Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

You can take a look back and see how far the Harry Potter franchise has grown. Of course, it all started with the young little boy attending Hogwarts and finding out that he is in fact a wizard in weird and peculiar ways. Of course it didn’t just stop there. We were awarded more films from the books and have in fact had every single book to date made into a movie. Of course that is an obvious thing to state, but it is true. The Harry Potter franchise has then on been one of THE most successful film franchises the world has ever seen. However when we look at how the last installment for the franchise has turned out we could question whether or not this was a good move. Of course some would argue that it was, but others would argue that it wasn’t. I believe however that the foremost answer would be the most popular choice as this has increased the amount of films that the fans can watch over time and give the films a better longevity.

Part 1 of the Deathly Hallows was in fact a very good choice. It gave us a better insight to the book and made sure that there was a lot more on offer for the fans, instead of a low down transfer from book to movie. It’s hard to think how the two parts would have turned out if they had been pushed into just a single movie. You can also see the charisma that the three characters Harry, Ron and Hermione (played by Daniel, Rupert and Emma) have brought into the film.

However, how has the second part faired in this ever-demanding finale that Harry Potter has brought to us. Well after watching it, I believe I will have the answer for you!

If I had to sum up the film in one word, it would be emotional. The film gives the fans an emotional roller coaster of a ride as some favourites die and live on in the name of Mr. Potter himself. There are those aspects in the film that will be most memorable and of course, with every film, there are bits that could have been done better or differently.

First things first, I want to speak about the people in the film; the one actor that stood out for me during the whole film; and that actor was Alan Rickman. Severus Snape is a character that one could either love or hate depending how they looked at him during the other seven films. It is not until this final film that you find out exactly who his allegiance lies with. I won’t be spoiling the film for those who haven’t watched this yet so do not threat. Either way, I believe that Alan Rickman was THE best actor throughout the film, simply because he has managed to portray Severus Snape in a way that is most memorable. Another actor who stood out during the film was Ralph Fiennes, who played He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named…Voldemort. Voldemort had a big part in this film, since he has to kill Harry and they have a massive battle at the end. It’s not one of the best battles but both sides did the acting brilliantly.

Another bonus for this film was the fact that a lot of the old cast members returned and that they had a bigger part in this than any of the other movies, such as Professor McGonagall. Portrayed by Maggie Smith, this professor proved to be a great asset to Harry and the others. Every other person who played in this movie had a bigger and better part than in previous films. Of course we had Daniel, Emma and Rupert but I believe the supporting cast had a much bigger role to fulfill, especially Matthew Lewis who plays Neville Longbottom. Neville hardly gets any credit in the film and is perhaps one of the best supporting cast out of the Hogwarts students alongside Luna Lovegood. In the previous films, Neville is thrown around and looks pointless and doesn’t get the credit he deserves. But in this film he does amazing things to help Harry, Ron and Hermione but again it seems as though he didn’t get the right amount of credit that he deserves.

The story of the film follows the book closely, of course there will be bits that the film will miss out, simply because the film would therefore be a little bit too long for the fans liking…or would it? Either way they have managed to put the best things into the film and not only leave suspense and emotional parts, but also those funny edgy bits that make Harry Potter. The film follows a good structure, maintaining the suspense and making sure that it is not fully action packed. The film does start off a little slow but then the pace gradually quickens and then the next thing you notice they’re all at Hogwarts fighting.

The second part has managed to smoothly run from the first part as it shows Voldemort obtaining the Elder Wand and Harry at Dobby’s grave. Already it kicks in about the ending of the first part and you’ve hit the first milestone of this emotional roller coaster. The film will throw you loads of bits that will make you laugh and cry, and of course they are going to affect some people at some point. You also meet new characters such as Albus Dumbledore’s brother and a picture with their dead sister in it.

The soundtrack to this movie is magnificent. Of course, most of the music you hear will be remembered from past films, but with songs such as ‘Severus and Lily’ and ‘The New Beginning’, of course there are going to be new tracks that will stay with you forever. The ending of the film has a familiar track played when the first few Harry Potter films have got to their end and of course the unforgettable Harry Potter theme is played somewhat in the movie, as it is pretty much needed.

Now there are bits in the film that I think should have been done better. First off, I can’t talk about one particular scene because people haven’t seen it. The battle between Harry and Voldemort was perfect until Voldemort perishes. I don’t believe they made this as great as they could. There should have been more to it instead of him breaking up and then…disappearing. I suppose they did this to keep it tact with the book, but I believe this scene should have been done better. The last scene I would have changed would have been the ending scene. It didn’t last as long as in the book and only a few lines were spoken. Endings are usually short and sweet in films but I prefer those that take their time and I believe that they should have taken their time with this one as in fact it was and is the last Potter film.

Another thing about this movie that I noticed was that it seemed a lot more gory that all the previous seven. Some deaths are made out to look really good, even the squeamish will have a hard time watching the film. Especially with the fight in Hogwarts and blood being everywhere, Death Eaters eating people and seeing the little Voldemort dyeing, you would wonder whether or not they actually wanted to have as much gore on this as possible?

Harry Potter already has taken in over $40 million, and that was just in over a night. This is the biggest opening for a film and it has beaten the last record holder, who was Twilight: Eclipse. It has the challenge of beating The Dark Knight for the best opening on the weekend next, will it do so? Well I think it might just edge it.

Well, there you have it. Harry Potter is finished, and it has been a massive roller coaster for all those Potter fans out there such as myself. But all good things must come to an end and, quite brilliantly, this film has ended superbly!