Harry Potter concludes (Warner Bros)

Given the magnitude and depth of the books, there is probably no way for any director to get it perfectly right. Even after splitting the seventh book into two movies, much had to be left out. And looking at 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’ as the last installment of a movie series, David Yates does the best he can. He ties up all loose story ends of the previous films, offering a simpler, movie-appropriate conclusion to the complex Harry Potter novel storyline. Unfortunately, it seems that amidst all the determination to do it right, the message and the meaning of the epic story got lost. 

‘DHP2’ leaves no time for a breather. Picking up right where the first part left off, the audience is hurled into one spectacular fight and chase scene after another, where curses and spells soar and explosions resonate frequently. The search for Voldemort’s Horcruxes quickly comes to a close but not without a few unexpected turns (for those who haven’t read the book, anyway), and in an epic final battle around Hogwarts, allegiances are tested and adhered to until the end. However, even amongst this entire action extravaganza, director David Yates ensures that both emotional and comic moments find their place, if only a little rushed at times.

The second part of the finale has most definitely quadrupled the pace of its first film, and particularly avid readers of the books may feel that the change in pace came at the price of story depth. The actors play their parts well and the majority of key passages remain, but hasty cuts and a rapid accumulation of plot turns leaves audiences little time to get their bearings in between scenes. More than anything, however, it must be said that the core message of love as the highest power even in the wizarding world has suffered under the quick pacing. Instead of Voldemort and Harry’s meaningful dialogue as they face off, audiences are treated to a (random) cliff fall and a comparatively unremarkable demise of Harry’s archenemy. Even though book adaptations are bound to be more superficial, the loss of this core message and the altered final battle may come as a disappointment to fans; after all, it is the one scene that both films and books have been building up to. 

And so 'DHP2' does what it can to wrap up the previous seven films, but never quite succeeds to put its message across. That does not mean it is a bad movie – the filmmaking is great, the plot coherent (even for non-fans), and the visual effects stunning. But given the decade-long build-up, it is questionable whether Yates chose the right parts to simplify and to elaborate on. 

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’ is playing in cinemas now. 

Directed by: David Yates

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham-Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Tom Felton

Rated: PG-13

Distributed by: Warner Bros. (2011)

Reach entertainment staff reporter Christine here. 

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