Film Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Au revoir to Harry, Ron and Hermione, one of literature and film’s most beloved trios, as they settle unfinished scores once and for all in this final offering of the Harry Potter movies. How do you end a film franchise that has been adored and supported by millions of people all around the world? With a well-executed narrative, superb acting, and of course, epic battle scenes, that’s how you end it. Moviegoers have gone on a long and fearsome journey with our scarred hero, and we can no longer doubt that Deathly Hallows Part 2 shall be remembered as one of the best films of the series.

Potterheads need not be reminded of what the movie is all about. Harry, Ron and Hermione return to their beloved Hogwarts to protect it from the evil Voldemort and his legion of Death Eaters. In order to do so, they must collect the remaining Horcruxes within the castle grounds to weaken the Dark Lord, rendering him vulnerable to Harry’s spells in the inevitable and climactic final duel.

It is a huge duh to say that the movie’s a feast for the eyes, but the whole thing does not go overboard by allowing director David Yates to bombard us with an overload of explosions or spells that might distract us from the core. We see something more centered on character, more centered on the plight of each and every one of them, as shown by the perfectly shot and edited Pensieve scene, and the ever-reliable British cast taking helm of a few yet remarkable parts goes to show the director’s focus on story rather than boom-boom-pows. The scene-stealers here are Alan Rickman, who has made Snape one of the most unforgettable magical characters on film, Maggie Smith, whose short but sweet wand duel elicits applause from the audience, Helena Bonham Carter, her imitation of Hermione showing her formidable prowess as an actress, and Ralph Fiennes, who manages to turn Voldemort into a well-developed and, surprisingly, more human-like character. I personally have a slight qualm against Radcliffe’s acting since the beginning, but here I learn to forgive him, as his effort to shoulder the role of the hero gives him a more human, more vulnerable aura.

Since its beginnings, the franchise has already created this sort of notion that a non-reader would understand less if he or she sees a Harry Potter movie without seeing the first ones. Yes, the less knowledgeable would no doubt feel perplexed upon watching Part 2 without seeing Part 1, let alone without seeing the first six. That aside, there is evidence that the screenplay never rests on the massive fan-base; it fabricates a story that is as emotionally captivating as it is Muggle-friendly. It defies blockbuster notions by having an indefinite plot structure without any beginning and middle. We are thrust straight into the action, and there is no letting go, although there are a number of parts showing character hesitations that slows down the momentum a bit (and yes, the kiss happened in the wrong place, at the wrong time). The final victory is also a bit of a let-down, with David Yates possibly accentuating the Elder Wand issue in exchange for a more triumphant moment for Harry. Still, there is a feeling of celebration after having to go through it all.

And here is the part where I speak as a fourteen-year Harry Potter fan. Disappointments are results of high expectations. Yes, I expected a lot, but never did I imagine what the movie would be like. I simply let go, placed my confidence on the material Rowling has left us, and braced myself to see how Yates interpret it on screen. I am sad that the books and the movies have to end, but I am happy that both ended as they should have. This final film is proof that partings are never sweet sorrows. Like Grint, Radcliffe, and Watson, all of whom looking almost the same in the Nineteen Years Later epilogue, these characters will never grow old for us. It has been a long and arduous fight to defeat the forces of evil, and as we finally lay our wands to rest, we simply have no choice but to gaze at what these magical franchises have left us.

Final note: Try to see this in 2D. Watch it in its full, barest glory. You’ll be happy you did.