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Friday, August 5, 2011

[9.00/10] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 [3D] (2011)


Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows - Part 2 [3D] (2011)


Full review: This year, "it all ends". Sadly. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" is the last and arguably the best, darkest and most mature entry in the hugely-popular franchise. A few dragged-out scenes and some rather unnecessary flashbacks aside, "Deathly Hallows - Part 2" is thrilling and thoroughly captivating from beginning to the end. The story unfolds at brisk, yet smooth pace, balancing action-packed, epic scenes with dialogue-driven ones quite well, while the long-awaited conclusion is utterly predictable, yet somewhat satisfying. British director David Yates simply outdoes himself this time around. Back in 2007, he did a good job with "Order of the Phoenix" and his direction was competent and everything, however, not necessarily exceptional. Yates stepped things up with "Half-Blood Prince", but his directing skills were still far from perfect. Having said that, last year with "Deathly Hallows - Part 1" he proved to all of us he already 'gets' the whole Harry Potter concept 100%. Now, with "Deathly Hallows - Part 2" it feels that he has gotten even more comfortable with the source material, and it's more than obvious that he grew up loving the characters and the entire story with all his heart, as his fourth installment is filmed and crafted with such a passion, imagination and zeal, it shines through the screen. In terms of visuals, the film is nothing short of spectacular. The grim, washed-out cinematography fits the dark tone of the movie incredibly well and creates an intense, yet magical atmosphere, and the uber-slick production design is so stunningly impressive you will be wowed by it for sure. The CGIs are absolutely first rate and a true feast for the eyes, and the action scenes range from great to stupendous, with special mention goes to the Tresor/Dragon sequence in the middle of the movie, which is, in my book, the real highlight of the film. Another memorable moment is the attack on Hogwarts, which sadly ends up a bit shorter than expected. The 3D effects are passable, but they hardly add any depth to both the visuals and the story. Acting-wise, "Deathly Hallows - Part 2" also meets and even exceeds our expectations. The charming trio Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are all better than ever before, and the top-notch supporting cast does an incredible job at bringing their characters to life, however, it's Ralph Fiennes that steals the show as the mean and vicious Lord Voldemort.

Overall summary: Compelling, emotionally-powerful, wonderfully-crafted, and visually mind-blowing, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" not only ranks as the best installment in the super-successful franchise along with Alfonso Cuaron's "Prisoner of Azkaban", but it's also a great and truly magical way to end the series. Farewell, Harry Potter!

12 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

It was definitely the best of the series. I didn't like Part I, but Part II made up for it.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Alex, for me, The Prisoner of Azkaban remains the best of the series. DH II comes in second place. I liked Part 1 quite a lot actually - it was very moody, thrilling and beautifully-crafted.

Unknown said...

I'm sad to see Harry end as well, I have not seen this as it's not been in my budget, but since I read the book, I know what happens and well, Harry and Ginny more than deserve their HEA.

My favorite will always be the very first movie because it was the introduction to the whole series and world of Hogwart's. Azkaban comes close, but for nostalgia, it's Sorcerer's Stone.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Mel, it's very sad indeed. It's been 10 since the first movie, and just like director David Yates, we all grew up loving Harry Potter and fis mates. Honestly said, I'm gonna miss the series a lot.

I liked the Sorcerer's Stone, but I found it to juvenile for my taste. I was mesmerized by Prisoner of Azkaban and its dark tone and atmospheric visuals, as well as the story.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I didn't care for the last few movies, but I really liked this one.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Diane, I liked Part 1 quite a lot actually. I found it incredibly atmospheric and filled with smoothness and sophistication. Part 2 was even better. :)

Michele (TheGirlWhoLovesHorror) said...

This one was good, but it did drag out a lot in some parts. And having read the book with the already established style of the movies in mind, this movie was pretty much EXACTLY the way I pictured it while reading Deathly Hallows! I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing...

I'm with you on Prisoner of Azkaban, Nebs. Definitely the best movie of the whole series.

Dang, I'm gonna miss these so much! I love books and TV shows that create their own little world that you can get completely immersed in and only true fans can love and appreciate it. I'm feeling like I need to read all the books again. And I still need to buy Half-Blood Prince.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

TheGirlWhoLovesHorror, it certainly did drag a bit here and there and that was its main weakness I think. I haven't read any of the books, but I've seen all the movies, and Prisoner of Azkaban made the biggest impact on me, plus, I love Cuaron's visual style.

I'm not necessarily crazy about Harry Potter, but I pretty much liked all the movies. May be I should read the books as well.

Unknown said...

Yeah, I thought this was one of the better offerings this Summer. Wasn't a fan of HP as well, only caught the films and this one really did impress me quite a bit.

Thanks for sharing this! :D

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

J-Son, when I heard first of it I was like: What kind of juvenile bullshit is that? But then I saw the first movie and I was liked: Wow, cool! :)

From all Yates HP movies, this one is definitely my most favorite.

Thanks for the comment, buddy. :)

Michele (TheGirlWhoLovesHorror) said...

Did I sound like a crazy Harry Potter fan just then? I'm not crazy-crazy over it but the books really are a joy to read and get into and most of the movies have been fun as well - even though a lot of people complain about how "serious" they got after a while.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

No, you didn't. Not at all. :) I like Harry Potter myself quite a lot as well. Yep, the films got too serious after the third one, but since Harry Potter and his mates, and fans had grown up, I reckon that's something normal. ;)