Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 Reviews

Ten years comes to a close in grand fashion. Two hours of stand up and cheer, break out the kleenex cries, and closure on a series of movies that captured a generation or six :)

Easily the most action packed of the movies and in reality its just the final act of a very long movie. Watch part 1 before seeing part 2 just to make sure you have the set up all fresh in your heads.

From Rickman to Fiennes to Carter to Smith to everyone inbetween everyone shines, not just the big names Radcliffe, Grint and Watson who once again prove that casting directors sometimes get things right. If anything the casting of the Harry Potter franchise get a lifetime achievement award. Spot on across the board.

Deathly Hallows Part 2 was what we all wanted. From beginning to end we were given a ride that is for the fans of this series. If you are not, not sure whats wrong with you but move along. This is not a movie someone can just pick up and go along with, there is no emotional ties unless you have invested the time and energy into the entire series and than the payoff is magnificent.

The Harry Potter films should go down in history as a masterpiece of storytelling.

Despite the fact that some of it may be a comprehension struggle for those who haven't read the books, Part 2 is one hell of a pay off for fans of the series, with set-piece after set-piece and revelation after revelation finally coming to fruition eight movies later. Full review later.

Deeply sentimental and moving. Laugh all you want all you realists, but this movie truly brought the little kid in me. It is true to its source material, and it delivers just as well, only if one knows how to appreciate this film. Magical, it is; like a kid, I say.

Part II picks up right where the last one left off. If there was any doubt that this finale would not live up to expectations, they were quickly squashed. The breakneck pacing and exciting action are exhilarating. The story wraps up nicely and the acting & directing is as good as ever. They don't pull any punches and just throw everything on the screen that they possibly could with nothing held back. They even throw in some incredible scenes involving Snape, who is my personal favorite character of the series, that were not in the book that brought me to tears. The emotional pull is there like it should be after eight installments of being with these characters. There's actually so much going on all at once at such a frenetic pace it can feel a little exhausting at times. For some reason I have always liked Part I more than Part II (something I can't explain), but there's no doubt in my mind that they could not have done any better on this than they did. Kudos to WB for a fantastic franchise that grew up in the hearts of many (including myself).

Spellbinding finale to one of the greatest film series ever made! In this concluding chapter of the Harry Potter saga, we're invited to a showdown of truly epic proportions. Not since The Return of the King has a fantasy film been this grand and exciting.

Old and new alike, even the smallest of characters gets their time to shine, as wizards, giants and all manner of magical creatures clash together in fiery engagement. And as for the deciding dual between Harry and Voldemort, let me tell you it couldn't have been any more perfect.

Truth be told, I was really taken aback. I just never expected it to be this amazing. Especially not after being so let down by the previous two installments. But gone now is sigh-inducing teen angst, and back is the magic I thought to be forever lost.

Emotionally omnipotent and breathtaking in the action, it's a battle of wills you won't soon forget. So as a last word to the captain of this great vessel, I just like to say the following: All is forgiven now Mr. Yates, for finally getting everything right. You started out good, became weak in the middle, but then eventually pulled out every ace in your pockets. And what a phenomenal redemption at that!

Magical, practical and heartfelt to the final note. Part 2 finally presents fans and audience with a finale of grand action, peril and revelation. Both moviegoers and Potter-fans will be satisfied at the grand-note the film leaves in the long-running anthology of the Harry Potter saga. 5/5

A strong ending to a popular franchise. The film is exciting and well crafted, from its beautiful opening scene to Snape's memory sequence.

It is kinda sad that after the brilliant and controlled first part of Deathly Hollows comes this messy final chapter in Harry Potter-franchise.
It's clear that it was mistake to break the final book in two halves. While the first chapter did not suffer from this decision, it is obviously this one that did. All we get is a one huge action climax which just happens to last two hours.
Sure, there are huge and spectacular effects, but it all feels rather empty after the carefully constructed first part. It also feels surprisingly rushed as a film. There is hardly no time for viewer to feel anything or especially feel sorry for anyone because it all goes forward with such a hyper-speed. When we the arrive to the big showdown between Voldemort and Harry it actually feels indifferent and anticlimatic. It is also strange that when it's over it seems that no one even cared what happened. I myself got tired after the first fortyfive minutes and the last third was just mind numbing to sit through.
So after all these years of Harry Potter adventures it is easy for me point out the best two films in the series. While two first ones by Chris Columbus were ok the first step into the much better direction and also first truly good film in the franchise was Alfonso Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban. It was nothing groundbreaking, but entertaining enough and had some style also. After that the franchise met it's lowest points with fourth, fifth and sixth chapters. That was until came the marvelous achievement which was Deathly Hollows Part 1. That was the film for me that made this trip into J.K. Rowling's world worthwile. It had all the right ingredients in their right places and will stand as the greatest and most accomplished of Potter-films.
At least this final film ties everyhing together as a whole and does have one great twist in it's sleeve. But overall it is a shame that Harry Potter met such an hollow end as a film franchise.

Directed by David Yates, Warner Bros., 2011. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery

Question: Any Harry Potter fans out there? I know dumb question but I have to start with something. I just got back from the final installment in J.K. Rowling's magical tale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and it far exceeded my expectations. Well done!

About twelve years ago I started reading the Harry Potter books and found them fascinating, entertaining and wildly imaginative. It was a world that I so wanted to visit again and again. Ten years ago the first of eight movies was in the theater. I was blown away with the leap from book to silver screen. The first movie captured everything and more from the casting, special effects and the telling of the story of the boy who lived.

The next six movies all did a fantastic job translating the tale but usually with a lot of details removed. That didn't ruin any of the movies but I was happy to know the deeper meaning of each film; and since this series of books landed on the best sellers lists again and again I knew I wasn't the only one privy to the extra information.

If I had reviewed the first seven movies they probably would have averaged 8 out of 10 for me. Each one helping us delve deeper into the wizardly world of Harry Potter. Every character, spell or creature compelled us to follow the path to the next movie (book). So today when my son and I went to see the final chapter I was a little sad to see it come to an end. However, let me say, they saved the best for last! WOW!!

I am not going to go into much detail like my other reviews, but I have to say that the final movie captured what I deeply adored about this tale: That love is the greatest power and what gives you the courage to face your fears. Many might not realize that this is what Harry Potter is about - they might think this is about good vs. evil, or learning to find your potential or just really cool magic. And, yes, those are a part of this wonderfully bewitching story but I always saw something more.

To me Harry Potter was always about something greater: Love. The love of a friend, the love of a family member and even a love from a far allows everyone to find the courage to live even when faced with the what looks like insurmountable odds. And with that kind of love sacrifice is an easy choice to insure this world is a better place.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 finally revealed many things that were never answered or answered differently in the previous films. The storytelling was perfect. I remember when I finished the book I lingered there realizing I just finished one of the best messages I had ever read, and the same thing happened when I finished this movie. In fact, I started this review not twenty minutes after it ended. I couldn't write it down quickly enough.

Now I don't think you should see this movie if you hadn't seen all the earlier movies. Sure you can skip reading the series but I ask: why would you? (My son is reading the books now and halfway through the movie he whispered to me "Mom, this is a 10 out of 10!" I smiled thinking the same thing.) Harry and the gang gave us a thrill ride and I want to thank them for a great time.

The special effects were spectacular, the acting was spot-on and the emotions it evoked brought tears to my eyes, several grins and even a huge chuckle but finally a cathartic sigh. It was a relief to know that the filmmakers took the time, respect and care to tell us this perfect tale - a tale of love. That is the greatest magic of them all, don't you agree?

My favorite thing: One character, who will remain nameless now, whose sacrifice was heartbreaking for me but probably one of the greatest form of love I saw on film.

My least favorite thing: not one thing!

Rating: PG-13
Length: 130 minutes

Review: 10 out of 10

The consensus seems to be that the Harry Potter series saved the best until last; and I'm not going to argue - my opinion is that, yes, this is the best of the series... however, The Deathly Hallows Part II is hardly a classic, which should tell you something of the mediocrity of the entire series as well as give an insight into current pop culture.

The "Twilight" phenomenon, for lack of a better term, also applies to this series of films. That they all were a commercial success is more a nod towards rabid fanaticism then one towards stellar filmmaking (although I will admit that this last film had some wonderfully seamless CGI).

I believe part of the issue here is that the books were so well loved - to the point where there are fans who know every bit character and would be disappointed if even the smallest of characters didn't receive his time in front of the lens. While this over the top fandom is nice (and certainly didn't hurt the bottom line of the film franchise), it hampered all of the films. Far too often a character would do what amounted to a walk on - often regardless of the pacing or situation of the film - just to satisfy the book freaks. For a couple of examples: Helena Bonham Carter's Bellatrix. She makes a nice appearance in Hallows part I, but then isn't really involved in part II at all (does she even have a speaking line at all, or do anything except cackle before being blown to bits? - and for this Carter gets major billing right below the 3 stars - wow!). Further, Maggie Smith is mere window dressing throughout all of the films until this last (as if to say - see, aren't we cool, we've got Maggie Smith in our films). But low and behold, Dame Smith finally gets to do something in part II - which is yet another reason why this one rises above the rest. It is full Maggie when she animates the guard gargoyles to protect Hogwart and then turns to an associate and admits with that so proper, yet with a gleam in her eye tone, "I've always wanted to do that spell".

In speaking about Part II in particular; as I've noted, the CGI is wonderful, the acting shows depth, as the main characters, especially Harry, have grown into the roles quite nicely. Alan Rickman is the usual perfect Snape, and Ralph Fiennes does a nice job of voice emoting through the mask of "you know who". I thought the pacing was good for the most part, though once again a bit too much attention was lavished on bit players (a tighter narrative for the whole series could have been achieved with the judicious exclusion of several characters). Personally, I rather enjoyed the White Train Station sequence (where Harry may or may not be dead). I just wish the White Room at the station had black curtains - and so would Jack Bruce, I'm sure. The conversation between Dumbledore and Harry contains a nice bit of metaphysics - Harry asks Dumbledore if this is all in his mind and Dumbledore replies, "of course it is - which doesn't mean that it isn't also happening in real life".

Really, my only major complaint in this final chapter is tag ending, which is totally superfluous and adds nothing to the story other than a happy ending (yet another bit of pandering to the perceived audience, I'm sure). The film would have been far better served to have concluded with the three friends (perhaps echoing the triangle that was the driving force for the entire series) standing on the bridge to the ruined Hogwart and, with backs turned from it, looking with determination towards the future.

This movie is quite shocking in how dark and gritty it is. Harry Potter movies stopped being for kids, like, four movies ago. This movie is great for the same reason the books are great: the characters care about each other and what they're doing, and the plot comes together in a really elegant and novel way. Things that you overlooked end up being really important, and everyone is tested in this movie This causes some characters to rise to the challenge and others to buckle, and the characters have a new power to completely surprise the audience. There comes a definite point where Harry stops being afraid of Voldemort, and it's delicious to see. Deathly Hallows 2 also never fails to make me cry, particularly in the scene where you finally get to see Snape. This is a really intense movie: it's the final chapter where everything boils over and ends, and the very end almost seems to small to be worthy of the opus as a whole. Just as an aside, I really wish they hadn't filmed and included the epilogue. It's completely unnecessary and I think it takes a little away from the core story. But whatever. It's a very small gripe against an absolutely epic and profoundly moving movie.

I've decided I'm going to make a new review of Deathly Hallows Part 2 mainly because I don't think the original review did the movie enough justice. After all it is my favorite movie of 2011 and my 2nd favorite movie of all time. (Behind Inception) So Part 1 was all just the build up to what is going to be the epic climax to the series that influenced a new generation of readers. I just want to start out by saying that splitting Death Hallows in two parts was totally justifiable. The book has so much detail that skipping over the tiniest bit of information would leave a huge plot hole in the series. Splitting it into two parts was the smart thing to do...then Breaking Dawn copied it. Seriously, Deathly Hallows needed the split to focus on the details and also stay true to the character development, sub-plots and emotional appeal. Breaking Dawn Part 1 was just two hours of "Bella, I love you, let's play chess on our honeymoon." In my Deathly Hallows Part 1 review I gave high praise for the opening scene for setting the mood for the movie. Part 2 did the exact same thing. The opening scene is about 45 seconds long and there's no dialogue, but the way it plays out with the music, cinematography and Alan Rickman's acting was just perfect. One thing that easily went unnoticed by quite a few people (The Oscars, for example) was Alan Rickman's portrayal of Severus Snape. He's dedicated ten years of his life to the character and to the series and it really shows. His performance in this was amazing. How was the rest of the acting? It was great. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have really matured throughout the series and their performances in this were flawless. Maggie Smith was great as Professor McGonagall, Ralph Fiennes is the perfect Voldemort, Helena Bonham Carter was (as usual) fun to watch, and Bonnie Wright was hot. (What? Girls do it with Twilight guys) But the badass of the year award definately goes to Neville Longbottom, brilliantly performed by Matt Lewis. Neville does a lot in this movie. What he does involves spoilers so I won't ruin those, but it was awesome to see him evolve from British Jar Jar Binks to British Chuck Norris. The special effects are some of the best I've ever seen. There's one scene where Harry, Ron and Hermione are in the Room of Requirement and they have to escape from Fiendfyre (Everlasting demonic flames) and that scene rightfully so won the "Holy Shit Scene of the Year" award at the 2011 Scream Awards. The cool thing about the action scenes is not only are they entertaining, but they don't overshadow the plot. Most action movies today usually have a tendency to put more focus on action scenes rather than a story. (Do I really need to say which director I'm talking about?) David Yates is a very underrated director. He makes his story driven by character and the audience can connect to them, making the story more emotional and powerfull. Speaking of emotional, there are some scenes that, if you're a big enough HP fan, will make you want to cry to a crazy degree. I myself actually got teary eyed during some scenes. It is with great reluctance that we bid farewell to the most successful movie franchise in cinematic history. It was an astounding ten years, but just remember one thing:
Harry Potter is the end of an era.
Twilight is the end of an error.

"Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows - Part 2" is not just a glorious finale to a film series as beloved as the "Harry Potter" saga but one of the best films of 2011! Gripping, emotional, action-packed & heartfelt from start to finish!

I'm positive on predicting that DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART II will rack up some Academy Awards this year. Probably not for Best Picture, but certainly for Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Score (yes, for once, I enjoyed the score of Alexandre Desplat much more than those of John Williams, Patrick Doyle, and Nicholas Hooper combined).

Even with two parts to make an ending, I must say: why does Harry Potter have to end so soon? The legacy remains, all right, but it feels like I just saw SORCERER'S STONE yesterday for my first time.

Now, we look at the series and see that the students are so much older (ten years!); new characters have come, gone (Helena Bonham Carter's Bellatrix Lestrange, and gone with a well-said quote by char. Molly Weasley; Gary Oldman's Sirius Black); and, as we know it, the saga has evolved from a family-family series into a worldwide phenomenon. And for ending the series on a stronger, much better note than the first half, I applaud David Yates. Well done!

Ranked #2 of 2011.

And so it is over. Ten years and over 6 billion dollars later, the most successful film franchise of all time ends. And it ends not with a bang, but a freaking nuclear explosion.
Picking up where the first film left off, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 shifts into high gear and never stops, like a 130 minute adrenaline rush. One by one, plot points are resolved, leading up to a climactic battle as epic and amazing as anything in The Lord Of The Rings and Star Wars.
At the centre of the film is Harry's transformation into a selfless adult. He must make the ultimate choice, and only a man as brave as Harry Potter could go through with what he must do to bring peace to the world. He's not alone, however. His army - the entire school of Hogwarts - fights alongside him. Many lose their lives in the battle, and the film is not afraid to show the dire consequences of battle, or the painful repercussions of real sacrifice to achieve victory. There is no glory without pain.
The greatest thing about this series has been the impeccable casting. Everyone, from Maggie Smith to Rupert Grint to Michael Gambon to Alan Rickman, put so much work into creating their respective roles that you can't imagine anyone else in them. They get the essence from the books and run with it in their own way. How audiences have responded to these actors is one of the main factors to the series' success.
Every scene, every frame is expertly staged. The scenes, when edited together, create an epic scope of the world. The dialogue is written with care and attention to timing. It is powerful and weighty. Things are explained clearly, so that by the film's credits, the audience has received the closure they've been waiting a decade for.
It is sad to see this series end. It has been a great joy as a film fan to await the release of a new Harry Potter film every couple of years. Having said that, these films will be around for many decades to come, and I have no doubt will stand the test of time throughout many generations. This is the kind of rare story that touches upon so many universal themes and universal characters that it becomes its own kind of enthralling.
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, David Yates, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves, and everyone else involved in the making of this series should be forever proud of their achievement.

I thought the first half of part 2 of The Deathly Hallows was brilliant. The breaking into and then escape from the volt was fantastic, the dragon they rode on is exactly how CGI should be used, I was utterly thrilled and entertained. Then it got a little bit dull again. If I had been a big fan of the books and franchise in general I would have been bitterly disappointed, maybe it's a bad adaptation, I couldn't tell you but all the Major events that happened (EG the deaths) were skipped over quite unashamedly. I also thought the conclusion, the ending millions of fans have been anticipating for over a decade was one of the biggest anti-climaxes of all time. The '19 years later' scene was also cringeworthingly bad but I guess that's more J.K. Rowling's fault rather than the film-makers. All in all not a bad film, The order of the Phoenix remains my favourite but it's OK.

The ending was not what I hoped for but the rest was good.

While not the best film in a series spanning ten years, part two of the final chapter of Harry Potter is a solid, satisfying close that's fittingly grandiose but also sneakily emotional at points. The plot finally gets simplified once all those silly magic items are found, and what we have is a war at the Hogwarts School of Magic between good vs. evil. The action sequences are the best in the film's series and some very dark events take place, including the deaths of many characters, some children, though too many critical deaths occur off camera. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) faces off against Voldermort (Ralph Fiennes) for the fate of the world, and after the protracted, wearisome setup of Part One, it's a relief to say that the final film moves like it's on fire. There's very little downtime and a great pull of urgency to the flick. So what if Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (Emma Watson), Harry's best pals since the start, are completely forgotten and useless in the movie's final hour. The focus is all on Harry and his messianic sacrifices. Alan Rickman shines again, showing a depth of emotions not available to Snape until the character's final revelations. In fact, there needed to be more Rickman, but I can lay this same charge with every film. I wish the resolution, spanning forward 19 years, would have slowed down a bit and accept the paternal/maternal changing-of-the-guard as the emotional payoff billions of people have been waiting for. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two is a thrilling, gratifying capper to a series that, while to me was never as magical as the Potter die-hards have claimed, was, over eight movies and almost 20 hours, an enchanting franchise that stayed consistent in quality and entertainment. Here's to you, Potter. Now maybe I can finally stop hearing people badgering me about how the books were better.

Nate's Grade: B+

It All Ends

Pretty good film and end to this series. I didn't read the books or ever planned to but I think this movie ending was very good to a tremendous excellent series. I wouldn't mind seeing this series over and over again, it's so magical and intoxicating that brings me to my childhood days, love it!

The final chapter begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue their quest of finding and destroying the Dark Lord's three remaining Horcruxes, the magical items responsible for his immortality. But as the mystical Deathly Hallows are uncovered, and Voldemort finds out about their mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again.

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon, John Hurt, Robbie Coltrane

Director: David Yates

Summary: In the second installment of the two-part conclusion to the überpopular Harry Potter series, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his best friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), continue their quest to vanquish the evil Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) once and for all. Just as things begin to look hopeless for the young wizards, Harry discovers a trio of magical objects that endow him with powers to rival Voldemort's formidable skills.

My Thoughts: "The ending of these great films is bittersweet. It's hard to believe there isn't going to be another great film to look forward to. I have loved the films as much as I have the books. You can't really say that with many films that have been transformed from books. But it's true with this series. But what a fantastic ending it was. Part II of the Deathly Hallows was exciting, action packed, emotional, and the best film of the entire series. I loved how dark it was. By far the best acting from the three leads, especially Mr. Radcliffe. The film is fast moving and there is never a dull moment. The battle between Mrs. Weasley and Bellatrix was fantastic. I love the feisty character that is Mrs. Weasley. The quirky character Neville Longbottom has become a bit of a hero in this film as well. But the scene between Severus Snape and Harry was one of the saddest and one of my favorite scene's in the film. You feel all that anger and resentment just wash away in that moment. The film was essentially everything you could have wanted and hoped for in the end. Everything in the film is at the best it has ever been including all the acting from this huge wonderful cast of actor's. Although the end is bittersweet, it was satisfying. Best series ever."