Running Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Director: David Yates
Quick Impressions:
As someone who has read all seven books and seen all seven of the previous films, I approached Deathly Hallows less as a summer blockbuster than as the final piece of a cultural phenomenon, transcending cinema. Not every Harry Potter movie is perfect. (In fact, some of them are pretty far from perfect by cinematic standards.) But Harry Potter is bigger than the movies of that name and in that respect should be judged by a slightly different standard.
By any standard, however, Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is a very good movie. It isn’t perfect, but considering that it was made by human beings for a diverse audience with differing expectations (and levels of involvement in the fictional world), it’s just about as perfect as anyone could hope for. It delivers a satisfying conclusion to a movie franchise spanning a decade. It also presents a more accurate adaptation of a J.K. Rowling novel than many of its predecessors. But even taken on its cinematic merits alone—as a big-budget, star-studded summer blockbuster—it works very well, and some may consider it the best movie of 2011 so far.
The Good and The Great:
Like Deathly Hallows: Part 1, this movie is more faithful to the book than its predecessors and even much of what it changes, it changes for the better (at least in terms of what works on the screen). All action from the get-go, the movie dives into conflict after conflict and never relents until the epilogue. Every scene seems well thought out and plays out beautifully on the screen, though in my opinion, the movie really gains heart following Harry’s encounter with Snape. Oddly (given the relentless action), the handful of dialogue/character-driven scenes really make the movie great. Not only do we get to see Harry (and all of Hogwarts) fight against evil, but through the emotionally charged, personal exchanges that occur in the few quiet moments, we come to fully understand and appreciate just what Harry is fighting for and what gives him the courage to continue.
Although at two hours, the movie is long, it never drags. Beautifully paced and relentlessly exciting, the movie captivates on every possible level and lives up to its promise as much as is humanly possible. (Granted, some die-hard fans may find fault with the film, but nothing is perfect.)
Best Action Sequence:
Almost every sequence in the movie is driven by action, and it’s all gripping. My personal favorite is the escape on broomsticks from the room of requirement, but a runner-up is a lovely moment that Neville has near the end of the movie. The movie stages Neville’s heroic act in a way slightly different from the book, and I actually think I prefer the cinematic version in this case. Everyone’s opinions will vary, of course. The movie is almost non-stop action, after all.
Best Scene:
Clearly, lots of thought, time, energy, resources, and love went into the making of this film, and I don’t think it contained a single bad scene, but I found the part where Harry followed Snape’s instructions and looked into The Pensieve surprisingly moving. (I don’t know why I was surprised since “The Prince’s Tale” is my favorite chapter in the book, and Snape is one of my favorite characters in both the books and the movies.) Still I found myself tearing up without thinking much about the mechanics eliciting the emotional response. For the first time, I forgot I was planning to write a review and got totally sucked into the movie, experiencing it with a childlike wonder. For that reason, I’ll call that scene the best, although numerous other excellent choices abound. Alan Rickman has been consistently marvelous as Snape in every film, and this movie finally takes the time to do justice to his complex and moving story. I wondered how the final film would handle Snape’s backstory, and I couldn’t have imagined a more cinematically effective (and affective) result. Another fantastically moving moment (though not as moving as Snape’s scene, in my opinion) comes when Harry releases the resurrection stone before answering Voldemort’s ultimatum.
Best Joke:
This movie isn’t exactly a laugh riot, but it’s not intended to be. Still, I think McGonagall has a very funny line as Filch rushes into the hall. Not only does she get a laugh, but she also gets some time to shine as a truly gutsy hero despite her age and ordinarily school marmish demeanor. I cannot say enough good things about Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Snape, but in this movie Maggie Smith is equally outstanding as the fittingly courageous head of Gryffindor House. I loved her glee in being able to cast the spells necessary to defend Hogwarts, particularly as balanced by Julie Walters’s sobering reaction as Molly Weasley.
Best Surprise:
Those who have read the books will notice a couple of key changes to the action. (There are several small changes, of course.) But there are a couple of notable moments in which Harry reveals himself that will surprise even those members of the audience who have already read the book. Also, fans of Neville Longbottom who never felt satisfied with his literary romantic destiny may be quite pleased by a clever addition to the film that manages to gratify a number of fans without technically altering what J.K. Rowling wrote about Neville’s ultimate fate in book seven.
Best Scene Visually:
The magical fortification around Hogwarts looks spectacularly cool, but we see that in several scenes. I actually enjoyed Harry’s interaction with the Gray Lady because we get to watch his reaction to watching the protective enchantment around Hogwarts put to the test. The marvelous intensity of Kelly Macdonald as the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw also contributes to the power of this scene. But if you think it’s cheating to praise the visual splendor of Kelly Macdonald, then I’ll refer you to the escape on the dragon. That looks gorgeous, of course. How could it not?
The Performances:
The amazing thing about Harry Potter is that it secures great British actors like Jim Broadbent, Emma Thompson, Miriam Margolyes, and Gemma Jones to stand around in the background, occasionally getting a close up here, a line there.
All of the performances in this movie are marvelous, and is it any wonder? The famed faces of the British stage and screen all seem to be duking it out at Hogwarts.
Alan Rickman moved me to tears as Snape, and he’s really only in about three scenes. I’ve mentioned already that Maggie Smith is in top form. (Of course, I don’t think she has any other kind of form, despite playing an expert at Transfiguration here).
Robbie Coltrane is also awfully good as Hagrid, though his part is basically to stand there, look anguished, and piteously groan Harry’s name whenever he gets the chance. The Weasley family makes a good showing, especially Julie Walters as Molly, who has the most to do. David Thewlis has some very nice moments as Remus Lupin, though, regrettably, Natalia Tena as Tonks has little to do but stand around (though she’s certainly in good company). Even Gary Oldman gets to deliver a lovely line as Sirius Black. And Michael Gambon for some reason seems better as Dumbledore in this film than he ever has before.
John Hurt appears haunted, tortured, and ready to drop dead of guilt as Olivander, who early on gives us a piece of information crucial for understanding the film’s resolution. When Olivander realizes to his dismay that Harry will not accept vague answers meant to mollify a child, Hurt’s facial response is priceless.
Helena Bonham Carter is still delightfully insane as Bellatrix (and rather captivating as a timid Hermione uneasily attempting to impersonate Bellatrix). And Helen McCrory makes the most of an important moment as Narcissa. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy turns in a fantastic performance, too, even though he has relatively little to do.
Warwick Davis seems to have more lines in this movie than he’s had since Willow because he’s playing both Griphook the Goblin and Professor Flitwick. He’s very good as both characters and manages to create such a clear distinction between him that young fans will probably not recognize that the same actor plays both roles.
New additions to the cast Ciaran Hinds and Kelly Macdonald acquit themselves well (no surprises there), particularly McDonald who makes an astonishingly powerful Gray Lady, a role that could have been forgettable without detriment to the movie but most definitely makes an impression as played by Macdonald.
As in Deathly Hallows: Part 1, the young actors dominate the heart of the film. Matthew Lewis has much more to do than usual and makes the most of all of his screen time, delivering a thoroughly believable and immeasurably charming performance as the more-heroic-than-ever Neville. Evana Lynch makes Luna as eerily beautiful and whimsically haunted as ever. Tom Felton has some fine moments as the cowardly survivor Draco Malfoy, and Josh Herdman successfully manages to be there as Goyle, which should be taken for granted, but was, apparently, too difficult for his erstwhile comrade, Crabbe.
Emma Watson is magnificent as Hermione and actually gets to join in the action (and to kiss Ron, well played as always by Rupert Grint but lacking as large a part in this film as in the previous one).
Daniel Radcliffe is great as Harry, and he has to be because he carries much of the movie all by himself. As Voldemort, Ralph Fiennes is surprisingly effective—hideously creepy and threatening although he doesn’t have that much to say or do and seems to be on his last legs already by the time Harry meets him face-to-what’s-left-of-a-face.
The Negatives:
The movie doesn’t beat around the bush. Voldemort breaks into Dumbledore’s tomb and steals the elder wand even before we see the Warner Brothers logo. That’s all well and good for people well versed in the novels, but some more casual viewers might quickly find themselves lost in the action and the complexity of the plot. Presumably, anyone attending this movie will have watched the other seven, or at least Deathly Hallows: Part 1. But those who haven’t read the books should make a point to watch the first part again before viewing the second. To be fair, this isn’t so much a flaw in the film as it is a flaw in the audience, but most audience members who have paid for a ticket (sometimes at 3D prices) don’t enjoy being reminded of their shortcomings in such a prolonged and expensive way.
If you haven’t read the books, you can’t possibly understand everything that happens in its fullness, but, on the plus side, you may never realize that you don’t. Those who have read the books may not appreciate some of the changes made, even though I think most of them result in a very satisfying cinematic experience. Bellatrix’s dramatic final fight (a major cheering point in the book) does happen, but doesn’t seem as important in the movie, possibly because it isn’t given much time and Harry isn’t involved in the same way. Also, certain deaths (one key character’s death in particular) are less meaningful in the movie because the movies have let slide some side storylines that can now never come to fruition on screen. Many of the changes make sense to me (such as the omission of Voldemort’s use of the Cruciatis Curse on Harry, which would only have introduced further confusion). I do wish we could have heard the words Harry and Voldemort said as they pointed their wands at each other because I thought that was a nice touch in the book, but their showdown does look pretty cool (especially in 3D), and I guess you can’t have everything.
Aside from having a fairly complicated plot (well, actually, more of a complicated resolution), the movie doesn’t make any major missteps. Fans of the books are bound to have complaints, and fans who haven’t read the books will probably find stuff to gripe about, too. I mean, this is the final installment of a huge, eight-film franchise that arguably defined a generation. (Feel free to argue about that. I’ll just wrap up this review and leave you to it.) So of course, the movie will not be able to satisfy every viewer completely. But it’s so well done overall that few should leave the theater feeling they haven’t gotten their money’s worth.
Overall:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is probably the best of the Harry Potter movies, a distinction rarely held by the final film in a franchise (though possibly that honor should go to Prisoner of Azkaban as it is a full story beautifully told and not just the end of one). I found the movie enjoyable from start to finish, though it really picked up momentum after Harry’s return to Hogwarts and seemed to grow increasingly engrossing as it progressed (unlike many summer blockbusters that run out of steam halfway through). I thought it was wonderful. If you’re a fan of the books or the movies, I think you’ll enjoy the final chapter.