HARRY POTTER 7.2 REVIEW

"I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"


... Do you know when a film about characters I have loved for over a decade has failed?

When one of the most memorable moments of that film doesn't involve any of those characters, rather a dragon that has fallen victim to some severely-lacking wizarding laws.


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As with my last review (found here, for those interested: [link] ), I'm going to be harsh and frank. Sorry in advance. I hope you guys all enjoyed it much more than I did.



Well, at the end of the day (or morning, rather, seeing as I went to the 12am premiere session) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 fell flat for me.


I'm not disappointed, because in the depths of my heart I’ve known all along disappointment was coming. It seems I've got no more energy left for despairing over the Harry Potter movies. The fight is lost. They're over. I can finally stop willing cast and crew members I've never met to do a job worthy of the adoration and budget they're accorded. It's a little bit of a relief, really.


On an emotional level, I felt the film didn't connect.


I'm very aware of why it didn't connect, and this in itself is a problem, because it's a sure sign to me that a film is lacking when my brain starts picking it apart instead of just taking it in.


It felt rushed. There was no sense of tension and release, nor of time in general. I don't personally see how this could have been otherwise; how do you successfully make a well-paced feature film using only the climax of an extremely long and complicated story? Not easily, that's for sure, but somewhere out there in the ether of film-making must be a way. They lucked out on finding it.


On the topic of time, I felt they spent it in all the wrong places (as they have done consistently since the third film, so it was no surprise). While I can understand in theory why they chose to have Part One centre around the trio, and Part Two centre around the battle for Hogwarts and Voldemort's defeat... did it never occur to them that because this was the very last film we might want to see as much of the characters' depth of personalities and relationships as possible? Film is manipulation, but I don't enjoy consciously feeling manipulated - and being shown a single staid and manufactured moment in which Fred and George encourage each other to serve the fact Fred is going to die is thoroughly under-whelming. All it would have taken was a few more lines, a little more screen time, and that moment could have been touching instead of heavy-handed.


And if they didn't want to give time to the supporting characters, why not to the trio? Part One did a wonderful job of dealing with their relationships, but in Part Two they behaved like completely different people. We barely got to see them reflect on themselves or their friendship at all - with a few meagre exceptions, like when Harry resolved to give himself up to Voldemort (this scene made me downright angry it was so devoid of conviction; oh, Harry shares a hug with Hermione, but what do he and Ron share? A resigned and tired glance. Plainly put: this does not cut it. They've been best friends for seven years, they've had their differences, they've come through, they mean the world to each other - SHOW ME SOME GODDMAN BROMANCE) ... and when they were standing on the stone bridge at the end holding hands in the sunshine (I'm sure you can tell what I think of that moment from how I phrased that sentence).


The direction was run-of-the-mill, and some of it was just plain shoddy. The blocking and frame choices for the battle scenes in particular caused me grief. I do not envy the editor/s burdened with cutting those sequences.


The music, surprisingly, was a bit lack-lustre in this movie, but it wasn't too noticeable, so I'll stand down. Although, if I'm nit-picking (which I always do), it would've been lovely to hear the main theme played over the Warner Brothers' logo at the beginning for nostalgia's sake.


The writing was so-so, its flaws all stemming from the fact they chose to treat Part Two like a prolonged action sequence. Granted, this was the action end of the book, but there were plenty of opportunities for longer, more meaningful conversations between the characters.
In general, I think the script lacked truthfulness - example: does anyone honestly think Molly Weasley would have smiled with perky satisfaction when she killed Bellatrix Lestrange? Look, I get it, it's the movies, when evil henchmen die it's expected to be light and funny, but in this instance I found the use of that stereotype patronising.
The endless plot-points were pretty tiring, too. I know it's the resurrection stone, Harry, and I know why Snape's patronus is a doe. Sometimes I really wish you'd keep those thoroughly beguiling comments to yourself.



Speaking of Snape's patronus, how about I quit my whining and discuss some positive aspects of the film?



I’m so thankful they gave Snape his moments, and I’m doubly thankful Alan Rickman owned those moments as perfectly as he did. His performances have been one of the precious few things about the Harry Potter movies that consistently exceed my highest expectations. And for the first time in all the films, something played out before my eyes better than I imagined it when I read the books. When Snape said, "Look at me." he really said it - it didn't feel remotely distant or even acted, it felt like the Severus Snape I've known for years, who exists tragic and whole inside my head, speaking his last words. Well, they would've been his last words if the writer hadn't felt the need to add yet another plot-point, but I'll disregard that in lieu of my love for that line.


And while we're on the acting; Maggie Smith was lovely. I was glad we finally got to see her again. A little more of David Thewlis and Robbie Coltrane would've been nice. I was quite pleased with the amount of Jason Isaacs (go, team Malfoy!). And I like Ralph Fiennes, I think his Voldemort is wonderful, even if he would be better suited to the stage so people wouldn't laugh at his embroidered hand movements (towards the end of the film, nearly everything Voldemort did got a laugh from the audience. I doubt this was the filmmakers' intentions). As for the students, well, they didn't say much, so I don't have much to go on (maybe I’ll take what I can get and count that as a blessing).


I also appreciated the distinct lack of clumsy, childish humour, and I rather thought the youthful humour that was used was effective and charming (excepting, in part, Neville and Luna simply because it wasn't canon, and as adorable as I think it is, this was supposed to be a film adaption of the books, not of fan-fiction. Those were precious seconds they could've spent on something canon. Like Harry fixing his wand, perhaps?).


Oh, and I loved the dragon. That poor, sodding dragon.



I could go on for a lot longer, but I'm positive you've had enough of me by now (if you've made it this far please have a cookie ).



Ultimately, I realised half-way through watching Part Two last night that its ending would never come close to what I'd imagined, and that I was thankful I never expected it to. I would have loved to have cried as much as I did when I read the book, but perhaps it's best I didn't. This way it doesn't feel like it's over, and that's what I’d feared.


I know I sound bitter, but I'm not. I just love pretending to be a film critic


While I don't possess much of a drive to see this film again (which hasn't been the case with any of the others), I bear no grudges. They did what they felt was right at the time, and bless them, because it never would have been easy. I hope no one out there is losing sleep over the job they did, both mistakes and triumphs were made, and that's just the nature of the industry. Of everthing, actually.




Goodbye, Harry Potter movies. You didn't fail to entertain me.








_{Mischief managed (I totally said it, Rowan )}