Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 [Blu-ray]

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

A Perfect Ending!, July 21, 2011

In this superb conclusion to the tale we’ve been following for over a decade, the intrepid Harry Potter finds that only by satisfying his hankering for Horcruxes can he hope to defeat the dark lord. Most of the film is spent following his search for these last few objects, and what could have been a tedious series of fetch quests is kept from falling into the realms of boredom by a sense of pacing so perfect the future film student in me started taking notes. Admittedly, my last movie experience was Transformers: Dark of the Moon, a “film” with such atrociously jarring momentum that I nearly disgorged my five dollar hot dog (but five dollars is five dollars, so I willed it down). Even though anything will seem well-paced by comparison, I haven’t been so blown away by such artful interweaving of action and calm, fear and love, and an ensemble cast, since, well, ever.

The most powerful example of this is when Harry ends up alone in the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the giant showdown between good and evil. After seeing young students cut down by death eaters as they tried to hold their own in a war that was far beyond them, after witnessing stone statues come to life and make battle with club-wielding giants, after bridges burn, forcefields collapse, and spirits break, after dementors are driven off by those who refuse to relinquish their hope, we find ourselves in a clearing of silence.

Turning the resurrection stone in hand, Harry is suddenly accompanied by the ghosts of those he cares most deeply for: Sirius, Lupin, and his parents. Their undying love for him brought tears to my eyes, for it is a love that continued into the afterlife not thanks to some magic, but because all those who have left us live on in our hearts. The writing was beautiful, the acting sublime. The calm in the center of the storm, this one scene is a masterpiece of pacing.

The rest of the storm was nothing to shake a stick at either, not that shaking a stick at a storm is really that common of an activity. In fact, I’m not sure that it would accomplish much of anything, unless the stick is a wand and you have control over the weather. Then it would definitely help. Anyway, the point of all this is to say that, while the emotional punch packed by Deathly Hallows Part 2 is nothing to shake a wand at, the visuals are equally impressive.

For instance, cast your imagination gaze on Gringotts. Its labyrinthine rollercoaster-tangle transportation system is a wild ride that puts every Six Flags everywhere to shame, especially since it ends with a dragon. Now, a lot of movies have done dragons (Harry Potter included), but this was potentially my favorite CGI beastie ever (don’t worry, Toothless. No one can replace you). The dragon was not a glorious mount of yore, but rather an emaciated, abject figure, trapped underground for his natural life, chains cutting into his majesty and leaving nothing but raw, bloody hopelessness. The creature instantly evokes overwhelming pity, something I’ve rarely witnessed from CGI.

Dragons are basically my favorite, but if there’s one thing I love more, it’s love itself. We all knew the Ron Hermione romance was going to come to a head. The only question was, after so many years of buildup, could the climax do it justice? I, for one, say that nothing has ever been more just. You know that moment in truth or dare when someone asks you your most seductive fantasy and you finally let spill the secret you’ve never told anyone? You launch into graphic detail, explaining that it’s all about thrusting your basilisk fang into a goblet-shaped Horcrux in the Chamber of Secrets while under attack from a giant watery snake that eventually comes crashes over you? We’ve all been there. Everybody gives you these weird looks, as if that’s somehow not the hottest thing ever. Ron and Hermione certainly thought it was, because they immediately launch into a passionate kiss that had the theater cheering up a storm.

Perhaps the most beautiful scene is the one bathed all in white. Halfway between life and death, Harry finds himself in King’s Cross Station, his own personal limbo. There, the sage and mysterious Dumbledore delivers some of the most compelling wisdom in years of cinema. The English major in me rejoiced when such a beloved figure told us that words are the most powerful magic, able to do great harm but also to heal. I’m using words right now, and man do I feel mighty. And when Harry asked “Is this all just in my head or is it real?” and Dumbledore responded with “Of course it’s in your head, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real.” Gah! So sagacious!

But enough nonsensical gushing. As perfect as this movie was (and it was), there were still a few things that I would’ve done differently. The whole series is about the battle between Harry and Voldemort; this is a showdown ten years in the making, and I wanted it to be perfect. The…

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25 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

In the words of Ronald Weasley, “Brilliant!”, July 11, 2011

Let me begin by offering unadulterated praise for everyone involved with the making of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the last film of the highly-successful Harry Potter franchise. One can not critique this movie with anything but praise for the filmmaking of the last Harry Potter film is the reason we all fell in love with Harry Potter books to begin with – it’s pure magic.

The technology for creating movies was invented for the purpose of taking written stories and setting them not simply into images, but breathing life into them. Moving pictures should not only move on the screen, but move the viewer into action. During the screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, people applauded, laughed, screamed, stomped, and cried (or at least got misty eyed).

Seeing this film in 3D added to the feeling of being in the movie, being a part of the tremendously rich and complex Wizarding World originally created by J.K. Rowling.

Simply put, this film is thrilling to watch and causes awe upon the viewing of it. The battle scenes in the last 30-35 minutes of the movie are some of the best action/adventure sequences I have ever seen on screen.

The art direction is impeccable. Every scene is done with class and style. Particularly impressive, are the scenes that contain material that can’t be seen – an invisibility cloak, protective charms, etc. The special effects are probably the best in the series. As has been the case with special effects in the past Harry Potter films – from house elves to dementors to dragons – this film has plenty of surreal CGI. In HP8, your mind will not be able to believe your eyes – the CGI effects look real and, in 3D, they actually feel real too. It is safe to say that HP8 captures the menagerie of CGI creatures from all previous films, adds several new ones, and perfects all effects.

The cinematography by Eduardo Serra is fantastic. It is better than even in the last Deathly Hallows film.

The soundtrack is once again by Alexandre Desplat, who scored the first Deathly Hallows film. And what a difference his eerie take is from his predecessors – Nicholas Hooper, Patrick Doyle, and John Williams. The music is like a fourth dimension of the film and enriches the film tremendously.

The script, as six of the others in the franchise, was written by Steve Kloves, and he makes sure that the spirit of the books lives in the film. The script gives a few hints as to the events of the previous seven movies, but obviously, can not serve as a cliff notes version of all the events. I suggest reacquainting oneself with the broad strokes of the book before heading to the theater for the latest in this franchise.

Sure, several creative licenses were taken for this film as is the case for any film ever made. Personally, I’d rather have seen the book’s epilogue (coda) as an after-the-credits bit, instead of as part of the movie; overall though, I’d like to say that the film is impressive in its scope.

Where the HP franchise has always struggled, in my opinion, has been the acting. The adult actors have always been extraordinary, which should come as no surprise since the list of actors is a who’s who in British cinema – Alan Rickman, Dame Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Emma Thompson, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, John Hurt, and Jason Isaacs. The latest recruit to this excellent company is Kelly Macdonald, who whimsically plays the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw. While the adults have always been pitch perfect in their portrayals of the roles (except for Michael Gambon’s portrayal of Dumbledore, which he graciously amended once the fans complained), the child actors have struggled with their parts.

Therefore, it has always seemed unfair that the majority of screen time was devoted to the trio of young stars who first got cast simply because they bore a likeness to their characters. The trio – Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint – have struggled to up the ante on their acting over the years, but it seems that they have finally figured out a successful formula for their craft. These three actors are still out-acted by the supporting actors in their midst, but at least it is no longer a ridiculous noticeable divide. This is as it should be – just as their characters have closed the magical ability divide with their teachers and parents, so too have the younger actors learned to stand their ground.

In the end, and this is surely the end of one of the most successful children’s film franchise of our time, I would recommend not only watching this film, but watching this film on a big screen. It’s a movie that would appeal to anyone who likes thrillers, dramas, fantasy, action, adventure, family films but, above all, being entertained in the theater.

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115 of 126 people found the following review helpful:

How is the an ultimate edition if NO EXTENDED version?!?, September 7, 2010

Like many of you who purchased the first two ultimate editions at a pretty penny, i was expecting extended editions of movies 3 and 4. What a disappointment! Were the big wigs at WB thinking that their fans would triple dip editions when they bring out all films in one super ultimate collection? I already owned all of the HP on Blu, but sold them when i started buying the Ultimate editions. I will NOT be purchasing 3 and 4. Very poor on WB’s part to say its ultimate, and include 8 hours of bonus materials, but not the few extra scenes that regularly show on TV. Very poor indeed.

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