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Friday, July 15, 2011
MOVIE REVIEW
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part Two
As The Dark Lord Rises, The Curtain Falls
Ralph Fiennes has his finest hour in the "Potter" series
as Voldemort, the Dark Lord, in David Yates' adventure drama "Harry Potter And
The Deathly Hallows Part Two".
© 2011 Warner Bros.
Ent. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R.
by
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
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Friday,
July 15, 2011
Let's just say that part of your
inner childhood ends. And let's say it ends because
a franchise of characters you've known and grown older with for ten years dies
within you after seeing the majestic, sweeping and tender "Harry Potter And The
Deathly Hallows Part Two", a fantasy adventure film that opened late last night
across the U.S. and Canada, and for that matter at Hogwarts School of Wizardry.
David Yates executes this final chapter so very well, combining gothic visions
with bursts of humor and emotion in somewhat restrained direction. Mr.
Yates plumbs feelings, recollections and life situations among several of the
ensemble characters in Steve Kloves' script in a balanced and respectful manner,
giving peacefully sparing episodes as much space and as large a stage as he does
the film's choicest, most vigorous action sequences. Mr. Yates neither
elaborates nor belabors the film's visions, giving you a discreet, adoring taste
of the final battle, letting the audience down gently instead of out of this
thrill ride with a bang.
This final film (albeit the second half of last November's
"Hallows Part
One", released now rather than last year as a combined four-plus-hour
road show edition) is more a loving tribute and "thank you" to its loyal,
unwavering base of fans than a fast, fresh spectacle for the heretofore
uninitiated. Those familiar will likely chuckle more loudly at characters
who do things on emotional impulse, as if sensing that the end of their world
(and the film's franchise) is pretty darn well nigh. There are plenty of
winks and nods here for the film's devotees to choose from.
The swirl of menace and magnificence in the opening few shots that envelope
"Hallows Part Two" portend something of greatness but the film comes off that
early plateau and swiftly settles down, reconnecting with characters past and
present. If you've read J.K. Rowling's books (and I have not), you know
what will happen at the end. During this sweeping, picturesque journey
(fine cinematography by Eduardo Serra; grand production design by Stuart Craig)
threats to the survival of Hogwarts will come. Horcruxes will be
destroyed. Wands will be tested. So will allegiances.
The trio of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and
Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) will be in for the fight of their lives.
Voldemort will lurk within, without and all over you. You'll need several
showers to rid yourself of Voldemort's skulking, hovering and breathy presence,
an evil marvelously concocted by Ralph Fiennes, who this time around has the
grand, towering showcase of the entire "Potter" film series, in a playful, hammy
and delicious performance as the Lord Of Darkness.
Alan Rickman is superb as Professor Severus Snape, adding more depth and pathos
to his character than in previous iterations. Mr. Rickman utters Snapisms
syllable-by-syllable, aiming for maximum slimy, serpent-tongued creepiness.
The actor's words made my skin crawl yet cry out for more in admiration.
What also made my skin crawl was the disappointing 3D (surely an oxymoron by
now) that "Deathly Hallows Part Two" stumbles around blindfolded by. The
extra dimension adds a layer of darkness to a film that already contains scenes
shot at night or in places of low light hampers and subtracts from Mr. Yates'
film, which must be seen instead in 2D to get clarity, pitch and nuance from Mr.
Serra's photography of the night. Musically, Alexandre Desplat's score is
swift, sturdy and as epic as the film itself.
Mr. Yates, whose deeper and robustly darker visions give his editions of
"Potter" an adult edge and authenticity, climbs higher here with his brooding
presentations, augmented by excellent visual effects (Tim Burke). And the
director also captures the spirit of enchantment well, putting Ms. Rowling's
three traveling central characters in their familiar domain of adaptation,
improvisation and bumbling errata. Mr. Grint supplies much of the film's
fine comic timing as does Ms. Watson, confident and fearless. Daniel
Radcliffe gives Harry Potter the urgency and vulnerability that underlies this
sensational and satisfying swan song. Ever wise, Harry is still learning
life's ropes and remains humble, as does the film's final battle, which is
disciplined though no less enjoyable. The trio of lead characters have
grown well, and the actors inhabiting them have too.
I had a whale of a time laughing, smiling and being moved by "Harry Potter And
The Deathly Hallows Part Two". The film is gilded with a sentimentality
and abundant humor lacking in Mr. Yates's prior efforts in this series.
"Deathly Hallows Part Two" thankfully avoids excess, going into the night
gracefully with a charm, sweetness and beauty that makes it an absolute winner.
With: Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Michael
Gambon, Ciarán Hinds, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Matthew Lewis, Gary Oldman,
Maggie Smith, David Bradley, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, Evanna Lynch,
Domhnall Gleeson, Bonnie Wright, Clémence Poésy.
"Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part Two" is rated PG-13 by the Motion
Picture Association Of America for some sequences of intense action violence and
frightening images. The film's running time is two hours and ten minutes.
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