It’s the end of an era some would say. Children around the world, now adults grew up with the Harry Potter Series, and it all comes to a close this weekend. The eighth and final installment hits theaters friday and no doubt there will be fans lined up hours ahead of time to catch the midnight showings. Lets be honest, the fans care so much about this series, they don’t really give a crap what I have to say about the film.
However I too am a fan of the series, maybe not as die hard as those in line already, but I’ve enjoyed Harry Potter from the first magical moments in Sorcerers Stone. J K Rowling made reading fun again, and Chris Columbus successfully brought the magic alive off the pages for our viewing pleasure back in 2001. Since then the series has gone through a number of different directors. Current director David Yates has been handling the series since the fifth book, when the series took a bit of a darker turn.
I’ve never been exactly keen on the job Yates has done with these films. Feeling almost as if the magic is few and far between during his versions. It’s there but its not as well pulled of like with previous directors.
The Deathly Hallows part two finds our trio preparing for the climatic end. Figuring out where and what the last horcruxes are, destroying them, and ending Lord Voldemort. Surely if you’re thinking about going to see this film, you’ve seen the rest and know the plot. As for the plot, those of who are dying to know, yes the final chapter of the book is included in the film.
We get the performances you’d expect from Daniel, Emma, and Rupert. But many of the secondary characters get their turns to shine beyond what we normally see. I think fans will be thrilled at Professor McGonagall’s moments of glory played by the amazing Maggie Smith. As well as Nevill Longbottom played by Matthew Lewis, the most deserving in the cast for biggest evolution from child to adult.
As for the film itself, fans will only be left partially satisfied. My biggest beef with the film, is how short it is. Now you would probably wonder why a shorter film would bother me, but the shorter the film, the more scenes get short changed. It’s as if they were afraid it would drag, and in the end it feels almost rushed, the opposite of The Half Blood Prince per say. There’s something to be said for savoring the last bite. The way they handle the death of several characters was rather poor, and the writing leans more towards funny than serious. I’m all about keeping it a little light hearted but there’s nothing funny about the dark lord killing your friends and family.
It’s a nice end, but it could have been so much better with a few minor tweaks that wouldn’t have been tough to execute.
