Film Review: Harry Potter and the Death Hallows Part 2

They thought it's all over... it is now! (After managing to screw eight films from a seven-book series.)

Honestly though, I'm glad that they did decide to milk the proverbial cash cow and make the final book of the Harry Potter franchise- The Deathly Hallows- a two parter, because it served to make sure that it wasn't a half-cocked re-hash of it's its book, like one or two of the other films have been.

Now, I don't remember the book all that well, since I've only read it once- and that was when it was first released back in July 2007. If I were to review this film based on how accurate it is compared to the book, I would struggle, so I shall simply review it in terms of how effective it is as a film- not to mention the swan song of the franchise.

"Cheap lenses... should have gone to Spec Savers."

The Deathly Hallows Part 2 continues where Harry's seventh and final year as a student of Hogwarts left off- where he and his two friends, Ron and Hermione, decide not to return to the school, in order to instead hunt down and destroy the remaining vessels of the evil Lord Voldemort's soul- known as horcruxes- ultimately destroying the Dark Lord himself. Dumbledore's dead, Voldemort has nicked the Elder Wand (y'know, the most powerful wand in the world) from his grave, and that slimy git Snape is Headmaster of Hogwarts.

As the film went on I remembered just how convoluted the plot was- and as I'd not read the book in a while, I felt as though I was learning a lot of it all over again. This was not a bad thing, however, as it added to my enjoyment of the film, and the overall feeling of suspense as it built up the finish. Convoluted though the plot might be, it is very clever, and was done justice on the big screen.

The pace and stifling sense of urgency is ever-present in the film as it was in the book throughout, and the epic battle between Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters and the Hogwarts' staff and students is wonderfully realised, obligatory special effects and all (admittedly, I am so used to CG effects in films like this that I am pretty much desensitized to them).

Droopy Dog crossed with Alice Cooper.

I enjoyed Gringotts bank scene as well- too bad I couldn't remember it from the book at all. My favourite scene was those of Snape's tragic memories seen by Harry in the Pensieve, following Snape's equally tragic demise. Here I am reminded why Snape is the most complex and interesting character in the series. The acting in this film is pretty solid- though I've always found the acting of Ron (Rupert Grint), Hermione (Emma Watson) and in particular Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) somewhat lackluster.

The ending seemed to do justice to the book and was pretty much how I remembered it, which Harry sacrificing himself to Voldemort, having his reflective, post-death limbo moment with Dumbledore and then subsequently returning to life to land the killing blow on Voldemort (with help from Neville Longbottom, of all people, killing Voldemort's snake- the final Horcrux). However I was reminded that I never really liked this as the climax to the plot, with Harry simply evading death through some fiddly plot hole. Sure, it makes sense within the story's lore, but really... after seven years of trying, Voldemort finally kills the lad, only for him to pop up again and say "sorry, better luck next time!"I also never liked how Neville Longbottom ends up becoming a hero after essentially being a joke character throughout the book, but I digress.

And with blast from his wand, Radcliffe says goodbye to a massively-successful franchise, and hello to starring roles in wimpy-looking B-movie horror films.

And so it all ends, and with a good send off. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was pretty much the ending the film adaptations needed, with plenty of suspense, action, atmosphere and special effects to keep us excited and on our seats for the climax we were either waiting for, or knew since the book came out but wanted to be realized on the big screen.