Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part Two - Cinema Review

'spectacular, dramatic and worthy of the epic setup it received... a prime example of getting family-friendly fantasy very right'

Breaking box office records faster than it takes a snitch to fly from the great hall to the room of requirement, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part Two is the culmination of eight films, across ten years, charting one story: that of a boy wizard cursed by a prophecy to face the enemy that killed his parents or see the world ruled by malevolence and evil. As you might expect from a story with such grand designs its conclusion is spectacular, dramatic and worthy of the epic setup it received. Purveyors of extreme Potter-skepticism might question why it took them this long to get it this right. Regardless, this is a prime example of getting family-friendly fantasy very right and doing it with all the bells and whistles that accompany big budget blockbusters.

Unlike the first part of The Deathly Hallows, Harry's (Daniel Radcliffe) final journey starts with a much greater narrative drive than we've seen before in a Potter. No setup is needed (the first part spent two hours doing that). No waiting around in forests is required. Very little plot exposition needs to be reeled off for us to know that Potter and pals Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (Emma Watson) need to find the last few remaining horcruxes in order to weaken Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and enable Harry to defeat him once and for all. The first hour, which features such Potter staples as identity spells, invisibility cloaks, dragons and moving paintings, is a joy featuring tension in the setups and scenes of well-produced action in the payoffs.

Once the action arrives back at Hogwarts things do start to slow somewhat as director David Yates recognises that some audience members might need exposition-laden reminders of what's happening at the moment and what needs to happen in the future. There's one lengthy flashback in particular which goes right back to Harry's youth in order to lay out exactly what's been going on all this time. Perhaps it's needed but whether it is or not, it makes for a lengthy third act, comprised mainly of charging around Hogwarts whilst all manner of mystical catastrophe threatens to kick off outside. There's plenty of fun to be had in this section too (an unexpectedly chilling encounter with Helena Ravenclaw (Kelly Macdonald) is a highlight) but because the story is split over two films the lack of a second act here is noticeable, especially when you consider the length of time Harry and friends spend in the castle.

Once things start to fall in to place and the inevitable concluding battle builds things perk again but risk getting a little silly. Obvious parallels between Harry's story and another worldwide bestseller are made easier to draw by events in the final half hour and some character's actions (including Harry's) become less and less clear, looking more designed for plot convenience than character-building integrity. That said, and like the payoffs in the opening half, the action sequences don't disappoint and the punctuating periods of contemplation are laced with enough emotion to continue to guarantee your investment.

Ultimately all that matters is that The Deathly Hallows: Part Two is more than a fitting conclusion to the franchise: it's also the series' best film. Some moments still miss the mark but there's more hits here than any previous effort. Harry's confrontation with Snape in the great hall is probably the series' best-acted scene and Fiennes' tremendous Voldemort gets more than enough time to shine. In many ways a cinematic milestone but for fans, merely a fitting end for a much-loved character.

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'When taken together, the films create something with broad daring scale. They reach to every corner of the world the author created and then go to the heart of danger for one final brawl' - The Dark Of The Matinee, 3/4