Saturday, July 16, 2011

Super Summer Saturdays: The End of an Era (SPOILER ALERT)

If you read my last post, you know how excited I have been about the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I, along with many others, attended the midnight release (in full costume). This is my take on the movie. Warning: Lots of spoilers ahead, many more than in my previous summer movie reviews.

The movie begins by repeating the final scene of DH part 1, when the evil Lord Voldemort steals the legendary Elder Wand from the grave of Albus Dumbledore. We then get to see our beloved heroes as they finish the search for the Horcruxes (if you don't know what a Horcrux is, it is an object that has a fragment of another person's soul concealed inside it and can only be created by killing another person. When a Horcrux is created, its maker can never truly "die" until the Horcrux is destroyed. Very dark magic). It comes to mind that one of them (old Voldy has/had 7) may be in the Gringotts bank. So what do they do? They hatch a crazy plot to break in, of course. The bank scene was really cool. Much cooler than the first time that Harry visited the bank during the first story. I will warn you though-- if you get dizzy easily, this scene may make your insides spin. The dragon (yeah, dragons guard the bank) scene is very well done, especially when it flies over the countryside- beautiful!

Our heroes later return to Hogwarts, their school, which is in a (for lack of a better word) apocolyptic state. Everyone's favorite professors will be seen, including the ever-strict McGonagall, who has developed a very cool "Don't mess with me" attitude. The Horcrux search continues with the help of some fellow students and friends, and the cup and diadem are destroyed, putting Harry and company one step closer to victory.

A sentimental moment comes about 3/4 way through the movie, when, during Professor Snape's last seconds of life, his past is finally told. I won't lie. I cried during this part. Lots. I knew I would. I cried during that part of the book, as well. I won't spill this secret in my review, but I will say to have a tissue ready.

Lots of loud battling, fighting and firing occurs before good finally prevails over evil and the Boy Who Lived saves the Wizarding World forever. Voldemort's death was very different in the movie than the book, but I still thought that it was well done. I will say that I was extremely dissappointed that the movie did not show Harry visiting the Headmaster's office after the victory. In the book, Harry visits the office to see the portrait of Albus Dumbledore crying tears of pride. That was one of my favorite parts in the entire series. I was sad I didn't get to see it.

The movie closes with an epilogue, where the heroes are seeing their own children off to the no longer threatened Hogwarts. The kids are beyond adorable, by the way.

I thought that, other than the ending, this movie followed the book extremely well. More so than the past several movies. I couldn't have aasked for a better ending to the book and film franchise of a generation.

"All was well".

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