Release Date: July 15, 2011 (3D/2D theaters and IMAX 3D)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: David Yates
Screenwriter: Steve Kloves
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright, Kelly Macdonald
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images)
Official Website: HarryPotter.com
It’s hard to put it into words without sounding like a Harry Potter fan who can’t accept a film that doesn’t stick to its source material 100%, but I can’t help it…I was terrified for the Deathly Hallows! Of course many of my fellow book readers can probably share the sentiment with me right? Part one of the Deathly Hallows did in fact leave much to be revealed, and part two is shorter than part one!
Four hours prior to my trek to the movie theater, I popped part one into my DVD player and threw a few questions at myself as well as my wife, essentially coming to the conclusion that there was NOW WAY they are going to fit in everything necessary for this final film to come to a successful conclusion.
Evil thoughts of film failure jolted my brain, thoughts like “There’s too many
Horcruxes to destroy” & “how cut down will the conversation between Harry and Dumbledore be?” Those moments leading up to the actual start of the film were filled with fear and angst for me. How in the world could this film work with so much left to reveal?
However, in a classic finish to a storybook’s ending, The Deathly Hallows part two turns out to be one of best in the HP franchise. My fears and struggles had subsided almost from the start as an effortless flow of storyline came through in true J.K. Rowling style. The film achieved some amazing feats with its overall look, the editing flow, musical score and acting quality. But while the movie does a fantastic job at keeping all of the important scenes from the book in the film, there is still a sense of loss and uncertainty throughout the entire film.
Every single Harry Potter novel is filled with incredible moments. These moments are what make the books so interesting and is the reason they are so popular to this day. And just like the boy who lived himself, the films have been up and down in how well they bring these moments to life. But this is all due to the fact that, just like any film adapted from a novel, time constraints prevent the film makers from truly giving the audience the author intended.
Part two, essentially only deals with the last third of the book, skipping over what really weighed part one down with all of the teenaged drama and emo moments of confusion and disloyalty. The film starts off with images from the last from the last movie, with Voldemort driving the Elder wand into the air as the blinding beam of magic shoots up with all the force a Slytherin can muster creating the WB logo in the stormy sky. This, in turn begins the focus on the action and confrontation of the book’s climax.
The film does a fine job at expanding on the excerpts from the book and turning them into wonderful visual splendors to behold; the chaotic and dangerous trip to Gringott’s, the fantastic protective spell that hovers over Hogwart’s, the great and epic battle sequence that destroyed Hogwart’s, and of course the last moment Snape and Harry have before he discovers the professors overall purpose in the story which changes the shape of thing to come. Of course, as great as these moments are, the film will never be able to truly bring out their full effect that the book was able to do. But this is, of course, a testament to Director David Yeats directing abilities and making the Harry Potter fans weep, as found in this video review of the film…
On the other side of the coin, the money and time that went into making everything as perfect as possible cannot go unrecognized as Stuart Craig’s production designs were fully realized in every aspect of the word. The Room of Requirement had more furniture in it than the American Furniture Warehouse, and Gringott’s vault contained over 200,000 coins and other golden and silver treasures that would make Scrooge McDuck salivate all over his fine Victorian clothing. One should ask the question, is there anything we wouldn’t do for Mr. Potter?
Apparently not as the casting in this film was, of course, nothing BUT stellar. The amazing part of this entire franchise is the film’s three stars, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, have been with us since The Sorcerer’s Stone. They were great then and have only grown in their acting abilities. But the question remains, will their magical stardom haunt them for the rest of their lives? Will they be able to transcend the effects of being the Hogwart’s trifecta?
One of the most interesting aspects of the Harry Potter Franchise is how well it ran with a conservative approach, with only The Half Blood Prince being daring enough to transcend that trend. Rarely have the Potter films truly defied anything that Hollywood typically has to offer. Yet the films have been a success with each and every installment, begging myself to ask the question… “If Rowling had never written the books, and the films still came out like they are, would they have been as successful?”
I tend to answer in the affirmative. It’s one of the most epic stories I have ever read, and while the films stick to a conservative approach, still come off in fine fashion. But it has more to do with the excellent acting performed by each and every member of the cast. And as always, Alan Rickman, (the beloved Snape) always leaves the lasting, and most memorable impression.
But the fact is the books do exist. And it is in the words of Albus Dumbledore which inspire the most out of this story, “words are our most inexhaustible source of magic.” J.K. Rowling might more of a witch than we realize. Her profound and enjoyable way of telling a written story has more magic than anything J.R.R. Tolkien was able to conjure up…and that’s saying A LOT! It is Rowling we have to thank for bringing us one of the most epic and memorable stories the world has ever seen. Thank you Rowling, you are an inspiration.
And, for your entertainment, please enjoy, directly from the Fine Bros., seven Harry potter movies recapped in seven minutes…
