AT THE MOVIES WITH KASEY BUTCHER
I remember finishing the last book in the Harry Potter series and sitting on my bed for a long time afterward, unable to grasp that the books I had grown up loving and devouring in one sitting were now over. “At least there’s still the movies,” I told myself. As the conclusion of the film series approached, I asked a friend of mine who is a counselor if I could schedule appointments for Post Harry Potter Stress Disorder therapy. After seeing the final movie, however, I wasn’t sad at all. Instead I was content to experience the last chapter of a cultural phenomenon with my friends.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 follows Harry, Hermione, and Ron as they search for the remaining horcruxes (objects in which Voldemort hid parts of his soul, making himself “immortal”) so they can destroy them and make Voldemort vulnerable to attack. Their quest takes them back to Hogwarts, where Snape is now the headmaster. Most of the film focuses on the Battle of Hogwarts, during which important secrets are revealed about Dumbledore, Snape, and Harry himself. Finally, Harry and Voldemort face each other for the last time and the fate of the wizarding world hangs in the balance.
Like J.K. Rowling’s book, Deathly Hallows Part 2 is fast-paced and exciting with both high points of drama and beautiful emotional moments that may leave you teary-eyed. I think the decision to split the last book into two films turned out exceptionally well as this last installment is full wall-to-wall with tension in stark contrast with the aimlessness and frustration that permeated through Part 1.
Granted, as always some of the nuances are lost and probably many Potterphiles could point out details or scenes they wish had been included or emphasized more. For me, I think a major element of the story that got lost in the films is the possibility that Neville Longbottom could have been “the chosen one” in the prophesy had Voldemort not assumed it was the Potters’ son. While in the books Neville appears mature and full of promise at the end, in the film he comes off as only slightly less hapless and his contribution to the conclusion looks like dumb luck. Still, the writers have done a beautiful job including moments of cleverness that hint at elements of the books or interactions between characters. The epilogue at the end of the film seemed like it was filmed with little effort. The young actors aged to look like their older selves mostly just looked like they’d had fun in the makeup trailer. After such a wonderful intense conclusion, the epilogue looked sort of pathetic and almost detracted from the ending. I was sad to see the Harry Potter series come to a close, but I am happy that it went out on such a high note. 4.5/5 stars.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was written by Steve Kloves based upon the novel by J.K. Rowling and directed by David Yates. It runs 130 minutes and is rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images.
> Read Full Biography
> More Articles Written By This Writer