IT ALL ENDS. Well, here it is, at last. The last movie of the Harry Potter franchise. What a journey it has been for not just for the actors, filmmakers and writers but also moviegoers because we have grown alongside with them for 10 years. This franchise is special for both moviegoers and also lovers of the seven books that fortunately allowed Borders to be open for a while because sales were up when children or families bought the book. So, when I was sitting in the theater, after a brief fight between two people who was fighting over a movie seat, I was exhilarated and sad simultaneously because I wanted to see how David Yates, the director, would finish the franchise. This movie ends on a great note with such frenetic pacing and dramatic backstory that closes the franchise with positivity and memorability.
We left off when Part 1 ends after Dobby gets buried, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) asks the goblin, Griphook (Warwick Davis), who was the head banker of Gringotts, to help him break into Bellatrix's (Helena Bonham Carter) vault suspecting that a Horcrux may be there. Wandmaker Ollivander (John Hurt) tells Harry that two wands were taken from Malfoy Manor that belonged to both Bellatrix and Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton). But, he explains that Draco's wand now has changed its allegiance to Harry. Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) takes the Polyjuice Potion to transform into another person and Bellatrix respectively and Apparates into Gringotts when both Harry and Griphook are hidden in its Invisibility Cloak.
In Bellatrix's vault, Harry discovers that the next Horcrux is Helga Hufflepuff's cup. He retrieves it but Griphook snatches the sword and abandons the trio, leaving them with the dragon security bolting out flames from his mouth. The three release the dragon guardian and flees on its back. Harry sees a vision of Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) killing the goblins and sees a vision of Hogwarts which reveals the next Horcrux which is connected to Rowena Ravenclaw. They apparate into Hogsmeade where they meet Aberforth Dumbledore (Ciáran Hinds), Albus' brother, and he instructs the portrait of his younger sister, Ariana, to fetch Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) from Hogwarts in a secret passage.
Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) hears of Harry's return and he gathers all of the students of Hogwarts into the Common Hall and he warns both staff and students that they will be severely punished for aiding Harry. Harry confronts Snape regarding Dumbledore's death and he flees after a duel with Minerva McGonagall (Maggie Smith). Voldemort and his army show up to Hogwarts and attempt to break the massive protective enchantment surrounding the castle as the Hogwarts community prepares for battle and Harry, Ron and Hermione looks for the next Horcrux.
Again, not many movies close out a franchise or a trilogy perfectly but this one nearly does. This movie ties in all of the loose ends regarding Harry Potter's past and the path to defeat Voldemort. Unlike Part 1, this one has an edgier and frenetic pace as the movie zips by to solve every clue to defeat him and also this movie has the most action of the franchise. The movie is not all quick action as the movie takes its time to simply explain things from the first part of the Deathly Hallows. The movie very quickly provides information as to how the sword was presented and also the outlook of Hogwarts taken over by Snape in a very dark way. The dialogue is quick and concise between the certain characters involved in both Harry's and Voldemort's story.
The sequence in Gringotts is both quietly suspenseful and exciting as they have to go find the Horcrux in Bellatrix's vault. Its quietly suspenseful moments is when the banker interrogates Hermione as Bellatrix. The most exciting sequence both visually and in a storytelling structure is involving the dragon in both the bank and outside as Harry lets Voldemort into his visions. How it is set up is exhilarating and paced real subtly until we get to the main event with the dragon and then we get into the story regarding Voldemort as he knows that Harry is looking for Horcruxes.
SPOILER ALERT!
Let's focus on the part in (from the clip above) which it is revealed as the most important sequence of the whole franchise, both film and book. And, this haunting sequence is proof of Alan Rickman's brilliant performance in both this movie and the franchise. He was robbed of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. When we find out about Snape's role in Dumbledore's plan and his past, it is haunting. We witness Snape's love of Harry's mother, Lily, as he was envious of both her and James. Rickman's performance is noticeable in his eyes as it is revealed that Snape truly loved Lily and also when he finds out that Lily has died. This sequence proves that he is not who he truly is as he sacrificed his good will to protect Harry from harm this whole time. He was the "bravest person who ever lived".
Most of the movie is dark but there is some nice, subtle humor and awesome moments from most of the characters such as Lupin, Ron, Neville. Professor McGonagall and even Mrs. Weasley (we know which little moment we are talking about near the end). I liked seeing most of the characters from the whole franchise come back in this movie to solely protect Harry and Hogwarts.
I loved this movie from the first few times I have seen it but now after watching this movie again, there are a few quibbles with the movie. I have loved most of the movies' cinematography, especially the Prisoner of Azkaban's, but I found this movie, at times, to be too hard to see because of its darkness. Sometimes, I had to squint to find out what is going on in the scene's first few seconds. Also, even though the ending is about as perfect as it could end, the make-up in the last scene was a little strange. But, nevertheless, this movie is one of the best final films of any franchise ever and it is a worthy conclusion that'll have fans of the franchise tear up with both happiness and sadness.
***1/2
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