Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 picks up exactly where Part 1 left off months ago, with Harry burying his dear friend, Dobby a Free Elf (well, that’s what the tombstone said, anyway), and getting set to embark on another tough journey to find the horcuxes containing shreds of Lord Voldemort’s soul and destroy them, all the better to weaken and hopefully destroy the one “whose name shall not be spoken” but, regardless, has been mentioned a whole lot the last few sequels.
So, from Shell Cottage we travel with Harry, Hermione and Ron to the underbelly of Gringotts Bank, where they break into the vault of Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange and, and … uh …
Aaargh, I give. I have little clue what the heck I’m talking about here. But I’m trying, darn it. And I will admit this much — as a non-fan of the book series, I liked this last instalment of the Harry Potter franchise. I didn’t adore it … but those around me (especially the chap dressed as Potter, right down to the lightning bolt ‘scar’ on his head) sure did. And who am I to argue with their tears at seeing the curtain fall on the gang from Hogwarts? (Good thing Harry’s scar wasn’t on his cheek, or the dude’s make-up would probably run.)
For one thing, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 enjoys one doozie of a gathering of British talent, featuring the likes of Ralph Fiennes (the aforementioned Voldemort), Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Emma Thompson, Gary Oldman, John Hurt and others. While their appearance times range from meaty to measly, it’s fun to star gaze at some of the best-of-the-best from across the pond.
And then there’s the boy wiz (Daniel Radcliffe) and his mates (Emma Watson and Rupert Grint). During some flashback scenes as Harry prepares to take on Voldemort in one last dust-up, we get a good glimpse at just how wee this trio was when they first began the series in 2001. And while they’ve never really stumbled in the roles, always carrying themselves well and bringing genuine passion to the proceedings, never have they displayed such unbelievable poise. What we have here, people, are actors. The real deal.
‘Course, the main event is the battle itself … a near hour-long and not-surprisingly dark clash between good and evil that sees Hogwarts reduced to pebbles and a clear winner declared. Director David Yates completely goes for the gusto, and does the complicated brawl justice. To say that Harry Potter ends with a bang with The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is probably an understatement.
So while I’ve sometimes been less than kind to Potter’s cinematic adventures (keep those letters and emails coming)!, I’ll give credit where credit is more than due — this is a darn solid piece of film making and storytelling. And I’m under no spell to say that. Well, to my knowledge, at least.
Out of a possible five stars, I’ll give Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 a four. The feature is currently playing at the Pen Mar Cinema Centre in Penticton.
Jason Armstrong is a movie reviewer living in the Okanagan.
