Grade: A-
The kids are all grown up.
The magical tale that has charmed millions for the past decade has finally come to a close with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II. Director David Yates (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I) has managed not only to craft a fitting finale, but arguably the best film of the entire series.
Part II opens precisely at the point where the first left off. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I) is seen kneeling over Dobby's grave, Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I) has just acquired the most powerful wand ever made, the wizarding world is in utter turmoil, and things are looking bad for the forces of good.
What follows in the next two hours is a story of desperation, hope and destiny that stays as faithful to J.K. Rowling's beloved masterpiece as possible; or at least far more so than any other installment in the series.
The plot is a dark and gritty one and Yates does an excellent job of accentuating that. Part II doesn't shy away from scenes of blood and death, and any use of bright colors seems to be discouraged more so than being a half-blood under Voldemort's rule. All this adds up to a gloomy overtone that's nearly palpable throughout the whole film.
This foreboding aura goes a long way in making the viewer feel like there's something to be lost or gained with each battle; and when the majority of the movie is composed of fighting, it ends up having a very large impact on the quality of the movie as a whole. Thankfully, the battles – especially the one for Hogwarts – are very well orchestrated and do an amazing job of conveying the epic size of the final confrontation between good and evil.
After seeing the sheer size of the full blown battle at the school, however, the final climatic fight between Harry and Voldemort pales a bit in comparison. It manages to conjure a feeling of win-all or lose-all, but fails to impress on the same level as other fights.
Still, even with the constant struggle for survival, the film isn't without its light-hearted side. Intense battle scenes are peppered with comical dialogue and feel-good moments spring up every so often. One such moment comes from none other than the dark lord himself when he tries to pull off a heart-warming gesture. Fiennes is able to make it look so masterfully awkward that only a dementor will be able to suck the laughs out of you.
As far as the cast goes, any Potter fan by this point should know what's coming. These actors and actresses have been playing these roles for so long that it has become second nature to them; and it shows on screen. For a decent number of them, the entire world has been able to watch them grow up before its very eyes, which only makes the film's coming of age moments all the more meaningful.
There are still a few stand out performances scattered throughout the film though. One of which being the clumsy and awkward Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I). In this installment, Lewis plays a more mature Longbottom who walks with an air of confidence about him. What makes his performance so memorable is his ability to change nearly everything the audience knows about Longbottom without sacrificing the essence of the character.
Overall, Part II isn't just a great Potter film, but one of the best fantasy films of the past decade. From spellbinding action to long overdue romances, it has everything fans of the series have been wanting.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II may be the final chapter in the franchise but at least the cast and crew were able to brew up some movie magic in order to give the series the sendoff it deserved.
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