Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Nathan Swank
July 18th, 2011
Well it is finally over. After years of following Potter-mania, the films from the classic books have come to an end with HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (which I will now refer to as HPATDHP2). It is of course bittersweet to announce this finale as these characters and their wizarding world have made a permanent lighting bolt mark in our lives. But thankfully the filmmakers have delivered a last installment worthy of the expectations from this grand phenomenon that is HARRY POTTER.
After HPATDHP1’s brilliant methodical look into the characters and hopeless doom, PART 2 leaps back into things with a much quicker momentum. Ron (Rupert Grint), Hermione (Emma Watson) and of course Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) are still looking for the Horcruxes and must destroy them all before defeating He Who Must Not Be Named. They’re still gonna need the help of all the wizards and students in a final battle, taking place where it all started in Hogwarts school no less, against Voldemort and his Death Eaters that will ultimately find Harry face to face with his mortal enemy.
Throughout the rich story, terrific characters and exciting special effects, perhaps the most impressive thing was the acting. While most films fail from their child actors growing up awkwardly and succumbing to the evil of fame and money, the Potter kids matured gracefully, becoming better at their craft and not going all Lohan. Casting seasoned pros in all the adult roles was very clever and should be applauded over and over again. Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall delivers comedic lines of exuberance with such grace and command. Alan Rickman as Snape in my humble opinion gives the best performance of the series that under other circumstances garners an Academy Award Nominations. After having such restrained depth in the previous films, Rickman is finally able to open the character up. The fact that his scenes are so quick and abruptly shortened only adds to the power that he exudes. Ralph Fiennes’ performance as The Dark Lord Voldemort will go down in history as one of the best villains ever combining the epic greatness of Darth Vader and the skillful precision of Hannibal Lector. The character Voldemort is naturally and brilliantly written with grand evilness but Fiennes breathes him to life like no one else could.
Director David Yates brings the final book from J.K. Rowling to life with energy and passion. The excitement is unrelenting using another magnificent score to push the film along. I’m not saying there won’t be moments where your brain imagined it differently, but that achievement would be impossible for any film following books so beloved as HARRY POTTER. With that said, HPATDH2 does it better than we could possibly hope for. They hit all the key emotional moments and play them up appropriately. This is a classic example of a “how to” in achieving maximal enjoyment from your popcorn series-ending flick.
Thank You HARRY POTTER for over a decade of enjoyment. The night following my screening I had vivid dreams of surviving in the final Harry Potter battle. I was the important one that everyone wanted to keep alive. I was running through halls disarming wands so their allegiance only lied with me. It was pretty Potter-rific! That type of outcome is only the result of an extremely significant event and I must say the final chapter of an overlong decade of films has come out victoriously. Or perhaps I just ate too many Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Jelly Beans and drank far too much Butterbeer before going to bed. Nonetheless, it was a “wand”erful ride!
(To the tune of the Mickey Mouse song)
Who’s the wizard of our hearts
With Ron and Her mio ne
H-A-R R-Y-P O-T-T-E-R
Accio! Lummos! Explelliarmus!
Wave the wand and you shall see
You’re a Wizard Harry P
H-A-R Are you really over?
R-Y-P Please say it ain’t so!
O-T-T-E-R
We’ll miss you HARRY POTTER!
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