by Steve Kochems
I'm just going to get right into it. After 7 previous films, one whose sole purpose is to lead into this film, it would be quite asinine of me to nitpick and criticize Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. This isn't Jaws 8 or Friday the 13th VIII, this is a legitimate series that has maintained a standard of quality in each film of the series, something that's fairly unheard of in cinema and only rivaled by the James Bond series. That isn't to say HPDH2 is for everyone. God help you if this is the first Potter film you try to watch.
But in that minute weakness lays its strength. This is a movie for the millions who've followed the books and the millions more who were forced to watch the first six films in a three day period and then rushed to see Deathly Hallows: Part 1, only to be left horribly blue-balled by what turned out to be only half a movie (side note: the forced part turned into a blessing in disguise and the second isn't a harsh criticism as my Potter liaison team informed me that was the logical point to break the movies, which I found true after watching this film).
The action packed opening to Deathly Hallows Part 1 was only a taste of what you'll get in Part 2. For a series that was slow and tense pacing of mystery story after mystery story, Mr. Potter gets supercharged as Hogwarts and the Dark Lord go to an all out war that involves many favorites from the past films. And most importantly, it ends with class and dignity.
I could argue that Hermoine and Ron seem less important here while Neville soaks up many of the larger moments (side note 2: Potter liaison explained the reasoning from the novel so I've been corrected already). But beyond that I've little bad or good to say about this movie. Not because there aren't good things in this movie (there are many), but let's be honest with each other here. You've seen seven movies in a series, even if you're pissed off at it for some reason you are not giving up on watching the finale. And if you haven't seen any of them you won't know what I'm talking about anyhow.
Still, I felt obligated to put my thoughts up on here about the final Harry Potter. Partially because it's what we have this site for and partly because Mike and I have been a little lagging on the review this summer, which sucks because it's actually shaped up to be a very nice summer of movies. We're sorry, I moved, he's got no internet, the debt issue hasn't been resolved- we're all suffering, guys.
Anyway, I don't know what else to say about HPDH2. I did have a moment of high emotion two days after seeing the final Potter; I came home and saw the Sorcerer's Stone was on cable. I could only handle a few minutes of it because Daniel Radcliffe looked so young, but it showed the process of the Potter movies. It's a ten year journey that we've gone on and now it's over. And I'm not sad because of nostalgia, but because that was ten years ago it started (feeling old). If you take nothing else away from this movie, commend it for leaving with class and pride, something it upheld through all eight films and a decade of love.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
But in that minute weakness lays its strength. This is a movie for the millions who've followed the books and the millions more who were forced to watch the first six films in a three day period and then rushed to see Deathly Hallows: Part 1, only to be left horribly blue-balled by what turned out to be only half a movie (side note: the forced part turned into a blessing in disguise and the second isn't a harsh criticism as my Potter liaison team informed me that was the logical point to break the movies, which I found true after watching this film).
The action packed opening to Deathly Hallows Part 1 was only a taste of what you'll get in Part 2. For a series that was slow and tense pacing of mystery story after mystery story, Mr. Potter gets supercharged as Hogwarts and the Dark Lord go to an all out war that involves many favorites from the past films. And most importantly, it ends with class and dignity.
I could argue that Hermoine and Ron seem less important here while Neville soaks up many of the larger moments (side note 2: Potter liaison explained the reasoning from the novel so I've been corrected already). But beyond that I've little bad or good to say about this movie. Not because there aren't good things in this movie (there are many), but let's be honest with each other here. You've seen seven movies in a series, even if you're pissed off at it for some reason you are not giving up on watching the finale. And if you haven't seen any of them you won't know what I'm talking about anyhow.
Still, I felt obligated to put my thoughts up on here about the final Harry Potter. Partially because it's what we have this site for and partly because Mike and I have been a little lagging on the review this summer, which sucks because it's actually shaped up to be a very nice summer of movies. We're sorry, I moved, he's got no internet, the debt issue hasn't been resolved- we're all suffering, guys.
Anyway, I don't know what else to say about HPDH2. I did have a moment of high emotion two days after seeing the final Potter; I came home and saw the Sorcerer's Stone was on cable. I could only handle a few minutes of it because Daniel Radcliffe looked so young, but it showed the process of the Potter movies. It's a ten year journey that we've gone on and now it's over. And I'm not sad because of nostalgia, but because that was ten years ago it started (feeling old). If you take nothing else away from this movie, commend it for leaving with class and pride, something it upheld through all eight films and a decade of love.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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