“He’s after you, Mister Potter. You really don’t stand a chance.” “Then I better find him first and kill him.” That’s Daniel Radcliffe as the boy wizard Harry Potter, now a young man, responding to Mr. Ollivander played once again by the very talented actor John Hurt in the beginning of the last film in the magical saga: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
The film wastes no time and picks up right where Part 1 left off. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are still following their quest to find and destroy all the Horcruxes (objects which contain a piece of Lord Voldemort’s soul) so that they can kill the Dark Lord and save the wizarding world from his grasp. Harry quickly deduces that one of the Horcruxes lies in the safe belonging to Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham-Carter) at Gringotts bank. So it’s up to Hermione to use her magical spells to transform herself into Bellatrix and trick the Goblins who run the bank into letting them in the highly guarded vault. Did I mention to look out for the dragon?!
Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), now in possession of the Elder Wand, believes he finally has the ultimate weapon to kill Harry Potter and control the Wizard world forever. Needing to draw out Harry for a final confrontation the Dark Lord marches on Hogwarts with his Death Eaters and Dementors threatening the lives of Harry’s classmates and teachers.
Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s hunt for the Horcruxes has led them back to Hogwarts to find the last remaining ones and destroy them. Once there, Harry learns a terrible truth…that in order to save his friends and the world he loves so dearly he may have to make a horrible sacrifice.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a stunning, compelling, epic, action-adventure fantasy that delivers everything you could ever want and hope for from the movie saga. The film has wonderful special effects and breathtaking battle scenes. The siege of Hogwarts and the fight that ensues is truly thrilling. The acting has perhaps never been better than in this, the final chapter.
Daniel Radcliffe delivers his strongest performance as Harry, portraying both a confident and courageous hero determined to save everyone from the Dark Lord and a devastated soul trying to summon up the strength he needs to face his enemy. He owns every scene he’s in and is the heart and soul of the film. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are finally allowed to explore the romantic feelings their characters feel for one another as well as become action heroes all their own. Both actors rise to the challenge beautifully.
Ralph Fiennes is fiendishly evil as Voldemort. His character actually shows fear and a dark comical side in the film that has never been present before. It adds an interesting new side to the Dark Lord.
The film’s haunting and stirring soundtrack by Alexandre Desplat adds real emotion and enhances every scene it’s in. Perhaps the only problem with the film is with the cinematography that seems to gray and dark in some scenes.
Magical, moving, suspenseful and heartfelt, this last installment in the Harry Potter franchise is the perfect farewell for these characters and their world. It’s not often when a film series ends and lives up to its fans’ – and critics’ – expectations. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 does exactly that.
GRADE: A-
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 hits theaters on July 15, 2011 and is rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images.
