Business rating: 4/5 stars
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Star cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint.
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What’s Bad: Hardly anything!
Verdict: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 will take the box-office by storm, because it has extraordinary merits and also great hype surrounding it.
Loo break: None at all!
Watch or Not?: Of course, watch Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 because it is the best finale to the world’s most successful film franchise.
User rating:
Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the eighth and final film in the Harry Potter series, which tells the story of young wizard Harry Potter’s battle against Lord Voldemort, the master of dark forces.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 begins from the point where the last film, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1, got over. Lord Voldemort has taken possession of the most powerful Elder Wand; his followers, the dark and dangerous Death Eaters, have taken control of the whole wizard world, including Harry Potter’s school, Hogwarts; and last but not the least, Professor Severus Snape, who had killed Harry’s mentor, Professor Dumbledore, now calls the shots at the school.
Meanwhile, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) continue their search for the Horcruxes— parts of Voldemort’s soul hidden in objects — so that they can get closer to killing the Dark Lord. Using Harry’s Invisibility Cloak and Hermione’s masquerading capabilities, the trio enters the bank vault of Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter), where they find one of the Horcruxes. After making a daring escape from the bank, atop a massive dragon, Harry goes into trance in which he realises that Voldemort knows about his plan of destroying the Horcruxes, and that he (Voldemort) plans to attack Hogwarts, where the last of the two remaining Horcruxes is stored.
Harry, Ron and Hermione sneak into Hogwarts through a secret tunnel with the help of Professor Dumbledore’s brother. Once inside, Harry, backed by the Order of Phoenix, confronts Snape and challenges him to a fight. Voldemort warns everyone to give up Harry to him or be ready to be killed. However, students and teachers support Harry and Snape flees. But now, the students and teachers of Hogwarts face an even bigger challenge as the dark forces rally together under Lord Voldemort to mount a deadly attack on the school. As every wizard in Hogwarts starts doing his/her bit to get ready for the impending attack, Harry frantically looks for the last of the two Horcruxes. Does Harry find the remaining Horcruxes? How many does he find – two or three? And where does he find them? Is he able to destroy the Horcruxes which he finds? Does he finally kill his nemesis, Lord Voldemort? Or is Voldemort successful in killing Harry first instead? What is the real connection between Harry and Voldemort that allows them to read each other’s thoughts? What happens to Snape? The rest of the film and the climax answer these questions.
First up, as advertised, ‘it all ends here’. That is, the very entertaining tale of Harry Potter, that an entire generation of movie-goers has loved, ends once and for all with this film. Of course, those who have read the Harry Potter books (by JK Rowling) already know what happens. But the massive scale of the last film and the very beautifully woven screenplay (by Steve Kloves) of this film, make the film a memorable experience for one and all. So, even if you haven’t been following the Harry Potter series all along, you will enjoy this grand finale. Every scene is beautifully written and keeps the viewer guessing. The numerous, masterfully-executed action scenes only add tremendously to the entertainment value.
Perhaps, the best thing about the film is that Harry Potter emerges as the true hero, and not just because he can stand up to the Dark Lord, but also because he is willing to sacrifice himself in order to win the battle against evil, and when need be, even give up on the most powerful things in the world to maintain peace. As such, the screenplay appeals wonderfully to the audience at the emotional level as well. Moreover, besides all the superlative action, twists and turns in the story and a couple of kisses (between Harry and Ginny and also between Ron and Hermione), there is also a surprise epilogue to the film that viewers need to watch out for!
Talking about the action, it’s never been bigger or better than this. Fire-breathing dragons, giant stone soldiers, glitzy wizard fights, there are so many things in the movie to watch out for. In fact, the climactic battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort is the highlight of the film. Of course, purists might scoff over a few obvious cinematic liberties that the screenwriter has taken, but one cannot complain too much as the film ends up being the most entertaining fare.
Daniel Radcliffe has grown in the role of Harry Potter over the years. This might be his best performance of all the films. Rupert Grint might have a little less screen-time this time but he stands his own. Emma Watson does well and looks beautiful. Ralph Fiennes (as Lord Voldemort) is villainous to a fault. Michael Gambon (as Professor Dumbledore) is good in a cameo. Alan Rickman (as Severus Snape), as always, delivers a fine performance. Helena Bonham Carter (as Bellatrix Lestrange), Robbie Coltrane (as Hagrid), Evanna Lynch (as Luna), Tom Felton (as Draco Malfoy), Ciarán Hinds (as Dumbledore’s brother), Matthew Lewis (as Neville Longbottom) and Bonnie Wright (as Ginny) provide able support.
Director David Yates, who also helmed the last three Harry Potter blockbusters viz. Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1, has another huge winner on his hands. He has managed to make an epic adventure that will enthrall audiences the world over. In this, he has been ably supported by his team, director of photography Eduardo Serra, production designer Stuart Craig, editor Mark Day, visual effects supervisor Tim Burke, special effects supervisor John Richardson and costume designer Jany Temime. Needless to say, technically, the film is as good as it gets in Hollywood today. The 3D effects will cast a magical spell on the audience. The background score, composed by Alexandre Desplat, adds to the drama.
On the whole, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 is an A-class fare and a surefire super-hit. It will do roaring business at the box-office in India. It is already off to a flying start and footfalls won’t decrease very soon.
(Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released in a cinema in Bombay on Thursday, 14 July. It played to bumper houses).
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