I don't know if it's possible to gauge just how much of an accomplishment the finale of Harry Potter really is. At least not yet. That will come with the benefit of time and distance, to give it the proper perspective. Right now we're just basking in the afterglow. In today's Hollywood, where every film is a potential franchise but few make it past the trilogy stage, Harry Potter has been going strong for a decade. That's eight movies, with the cast largely intact, dealing with the rapid growth of it's lead characters. But more importantly, dealing with the rapid growth of the audience. The remarkable thing about Harry Potter isn't that it's earned billions of dollars worldwide, it's that along the way it's never failed to amaze and shock us, going out in an epic finale that I think will be the measuring stick for all
The gloom in the air still hangs from the moment the film picks up, literally moments after the heartbreaking conclusion of the last film. Harry(Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione(Emma Watson), and Ron(Rupert Grint) are still on the quest to destroy the pieces of Voldemort's(Ralph Fiennes) soul, but have suffered terrible losses on the way. A triumphant bolt of energy signals the worst, that Voldemort has obtained the all powerful Elder Wand, with which he intends to destroy the boy wizard once and for all. During his treacherous journey, Harry puts the pieces of his Dumbledore's clever gambit to defeat Voldemort together, even enlisting the reluctant aid of his previously unknown brother, Aberforth(Ciaran Hinds).
After part 1 slogged through a meandering plot a bit too heavy in Potter lore, writer Steve Kloves has managed to keep the excitement dial turned all the way up here. There is never a moment where you can turn away or get bored. The plot is thin in the best possible way as all the excruciating legwork was done previously. That leaves only the inevitable showdown, with Voldemort launching a full scale magical attack on Hogwarts that would put the Normandy invasion to shame. It's an all out war that leaves many faces we've grown to know and love over the years dead or dying. Relationships are forcefully broken, unexpected heroes are made, and long held feelings are revealed at the heart of adversity. I never read any of JK Rowling's books, so I couldn't poke at some scene or plot point that was omitted or not given it's proper due. For me, the final battle is nearly everything I could have wanted. Every character gets their moment to shine. Ron and Hermione, Harry's best friends who have also served as his conscience in a lot of ways, are as loyal and likable as ever, even giving fans the moment they've been hoping for years. I won't spoil it but you probably know what it is. Ralph Fiennes' Voldemort may be the most terrifying movie villain ever, and yes that includes Darth Vader. For sheer cold hearted brutality, Vader couldn't carry Voldemort's wand. It's Daniel Radcliffe that shines, though. Amazing to think that when The Sorcerer's Stone came out, I thought he was the weakest link of all. Much like Harry, he's grown to become a charismatic figure capable of carrying this global phenomenon. I could've used a bit more of Helena Bonham Carter as the crazily unhinged Bellatrix Lastrange. And if you don't love Neville Longbottom(Matthew Lewis) by the end of this film then there's something wrong with you. His character's arc has been one of the most pleasant to watch over the years. Alan Rickman has been dead on as the conflicted Severus Snape since the beginning, with his character's motivations finally standing revealed. A couple of the individual battles aren't quite as long as I would have liked. And there's a weird scene where Harry ends up in this room bathed totally in white. All I'll say is it reminded me a bit too much of Neo hanging out at the train station in The Matrix
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With the exception of a few small quibbles, director David Yates gets practically everything right. He deserves special credit, I think. When he came aboard the franchise with The Order of The Phoenix, he was a relatively unknown director of mostly TV projects. He took on Harry Potter at a time when the story was taking a drastic turn in tone. What he did was keep the magic and awe of the Potter world while infusing it with just enough darkness. You could sense the seismic shift. These were no longer just kids' stories adapted for the big screen. And that leads me to my ultimate point about Harry Potter. Yes, it ends with arguably the most satisfying conclusion to a blockbuster series ever. But what I would also say is that no other franchise has been as consistent. By that I mean that each and every Harry Potter film has managed to up the stakes just a little bit more, leading to the frenzy we have now. That's a jaw dropping accomplishment in and of itself. Think about my beloved Star Wars for instance. It loses it's stakes about halfway through. After The Empire Strikes Back, there was nowhere left to go. Return of the Jedi feels silly by comparison. The Lord of the Rings maintains a steady tone the whole way through, but doesn't pluck at your emotions the way Harry Potter does.
I've spent a good part of this summer praising a lot of films. To me, it's been a great season. A lot of those films were huge, expensive, 3D laden spectacles. Transformers...X-men....Thor...I gave them all really high scores and genuinely enjoyed them all, but Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is in another class altogether. It's an event. One that will satisfy both the rabid fans and the casuals like myself. How often do you get to say that a film's big payoff truly exceeded your expectations?
