Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

A- (8.5)


I've been both a Harry Potter fanatic and at the same time a cynic of the franchise. I've read the books when I was 12 and could never stop loving it. To any cynic who wants to know what's the appeal of it all, it's Harry Potter himself we're fascinated as he evolve from being a boy losing his parents from an evil wizard Voldemort to a young person getting back prepared than ever. But then there's the cynical side of me when it comes to the franchise. I felt that bringing David Yates into the helm isn't worth the piece of the pie. I felt disappointed with the last two films. Half-Blood Prince was disappointing because the plot is distracted to a romantically corny subplot while the first part of the Deathly Hallows was also corny and it felt confusing at points, despite having had read the novels.


This is the real deal from Yates as it is truly a real film about Harry Potter's ordeal (no pun intended). A decade ago we see HP's first two adventures with the ballsy Ron and clever Hermione that are both charming and fun where it secretly builds up pessimism to Potter. Up to now, The Prisoner of Azkaban shows the trio's true development as young adults as the tone of each film slowly reveals its change. Now Deathly Hallows (Pt.2) had matched everything fans of all types have been waiting for to impossibly high levels.


In Pt.2, we start off what was halfway of the Deathly Hallows where Voldemort holds the Elder Wand that doesn't belong to Dumbledore in where he finds it, but to Snape. This makes him more powerful; while Harry, Ron and Hermione must find the remaining Horcruxes, Voldemort's possessions and once they destroy the Horcruxes, he becomes weaker giving Harry a probable chance of defeating him. Also involved in the battle is Professor Snape who became headmaster of Hogwarts keeping it highly secured with Dementors and Deatheaters.


This is an epitome of a Harry Potter film. Every point crucial in the books are taken and is perfectly nailed to the wood. From Harry knowing how to destroy the Horcruxes once and for all to scenes where Harry realize the sacrifices he'd and should make to defeat Voldemort to many of the complex storylines that will take some time to decipher. In fact it has many storylines so multi-layered that you either have to watch the movies (especially Part I) and read the novels again to pull yourself into the magic. 


What I like about this adaptation is that it's more than the average adaptation of Potter. This has so much heart, it goes where no Potter film had ever gone before. In every sequence of action, you feel like watching a war movie. The final battle. In every character you'll know their story and their involvement with Harry's life especially Alan Rickman who in one flashback had me crying when we're revealed the true person his character Snape really is. We get Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall as a badass leading an army of Hogwarts students. And we get Neville Longbottom also a badass breaking out from his role as the shy, and completely awkward secondary character.


It's Alan Rickman who brings out soul to Professor Snape, a character more fascinating than Potter. As we see through flashbacks, he's the real hero of the series so far when outside he's a superior villain with so much fear. If more than anything Rickman should get an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Many of the performances are solid from a cast of veteran British actors such as Julie Walters and Ralph Fiennes, but the heart of it all Harry Potter played by Daniel Radcliffe is flawless and has its best moments. Although I wasn't impressed by Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy given that his character is so wimpy for the entire film


Director Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves had brought back my trust for ending the Potter franchise in the most epic style. Not one moment was a tease. I loved the visual flair placed by Yates and I thought the cinematography was gorgeous. Yates and Kloves justified how this movie is split into two parts by sticking into the complex plot and bringing the emotional drama that never hits the sentimental bottom.


Belonging into this generation that experienced 9/11 and spending the majority of our daily routine on the internet, the Harry Potter franchise is something I and everyone in this generation cherish and value. The Deathly Hallows ended an epic conflict between good and evil in spectacular form like Lord Of The Rings. The franchise had become the modern Star Wars of our time. Overall this movie is not just the masterpiece of the series and the best summer movie in terms of being a blockbuster, but also the best movie I've seen so far this year.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Part I)

C+ (5.1)

(Warning - may contain spoilers)

Today we are talking about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as we anticipate the grand finale for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 7 months. But let me tell you something else: Kids.

When I walked into the theatre, at matinee daylight every seatwas taken by kids so young as 10 and teenagers so old as 18. I myself was one of the age majority of the audience and for once I wanted to walk out not because the movie was bad but because of the audience mucking around.

But anyway that was my short rant of how I feel about kids and movies these days and here's the full review.

After the death of Dumbledore the rest of the world (including the Muggles (non-wizards)) are threatened by Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his death eaters. But the one threatened is obviously Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) who had just turned 17 where he is allowed to conduct spells anytime he want to. (well he has too so he can defend himself from Lord Voldemort's minions himself). But when two people had died, Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) must find Horcruxes (personal possessions of Lord Voldemort) and destroy them so he can get ready for the FINAL BATTLE!

The Harry Potter films. They never polarized people, but this movie polarized me. The five movies were fantastic. They had heaps of time for the main characters to develop and had brought fun into our lives with magical fantasies and a huge interest of Harry Potter, the character himself. (read: milking the cow)

But the last two movies all directed by David Yates and written by Steve Kloves had turned more darker as usual. The Order of the Phoenix was ok, but they left out important bits out of the novel. As well as the Half Blood Prince it reduced its dark tone, but replaced the bits with unwanted humour and a huge subplot of Harry, Hermione and Ron's hormones raging upon girls. This left the last two seemed joyless.

The Deathly Hallows however went about too far. The tone goes too dark despite Kloves followed half of the book into his screenplay which is like copying from an instruction manual.

The lighting and the cinematography is brilliant. But the tone has its cons. As the Harry Potter franchise aims at a mass audience (readers and non readers alike), it's shot like if it were a horror film. There are too many close ups of a snake as if it was shot in 3D in which the studio had abandoned these plans. Then there's a scene where Emma Watson get tortured. And I was wondering this scene was appropriate for kids as there were many kids in the audience.

There was a great animated scene where it look like it had been left out from a Henry Selleck movie or a Neil Gaiman novel. That was the great thing about this film. The action scenes were pro as it is handled so well and there was a car chase and foot chase. But I was wondering why do they need a car sequence with cars crashing.

Klove's screenplay goes to great length into getting everything from the novel ion. However for non readers, the dialogue gets so complicated as we know little detail of what's was there. For instance there are five Horcruxes. It doesn't tell you what is a Horcrux and you have to wait to find out all of the Horcruxes. Even the plot can get so confusing it's not like watching Inception.

Emma Watson was most seen in the movie as if she was a current sex symbol. Even though Hermione was the most interesting character of the trio, each shot with only her seems sentimental as she plays a Sally Sobstory. A scene featuring a naked Daniel Radcliffe and Watson even a dance sequence look laughable and cheap. Rupert Grint looks like he's not enjoying himself while Radcliffe never gets the chance of being developed.

There's a great cameo of Bill Nighy and a cast of British veterans are nice including a seemingly splendid yet sinister act from Imelda Stauton who plays Dolores Umbridge from the Order of the Phoenix.

Why do you need to bring in Dobby. He's only there for cheap laughs because of his speech similar to Elmo.

I thought that bringing two volumes of the movie is an excuse for profiting studios (that's what people felt when they were watching Kill Bill). So I might have to wait until Part II comes out on July... in 3D!

The Deathly Hallows is an improvement from the Half Blood Prince. Unfortunately it is still a disappointment and watching the first part and onto the next one where it feels like watching The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions all over again. But everything about The Matrix is parallel to the two part instalment where Harry Potter is the One.

But as a fan who read all of the books, I hope this can improve. But else like many other franchises, every film especially this one is strictly for fans to enjoy.