Film Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

It still beats Apparition

The eighth film in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, starts off directly after the events of Part 1. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley go in search of the last Horcruxes, blindly following the orders of Albus Dumbledore, who has been dead for about a year. It's a bit ridiculous to summarize the events of the film, because fans of the book are undoubtedly familiar with most of the plot contained within the movie. And that's part of the fun. Audience members sit in anticipation, wondering, not what will happen, but how the events will play out. How will Molly Weasley's final confrontation with a particular Death Eater play out? How will director David Yates make the magical battles, which have historically been difficult to film, as exciting and epic as they are in the book? When and where will Neville strike? And how on earth is screenwriter Steve Kloves going to make Wandlore interesting?

Snape, Snape-ing it up

The film acts as a long goodbye. Almost every character gets a farewell, whether it's Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey staring out at the destroyed Hogwarts, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan fighting Death Eaters with verve, or Professor Trelawney (Emma Thompson) saying a quiet goodbye to one of her beloved students. Other characters get

Harry Plotter: Movie 5

Molly Weasley fighting a Boggart: Cut Scene, but not forgotten

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the first movie in the series directed by David Yates, and the man wastes no time in making his mark. With Chris Columbus’ childish films HP1 and HP2 fading into unhappy memory, Alfonso Cuarón’s powerhouse directorial work in HP3 unfortunately forgotten, and Mike Newell’s direction of HP4 acting as a filmic palate cleanser, Yates was able to enter the arena on relatively solid ground. Unlike so many franchises that buckled under the pressure of repetition, the Harry Potter films still feel fresh, uninhibited by ridiculous side plots and accepted (and often beloved) by fans.  Still, the final three films represent a dramatic change in the series, shifting from the fun and not too

Harry Plotter: Movie 4

The fourth Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was released in 2005, a mere 6 years ago. It was directed by Mike Newell, which makes it the last movie in the Harry Potter franchise to be directed by someone other than David Yates. While the book is a fluid, interesting, and captivating read (check out our review HERE), the movie often feels disjointed, rushed, and uninspired. It’s almost as if the filmmakers decided on where the action sequences should go and then just built the rest of the story around them. They don't seem to care when characters are left out or important story lines are dropped, and the reworking of certain events to fit into their specific narrative arc feels clunky. It’s unfortunate that such an engaging book was turned into such an odd movie. Yet, despite its obvious faults, the film does carry with it a certain magic, especially when the action stops long enough to leave room for the smaller, more human moments.

The Four Triwizard Tournament Champions

Flower of my Heart

First, let’s talk, as we often do, about casting. Most prominently

Harry Plotter: Movie 3

I really want to keep writing and reading about Harry Potter, but writing in great length about the books and movies has gotten a tad tedious. I spend time trying to write and craft a review, only to realize that every thought I have has been expounded upon (at great length) by the Harry Potter Wiki or one of the innumerable blogs dedicated solely to all things Potter.  Thus I came to a decision: I will still be reading, watching, and commenting on the Harry Potter series. My comments, however, will be much more brief, and hopefully will just highlight the series and not over-analyze the series. Frankly, I think it will be good for all of us. (Spoilers Ahead)

Lily, James, and Sirius Black, in happier times

The third movie is such a welcome relief from the first two, which were so tedious. Director

Harry Plotter: Movie 2

Despite being based off of what I consider the weakest book in the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is not the worst movie in the canon. It's probably the second worst. Spoilers Ahead.

When Kenneth Branagh can't save your movie, you know you're screwed

The thing that saves the movie once again is the stellar casting.  While Kenneth Branagh doesn't make sense as Gilderoy Lockhart on paper (Lockhart being a little younger and dashing in the novels), he proves to be an inspired choice.  Branagh downplays the charm

Harry Plotter: Movie 1

When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone hit movie theaters around the world, audiences were expecting a lot. Four of the books had already been released, and the series was only gaining in popularity. Stakes were high, which is why it's such a disappointment how much of a turd this film turned out to be.

Please, Chris Columbus, don't kill the franchise! It's just a baby!