From the boy who lived to the man who died

Submitted by AWL on 19 July, 2011 - 11:09

Daisy Thomas reviews the final Harry Potter film “The Deathly Hallows — Part 2”


As I joined countless others at midnight in packed cinemas for the final instalment of Harry Potter, excitement was in the air.

After all, this would be the last time there’d be a midnight screening of Harry Potter, the last time people could dress up like the characters, and the last time there’d be a new Harry Potter movie.

The acting was very well done and, as always, the special effects were brilliant. The idea that Thestrals didn’t actually exist, or that flying motorbikes defied gravity, was not important. This was a fantasy world where magic was real and good battled evil.

One particular example of good acting and character heroics was Neville (played by Matthew Lewis). Neville has never really been given a great deal of attention or opportunities to prove himself before, but he made up for it this time, to high degrees of hilarity. And, while there were great casualties, it was heartening to see, once again, that good triumphed over evil and that good things can be interwoven into dark stories.

But good as it was, there were a few things that got on my wick. First, when Harry pulled himself and Voldemort into that massive hole. That was not in the book and added nothing to the story.

Second, the deaths of characters we had gotten to know (and in some cases, loved) over the years: Lupin, Tonks, Fred, and Snape, were not given the same attention as in the books (despite there being some weeping in the cinema). I assume the filmmakers glossed over them because of time.

Third, Snape’s memories were not as detailed as in the books, nor did they cover the important scenes at Hogwarts when he, Lily and James were students there (even though this had been covered earlier in the books). Young Lily did not have the green eyes that people keep raving about and comparing to Harry’s eyes. If you’re going to mention an eye colour that much, at least get someone who fits the bill.

Fourth, I was disappointed that Dumbledore’s childhood and his relationships with his family and Grindelwald were not explored. I really enjoyed that in the books.

And, finally, I didn’t think that the characters pulled off looking 19 years older (and they didn’t mention Teddy Lupin — nor the fact that Tonks had even had a kid before her untimely death). So that was also disappointing.

But those complaints aside, the movie met most of my expectations. I remember one of my friends remarking: “And that scene where Harry is talking to Dumbledore in King’s Cross station, it was exactly as I had imagined it.” That too happened with the scenes at Gringotts.

Particularly enjoyable moments included: the epic fight scenes, Neville’s heroics, McGonagall’s impressive spell-casting, Molly Weasley calling Bellatrix a bitch, and Snape’s redemption.

To sum up, it is hard to express just how Harry Potter was so good, so I’ll just leave it as: “It was great, it sucks that it’s over, and if you haven’t already seen it, go now.”

This website uses cookies, you can find out more and set your preferences here.
By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.