Review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) by Victor T — 07 Dec 2016

After seven films and ten years since we walked through Diagonal Alley and Platform 9 3/4 the conclusion of Potter's story is here. After all the events we have witnessed, is this a worthy conclusion for such a beast of a franchise?

With 3 Horcruxes taken care of and Voldemort gaining the Elder Wand, Potter and company are ready to finally confront the Dark Lord and his army of Death Eaters. Retreating to Hogwarts to find more information about the rest of the Horcruxes, Harry's friend rally around him in order to finally take down He Who Must Not Be Mentioned.

After taking care of the exposition in "Deathly Hollows Part 1", what lies ahead is the Battle of Hogwarts and the final confrontation between The Boy Who Lived and The Dark Lord, and I have to say this final chapter is a mixed bag for me. With the focus being on the final battle between good and evil, the film does not disappoint in the action department, as it uses the franchise's strengths wisely and continues to bring new magical ideas; and it has the best dramatic sequence in the entire saga (Alan Rickman proved that he was a fantastic actor that could do so much with a stoic character) as it is satisfying and touching. But my main problem realize on the whole concept of the film: It is so focused on the battle scenes that the Horcruxes get lost in the narrative. Since "Half Blood Prince" they have been saying that the Horcruxes could be anywhere and they would be heavy protected but in reality they are not.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" is a bombastic conclusion to the series but it is also an underwhelming one. It is action packed, dramatic, solidly executed and extremely enjoyable.