A vivid and satisfying finale for fans of the beloved series.
Even if Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has been on bookshelves for four years, talking about the ending is like tip-toeing through a minefield. Yes, millions have read the books—in some cases many times over—but there are still plenty whose exposure to Potter, Hogwarts and Voldemort has come via the cineplex. So, far be it from me to ruin it for anyone.
All you need to know is that this is it. It’s put up or shut up for both good and evil in J.K Rowling’s magical world—and evil seems to have the upper hand. (Read our take on the Christian themes of Harry Potter's story here.) Hogwarts’ students march in lock-step under gray skies and the watchful, ambiguous eye of Professor Severus Snape, now the school’s headmaster. Miles away Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their search for the Horcruxes they must destroy to finally kill Lord Voldemort.
If none of this makes any sense to you, maybe you should stick with Winnie the Pooh this weekend and save The Deathly Hallows, Part 2 for when you’re up to speed. With seven movies behind it and plenty of loose ends to tie up, the final installment in Warner Bros. popular franchise doesn’t have time to recap everything that’s happened. You might say this one’s a fans-only affair.
And what an affair it is. Under the direction of David Yates (who’s helmed the last half of the eight-part series) Deathly Hallows moves as nimbly as a wizard’s patronus, striking just the right balance between large-scale set pieces, like the climactic siege on Hogwarts, and small, intimate moments, as when Harry ventures into the Forbidden Forest, ready to face his fate. But Yates doesn’t just excel at large and small moments. He and screenwriter Steve Kloves know how to inject humor into an emotional scene, and they know exactly when to push the envelope on what’s acceptable for children’s entertainment (as in a scene where one character is viciously killed offscreen). It’s debatable, I suppose, but I think Yates is one of the best things to have happened to this series.
Its greatest strength, though, is its cast. Not only have Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint come to define how we imagine Rowling’s characters, the films have received a considerable boost in its supporting line of first-rate character actors (Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, and the list goes on). It’s fair to say, as some critics have, that the Harry Potter series doesn’t do nearly enough with them, but you also have to consider the constraints involved in condensing several 500-plus-page novels down to two hours. To do complete justice to the actors and every nuance of the story, it may have been better if Rowling’s books had been given the same treatment as George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, with a single season devoted to one book.
In any case, whatever minor faults The Deathly Hallows, Part 2 may have, they won’t matter much to fans. What matters is being back inside Rowling’s world, where magic is real, where evil can be explained and where loved ones are never far away. For children, Harry Potter is a chance to experience a world more adventurous than their own—and for adults, a chance to reclaim what adulthood steals.
Andrew Welch writes about movies for RELEVANT. You can check out his blog here and be sure to follow him on Twitter.
