The End of an Era: The Success of the Last Harry Potter Movie
Thursday night as the clock struck midnight, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II premiered in theaters across the country, and with it came the beginning of the end of the famous franchise. As someone who grew up devouring each of the 700-800 page books I have to say that the walking into the movie theater last night was a bittersweet experience. Was the movie great? The reader’s digest version of that answer is, yes. As someone who was in a secret Harry Potter club in elementary school though, I am probably a little bit biased.
Although I had already seen the first part of this movie, I was still a little bit surprised that almost the entirety of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II was devoted to the battle of Hogwarts. The decision to split the book up into two movies therefore created an interesting dynamic in the last movie where much of the film progresses in real time. The special effects of the movie were breathtaking, with notable mentions including the magical shield over Hogwarts, and the fire dragon released into the Room of Requirement. The battle sequences were impressive, and overall the Battle of Hogwarts was executed quite well.
Even though the movie totaled almost two and a half hours, the running time did not seem nearly as long. However, some of the emotional content of the movie did seem rushed. It is difficult to pull off emotional death scenes in the midst of a battle, but the deaths of some major characters did not seem to live up to the tearful moments that I experienced while reading the books. In addition, many major characters did not really seem to have any screen time. For example, while Neville was portrayed as a hero who finally had the opportunity to prove himself during the battle, Harry’s love interest, Ginny, did not appear much at all. Hagrid, who had previously been such an integral part of the other movies, had two or three lines in this one.
Some surprising high points of the movie included Ciaran Hind’s interpretation of his character Aberforth Dumbledore, who managed to tip the scales, if only for a moment, in favor of his honest and bitter character, instead of his more famous brother. However, the truly understated star of the film was probably Alan Rickman, whose character Snape was previously portrayed as a foreboding and emotionless figure. However, the flashbacks that reveal his relationship with Dumbledore and Lily Potter added to the emotional content of the movie and slowed down the breakneck speed of the film as a whole.
One of the scenes that Potter fans are most looking forward to is the long-awaited flash-forward scene, where Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and their children are seen boarding the train. Although the scene is interesting and will satisfy most fans, most of the characters did not look much older, and the interactions between the parents and their children were a little awkward. The clear upbeat message of “life goes on” is well-taken, and makes for a satisfactory ending.
Small details aside, the Harry Potter films did improve greatly over the years in special effects, complexity. Not to mention that the acting abilities of the young actors and actresses matured and became more fine-tuned. The last of the iconic Harry Potter films is very enjoyable to watch, and just like any of the other Harry Potter films and books, not to be missed.