Story: Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their search for Voldemort’s horcruxes as their quest to defeat the dark lord nears its conclusion. It all ends here.
Sensational. Spellbinding. Thrilling. These are just some of the superlatives that have been repeatedly utilized by critics in regards to the latest and final Harry Potter film instalment: 'The Deathly Hallows: Part 2' (TDHP2). And to some extent, this praise is warranted. But for me, the film lacked the epic feeling that I expected and hoped for. I can already see the angry comments that will surely soon appear at the bottom of this page: 'How could you think this was not epic?' Read on to find out...
Having read and enjoyed all of the Harry Potter books, I have always had a problem with some of the films not incorporating more of the novel into the films. This is particularly prevalent from 'The Order of the Phoenix' onwards, and TDHP2 is no exception. Due to time constraints and what I am sure are a plethora of other reasons, sizable and meaningful story-lines from the book are often absent. This time around, for example, the Dumbledore-Grindelwald-Hallows story-line is barely touched upon. Considering this was one of the more compelling parts of the book for me, I was disappointed. However, due to the aforementioned reasons, I am willing to accept its exclusion. What I cannot accept, and cannot get my head around, is why certain pieces of the book are omitted for lesser scenes or sometimes nothing at all. In particular, the aftermath of the Harry vs. Voldemort fight is irritating considering the source material available to them.
Whilst I liked the fight for the most part, there was one major factor missing: the reaction. In the book, when Harry defeated Voldemort, there was jubilation. In contrast, the film version simply has Harry walking through the great hall, with nobody approaching him but Hagrid. As a result, Harry’s victory is somewhat muted – Don’t you people know I just defeated the Dark Lord? Missing too is Harry & co’s visit to Dumbledore’s office, and the subsequent repair of his original wand. Instead, Harry destroys the elder wand, and we get a shot of Harry, Ron and Hermione ‘saying goodbye’ to Hogwarts. Inserting more of the book into the film at these junctures would have been doable, and it is here that my frustration lies.
That is not to say that David Yates & co did not get anything right – far from it. The action scenes were fun to watch and Alexandre Despat’s music is some of the best I’ve heard in a Harry Potter film. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson do commendable jobs as Harry, Ron and Hermione. One doesn’t have to watch ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ to realize they have clearly grown as actors (and actress) throughout the course of the 8 films. We already know that we will see Daniel Radcliffe in cinemas next year with The Woman in Black. Should Rupert and Emma elect to stay in the filmmaking business, I look forward to seeing what they try next. Ralph Fiennes and Michael Gambon are again very good in their roles as Voldemort and Dumbledore respectively. While the latter does not have much to do, the scene ‘in Harry’s head’ is done very well. However, my favourite scene is when Severus Snape’s motivations are revealed to Harry. Alan Rickman delivers a fantastic performance here, and it is a shame that he has not had more to do throughout the 8 films.
Having elected to see this film in 2D, I cannot comment on the use of 3D in the film. I have never been a big fan of the medium; nonetheless, the special effects were well done, and I can visualize scenes where the use of 3D would be effective.
By the time we come to the epilogue, it becomes clear that this is the end of an era. In 2001, Harry Potter burst into cinemas. A decade later, David Yates has done an admirable job of ending the Harry Potter film franchise in a satisfying and fitting way. Only the compromises made along the way have prevented TDHP2 from being truly epic. It is for that reason I give this film 3.75/5.