"The Return of Harry" or... and so ended a genre-defining saga...

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 2018)

Well, well, well...
After an epic seven-movie tour into the world of Harry Potter, here comes the final and so overwhelming conclusion of not only a decade-defining but a genre-defining franchise.
Author J.K. Rowling not only revolutionized children literature through her winning streak of best-sellers but inspired what would become a landmarks of a genre relying both on spectacular special effects boosted by computer technology but traditional three-act structure (exposition with the first three films, second act starting halfway through the fourth, and the climax in the last two films) with all the compelling elements of storytelling: the fight between good and evil, the coming-of-age and the whole escapism into a world never seen before. Like Lewis Carroll, J.R.R Tolkien and George Lucas, Rowling created a whole new universe, a myth.
Hogwarts, Dumbledore, Gryffindor, Aveda Kadevra... and so on and so forth, all these words have become part of an international lexicon, a staple of pop culture bound to be passed from generations to generations and to enchant children and adults all over the world. It is no surprising that the film concludes with Harry, Hermione and Ron playing grown-ups taking their children to Hogwarts through platform 3/4 like in the first film, we've all grown up watching Harry, Ron and Hermione from their baby-faced years to their maturity, and then will come a time where we'll look back at the 2011 film with equally powerful nostalgia. Oh yes, I'm sure the films will all live up to their reputation in nineteen years... and beyond.
And from that emotional finale, we guess that Hogwarts have probably been rebuilt and the harrowing and deadly journey that culminated with the final fight between Voldemort and his forces of Dark magic and the resistance that combined all the cumulated knowledge of centuries of wizardry will be part of the new mythology. And I feel less like reviewing the film than concluding my seven reviews by saying that the franchise couldn't have a better conclusion. For simple reasons that don't take much analysis: first of all, it is set in Hogwarts, and while it's heartbreaking to watch so many places we're familiar with being reduced to ashes or ruins by bolts of lightning and random attacks, it's captivating to watch all the players defending the place to death.
And there are deaths. Many are particularly tough to handle. And for those who have the chance to live, the story provides them chances to outdo themselves, Neville ends up having one of the most interesting arcs in the series, Mr. McGonagol and Mrs. Weasley have also their moment of awesome, and there are two reveals about Dumbledore and Snape that made me question my previous reviews and the way I instantly jumped to conclusions, underestimating Rowling's smart writing. I knew there was something enigmatic with Snape from the very start and by maintaining such a mysterious character for so long over the series, Rowling proved that she didn't have a talent for writing stories but also -as it's the case with Harry Potter- stories within stories.
And this "Deathly Hallows Part II", as far as storytelling is concerned, is fueled with spectacular action like a fitting climax, it doesn't waste time for exposition as no introduction is needed anymore, we're already familiar with the characters and the themes. So the film plays like "The Return of Harry" echoing the Jedi's or the King's. And for all the action-packed scenes that are traditional offerings but never get "routinely", the integrity of the narrative is maintained. And the heart of the story is kept as well through reveals of relationships that were the core of the saga all along. Reading about Rowling that she lost her mother of Multiple Sclerosis before she could enjoy even the first book broke my heart but it might have shaped her inspiration when writing about the relationship between Harry and her mother, and a few other characters, or even between Harry with Voldemort.
And one can't of course review this film without praising Ralph Fiennes's performance. The actor's been kept away for too long to finally implode, proving to be more than a menacing presence. He steals the show with a glare, a joke, or his hideous nose-less face... it's like the film or the book couldn't fail because it had just the perfect villain. As they say, a film is as good as its villain... but it's also as good as its ending, and while not all the chapters of the saga are equally entertaining, this last opus is a masterful conclusion and I understand now why it's the only one to be on the Top 250. It's entertaining, thrilling, suspenseful, sad, deep and comes full circle through an ending where you can't just help but shed a tear while saying goodbye to these character we've seen evolving from their childhood and even when the wizardry world was as its "infancy" from our perspective.
How fitful that the ending scene is in a Train Station, like Hitchcock another master storyteller, Rowling loved trains and it was trains that inspired her the first vision of Harry Potter, a kid taking a train to go to a wizard school... it's only appropriate that the film would end with that note, maybe telling children that everything is possible, that they also can have their own "train" of inspiration and image a little something that can grow out of magical proportions. She wanted a character who could do something she couldn't: fly, she created Harry Potter and became an inspiration, a billionaire, and a name that would be mentioned in the same breath as Tolkien when fantasy literature would be approached by fans or scholars.
If only I let my curiosity win over me and watch the first film, I can't believe I waited so long. Maybe I should take it as a lesson now and give a try and watch "Fantastic Beasts".