Film Review: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (**1/2)

Within minutes of returning home from seeing the eighth and final Harry Potter film, I started tweeting away my untarnished thoughts on the event. I only got out three slight jabs, as I realized how many people on the receiving end of them were probably massive fans of the books and the films. I was suspended in disbelief when all the positive reviews came flowing in, because it does seem curious for a film series that's garnered quite a bit of critical recoil in the past to suddenly get all this buzz. It goes to show how the weight of hype and expectation can forcibly change an experience. Oddly enough, it didn't change mine. How I saw the film the first time is how I'll always see it, and trying to deny that is foolhardy.

The proudest jab, and somehow compliment, that I laid out on Twitter early this morning was "I feel like 'Deathly Hallows: Part 2' is the perfect companion piece for 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon'." I meant that in the best respect to "Transformers" and the worst respect to "Potter". That's largely because both films are so completely obsessed with that final battle, where everything blows up and the ultimate stakes are at risk. After taking care of that final mission in Gringotts, which is surprisingly one of the more favorable parts of the film, they just rush on over to Hogwarts, and then everything goes off like clockwork,

By "clockwork", I mean unyielding and extremely flawed if you throw in the wrong cog. The thing with the Transformers comparison is that while both go into the final battle with urgency, we never get a sense of exactly what we have to lose in Potter. Yes, it's the final war of the wizarding world, and in fact the muggle world as well, but we never once get any sense of extreme danger. In fact, in David Yates' intention to move things along quickly, the battle feels way too small and glossed over. We barely even see the full extent of it. He instead decides to dwell too long on plot details that could've been given a little less time and devotion. Occasionally the film moves too rapidly, and then it just slows to a sluggish crawl.

Prologue to "Potter"

If you haven't already noticed, and I'm not sure what kind of hole you have to be in for that to be the case, the decade in the making Harry Potter film franchise is about to come to an end. There was a pit in your gut to watching Deathly Hallows: Part 1, because even if you weren't saying goodbye, you knew the end was coming. That's not to overlook the film's many numerous pitfalls. It moved at a glacial pace in the second half, overlooked a few key deaths that would have emotionally compounded the experience (Mad-Eye, we barely knew ye'), and it placed us outside of the comfort zone of Hogwarts without matching that spectacle. I put the film in my top ten last year, but six months later, I cannot believe how wrong I was.

So now we're heading into Part 2, which is offering a lot more blockbuster excitement than the first half of the film. At this point, I'm not even sure if it's appropriate to call it the first half, rather than a film that exists perfectly on its own. I keep trying to watch Part 1 again, and I simply can't get past the Death Eater discussion scene without losing interest. Then going back over the entire series, I wonder what ultimately was the point of it all? There's so much that could have been done better and wasn't, but it's too late to go back. To be honest, I don't even think I want to. The excitement was there, but it was a child's excitement.

The somewhat amazing thing about the series is that it does perfectly carry you through your own childhood journey. Each film is built to appeal to the age of the characters it's portraying. Deathly Hallows: Part 1 speaks to college idea of leaving home and being somewhere strange and unfamiliar. In the same way, Part 2 is about returning home to a feeling of nostalgia, yet feeling oddly misplaced after so long, and finally moving on past it to a new life. I won't have my review up until Saturday, but many will obviously be shelling out the cash to go to the midnight showing. Best of wishes to all of you, but know that the magic can't and won't last forever.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" Final Trailer

It's almost over? Such a shame. I was kind of hoping the series would bounce back. I've gone down on my appreciation for Harry Potter, as I just realized that it could have been so much more than it is. Every new poster that came out further validated my disgust, as they all pretty much sucked. So I was more than a tad pessimistic going into this trailer. I actually thought it was kind of awesome. Yes, there are some really stale visual effects, and I really hate those. Still, there was just too much awesome in this trailer to hate it. I know that I'm going to be firing gripes here and there when the film finally comes out, but for now I'm more excited than I was before.

Potter-Watch (44 of 77): Reflections on the Mirror

Since nothing much has been going down recently concerning the impending Harry Potter finale, I feel it's a good idea to reflect on a few of the extraneous details of Deathly Hallows: Part 1 that make it one of my favorite films of 2010. At the start of the film, Harry is gazing into this mysterious shard of glass that is showing a reflection that isn't his. For the uninitiated in the series, this is indeed quite a mystery, especially if you haven't read the books. For the sake of the film series, lets disregard what actually happens in Rowling's literature and focus on the film at the moment. Harry takes the mirror out at several different points in the film, and in ways it can be seen as a dial to illustrate his state of mind.

In the beginning, when Harry is swallowed by depression over Dumbledore's death, he sees what appears to be the image of his old headmaster. Much later on in the film, after Ron has left and his wand is broken, Harry stares into the shard out of desperation, and sees nothing but an empty room, showing just how alone he is in this fight. At the end of the film, it actually proves itself to be useful, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione are trapped in Malfoy Manor. Harry desperately takes the shard out of his sock, with Luna noting on how odd it is that he's carrying it around. In the reflection, he sees the man he saw in the beginning of the film, and cries out for help. Moments later his prayer is answered by a heroic house elf named Dobby, and we all know what happens from there. What we don't know is who was on the other side of the mirror, how did they know Dobby, how did Harry come to own the piece that he has, and will these questions be answered in the finale. Hopefully they will, because otherwise Steve Kloves makes the mistake of leaving out important and potentially emotional details. You can't fit everything into this saga, but you can try. And yes, that is a marvelous new image from the final film.

Potter-Watch (36-43 of 77): Spoken Like A True Politician

It has been some time hasn't it. It just becomes so damn hard to keep up with the news on the final film in the epic saga of Harry Potter, and we've had so few of these posts in the past two months that it only seems right to cram the many notable events in one post. Of course, this could just be me trying to justify poor planning and neglecting my self-set requirements, but so what? Let's get right into it.

36. David Yates and Tom Felton on Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Very high emphasis on the fact that this is the last film, and I think we're all in agreement that we want them to do it right.

37. Tale of the Three Brothers Concept Art
One of the most visually striking scenes of the film, and probably part of the reason the film was nominated for Art Direction.

38. Notable Death Scene from Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Changed
I feel too shy about giving away whose it is, but if you don't care about spoilers than continue on.

39. Deathly Hallows: Part 1 DVD Releasing April 11th
It always seems a bit soon for them to release the DVD, but the film didn't really stay in theaters too long.

40. 10 Minutes of Deleted Scenes on Part 1 DVD
This should surely satiate a few fans who were so ravenous they weren't even pleased with the scenes that made it into the film.

41. Kelly Macdonald cast as Grey Lady
I can't begin to explain how excited I am about about Yates reuniting with one of his collaborators in the past...

42. Kelly Macdonald Originally Supposed to Play Tonks
...and I can't even start to describe how disappointed I am that she wasn't able to play Tonks instead of the dreadful actress they eventually went with.

43. First Image from Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Eduardo Serra wasn't nominated for his stunning cinematography on Part 1, but he does have another shot with the epic finale of the epic finale. The image can be seen at the top of the page.

Film Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1

The end has begun, and that has never been more apparent or heartbreaking than in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1, the first installment in the two part final chapter of the epic fantasy. Before I get things rolling, I think I should state right out front that this review is coming from the mindset of a powerful Harry Potter fan. I'm a lot of things, but I've never been a traitor, and I'm certainly not going to start here. And in all honesty, if you're not a fan of this saga, then I really don't care about you right now. I'm sorry to say that the opinion of a non-Potter fan means absolutely nothing, as you can tell by the sheer opposition of the critical masses and the fact that I simply don't care what most of them think. These films are never going to win Best Picture, and it's stupid to even hope. They are made for us, the fans, and in that respect, they've been a huge success. People are going to talk and argue and debate about this film heavily based on how reverential it was to the novel, whether or not things were still left out, and above anything else, whether or not this one is the best in the series.

The seventh installment in the Harry Potter saga follows our main trio on their most harrowing journey ever. If there's a word to describe this film perfectly, it's despair. The wizarding world is in chaos, under the near constant threat of attack by Voldemort and the Death Eaters. The Ministry of Magic has been infiltrated, and our trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione are now on their own in a rather frightening world. Meanwhile, they try their humble best to save the world by destroying the individual pieces of Voldemort's soul, so that they can one day hope to finally beat him. However, this film doesn't at all sugarcoat how dire their situation is, and how vastly outnumbered and outmatched they are. To put it simply, saving the world is literally the hardest and most terrifying thing to do. Not that you didn't assume that already, but this film confirms it as a fact.

Never before has the threat of death seemed more real in a film. A particularly squirm inducing scene at the beginning of the film, featuring Voldemort doing despicable things to a former Hogwarts teacher, really brings this prospect home. We're not in childrens territory anymore, and this one lives on the dark edge of the PG-13 rating. There are some prominent horror elements that will truly cause the audiences to fear for our trio's lives. The thing that stuck around in my mind was the fact that it made me forget that I had read the book at all. There were moments when I felt that I had no idea what was going to happen next.

This film really features some absolutely astounding directing from David Yates, master of tone. The man now has a title to cling to, and it's a very appropriate one. Over the course of the last three Potter films, Yates has turned the tone of the series into something new and unique. It's unlike any film you've ever seen before, which is something that only the best films can claim. This really is a road film, with the trio wandering desperately around these magnificent landscapes, thus allowing the audience to drink in the scenery and the sense of loneliness that pervades every frame. This is probably the closest thing we'll ever get to a live-action Hayao Miyazaki film like Princess Mononoke.

One of the main objections propped up against this film is the camping sequences, which were also a weakness from the books. The pacing in these portions does slow down, though not as tremendously as hinted at before. It is a bit slow, but mostly because you're not really sure what's going to happen in certain scenes. All the same, they definitely condensed a lot of the lacking space into meaningful passages. This is probably as short as it's going to get. It does offer plenty of truly emotional scenes, including a rather warm and sweet moment between Harry and Hermione. The two really come to reconsider their relationship after Ron leaves, and though they know that they will probably always be purely platonic friends, they cannot help but reach out for a shoulder to lean their heads on.

However, my favorite scene of this film, without a doubt, is a different one between Harry and Hermione, where it really feels like they're about to give up, and I wouldn't blame them. They no longer have a home, and if things stay as they are, they will never see their family or their loved ones ever again. It's a truly melancholy moment that works as a parallel of real world fugitives seeking refuge in Mexico or Canada. If you haven't figured out by this point, I absolutely adored this film, but that doesn't mean there weren't a few things I wasn't sure about. The scene where apparitions of Harry and Hermione appear before Ron definitely felt awkward, and got a reaction of surprise and fear from the audience.

I always said that I'd be able to move past most problems with the film as long as it was well written, and I stick by that. The screenplay by Steve Kloves works brilliantly for the most part, but there are a few scenes that just didn't feel right and felt like they could use further work. I wish that I had more to dislike about the film, just so it wouldn't seem like I'm nitpicking at small and insignificant problems. There aren't any more, because this may indeed be the best film in the series. It definitely eclipses Half-Blood Prince in terms of action, dialogue, emotion, and even artistic integrity.

The performances from our main trio are as fantastic as they've ever been, and if they hadn't been sticking to these characters for years, I'd suggest one of them for an acting nomination. Daniel Radcliffe continues to bring the sorrow of Harry's situation through to the audience, and works best in the quiet scenes, of which there are many. Rupert Grint is absolutely hilarious for most of the film, and Ron will always be proper comic relief, but he also packs a dramatic punch in one particular scene. However, the best performance of this film comes from young Emma Watson, who brings Hermione to new life. She's really the strongest female character of any fantasy franchise, with clever intellect and quick action coming second to the heartbreaking sensibility that comes through in most of her scenes.

I'll be damned if I'm not going to mention the supporting cast of the British elite. Alan Rickman puts in great work in his fleeting time on screen as Severus Snape. Imelda Staunton returns as Dolores Umbridge to remind us why we despised the fifth film so much, not from her performance, but from the foul atmosphere her character aided to. Jason Isaacs is a particular standout as the disheveled and broken Lucius Malfoy. Helena Bonham Carter is absolutely insane as Bellatrix Lestrange, and it works best in this film, if it works anywhere. As for Ralph Fiennes, my early expectations of an increasingly hammy performance were thrown out the window by this terrifying depiction. If you have somehow forgotten, Voldemort is, and forever shall be, pure evil. There are also fantastic, if short, performances from Rhys Ifans, Tom Felton, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, and Toby Jones as the voice of the honest and loyal house elf, Dobby.

As said before, these films have reached an artistic peak with this installment. The production design is second to none, and has been constantly delivering on a massive scale for years. Cinematographer Eduardo Serra surpasses the fantastic work of Bruno Delbonnel and adds textures and hues that feel noticeably strange, but realistic. Alexandre Desplat sold me weeks ago on his score for the new film, and though I wish it was used a bit more, it shined through several scenes. Expect Oscar nominations a plenty in the technical departments, even if it's unlikely they'll exist anywhere else. As for where this film ranks in the grand scheme of things, I would've been hesitant to call it the best immediately after I saw it, but it has grown on me immensely in the few hours since then. The ending may feel a bit abrupt, but know that it isn't an ending. It's just the beginning of the epic finale. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 doesn't feel so much like a prologue as it does half a film, be it a magnificent one. It's a film about the loss of life, innocence, and faith.

A-

Potter-Watch (34 of 77) Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Can't we just forget that the last film ever happened, and get back to the series that we loved? Fortunately enough, David Yates must have been asking that same question, because Half-Blood Prince does a good job of burying the past. As a matter of fact, this is arguably the best film in the series so far, a title which it may very well lose tomorrow. While the film may not have very much in the way of visceral thrills, it has the benefit of being the most superbly executed of all the films. The perfection of this film could be attributed to the combination of director David Yates, who had the misfortune of directing the previous film, and screenwriter Steve Kloves, who skipped out on writing Order of the Phoenix.

The story for the sixth episode may be a little low-key, but there isn't a scene in this film that I didn't enjoy. It's mostly an ensemble effort, both in terms of cast and plot. We don't only see things from Harry's perspective, but we also get an idea of the wider scheme of things. Right out of the gate, we get a fast paced action scene where the Death Eaters kidnap Ollivander and break down a muggle bridge. From there we see side plots involving Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape, giving us a better idea of the opposition. Where last film spent some time fleshing out Snape, this film spends a good deal of time fleshing out Draco.

I do understand why some people have panned the film, mostly on account of the abundance of teen romance in the film. I'd be on their side as well if the romance wasn't handled so brilliantly and realistically. Instead of the geeky flirting of the fourth film, there are genuine feelings being developed in this film. These aren't just one time flings that will go nowhere like Cho Chang and Victor Krum. This is the same thing that thwarted Voldemort in the first place: true love. So we spend a great deal of time in this film putting that together, and it comes off as really sweet, occasionally melancholy, but almost constantly funny.

With everything happening here, it's almost easy to forget the main plot of the episode, which consists of Dumbledore "educating" Harry on the ultimate task at hand: defeating Voldemort. It's definitely watered down from the book, but were not going to focus on what's not here. The memories we see offer all we need to know to understand the story, and that's what matters. As we get closer to the end of the film, it becomes more apparent that we're seeing the last living moments of Albus Dumbledore. The friendship between him and Harry transcends a simple teacher-student relationship, and begins to evoke equals. The last fifty minutes of the film go off like clockwork, with each event leading to another in rapid succession.

This film achieves the amazing task of a believable tone that consists of both the darkest and lightest moments in the series. There are points in this film that are really frightening, morose, or just plain tragic. Then we cut almost immediately to something hilariously light spirited and energetic, and it never once feels outrageous or out of nowhere. For example, there's a point halfway through the film where Ron is under the influence of a love potion, and that's pure comedy, and the next thing we know, he's on the ground, convulsing from poisoned mead. It takes us at our most vulnerable, and it shocks us with throwing danger at our characters when they aren't suspecting it.

Two of the series' actors truly come into their own this time, starting with Emma Watson. She gets a fair bit to chew on this year, and while her side-plot in this film is mostly reserved to her complex relationship with Ron, she really sells us the sweet desire and sour pinch of her situation. Her scenes with Daniel Radcliffe are a subtle highlight of the film, as they are such similar characters who remain simple friends, free of those pesky hormones. The other young actor who has shown improvement here is Tom Feltons performance as Draco Malfoy, who is now just a shadow of his former self. He no longer spends his time mocking Harry in public, but instead devotes his days to the mission Voldemort has assigned him, and he isn't quite up to the challenge. Five years ago, we would've payed money to punch him in the face. Now, we actually feel sorry for him.

Amazing as their performances are, the crown of best actor in this film belongs to two members of the adult cast. The most obvious is newcomer Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn, whose character mixes all the best parts of this movie. He's such a quirky character that makes you laugh on so many occasions, but he's also got a tragic past involving Tom Riddle. He'd have this honer all to himself if it weren't for Michael Gambon's performance as Dumbledore. Rarely am I talking about a performance this deep into the series, but Gambon really gives it his all given his restricted time table for the rest of the series. I don't think anybody knew how amazing this character could be until now.

The visuals in this film are perhaps my favorite in any film of the past two years. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonel puts so much texture into these shots that they're practically moving paintings, like the ones that adorn the school's corridors. Nicholas Hooper's score is a lot better than his last, as it actually knows when to go dark and when not to. It'd still lacking anything memorable, and doesn't go above and beyond in the way John Williams and Patrick Doyle did. I'd be a little more torn up about him not returning for the final films if Alexandre Desplat weren't the one replacing him. The visual effects don't rule this film, but they offer some nice visual stimuli. Finally, the editing in this film is just brilliant, so congrats to Mark Day on that one.

Ultimately, this film is just a set up for the final installment, putting everything where it needs to be for the next films, but one of the greatest ever made. The more I revisit this film, the more it occurs to me that this is my favorite film in the series. This is a talking movie, much like The Social Network is a talking film, and we get quite a few memorable quotes in this film, and some intense conversations as well. Is it long? Yes. Does it sag a bit in the midsection? Yes, but the same could be said of a dozen Oscar calibur films. However, this is the rare fantasy film that feels absolutely real, thoroughly enjoyable, and artistically stellar. We may not get much of the titular Half-Blood Prince, but how much of the Goblet of Fire or Order of the Phoenix did we see in their films? Not that much at all. This is a film made up of some real moments; things that occur in both our world and the wizarding world. That's one of the things I love about the latest films in this series.

A-

Potter-Watch (33 of 77) Review: Order of the Phoenix

When others rank the Potter movies, I'm always surprised to find this film in the top two, not only for most critics, but for members of the cast as well. It's a real shame because it remains the worst in the series. It sounds a bit harsh, but I just felt that this was one of the most unnecessary of the films, as nothing important really happens. When watching an entire marathon of the series in the future, just leave this film out, and it makes the sixth relatively more intriguing. As a matter of fact, this one may even steep down into the Twilight zone, where bad things happen to pretty people, and we don't care. Is it a bad film? Well there are a few bits I enjoyed, but on the whole part, this film was kind of disappointing.

The fifth episode picks up where the last one left off, with Voldemort now resurrected, Edward Cullen... sorry, Cedric Diggory dead, and the ministry in denial of the fact that there's a problem at all. And then the film stays there for the rest of its duration. The film moves at a fast pace, is packed into a tight two hour and ten minute runtime, but still feels awfully unnecessary. If you were to ask my opinion, if we cut off everything that doesn't matter in this film, it would be less than an hour long, and it would still be the worst in the series. However, please don't go around blaming David Yates for this catastrophe. The man is honestly a very skilled director.

If I were to point out one man to blame for how this film turned out it would be the writer, Michael Goldenberg. Steve Kloves has done a pretty outstanding job of the first four films in the series for the most part, and if he had consented to return for this film, I'm sure it would have been a great deal better. The dialogue that Goldenberg puts together is absolutely clunky, and rather than bring the plot points together coherently and explain certain things that people who didn't read the books wouldn't know, he just drops random facts from the book into the aesthetic of the story. He never explains such characters as Mrs. Figg, who never appeared in the series before. Grawp practically appears out of nowhere. It's just a bad translation of what is an otherwise good story.

Oh, and in case you didn't notice, the whimsy of the first two films is officially back, and it sucks. How easy it is to forget that people are dying everywhere when a CG Santa is riding around on a broomstick, Fred and George are poisoning Filch, and Hogwarts is being made a wreck by a fireworks dragon. The tone of this film is simply all over the place. It never feels consistent, and leaves you with a weird feeling in your stomach. That may due to the fact that angst is in the air, mostly coming from Daniel Radcliffe. He does decent job here, but he's definitely in danger of becoming far too familiar. You can tell how he'll do something before he does it, and that should just never happen.

Despite the whimsy and all that, it does offer us an interesting villain in the form of Imelda Staunton's Dolores Umbridge. There are so many things I hate about the film, but she isn't one of them. Umbridge is such a foul sociopathic character, and if she was given the Stephen King treatment, we'd be squirming in our seats out of pure fear. As it is, she still embodies this obsessive-compulsiveness and cruelty that simply work in the context of everything. This episode also offers us the last performance from Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, a lot more well shaven than the last time we saw him, and he gets in just enough scenes to make us feel a deep pang of sadness when we know what's coming. We don't feel that when he dies, and that's where the film messes up. All the same, my heart always rips to pieces when Sirius utters one particular line: "When all this is over, we'll be a proper family. You'll see."

One of my biggest problems with the film is the technical credits, which are absolutely terrible. The visual effects are fine, and I have no complaints there. The cinematography either looks like somebody urinated on our characters faces, or it just sits there in a boring and mundane position. Nicholas Hooper composes a score just as despicable as Umbridge, and it's very much to blame for the whimsically vomitous portions of the film. However, worst of all is the script for the film. It'd be one thing to take lines straight from the book, but this film commits a further atrocity, by replacing them with boring and cliched dialogue that could put you to sleep. Ultimately, David Yates' first outing as Potter director leaves a lot to be desired, and when I heard he'd be directing the last three films in the series, I was more than a bit concerned. This installment just doesn't live up to the standard created by the third and fourth films. It would take a while before Potter truly found its feet again. All the same, it isn't quite a horrible film, and despite unbearable slogs through foul territory, it still manages to just barely stay a relevant part of the series.

C+

Saturday-Sunday: The Girl in the Cafe

Yes, it's another made-for-television film, but I've actually been edging towards seeing this film for a while now. Another similarity it has with My Boy Jack is that they both have close ties to Harry Potter. David Yates directed The Girl in the Cafe before taking on his first outing in the J.K. Rowling franchise. The film follows Lawrence, a lonely civil servant who meets Gina, a girl in a cafe. They spark a friendship, and then later a relationship, which spurs Lawrence to invite Gina to the G8 summit he has to attend in Reykyavik, Iceland. While things are quite nice and sweet at first, Gina becomes a little too outspoken about her beliefs on the first against poverty, which leads Lawrence to reevaluate his entire stance on things.

What starts out as a real intimate affair actually turns into a quite moving political drama. It's very much about the will to actually do something, which is a very decision despite everything. Gina makes the point that what must be done to turn things around isn't impossible. It's simply difficult and requires great effort on behalf of the highest officials, and that doesn't sit well with them. David Yates takes quite a subtle hand with this material, playing some scenes at a distance similar to what Lawrence tries to keep between him and certain matters. Lawrence wants to make a difference, but he's afraid to do it. Change is never easy, good or bad.

The acting is more than solid on most parts. Bill Nighy, who has united with David Yates on several projects including his upcoming release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, plays the lonely and timid Lawrence quite well. He's a rather complex character who wants nothing more than nice company in contrast to his work companions. Kelly Macdonald, who won an Emmy for her role here, has such a sweet presence to her. Gina's not necessarily an activist, but she has a checkered past, and she finds an opportunity to do something good and takes it. The Girl in the Cafe proves that it wasn't just a fluke for the Potter producers to hire David Yates. The man knows what he's doing now, and he knew what he was doing then.

B+