HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (2011) (***1/2)
When I reviewed PART 1, I said that it wasn't a complete film and that everyone needed to check back to see how I really liked it when I'd seen the whole film. I'm happy to report that the conclusion of the HARRY POTTER series is epic and ultimately satisfying. And unlike PART 1 it works as a stand-alone film too.
The film picks up where the last one left off and the more familiar one is with PART 1 the easier it will be to follow this one. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliff) strikes a deal with the goblin Griphook (Warwick Davis, RETURN OF THE JEDI) to sneak into the Gringotts bank to search the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter, SWEENEY TODD) for one of the horcruxes, which hold a piece of the soul of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes, THE ENGLISH PATIENT). Destroying them is the key to defeating You Know Who.
After the break-in goes astray, Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) are on the run and must sneak back into Hogwarts, which is now a grim place run by the Dark Lord’s Death Eaters. Severus Snape (Alan Rickman, GALAXY QUEST) has been named headmaster. Harry and his friends need to find the remaining horcruxes, which they know nothing about and must figure out a way to destroy them once they have been found. Their battle is certainly uphill.
Harry once again becomes the center of the story again. But his emotional maturation, which was the most fascinating part of the series, had reached its pinnacle about two films ago. Here he has become the hero that he was destined to become. It’s a bit less interesting then his growing pains, but it seems like the place the story had to go. He faces certain death with bravery, knowing that if he dies his friends will survive. Along the way he makes tough decisions. He was the boy who lived, but now he is a man.
Around Harry the key characters get at least a moment. I will not list them to avoid revealing secrets to those who have been fans of the films and not the books. Here again is a satisfying area. The film doesn’t leave anything out for the fans of the novels. This gives each character the do. While I knew what was coming, director Peter Yates does a great job of creating the same tension the book did as Harry faces off against Voldemort.
The attack on Hogwarts is an epic battle on the scale of the LORD OF THE RINGS series. Stone soldiers. Rampaging giants. Hordes of Death Eaters. Mayhem. Death. This is a real war with real consequences. Graduation from this school is rough business.
Kids in high school have grown up alongside Harry, Hermione and Ron. I’ve said it before; this is one of the best film series in history. No other has been more successful each time out. It was based around great characters from J.K. Rowling, which were taken seriously. For the student characters, it was a coming of age tale on a grand scale. Over the past decade, fans have come to love so many of the characters, which makes the world so vast and engaging. Now the legend of Harry Potter is complete, but we can always go back and relive it again. I have a feeling this will be true for generations to come.
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Now I'm like, well duh! Truly thankufl for your help.
Personal development is often discussed as being a big part of success in a home business
Well I suppose some of us are right some of the time and none of us all of the time. Although it is difficult to argue with an adult that insists upon quoting their mother. Plainly someone has difficulty severing the old umbilical cord or developing an independent thought process. Personally, my mother never relied upon foolish platitudes. Where would the world be if we didn't speak our minds because mommy suggested not to? Quite simply, white noise. But enough of this. Power to the writer for finding such a platform. I simply chose to disagree with the inarticulate nature in which it was written. Probably a pre-coffee moment. Looking forward to seeing the movie with my two young boys nonetheless! Enjoyed the debate as well.
I don't agree with Tom's insulting tone but I have to agree with his overall opinion. It is not a very well written nor a very informative review.
Examples of a pretty bad style:
"The film picks up where the last one left off and the more familiar one is with PART 1 the easier it will be to follow this one."
"Harry once again becomes the center of the story again."
"For the student characters, it was a coming of age tale on a grand scale. "
The conclusion is especially puzzling.
"It was based around great characters from J.K. Rowling, which were taken seriously." (what does it mean?)
"Over the past decade, fans have come to love so many of the characters, which makes the world so vast and engaging." (how exactly does loving many characters makes a world vast?)
I have nothing against the author but I do think that he knocked this one out in about five minutes on his Blackberry. He got the name of the director wrong, and seriously, is Galaxy Quest really the pinnacle of Alan Rickman's opus by which we all will remember him? This is a constructive criticism with the intent of prodding the author to invest a little bit more care into his writing.
I guess your mother never told you that if you don't have anything good to say, don't say it. I don't see anything so horribly wrong with this article, except I believe the director is David Yates, not Peter Yates. ;P
Movies are great but not a fan of sloppy writing and lazy observation. Could have gathered as much from the trailer.
There's no mention of the script's deviation from the book nor anything insightful at all. Makes you wonder what this critic reads. What I think he reads or should read, are the want ads.
soo.... not a fan eh??
Jeez man, this is one sloppy piece of writing! You start off with an overuse of the word 'one' in your second paragraph
and proceed to make as little sense as possible. It reads like english is your second or third language! Did you write it half asleep or is this your actual thought process? I hope writing isn't your only job. Not just for you but for the sufferance of readers everywhere. Not worth posting at all.
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