emlogomain.jpg

Main
Facebook
Tumblr
News/ Updates
DVD Reviews
Blu-ray Reviews
Movie Reviews
TV
Interviews
TV show review: CONTINUUM season 4
PHOTOGRAPHY

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS Part 2

Movie review by David Blackwell

 

130 minutes, rated PG-13

STUDIO:  Warner Bros. Pictures

Theatrical RELEASE DATE:  7-15-2011

Harry, Hermione, and Ron continue to hunt down the horocruxes that continue fragments of Voldemort's soul.  Voldemort finds out about it and it sets the stage for an assault on Hogwarts Wizarding School that leads to a climatic battle between Harry Potter and the evil wizard that murdered his parents.

 

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS Part 2 is a satisfying conclusion to THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS adaptation which some could argue ran for a  little long in the first part.   Part 2 is more action and delivers on  a few things while a few characters do get shorted (and others get more time like Neville and the old lady wizard teacher played by Maggie Smith).    The Harry Potter films improved as they went on.   The first two were a little mechanical while the other films are more alive.   The real trick will be to see how this film serves as a conclusion to the whole film series when the viewer watches the series from start to finish.  

 

On the downside, some moments do feel a  little rushed and deserve a few bits instead of the usual "oh, gee- they have to kiss in the moment of battle to show their love" moments (which happen twice).   I wonder if the conclusion would have been grand if they allowed every character to breathe more despite Part 2 being epic.    The battles are intense and Harry's final battle against Voldemort is satisfying (even though Harry seemingly sacrificing himself could have been played better).  Snapes' final threads to his arc prove a couple of things I already guessed from previous films.   Alan Rickman played a very tragic and conflicted character in what is some of his best acting in his whole career (and I would love to see a Harry Potter film from the POV of Snapes).

 

I can't wait until this film hits DVD and Blu-ray because I want to watch the whole journey again from start to finish in what is one of the good adaptations of books to film.

 

this movie review is (c)7-19-2011 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com