Anthony's Film Review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
The final Harry Potter movie presents a nice conclusion to the series...
Well, here it is, folks. The second part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows officially ends one of the most popular film series of all time. And I must say. It's a pretty good movie, and certainly not a letdown for Potter fans. I know because I've read the books myself. I'm glad that this movie, as with all of the other Harry Potter movies, follows the important plotlines from J.K. Rowling's novel so that watching the movie is almost like reliving the experience of reading the final Harry Potter novel (or rather, the second half of it).
As a reminder of its continuation from Deathly Hallows: Part 1, this movie begins by replaying the final scene from the previous movie: the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) taking Dumbledore's wand and shooting magic into the air. From there, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his two best friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), continue seeking Vordemort's horcruxes, objects containing pieces of the evil lord's soul. At this point, there are only a few left. The final journey takes the gang back to familiar places, including the magic school Hogwarts, which the trio had previously escaped from.
This movie is directed by David Yates, who also directed the previous three Potter movies (Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows: Part 1). In my reviews of those films, I often mentioned how Yates's directing creates a movie that feels slow and sometimes dull. Thankfully, it feels that way mainly for the first couple of minutes of Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Otherwise, the movie gets better with interesting scenes and some pretty good action. Like I said, the movie is not a letdown.
If I had to pick my favorite scenes from this movie, I would name three. First, the battle at Hogwarts in the middle of the film. It may not be incredibly epic like Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy, but it's still fun to watch wands pointing, explosive spells firing, and structures blown to pieces. Second, there is a scene in which the past of one character (I won't mention which one) is revealed in detail. It's a memorable sequence because it unexpectedly changes our view of that character. In fact, I will go as far as to say that I am bumping my overall rating for this movie up by one star from seven stars just because of this one scene alone.
I save my third favorite scene for last. It is simply the last one before the credits roll. Obviously, I won't even hint at what it involves. All I will say is that it is a great way to end not just the movie, but also the entire Harry Potter series as a whole. I shall now take the opportunity to thank everyone involved in the films, especially the three main stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. It was a pleasure to watch these three young actors take on challenging roles and grow up before our very eyes. Most importantly, I want to thank J.K. Rowling for creating seven unforgettable stories brought to life in eight films. Millions of kids and adults, including myself, have experienced the fantasy saga of a lifetime.
Anthony's Rating:
For more information about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, visit the Internet Movie Database.
In addition, check out my reviews of the following:
The Harry Potter Films
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