What My Childhood Died For

Rating: 10/10 (16 July 2011)

I remember when I was five years old. I remember my mother reading Harry Potter to me, the way her hands turned the pages, the way she placed her bookmark in the book when she thought I had fallen asleep. I remember wanting to be Harry Potter. I was Harry Potter twice for Halloween, as a matter of fact, wandless and only armed with jack-o-lantern shaped box for keeping candy. And now, almost at age 18, I have created a new memory of my own, that of sitting next to my mother, and now my brother, in a dark theater, sobbing together at the thought that it really is the end of my favorite series, Harry Potter.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the near-perfect finale to one of the most beloved series ever written. David Yates has created the first, and unfortunately only, classic of the Harry Potter film series in a spectacular and emotional thrill ride. Dark, brooding, and downright suspenseful, Harry Potter ends with an enormous bang, one whose reverberations will be felt for years to come.
The bang that this movie creates only begins with its fine actors. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have matured into real adult actors now. Once cute and dopey, the trio has now become truly magical at their profession. Though it's a spectacle to watch the chemistry between our three leads, they're overshadowed by an impossibly large supporting cast. Maggie Smith returns to give a sweet performance. Ralph Fiennes reprises his role as Voldemort and totally creeps us out. The real star of the show is, however, Alan Rickman. Finally, Rickman emerges from the depths of the great sets and shows his true acting chops as Snape. He's just fantastic to watch.
And the film is technically brilliant as well. The visual effects go heavy on the pyrotechnics, so why not throw in a little slow-motion while we're at it? And so David Yates does, but whereas most directors (other than Zack Snyder, that is) can't handle slow-motion, Yates does it perfectly. It's thrilling, and it's only aided by Eduardo Serra's cinematography. He's an expert at what he does: Serra loves playing with color, and it totally works in every way. Sometimes, the film is so drab looking that it almost becomes black-and-white. What Serra films is gorgeous. He's secured himself a nomination for Best Cinematography.
The film isn't without its flaws however. Steve Kloves' script is lacking as usual, placing far too much emphasis on action and not enough on the characters themselves. Humor is used improperly to lighten the otherwise moody atmosphere. That said, the way Kloves writes action, and the way Yates directs it, is marvelous.
While it can't help but feel as though there's a full half hour missing from the final cut, Yates and his team have made a brilliant film. I almost feel weird saying that a Harry Potter film is great. Mainstream films just shouldn't be this good, but thankfully, they still can be. Movie magic still does exist after all.
Unfortunately, no matter how many times we see these characters when we watch the movies or read the books again, they'll never be fully resurrected. It's the first time that matters the most. After that, it's never the same. Everything ends, unfortunately, and so does the Harry Potter series. I have grown so much with Harry Potter, but it's finally time to lay it to rest. Goodbye, Harry and crew. You'll be sorely missed.