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Pure Magic - Harry Potter review
This month sees the long-awaited release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 – bringing the epic adventure series to an end. Our resident film reviewers Faith Brotherston and Andrew Sheldrick, who as it turns out are massive Potter fans, who’d have thought it, both went to see it to give us their feedback.
Faith says:
I’m going to have to calm down about this. Everyone I’ve spoken to about this has told me to chill out and realise that it’s impossible to convert every word of JK Rowling’s literary masterpiece into a cinematic wonder. Apparently.
I LOVE the Harry Potter books, and, by default, despite always being a bit niggled at what was left behind, I love the movies too, so you can imagine the kind of excited frenzy I’d worked myself into by the time the latest, and last, instalment hit the screens.
I’m not one for spoilers, so I’ll just summarise by saying that in the final part of the adventure, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), with the help of his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) is in a race against time to identify and find the remaining horcruxes – magical items containing hidden pieces of Lord Voldemort’s soul – so that he can finally meet his nemesis and stand a chance of defeating him. Throw into the equation that Lord V already has the Unbeatable Wand, one of the Deathly Hallows – a trio of objects that allow the owner to conquer death – and really, the odds are stacked against Harry from the off.
Support from an outstanding cast including Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon and a thousand others, makes this a great piece of British cinema. The battle scenes are exciting, there is a good sprinkling of humour (usually courtesy of the fabulous Rupert Grint) and there’s some tear-jerking scenes – though these really ought to have been made more of.
The plot on the whole is rushed – we positively race through events, leaping over some and, unforgivably, glossing over some of the more tragic and worthy moments that really ought to have been made more of (Deathly Hallows Pt 1 made an enormous song and dance about what my uncle refers to as ‘the death of a rubber elf’ while some sterling characters fall by the wayside here and are barely acknowledged) though I suspect because it’s supposed to be a children’s film – but the film does reach its natural conclusion with some fab effects along the way, however disappointed I was that it didn’t last five hours and include every last word from the novel.
This is the surefire blockbuster of the summer, and will be one of those film series that goes down in history with the likes of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Whether you’re a long-standing fan of the boy wizard like myself, or an impartial admirer, this is simply not to be missed.
Andrew says:
While nowhere near as well versed in the ways of Harry James Potter as Faith, it would be fair to say I too am somewhat of an enthusiast. The books, the audiobooks, the films, the Lego incarnations of the boy wizard, I’ve dabbled in them all more than any grown man should. And there lies the issue many will have with Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, and in fact the series of movies as a whole. As an adult reading a kids’ book, you inevitably put more stock in scenes of death, sacrifice, betrayal and such than a child would. Much as I’d love the films to have been made for me, they’re not. They’re made for a (albeit increasingly aging) family audience. As such, sacrifices must be made. Editing will occur. Favourite passages will be lost by the wayside. It’s why I’ve always viewed the films as an accompaniment to the books, nothing more.
So to the film itself. The amount of pressure the filmmakers must have been under to deliver a fitting end to a saga that millions have given 13 years of their life to must have been truly immense. It’s with a great sigh of relief then, that I confidently write that it manages to deliver and then some. Yes it’s not perfect. Yes some characters get seriously short changed (Weasley Twins, Hagrid, Tonks and Lupin I’m looking at you), while other characters get their moment to shine (you’ll see in good time). And yes, the whole film does seem to move at a rate of knots when compared to Deathly Hallows Pt. 1, however when the money men release the inevitable single-cut I suspect it’ll grate a lot less. But there’s infinitely more going for it than not. The acting’s great across the board with Alan Rickman and Rupert Grint both worthy of special praise, the special effects are suitably epic, the score appropriately stirring. And the handling of arguably the most compelling chapter in all 3424 pages of the books – the Snape-centric ‘A Prince’s Tale’ – is as well handled as you could hope. It’s still not a patch on the book though.
From day one the filmmakers made the difficult, and entirely sensible, decision to make the films about Harry and Harry alone. Anything not directly pertaining to him would be culled or glossed over. Failure to do so would have made the films excessively lengthy, and let’s not forget they are aimed at kids, whether Faith and I are prepared to accept the fact or not. Therefore, if you’re an avid reader of the books, Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 is likely to excite and infuriate in equal measure. However, if your knowledge of the Chosen One is based on the films alone, then the final part will leave you feeling more than satisfied and a little sad that it’s all over.
Have you seen the final installment? What did you think …
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