And now, finally, here we come at the final chapter of the cinematic saga of Harry Potter. Well, final until Warner Bros. finally gets around to making Harry Potter and Cursed Child, because we all know that's coming eventually. Anyway, the series comes to a rousing and emotional conclusion as J.K Rowling goes full George R.R Martin on our beloved characters.
Part 2 more or less picks up right where the first part left off, with Harry mourning the death of Dobby the house Elf, who had just begun to worm his way into my heart by trying to drop a chandelier on Bellatrix LeStrange (played by Helena Bonham Carter) towards the end of the previous film. After gathering himself, Harry, Ron (played by Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (played by Emma Watson) set out to recover the remaining Horcruxes. The first one is located in Bellatrix's vault in the goblin controlled Gringotts bank. Hermoine winds up having to pose as Bellatrix with Ron also in disguise and Harry hiding under his invisibility cloak. They manage to access the vault and recover the Horcrux, but the alarm is raised and have to escape with the aid of a conveniently placed dragon. The clue to the last remaining Horcrux leads them back to Hogwarts, leading them to the final showdown with Voldemort and his followers and Harry and the teachers, students and his friends at the school.
For the final outing, the film moves at a brisk and thrilling pace from beginning to end. With all the set up out of the way, David Yates and Screenwriter Steve Kloves are able to properly focus on the battle of Hogwarts. In the process, there are also a few potent revelations about potions teacher Severus Snape (played by Alan Rickman) that were especially poignant, perhaps even more so due to Rickman's passing earlier this year. The action beats are incredibly strong in this film, and there are many. One particularly notable one is an extended scene of Harry, Ron and Hermoine running through the chaos of battle, throwing spells left and right to ward of attacks with nary a thought, made all the more impressive with the fact that the things they are warding off or firing at are things they encountered and fought all through their years at Hogwarts and are now able to face and fight off without a second thought or moment's pause. There is also a cool sequence in the school's Room of Requirement where they have to find the last Horcrux and it also is an extended throwback to memorable items from earlier installments, including the Cornish Pixies Gilderoy Lockhart unleashed on his class in the second film.
As always, the acting is wonderful here, with so many emotionally potent moments. I have to call out Alan Rickman as Snape. Now, I've been a fan of Alan Rickman's ever since I saw Die Hard as a wee one and then shortly after saw him steal the show in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. When it was announced he would be playing Snape, I couldn't think of anyone better. And it all pays off here as Snape's deepest secrets are revealed and Rickman gives a beautiful performance. I won't dare spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but I've always found it deeply moving. Maggie Smith, who has also been a wonderful addition to the series in her uniquely Maggie Smith way gets some great moments here, especially as she faces off against Snape in the Great Hall and then prepares the school to defend itself. Then, finally there is Julie Walters as Molly Weasley. She hasn't always had the most to do in the series beyond being the doting but strict when needed mother, but she gets one of the most memorable moments in the film when she sees her daughter Ginny dueling with Bellatrix and steps in, announcing, "Not my daughter, you bitch!" It was a moment straight from the book and one I couldn't wait to see on screen. It goes without saying that Julie Walters did not disappoint.
So, that ends the official look back at the Harry Potter series. I hadn't revisited these in full in quite a long time and the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as well as the fifteenth anniversary of the first film provided the perfect excuse to revisit them from beginning to end. I was a fan of the series ever since I first read the books way back when they first came out after my cousin Sarah got me into them and I was hooked ever since. I saw each of the movies in the theater and marveled as they matured as they went along, going from fun but family friendly films to something was genuinely and legitimately good cinema. I loved how the vision of Hogwarts grew and deepened as the series went on and how each incoming director put their own unique touches on the series. The Harry Potter films remain one of the most significant and well made series of films, self contained with one mostly continuous casts in film history. The fact that this is able to continue in another form with Fantastic Beasts and it's inevitable sequels is certainly something I am looking forward to.
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