Movies: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow - Part 2

Score: ****1/2 out of *****

Long Story Short: At last, the Harry Potter adventure on film comes to a close, and this last entry gives it a grand conclusion. The Deathly Hallows - Part 2 has all the elements of a classic (well, except for maybe the clunky title): exciting, epic action built around the concluding adventures and realization of a rich set of characters in emotionally wrenching scenes. Just about everyone in the superb supporting cast is given their curtain call, too, in this magnificent film that reminds you what a true blockbuster is.

Perhaps one of the most anticipated films of all time, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 hit theaters with huge success, breaking the opening weekend box office record. I was among those who were very excited to see this final movie version of the outstandingly popular book series. This installment was directed once again by David Yates, who also directed the last three films. I've now seen it twice, actually, and am glad as my opinion of it has changed quite significantly with the second viewing. It's unlikely that we'll see many of the aspects of the Potter films occur anytime soon, such as watching the young actors portraying Harry, Ron, and Hermione grow up over ten years. So buckle up for the ride and enjoy it.

Those familiar with the books need no plot overview, but for those who aren't, here's a brief glimpse. Harry is back where he left off at the end of Part 1, at the seaside hideaway of the Order of the Phoenix (the group fighting bad guy Lord Voldemort). Here he makes a deal with a former (goblin) employee of the Gringotts wizard bank to break into the highly-secured facility to fetch another of Voldemort's horcruxes (long story short, horcruxes are magical items that need to be destroyed to kill Voldemort). Harry, Ron, and Hermione make their move, and get to the horcrux but face quite a mess trying to escape. After this event, Harry has a shared vision with Voldemort (the two have a magical connection) that lets Harry know that Hogwarts must be the next stop.

With Dumbledore's brother's help, a tavern owner in a nearby town, the trio sneaks into yet another heavily-defended facility - their old school. Unfortunately, word gets out that Harry has returned, making it a race against the clock for Harry to find the horcrux hidden in Hogwarts before the Death Eaters (Voldemort's followers) storm the school. Don't worry, though, it's not quite that simple: there are still two horcruxes left, and the true character of many players, both good and bad, come through in unexpected ways. Battle rages and emotion pours out like never before by the end of the climactic conclusion to Harry's grand adventure.

One of the most astonishing things about seeing the Potter films from 2001 to 2011 is the aging, maturation and evolution of Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione), and Rupert Grint (Ron). They have steadily grown more confident in their roles and really helped flesh out their characters - which is the heart of the entire series - quite well. By this last installment, Radcliffe gives a great, restrained performance. I can imagine it would be easy for his ego to balloon and make him exaggerate every line and expression. But he makes it all look very natural, humble, and sometimes pained as his character's experience should reflect. Watson has admirably made Hermione into a strong character who can both give her friends unequivocal support and display great courage in the face of real fear. And Grint has perfected his body language, while making the most of his few lines; he has a great sense of humor, and is Harry's true friend - competitive at times yet completely loyal. The actors have become so intertwined with their characters that it will be difficult to see them as anyone except Harry, Ron and Hermione, but what they have accomplished is quite a triumph.

The secondary cast is, as usual in the Potter films, excellent. Ralph Fiennes gets more screen time than before as Lord Voldemort, and he uses it very well to portray a cruel, slimy, yet in some ways pitiable villain. My only complaint is that he doesn't come off as intimidating as his character perhaps should. Michael Gambon gets just a little time as Dumbledore, but arguably he does his finest work yet as the clever old wizard. Alan Rickman gets to show off in a small segment of the film devoted to his character, and he really shines in his role as one of the series' most complex and interesting characters. Helena Bonham Carter is still perfect as Bellatrix Lestrange, and does a particularly nice job when her character's polar opposite, Hermione, is disguised in her body. Many minor characters get brief send-offs, such as perfectly-cast Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, John Hurt as wandmaker Ollivander, and Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall. The only performance I was not a fan of was Matthew Lewis as Neville - but part of this is probably just my slight distaste for his transformation in the source material itself.

Certain that the movie was bound to make obscene profits, Warner Brothers let the filmmakers go for it in the special effects department. However, that's not to say that the whole thing is just one big action movie. But it does mean that there are a number of set pieces and effects that are quite fun. From the robbery at Gringotts to the Battle of Hogwarts, they spared no expense in creating a visually enthralling film. Interestingly, I might add that while the Room of Requirements scene had spectacular fire effects, I thought that it looked kind of odd when they got on brooms; the rest of the film is so well done that the mistake here is noticeable. There is a little bit of humor here, and when used it's effective, but there isn't a lot of room for it. Instead, we are provided with some of the most emotionally poignant scenes in the series - particularly for Potter fans, of course. I give Yates a lot of credit for really focusing on maximizing the impact while not going overboard at all. These included moments of both sadness (especially the Pensieve scene and Harry's "reunion" in the forest), as well as those of triumph or happiness - from Harry's return to Hogwarts, to *SPOILER!!!!!!!!!! (highlight to read)* his leaping from Hagrid's arms when supposedly dead. *END SPOILER*

***

The first time that I saw this film, I thought it was very good - but wasn't overly impressed. I think part of the reason is that I am such a huge fan of the books that I unconsciously compare how I feel particular scenes or characters should be done to the way they are shown on screen. But before sitting down for the second viewing, I tried to put myself in the mindset of the previous films, their style of storytelling, and it worked. Thus, I've given HP-DH Part 2 four and a half stars for the moment - and this may be upgraded to five stars someday, in other words, a classic. But a film has to stand up to multiple viewings over time for that status, so I'll withhold it for now.

The huge popularity of the Harry Potter series has combined with its long development time, from the beginning of the phenomenon in the late '90s to the last film in 2011, to create a special situation. As I mentioned, there are the young actors who spent literally half of their lives portraying the now-legendary young trio. But there are also millions of fans of all ages and backgrounds who came to know those characters and the world they inhabited so well that they became more special than just any ordinary fictional elements. Perhaps that's why I and others have sometimes had mixed feelings about the film adaptations, which are great in many ways (many casting decisions - Snape, Hagrid, McGonagall, etc. - informed my own mental images of the characters as I read the books), yet can't quite reach the magical status that the books achieved. Still, the films captured a certain vision of the series that had more than its share of special moments, and it is worthy of its mission to put the adventures of Harry Potter and his friends on screen.