Mania Grade: B+

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Info:

• Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman Maggie Smith, and Matthew Lewis
• Written by: Steve Kloves
• Directed by: David Yates
• Studio: Warner Bros.
• Rating: PG-13
• Run Time: 130 minutes
• Series:

Mania Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Harry Potter 8
© Warner Bros/Robert Trate

 JK Rowling hit upon a singular balance with the Harry Potter books that helps explain why you can mention them in the same breath as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Tolkien had the vision to create a beautiful, richly detailed world, but his storytelling skills sometimes flagged in the face of it. Lewis, on the other hand, was an unparalleled prose writer whose world design reverted into an ungainly mess. Rowling had the best of both of them: exquisite storytelling skills married to a universe as well-designed as anything we’ve seen. The movies – including the finale, which opens this week – thrive because they transfer that balance to the big screen exceptionally well.

Even with such legacy behind it, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 stands apart. Ten years of back story and the slow development of the characters comes to a thunderous payoff here: full of adventure, terror, insight, sadness and even a little humor thrown in as Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) finally faces his destiny. There’s no more set-up here: no more explaining what needs to be done and who needs to do it. The action begins almost immediately, and doesn’t let up until the credits roll.

Fans and casual viewers alike know what’s at stake by now. Harry and his friends still need to find the remaining horcruxes containing the pieces of Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) soul if they ever hope to destroy him.  With the Dark Lord now in control of the entire wizarding world, they must act boldly: first by breaking into a vault in the impregnable Grongott’s bank, and then by daring the very halls of Hogwarts itself. The latter is under the control of Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), with whom Harry has considerable amounts of unfinished business.

The resulting Battle of Hogwarts – both stealthy and overt – comprises the bulk of the entire film. The first forty minutes of so contain the bank robbery and the odd bit of exposition, delivered with a breathless pace that capitalizes on all the hard work done by Deathly Hallows Part 1. In that light, splitting them in two was a wise choice. Part 1 allows the dark mood to matriculate and a sense of despair slowly creep it, while Part 2 cuts our heroes loose to fight back: desperately and with little hope of success, but determined to go down guns blazing.

Director David Yates continues the strong work he’s done over the previous three outings, and while this film is pretty much wall-to-wall action, he keeps the characters and their motives firmly in mind. The cast aids immeasurably in that regard; Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint know their roles like the back of their hands at this point, and if the last two don’t get quite as much screen time here, it’s only because they need to make room for the rest of the cast to make their curtain calls. Here, too, Deathly Hallows, Part 2 earns its stripes, integrating the likes of Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) and Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) without making them feel crammed in. Rickman, in particular, does exceptionally well with his curtain call, as the question of Snape’s ultimate allegiance finally comes to fruition. Unfortunately, it leads to a number of head-scratchers from a continuity standpoint (I’m still not sure how Evanna Lynch’s Luna gets from the seashore to Hogwarts), creating some of the few legitimate problems facing the film.

Yates counters with all liveliness and attention to detail that fans of the series expect. He never cheats with Rowling’s text, and Rowling, of course, knew how to finish off her signature epic in fine fashion. Longtime fans should be more than pleased with the results, delivered here within a reasonable running time and yet refusing to skimp on the key points. Newcomers – are there any left? – may want to bone up on previous entries before they arrive. You need to know about things like the Room of Requirement or Dumbledore’s pensieve before coming in, because nobody’s going to explain it to you here. Armed with such information, however, the casual fan should have as much of a blast as the Potter-philes. These films have established a lasting legacy as honorable adaptations, stretching back a decade with nary a boner in the bunch. Deathly Hallows, Part 2 is as strong an anchor as anyone could ask for, bringing this beloved saga to a rousing and irresistible conclusion.