Feel good comedy of the year
So I like the Harry Potter franchise. I love the books, the films, some of the games; the whole package. And it's with a heavy heart in which is say that this is where it all ends. because it feels like an entire era is crashing down all at once. So it's my job to decide whether or not, after 10 years of hype and holler, it was all worth it. Is "Pottermania" justified as a rival to "Beatlemania"?So, unless you've built a house under a mountain of rocks, are both blind and deaf, or generally ignorant, I would imagine you know what's at stake here. Harry, Ron and Hermione have to find the final horcruxes, Voldemort is making his march on Hogwarts to kill Harry Potter; pretty much the fate of the entire world hinges on whether or not Harry can destroy the dark lord. This is where everything ends. All ends are tied, all i's are doted, and all t's crossed. If you've ever watched a Harry Potter film, or read any Harry Potter book, you'll understand what's going on, and what will happen.
Or so I thought. As someone who's read all the books a few times each, and seen all the films, it's strange that I was lost at the beginning of this film. And that's the first issue with Part 2; you're thrown to the dogs. Unless you've read the book or seen Part 1 pretty recently, you'll have to take a few minutes to gather your bearings, to let your mind figure out what the fuck is going on. It's fine once you get going, but this is an issue that could've been resolved with a 20 minutes catch-up session instead of excessive amounts of trailers and adverts. Just saying.
And once it gets going, you're going to drop your jaw. Every generated area is crafted with such grandeur and bombast that, at times, you may be taken aback with sheer awe. Green screening and real landscapes mix near seemlessly. I say near because, and here's issue number two; this film is in 3D. Something I've noticed with alot of 3D films is, in its current form, it can't handle depth particularly well. Which is strange seeing as the Z-axis is extended somewhat. The 3D in this film seems, nay, IS, tacked on. it makes the green screening stick out, it throws characters into the foreground and takes you out of the moment. All I can see its use for is for floating particle effects. If you can find the film in 2D, watch it that way; it'll save you about £3 per ticket, and you'll seep into the action effortlessly.
As this is the last film in the saga, there's a hell of a lot more emphasis on how the characters have developed since the series opener all those years ago. And, while it's clear that both Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have evolved somewhat into competent thespians, the lead (Daniel Radcliffe) certainly has not. I kid you not, from the first to the last minute, he gives the same emotionless, monotonous performance he's given since 2000. He's on the brink of being half decent. But, for someone who's taken 10 years out of their life to be in this project, that certainly isn't good enough. (Issue number three) The entire film hinges on him giving a performance of a lifetime. And he does. But his previous performances in these films ARE his lifetime, and they're shockingly terrible. That said, Ralph Fiennes makes for a truly terrifying Voldemort, and Alan Rickman is as haunting as he's ever been in the Role of Snape. Leave it to the professionals, eh Dan?
If you've read the book you'll know that this chapter in the over-arcing saga is the biggest in terms of combat and action. And, in many respects, this film does that outlook justice. Hogwarts is the backdrop to the most ambition face seen in the film serious. Literally hundreds of innocent extras are mercilessly cast down in, what can only be described as, a Helms Deep killer. There are firefights all across the castle. As Harry struggles to piece together the clues leading him to another Horcrux, all the good guys do their best to fend off the Dark Lords army, in one way or another. Characters you've come to love (Neville, Luna, Seamus, Cho Chang, amongst others) get their chance in the spotlight. Especially Neville; in a moment where a bridge is collapsing and he's fleeing for his life, he finds the time to become the action man no one expected. Luna (Evanna Lynch) continues to surprise everyone, delivering another outlandishly captivating performance built upon the strange and amusing.
I'm not done with characters yet, by the way. This is a MASSIVE SPOILER WARNING, WHICH WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE VERY END OF THIS REVIEW. I SURE AS HELL AM NOT AVOIDING THE END OF THIS FILM, AND WILL TALK ABOUT IT IN EXTENSIVE DETAIL, SO YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Harry realises what he needs to do in order to end this madness, and carries his sorry ass off to the forbidden forest to meet his maker. Voldemort Advada Kedavra's him right in the crest, and he dies (pssssss, not really.) What follows is Harry returning from the dead, and the final battle commencing, with several secondary characters kicking the bucket. Now that's fine, it's in the book, but I'm sure J.K.Rowling didn't intend to build Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Botham Carter, brilliant performer since the order of the phoenix, by the way) up as a character, just to see her cut down in a matter of moments. And this is issue number four, and possibly the most crucial; big characters are killed off without any fanfare. It just happens. In the book, Fred Weasley was murdered in a huge scene leading to emotional sentiments from his twin brother, George. There's one minute spent on this in the film. Bellatrix Lestrange has become quite the prominent character in this series. Killed off in a matter of seconds. Snape gets the chop in an unforgiving manner. But, what's most unforgiving, is that Voldemort dies in a very un-noble manner. It just happens. This was the opportunity to get the great hall involved one last time; et the glass shattering, the students riled up; but it happens outside, and he dissolves. And it doesn't feel right. I'm all up for changing the book if it makes the film better, but it DOESN'T MAKE THE FILM BETTER.
So, in conclusion, Part 2 is the biggest, most bombastic Harry Potter film to date. More often that not the cast gives some truly excellent performances. You'll come away from this film feeling satisfied. But only that. it's a film that could've done with an extra half hour/45 minutes to give the deaths more impact, to make the film more complete.
Up until Potter learns his fate this was a 10/10, ring the academy we might finally see a Harry Potter film nominated for an Oscar-type of film. Then it speeds up to 100 miles an hour, and leaves you behind wondering "what happened there?" Don't get me wrong, it's a good film. A really good film. But it's not without its shortcomings. This is a film that will leave you, an the series, satisfied. But nothing more.
8/10
