Technical Assessment: 4
Moral Assessment: 3.5
CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 14 and above.
Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) takes possession of the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand in the world that can render its wielder invincible. Meanwhile, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint), determined to put down Voldemort, pursue their search for the remaining Horcruxes containing pieces of Voldemort’s soul—the destruction of which would lead to his death. The trio learn that one of them is in a vault at the goblin bank, and to find the others they need to go to Hogwarts. But the Deatheaters and the Dementors are hovering over the place; besides, master-of-treachery Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) is now Hogwarts headmaster. In the somber atmosphere of Hogwarts which is now on lockdown, everybody is pinning their hopes on Harry Potter who has grown from terrified lad to a powerful, self-assured wizard.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) crowns the ten-year saga involving eight films helmed by four directors. The series also made its leads Radcliffe, Watson and Grint among the youngest child star millionaires in film history. The series seems to have evolved along with the maturing of its three young lead characters—with the childish Quidditch games gradually giving way to wizardry employed in earnest by the characters who have recognized their destiny as champions of good versus evil. The film provides a satisfying conclusion to the Harry Potter series that has thrilled audiences of all ages on a magical roller coaster ride and earned over six billion dollars from box office sales alone.
We do not mean to spill out spoilers but something must be said about this story that has taken a whole decade and almost 20 hours of screen time to tell. For some it could present a lesson in rash judgment. Just as CINEMA refrains from critiquing a film before we see it—that’s why what we write are called “reviews”: first we view the film, then re-view it with a more critical eye—we can also only assess the merits of an epic fantasy after it is sealed by its concluding episode. When the first of this J. K. Rowling series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, came out in 2001, not a few observers thought it was but another potboiler glamorizing witchcraft and sorcery at the expense of young people’s perception of reality. But the subsequent box-office success of the series points to a satisfied need in the viewer, something we dare not delve into in this review. Whether it is a simple need to be entertained or one that seeks profound metaphysical answers, we can’t tell, but this concluding series begs to be viewed in the context of the whole epic narrative.
It is nothing short of grace, quiet grace that falls like rain on parched earth, that comes upon us as we see the final minutes of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We see Harry, Hermione and Ron almost two decades after the battle at Deathly Hallows, but instead of wishing they were back on their flying brooms we heave a sigh of relief that they are where they are. We realize these “kids” have become part of our life. We have seen them grow into their roles through ten years of fantasy and adventure and now that they have come of age, we wish every good thing for them as though they were part of our family. While we found amusement in their juvenile exploits we now experience amazement in their ordinariness. Showing the three principals wearing wedding rings and pushing baby prams, this film roots for family life as the ultimate in human fulfillment.
What is so potent about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) is not so much the pyrotechnics (although the movie is far from short on that department) but the subtler ways through which the drama and the tension between good and evil are portrayed through an interweaving of magic and reality. Sure there are spells and wands and goblins and giants plus one rabid dragon coming into play but when the smoke clears the glory of the human spirit shines. Those who have read the book would know what we are alluding to, but those who have followed only the movie version may be in for startling revelations.
It is nothing short of grace, quiet grace that falls like rain on parched earth, that comes upon us as we see the final minutes of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We see Harry, Hermione and Ron almost two decades after the battle at Deathly Hallows, but instead of wishing they were back on their flying brooms we heave a sigh of relief that they are where they are. We realize these “kids” have become part of our life. We have seen them grow into their roles through ten years of fantasy and adventure and now that they have come of age, we wish every good thing for them as though they were part of our family. While we found amusement in their juvenile exploits we now experience amazement in their ordinariness. Showing the three principals wearing wedding rings and pushing baby prams, this film roots for family life as the ultimate in human fulfillment.
The single scene that ought to redeem J. K. Rowling’s opus in the eyes of its early critics and raise its moral value a notch higher is the one shot among Hogwart’s ruins, with Harry holding the Elder Wand which is rightfully his. Ron says, “It’s the most powerful wand in the world, it makes you invincible… what do we do with it?” Hermione turns to Ron and exclaims, “We?” Harry doesn't say a word but does something in reply that stuns his two companions.
When you see the movie and come to this scene, watch your thought to see what it reminds you of. Surprise!
