the stairs. This is where the journey began for every loyal Potter fan. My journey began when I was, gosh, maybe 10 or 11. Harry's starting age. A parent came to the school library and introduced my class to this book and Louis Sachaar's Holes. I'm sure there were others, but those two stuck in my mind. Anywho, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone had us captivated, and school closed for the summer about a page before Harry became a wizard. Then summer began, and I forgot all about Harry. The following summer, my dad commented on the popularity of the second Harry Potter book and I vaguely remembered the first book. I bought both and the rest, as they say, is history.

I will do the obvious thing and review the films as a cohesive whole before getting to the final chapter. It is one massive story so be patient. Chris Columbus's films have been at times lynched unfairly. True, there are pacing problems, particularly in the first film (Sorcerer's Stone)'s second half. They are perhaps shot too pedestrian in places. But Columbus was a fine director of children and managed to wrangle decent performances from a group of children. Children, not child actors. He and John Williams also perfectly captured the aura of mystique of going to Hogwarts. Go back (I'll wait) and watch the scene with the children slowly going on the boats to the school. Tell me that's not the stuff of movie magic.

His Chamber of Secrets had many well shot sequences, some decent horror, and effects that hold up quite well. It again featured many of Britain's best actors, best of all Kenneth Branagh. I enjoyed both Columbus films more than the third film by Alfonso Cuaron. It was artfully shot, but lacked the charm of the books and replaced it with something more voodoo on the bayou. Simply put. Columbus got the style of J.K. Rowling better than Cuaron. Yes, PoA had good performances from the children and Gary Oldman and Alan Rickman, but one of my favorite books got the least likable treatment onscreen. I will ponder to this day how that happened.

The fourth film, Goblet of Fire had the most material translatable to cinema of any of the films prior to the one I'm supposed to be reviewing. Ralph Fiennes endgame entrance was the stuff of nightmares, and the dragon/maze sequences were exhilarating. Mike Newell did an admirable job, and the style was British again. Alas, Goblet is the most overlooked due to a fair lack of character development for anyone that isn't Harry, simply because this was the other film in the series that should have gotten two films. There was too much in those 700+ pages to bring the silver screen, and parts of the film still feel fragmented. I don't think anyone bemoans the lack of SPEW, but the Quidditch World Cup the film takes the time to build up to? Sirius Black? A lot was forgotten that would have made two complete films instead of one fragmented, if occasionally awesome film.

On the other hand, the fifth movie, Order of the Phoenix, was probably the best prior to seven parts one and two. Paradoxically it came from what is widely considered the weakest and most padded book in the series (magical house cleaning is just as dull as muggle house cleaning).
Movie six, The Half Blood Prince was a little unsatisfying due to a plethora of exposition and a lack of emphasis on the level of danger present in the book. What we received instead is some well delivered comedy and excellent performances particularly from the main three actors. In the end, a decent benchmark film. And so, I bring you the Deathly Hallows, part II, the second half of the most well crafted Potter film to date.

In Deathly Hallows Part II, we come back exactly where Part I left off. Dearly Devoted Dobby is dead. Harry and friends plan to break into Gringotts and then Hogwarts, with the aim of destroying the last of the Horcruxes. Horcruxes are objects with part of Voldemort's soul concealed inside, tethering him to life and hence, making him immortal. Voldemort is growing both increasingly unhinged and wise to Harry's plans. Both the forces of good and evil mass armies, with the magical world at stake. The battleground: Hogwarts.

This battle is, essentially, the showpiece of the movie. Though it will undoubtedly be the most talked about aspect for some, this flashy battle is actually not quite as eye catching as some of the quieter moments in the film. A discussion with a goblin and a wandmaker. An especially moving scene with certain paternal ghosts, and a fair few character's death scenes...

The battle is great and well shot. Yet the chaos of battle would be nothing without characters we love and care about square in the middle of it. Otherwise, this would be Transformers3, which it distinctly is not. Virtually everyone minus one or two characters (where's Percy?) make an appearance somewhere in this film. I confess, even after reading the final book, I still was uneasy about who would be left alive. There are a decent number of casualties in this film (and let's be honest, the entire series.) J.K. Rowling has never shied from death, and has an almost sadistic affinity for killing any parent figure to Harry. They all make an appearance in a scene that should leave everyone in tears. In fact I would recommend bringing plenty of fluids to this film because you will cry everything out before the end. It's not a kid's film. Like saying that will stop them from going, or dim-witted parents from taking them.

The performances are all there. Daniel Radcliffe acts his heart out. There can be no doubt he is not just another pretty blank faced protagonist as Harry. Ralph Fiennes delivers his scariest performance yet as the truly irredeemable Voldemort. Everyone else, regardless of whether they have one line or none, gives it their all. Hats off to Alan Rickman and the editing team for delivering that extra wallop to the back of my throat with the mother of all flashback stories. It was a joy to see Jason Isaccs, Gary Oldman, Michael Gambon, David Thewlis, Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane give it one last wonderful go. And Matthew Lewis gets his Henry V moment. A cast of this magnitude and heavyweight acting, together for the last time. What a joy.

The best moments from the book are intact. A few are made better (the book's final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort was less action, more talk and mild confusion). The film is rather light on humor but hey. It's a war film.

The epilogue is a moment of levity with some not quite convincing aging effects, but it's a small critique about a damn near perfect film. The critics have spoken. The public has spoken. I have spoken. It's a great film. If fantasy's not your thing and you don't know a Muggle from a mushroom, stay away. But you probably wouldn't have had to read this far to know that.

But I digress. I'm getting as longwinded as J.K. can be. See it. I have, and will probably do at least once more.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II gets an A.