The cast for the Harry Potter films have always consisted of Britain’s greatest actors and actresses. Needless to say, they were simply fantastic. I’ll just focus on the Harry, Snape, and Voldemort roles, though. While I can’t possibly imagine anyone else as Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe has never really stood out for me. Now, mind you, I don’t really blame the actor for this. Personally, the character of Harry Potter has always been pretty blasé for me. He was a very typical heroic character, who just so happens to get pissed a lot. Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort amused me to no end. While Voldemort has always been meant to be a frightening and intimidating figure, Fiennes played him up a bit too ham-fistedly dark and he hiisssssed all his linessssssss…. Again, I do not blame the actor for that. The character of Voldemort is such an almost unrealistically evil character that it is nigh impossible to convert from book format to film.
Alan Rickman made me cry. Yes. Really. While Rickman was…at…his……most………slurry…in this movie, he deliveries the most relatable and human performance. For this, I actually contribute to the writing.
Before I dive into the overall examination of the film, I would like to say that, yes. I have read all the Harry Potter books. Yes. I have seen all the movies save for Deathly Hallows – Part 1, but (from what I hear) I wasn’t missing much. And, yes. I even was a huge fan of the books when I was younger. As I have grown older and wiser, I have found bigger and better things to like as I realized Harry Potter was pretty bland. That, however, does not stop Deathly Hallows – Part 2 from being an enjoyable and good movie. Believe it or not, the movie actually fixed some problems I had with the book. I would go into detail as to what they were, but alas. Spoilers abound.
Deathly Hallows – Part 2 definitely felt like a Part 2. If you have not seen Part 1, you would probably be lost as to what was going on…well, really. If you haven’t read the book, a few things might fly right over your head as well; but that’s not the point. Part 2 was basically a huge climax, with a massive final battle. And it looks splendid. I’m probably not the first person to make the comparison, but the war scene wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Lord of the Rings movie. However, it lacked sort of sense of epic. While the battle was certainly nice looking, the setting at the Hogwarts school made it felt so small-scale. When you see characters that die, you never really have enough time to dwell upon them. They were just shown to have been killed, and promptly move away. It was a little jarring.
But that still does not get in the way of the film’s enjoyment factor. Despite the feeling of being small-scale and lacking a sense of loss, the film exuded the finality of a long-lasting series. The emotions were running high. The pace was quick. You could feel it approaching. The end was finally here, and it was going out with a bang.
…Sorry. I had to do it.
For the last movie of the Harry Potter saga, I give a:
4.5 out of 5
Overall, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, despite its problems, was a great way to bow out the series. It was a film made for the fans while still being able to bring about emotions from the non-fans, doing its job well.
But like I said, if you have seen all the Potter films already and/or a fan, you’ve probably already seen it without me telling you to. Though I recommend seeing Part 1 and 2 back-to-back. It makes Part 1 less boring and Part 2 seem like less shallow action. They really are meant to be one whole movie.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was produced by Heyday Films, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
