The conclusion to the highest grossing film series of all time, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 marks the end of an era for studio Warner Bros., and final piece of the puzzle for millions of fans across the world baying to see the wizarding world on the silver screen.
With the end in sight, Harry (Radcliffe), Ron (Grint) and Hermoine (Watson) go in search of the final horcruxes and destroy them to bring the powerful Lord Voldemort (Fiennes) back into mortality, as the wizarding war dawns on Hogwarts for one last time. With the scene set, the ultimate showdown between the powers for good and evil comes to a head, and with it, a fight that will decide the future of the wizard, and inevitably human, race for forever.
Pretty much an open goal given the inevitable payoff that concluding a story some seven films in the making was always going to bring, director David Yates though has helmed a very impressive film; Part 2 is a fulfilling experience, and the best of the whole series.
Making up for the 146 minutes of exposition that was Part 1, Part 2 offers excitement at every turn. This is a film packed with action, that after a very brief ‘previously’ sequence at the start, moves along very quickly at the start but it’s still very easy to follow. In the latter stages though, the narrative takes a little more time to set the stage for the closing stand off, and it does so well; David Yates and his editing team deserve great praise for their pacing throughout.
Back a hiccup or two with the 3-D – on the whole it retracts, rather than expands, the experience – the production values and tone stand up to the grandiosity Part 2 needed; it feels epic enough to match the importance of rounding off such a franchise. With such a big budget ($250m shared with Part 1), the visuals are expectedly luscious, and the CGI some of the best around.
As has become a hallmark of the adaptations, lead Daniel Radcliffe again struggles in scenes of heavy dialogue, though Emma Watson and, in particular, Rupert Grint, are much better. Even Radcliffe though has come a long way since their debuts many years back and in making themselves household names (and putting a substantial amount in the bank), each should be very proud of what they have achieved along the way, now able to take their careers wherever they desire.
The household names dotted around the rest of the cast are all faultless, each at so at ease in their roles, producing performances that will sit amongst their other career defining moments.
Though upon its conclusion it never quite hit the cinematic heights of other epics such as The Lord Of The Rings, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is still a great film, and a hugely impressive franchise. Though Warner Bros. have dropped the bal l a couple of times along the way, this is a collection of movies that will forever be held dear in the hearts of Harry’s countless fans. And the epilogue scene is truly wonderful.