Falls victim to the same missteps that have always plagued this series.

Rating: 4/10 (2 November 2013)

I really wanted to like this movie. While the Harry Potter film franchise has never fully convinced me that it is capable of producing movies with any true lasting value, it has at least always spawned reasonably good films that, despite their missteps, are mostly enjoyable and entertaining on an initial viewing. However, the unbelievably excellent reviews for this movie really had me expecting something more this time. I was hoping to finally see a Harry Potter film that wasn't just serviceable and entertaining, but was truly a great film in terms of storytelling, pacing, craft, and execution.
Sadly, I feel the final Harry Potter film falls victim to the exact same missteps that have plagued the series throughout its production. Sure, there are a number of things that this film does very well. The special effects are absolutely through the roof, the atmosphere and camera-work are suitably dark and ominous, and there a few very emotionally potent scenes, such as Snape's death and the discovery that Harry makes about his past soon after. Yet the core elements necessary for the foundation of the film are simply lacking, almost absent in certain cases. The interplay between the characters, all of whom we are supposed to be emotionally invested in and cheering for, seems oddly muted. There is a distinct lack of emotional interplay between characters at times when these emotions seem like they should be at their greatest. The moment where Ron and Hermione realize that Harry has decided to sacrifice himself to Voldemort feels extremely underplayed. They barely even try to stop him and seem extremely ready and willing to make peace with the fact that their best friend of 7 years has decided he must die. Also, when Harry magically resurrects himself from the dead (still trying to figure that one out.. the way it is presented in the film is quite confusing), he doesn't receive the reception that you would assume he would. His companions respond almost as if they expected him to come back to life all long.
However, I feel the biggest and most damning issue with the film is the pacing and storytelling technique, especially in the latter portion after Harry is killed. The movie seems to speed hastily through the moments that require the most attention and should be the most emotionally resonant, while dwelling on and extending other scenes beyond their welcome. This absolutely kills the narrative drive of the movie, pulling you out of the action and lessening the scale and the potential emotional impact of the proceedings. The scene after Harry dies and where he meets Dumbledore is obviously a pivotal scene, but the length that it extends through coupled with its positioning squarely at the climax of the movie detracts from the flow and suspense. On the other hand, the scene that this entire decade's worth of movies has been building to where Harry and Voldemort finally clash is treated in an almost business-like fashion. The fight itself feels a bit hasty, but the real problem is that there is no emotional resolution after Voldemort is finally killed. None of the characters even mention or react to what has transpired. This is an absolutely unforgivable misstep because it undermines the entire event, as well as the 7 previous movies that have led to it. There is no emotional culmination and/or resolution with any of the characters after the evil they have been fighting for so long has finally been vanquished. Instead, we are led straight to the epilogue in less than 10 minutes with hardly a line of dialogue from anyone other than Harry, Ron, or Hermione, none of whom have anything to discuss except for details concerning the Elder Wand. The sense of accomplishment, gratification, resolution, or relief seems entirely absent.
At the end of the day though, this is not a horrible movie. It certainly has a number of entertaining scenes and, like the films that came before it, is mostly entertaining and relatively solid. However, it falls victim to the same narrative-driven problems that the other films suffer from and, in this case, the missteps are particularly unforgivable given that this film is the final installment and the one where emotional resonance and correct pacing is the most vital. For that reason, although it is probably one of the better films in the series, I can't give it more than 2 stars. Admittedly, it feels a tad low, but the flaws are simply too significant to be overlooked and they fatally wound what could've been a satisfying conclusion to a relatively solid franchise.