Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

This weekend marks the opening of the final installment of the Harry Potter franchise.  Director David Yates has created a near perfect swan song for the series.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mObK5XD8udk

The movie opens where most fans expected, right where Part I left off last November.  There is a major difference between the two movies though.  Part I was more about the wind up while Part II is more like the punch.  Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) are in a safe house trying to find the last couple of horcruxes to destroy, leaving Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) weak enough to defeat.  Things start out a little slow, but quickly pick up as they enter the magical world of Gringots, the goblin bank.  Here they encounter goblins, a dragon, a very interesting roller coaster like transport, as well as lots of gold.

Harry Potter and the Multiplying Gold*

The movie mainly focuses on the final battle between Harry Potter and Voldemort. Each movie intensifies and adds to the battle while this movie finally gives the audience a closing to this epic rivalry.  Once Harry finds the fifth of seven horcruxes he returns to Hogwarts with his friends to continue the search.  It is only fitting that the final battle take place where it all began seven years earlier when Harry first arrived at the school. Surrounded by his friends, old teachers, the Weasleys, and members of the Order of the Phoenix, Harry is able to find the final two horcruxes.  Each time he destroys one it weakens Voldemort even more.  While Harry is searching for the horcruxes, Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) leads the other wizards and witches in preparing for the impending battle that will take place on the school grounds. When Harry and Voldemort lock wands with their spells, you can really feel the audience become more invested in the outcome of the movie.

The visual effects truly make the movie.  A variety of companies ranging from Cinesite, MPC, and Base Site are responsible for taking on this heavy visual spectacle.  They are responsible for the dragon, dementors, spells being cast, and a variety of other magical elements as part of this rather large special effects budget.  This is how a special effects movie is made.  Other movies out this summer should take note if they plan on making any sequels.

Harry Potter and the Upstaging Actor*

While the characters have grown up, so have the actors.  They are much stronger and truly bring the world of Harry Potter to life one last time.  They started out as snot nosed twelve-year-olds and are now grown up seventeen/eighteen year olds in the movie.  The biggest progression is with Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis), not only has he physically grown up, but he is now emotionally one of the stronger characters.  It is nice to see this growth as an actor of such a young age.  He was once the boy that everyone made fun of, but in this movie he is the one that everyone looks up to for help.

As for the music, the very recognizable first notes send your heart racing because you know that you are watching Harry Potter. The score is one of the most important parts of a movie because it is meant to help guide the audience on their journey through this magical world. John Williams’ enduring score is ever-present, directed here by Alexandre Desplat, and is as essential to the film as the actors or plot.

Harry Potter and the Gradually Confusing Light*

The film isn’t without imperfections. The start of the film takes strong cues from Part 1, i.e., it’s incredibly slow. Fortunately, like the first initial climb of a roller coaster, it’s short lived. The moment Harry infiltrates the goblin bank, the pace picks up dramatically with a literal roller coaster ride and rarely backs down. As for the epilogue, it was well done, but not all of the characters were aged appropriately for it taking place nineteen years later. Emma Watson doesn’t look any older at all. Putting her hair in a french twist doesn’t put her in her late 30’s.

Sitting in the audience, listening to the opening notes of the score, and watching the title pan across the screen has become a rather nostalgic part of the past ten years.  It will be sad to not have this experience again.  During the movie I laughed, I cried, I gasped, and my heart raced.  This is what a movie is meant to do.  If you want to be a part of this wonderful ride, then you should catch what will undoubtedly be the biggest movie of the year.

Harry Potter, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, opens July 16th, 2011
*Images courtesy Entertainment Weekly