[OLD] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 - A Satisfying Conclusion That Out-Does The Book

The epic tale of Harry Potter has finally come to an end this week with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. The year-long gap between this and Part 1 not only served to extend the series' lifespan, but also increased the build-up to the inevitable final battle between the titular character and Lord Voldemort. After all of this time with the franchise, it's send-off has a very satisfying conclusion.

The movie continues exactly after Part 1 left off. After that it's a bit tricky to describe what happens without giving away anything major, since it's continuing a singular story. All I can say is that it's really amazing in the way it wraps up the events of a series that has lasted over a decade.

The acting and special effects are at their best in this film, making the climactic battle more epic with all the spells being cast left and right. There are also some humorous moments spread throughout, which serve to prevent the story from becoming too serious, but the dark tone is still evident. The 3D version of the movie actually seems to work, though it was difficult to tell what was or wasn't in 3D. In any case, I don't really have any complaints about this option.

Though I can't think of any real changes made between the book and film, there's one big change that actually makes the movie BETTER than the source material: *Spoiler Alert* In the original book, the final battle between Harry and Lord Voldemort lasts two paragraphs and each character casts only one spell, making the decade or so of build-up excruciatingly anti-climactic. The battle in the movie is extended a bit, with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) firing several spells at each other and moving all over the place. On top of this, Voldemort appears to be genuinely surprised at Harry being alive compared to his immediate acceptance of this event in the book. *End Spoiler Alert*

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a very satisfying movie and brings an epic end to a long-running franchise. Fans that have grown up with Harry Potter from the very beginning will enjoy seeing Harry for the last time, as will casual movie-goers who have already seen Part 1 along with the other movies. Whether the 3D is good or not depends on the viewer, but it's worth seeing it this way at least once.

Having been invested in the Harry Potter franchise from the very beginning, it's almost a little sad to see Harry go. From seeing the first movie as a child to the last one as a young adult, I feel as if I've grown up along with the younger cast, and thus I feel closer to what their characters have gone through over the years. It's satisfying to know what happens to them in the end in the story, but despite this, it's time for me to say goodbye to Harry and move on with my own life.

[OLD] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

After 10 years the Harry Potter film series is drawing to a close. Fans of the series have been waiting eagerly for this moment to come, when the seventh and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, would adapted to the screen. In an interesting move, Warner Bros. decided to release the film adaptation in two parts, Part 1 in 2010 and Part 2 in 2011, both parts directed by David Yates. Part 1 shows that this was actually a good idea, since it is the most accurate translation of a Harry Potter book I have yet seen.

The story takes place a year after the sixth installment, with the Dursleys vacating their home and leaving Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) behind. Later the Order of the Phoenix arrives to transport him to another location, using Polyjuice Potion (a potion that allows you to briefly become someone else) to make decoy Harrys so that the Ministry doesn't track him. They later arrive at the Burrow, where a wedding is planned to take place. Rufus Scrimgeour (Bill Nighy), the new Minister of Magic, appears there to read Dumbledore's will to Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson); they are each willed a supposedly useful item, though the last item, the Sword of Gryffindor, is ineligible for Harry to receive. The aforementioned wedding later occurs, only to be interrupted by a Death Eater attack. After the main trio escape, they make it their duty to find and destroy remaining Horcruxes in order to weaken Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).

While this installment actually has one of the more straight-forward plots of the movie series, nearly everything in it impacts the Harry Potter universe in some way. That said, I won't give anything major away for those who haven't seen Part 1 of the final story yet, since it's still fairly new. However, I can say this: Even though far more happens here than in the last movie, a lot of the events felt a little like padding, even if they were taken from the book. Otherwise, it had decent pacing.

The events of the story are carried expertly by superb acting that really shows how experienced each and every main actor has gotten over the years. You really get a sense of what each of the three main characters is going through, especially their personal emotional conflicts. The magic of the movie is not lost under any of this, as the special effects appear to be at their best in this movie, and I expect plenty more in the sequel. I especially praise one scene that tells a story from an in-universe book, wherein some of the best animation I have ever seen in a movie is used very dynamically.

There is, however, one thing I wish to bring up with a Spoiler tag: *Spoiler Alert* There appears to be a sort of subtext in the movie with Nazi Germany. Specifically, the Ministry of Magic is against Mudbloods, the wizarding slur for Muggle-borns, to the point where a pillar in the Ministry depicts them in their "proper place," being crushed underneath it. I couldn't help but compare this to the ideology of WWII Germany and I felt sorry for Hermione when she was labeled (quite literally) as a Mublood. *End Spoiler Alert*

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is an excellent lead-in to Harry's final battle and is a definite must-see for anyone wishing to see Part 2. I would recommend definitely seeing all the other movies beforehand in order to further build up the story and have a better sense of continuity. Here's hoping the Harry Potter franchise gets the send-off it really deserves.

[OLD] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - A for Acceptable

The release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005 not only proved to be popular, but also proved that the Harry Potter series was still as popular as ever. To further cash in on the ongoing craze, Warner Bros. released a sequel two years later based on the fifth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, directed by David Yates. I was still fairly young when this came out and I remember liking it like I did the other films. Having seen it a few times since, including my recent viewing, I can say that it's still a rather enjoyable movie. After the events of last year, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is bullied verbally by his cousin Dudley (Harry Melling) and a group of others, but is soon stopped as the wind begins to pick up. Harry and Dudley run into a tunnel, where they are attacked by a couple of Dementors. Harry uses a Patronus charm in self-defense, causing him to be expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That night, he is picked up by members of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization of wizards preparing to fight against Lord Voldemort, wherein he meets up with his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) at their headquarters located within Sirius Black's (Gary Oldman) ancestral home at 12, Grimmauld Place, accessed through a London apartment complex. Though Harry is later cleared of his charges and able to attend Hogwarts again, he must not only deal with the return of Voldemort, but also the takeover of the school by their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), a member of the Ministry of Magic. The plot was a little easier to follow than the last one, but it still got a little confusing after I thought about it. It's established that Voldemort has a connection to Harry that allows the boy to see visions of what the Dark Lord is doing, but every time it's in the Department of Mysteries, where a prophecy is held concerning Voldemort. When Harry and a group of others go to that same place, they find it in quite literally no time at all. If Voldemort had all of that time to look for it, it seems odd that neither he nor the Death Eaters wouldn't have found it by the time Harry made it there. On top of that, the prophecy turns out to be something established as early as the first installment. Of course, changes are present between the book and movie versions of the story. One change I found obvious was that after Harry has a vision of Arthur Weasley (Mark Williams) being attacked by a snake in the Department of Mysteries, in the movie it cuts to him having fully recovered after they found him. In the book, at least a bit of one chapter is dedicated to Mr. Weasley recovering in the hospital and what happens with the others while they're there. Other things, such as the regular Quidditch subplot, were either cut or edited for the movie, but at least the spirit is there and the movie still works as a whole despite that. The acting is remarkable as always, and it's still great to see how well the characters are brought to life on the screen. Luna Lovegood is a rather interesting character in the way she acts, which newcomer Evanna Lynch plays quite well. Imelda Staunton also does a good job of portraying the unlikeable Dolores Umbridge, which serves to make the character's comeuppance in the third act all the more sweeter. With the two year gap between movies, effects such as those present here have gotten much better. A great example of this is a fantastic scene in the middle of the movie wherein Fred and George Weasley (James and Oliver Phelps) disrupt the O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) Exams by use of fireworks, complete with a visually stunning dragon formed from it, after which they fly away from Hogwarts via broomsticks. Another example occurs during the part of the climax within the Department of Mysteries, where the students have a battle with the Death Eaters that ultimately leads to several shelves of prophecies falling and shattering, which makes one not only marvel at how perfectly the scene was executed, but also wonder how they managed to get all of it on film and how much of it was special effects. All in all the effects are stunning to look at no matter the context. Depending on where you come from, you may find some political undertones when watching this movie. When I saw it last, I made a connection with the standardizing of education, or "teaching to the test." After Umbridge becomes the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, she tries to teach the class magic without practice not only out of fear that Dumbledore is building an army, but also so that her students will do well on the O.W.L. Exam. This is similar to how education has changed, at least where I live, simply so that students will pass Final Exams without making much of an effort to be sure how well they know the material. This again may not apply to you, as this sort of connection (if you naturally see one) can vary depending on your background. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is another good addition to the Harry Potter franchise and is a must-see for long-time fans. The story still continues to gain a darker tone, but there's still plenty of laughs to be found here. It's a little rough around the edges as a movie, but it still manages to work as an adaptation. Newcomers to the franchise should see the previous movies before seeing this one, as it makes some references to the continuity and may contain spoilers.

[OLD] Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - A Spell That Needs Work

Following the release of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004, an adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth book in the series, was released the following year in 2005 directed by Mike Newell. Naturally there was plenty of hype surrounding this installment, which would continue to increase as the series moved forward. Having liked it when I was younger, I wondered what I would think of it upon viewing it again years later. While it still manages to hold up well, Goblet of Fire is also where the series truly starts to take a turn for a more darker atmosphere. After having a bad dream involving a man being slain by Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) joins the Weasleys to watch the Quidditch World Cup, to which they travel by Portkey, an object infused with the magical ability to transport someone to a specific location. After the World Cup's conclusion, Death Eaters (wizards supporting Voldemort) attack the tents of those who were camping there, ending with a lone Death Eater creating a symbol in the sky representing the Dark Lord himself that implies his return. Soon after this event, it is announced at Hogwarts that the school has been chosen to host the Tri-Wizard Tournament, where a wizard from each of three schools is selected via the Goblet of Fire to compete for eternal glory. After the Goblet selects three champions, everyone is surprised when Harry's name is selected as a fourth contestant despite him not having put his name in it to begin with. However, he has no choice but to compete, putting his friendship with Ron (Rupert Grint) in jeopardy and causing a dissonance between the latter and Hermione (Emma Watson). The plot of this movie has a little more going on than in the last, though it gets a little confusing. It's not entirely understood exactly how the Goblet of Fire works, since it isn't explained very well why Harry is forced to participate in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Though it's said to have a magical contract of sorts, I couldn't help but feel that he could just easily quit if he didn't want to compete. It also seemed odd that the way in which Voldemort returns hinged entirely on Harry being the first one to reach the Tri-Wizard Cup in the last challenge, which probably wouldn't work very well if someone else had touched it before he did. As expected there are some changes made between the two sources, one of which being that the Quidditch World Cup is never actually seen in the movie, rather it cuts to the aftermath shortly after it begins. Another change involved the Tournament itself, specifically within the maze. In the book there is a Sphinx that Harry runs into that forces him to solve a riddle. Other changes were made, but anything different about the movie overall actually works in it's favor in order to increase the tension and drama of the story. The acting is as solid as ever and it's clear that the now-older actors of the younger characters have gotten experienced over time. The tension between the main characters is made more believeable in that the experience the actors have makes it feel natural rather than forced. The Weasley brothers Fred and George (James and Oliver Phelps) are the main source of comic relief here and it's rather fun to see how their personalities bounce off each other. The effects of this movie are greatly improved over the last one and really help bring the events of the Tournament to life, particularly during the second challenge. It was amazing to see how well they pulled off realistic-looking mermaids as well as the methods the contestants use to breathe underwater. The dragon that Harry deals with in the first challenge is always spectacular to look at, especially if one is a dragon enthusiast. Aside from these moments, the effects hold up well, in fact a little better than previous films in the series. A notable part of this movie is the point at which the Harry Potter franchise officially becomes dark, which is when the other Tri-Wizard champion of Gryffindor, Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson, better known as Edward Cullen in the Twilight films), is killed by Lord Voldemort. To further drive the point home, Harry is devastated when they get back to the end of the maze challenge, Cedric's dead body bringing a wave of shock amongst the crowd. Another thing I should bring up is that throughout the film when I saw the Death Eaters, I couldn't help but think of the Ku Klux Klan because of the pointy hats and their leader being the "Grand Wizard." This is something minor however, and should not be dwelled upon. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire may be flawed, but it's still an enjoyable movie. The characters go through many hardships and it's nice to see them resolve by the end. Harry's inclusion in the Tri-Wizard Tournament feels somewhat forced despite whatever explanation is given, but it's amazing to see what he does in order to survive each challenge and how he pulls through in the end. I would still recommend this to fans of the series, even if it doesn't have the same atmosphere as the ones before it.

[OLD] Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

With the theatrical success of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 2002, the following book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, was to be given a film adaptation with Alfonso Cuarón as director instead of Chris Columbus. However, it would actually be a couple years before it was released in 2004, rather than the one following the second film. Despite the wait, it was rather exciting to see it the first time and well worth it. Prisoner of Azkaban still holds up well as a Harry Potter movie after all this time, and is in fact my favorite of the series. After a brief moment of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) studying magic back at the Dursley house, the story begins with Uncle Vernon's (Richard Griffiths) sister Marge (Pam Ferris) coming for a visit. During conversation and more of Harry acting as their slave, Marge insults Harry's parents, angering him and causing him to accidentally use magic to swell her up like a balloon. After a humorous scene where Marge ends up flying away, Harry runs away from his home and is picked up by the mysterious Knight Bus, a triple-decker purple bus with a reckless driver that picks up stranded witches and wizards, and is taken to the Leaky Cauldron where he is fortunately not expelled for his earlier act. On the way over Harry learns of the supposed serial killer and Voldemort supporter Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who has escaped from Azkaban and is suspected to be out to kill him. The plot of this installment is a little more complex, given that it's dealing with a longer book than the previous films. A lot more changes are made between the book and film than last time, especially if you remember the events of the book enough to notice them. For instance, the scene at the very beginning is one where the titular character Harry is studying magic at night using the lumos maxima spell from his wand. In the book he uses a flashlight, which makes more sense given that he's not allowed to use magic outside of school. Then again this was probably done to make the title sequence a little more dramatic. There are plenty of other changes, which helps or detract from the story depending on your perspective. The younger actors of course have aged a couple years, but their performances remain as strong as ever. This doesn't mean the older actors don't give anything less to the film, with everyone's skills bouncing off each other perfectly. An item of note is that Michael Gambon plays Hogwarts' Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, starting from this movie as his previous actor, Richard Harris, died in late 2002. Gambon still manages to pull off Dumbledore amazingly well, as if nothing really happened. The effects of this movie are oddly both improved and similar to the last one. Most effects are on the improved side, notably the Dementors and the transformations some characters have into animal forms and back. On the other hand, the one that stands out is the Hippogriff Buckbeak. While the effects were still impressive at the time, I couldn't help but feel it was a little more obvious that it was renderd in CG, at least during his earlier appearances. Overall, the effects are still amazing to look at to this day. One part of the movie deserves special mention, namely the time travel scenario near the end of the movie. When you see it, it's interesting viewing previous scenes from different angles in accordance to the characters. Time travel can be difficult to pull off properly in a live-action movie, yet somehow this one does it near flawlessly. Despite this, there is a small continuity error within this sequence of events: before using the Time Turner, Harry is defended from Dementors by a Patronus in the form of stag, yet when this action is repeated after going back in time, the stag is nowhere to be seen. How major or minor it is depends on the viewer, but it was still nice to see the effort put into these scenes. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a wonderful movie that should not be passed up by Harry Potter fans. This movie is where the series begins to take a dark tone, but the reason it remains my favorite of all of them is because it also happens to be the most humorous, as I'm sure anyone would find it to be. There are many changes between it and the original source, but it still works as a movie nonetheless. Despite the darker tone the movie takes, it still somehow manages to cling onto the magical element present in the two before it, making it all the more unforgettable.

[OLD] Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - A Sequel With Charm

In 2001, Warner Brothers released a movie based on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the first book in a series of 7 by J.K. Rowling. It proved to be quite popular among children and adults alike, paving the way for the rest of the books to be adapted into movies with one coming the next year based the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, with Chris Columbus returning for directorial duties. As a fan of the book series, I was very excited to see it the first time as a child. Looking back as someone older, it still has the same magic that made its predecessor a classic. A year after his first encounter with Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) continues to be mistreated by the Dursleys as they force him to his room when Uncle Vernon's (Richard Griffiths) boss comes to visit. While staying in his room, a House Elf named Dobby (Toby Jones) appears before Harry, warning him not to return to Hogwarts. When Harry refuses, Dobby uses his magic to disrupt the meeting downstairs, causing Vernon to place bars over Harry's window. Fortunately that night, Harry's friend Ron (Rupert Grint) appears along with his brothers Fred and George (James and Oliver Phelps) to rescue him, barely escaping Vernon's wrath and making it back to their home. After a disasterous turn of events the next day, Harry, Ron, and Hermione (Emma Watson) hear about the Chamber of Secrets, a secret area within Hogwarts that is said to be home to a monster. When several students, including Hermione, fall prey to the creature's petrifying gaze, it is up to Harry and Ron to figure out how to stop it. This movie also has a straight-forward plot, if a little more complex than the first. Of course changes are made between the book and film, but they're so minor that they don't affect the overall workings of the magical world it's set in. The acting is still superb for a mainly young cast, which makes the story more enjoyable. When watching it as a kid, you really feel like you're part of the world of Hogwarts. As with the first movie, the effects are a little outdated but still manage to hold up. Fawkes, Dumbledore's (Richard Harris) pet phoenix, has enough effects behind it to make the mythology of the creature look more believable, though at this point it's a little easier to tell when they used animatronics. Still, it's rather impressive how they managed to pull it off flawlessly with the standards of the time. Though I don't see anything really wrong with this movie, there was one thing that bothered me, which can also be said for the book. What I find a little weird is how the antagonist's name, "Tom Marvolo Riddle" is an anagram for "I Am Lord Voldemort". To elaborate, it's the fact that he decided to include "I Am" as part of it, which any villain rearranging their name to make a new one would not normally do. Despite this little thing, I just let it go for the sake of the narrative. Another thing I should mention is the after-credits scene. It is a scene that was actually added to the movie for comedic effect. It is a bit uneccesary, but it's still funny to watch. If you see this movie, even if you have already, it's worth waiting after the credits for. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is an amazing movie with the same charm as the movie before it. It still has the brightness of the original film and the child actors still give memorable performances. Older fans that have seen this as a kid will feel their childhood coming back to them. I would highly reccomend this movie for newer fans, especially if they've already seen the first movie.

[OLD] Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - The Magic Begins!

In 1997 in the UK, a book was published by J. K. Rowling entitled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. When the highly popular book was brought to US shores, pages taken out of the original version were added to this new version, with the title changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. This is the version I read as a kid around the time a movie was being made based on it. I remember enjoying it, enough to warrant getting all the other books as they came, and enough to want to see the movie when it was released. When I saw it on screen for the first time, I really enjoyed it and how accurate it was to source material. With the upcoming release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in theaters, I decided to watch all the other movies again in order of release. After seeing the first one once more, I really felt like a kid again. After being dropped off as a baby, a young Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is raised oppressively by the Dursleys, a family of Muggles (people who can't do magic) whom he is related to. One day at the zoo, Harry unknowingly uses magic to not only free a snake from a glass cage, but also trap his cousin Dudley (Harry Melling) inside said cage. Shortly afterwards, Harry receives a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which his uncle Vernon (Richard Griffiths) destroys. This continues to the point where Harry and the Dursleys isolate themselves due to their house being flooded with letters. Despite this, on Harry's 11th birthday he is visited by Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), who tells him that he is a wizard and Hogwarts is accepting him as a student. On the train ride to the school, he meets his friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), who along with him become part of a battle against the dark wizard Lord Voldemort (Richard Bremmer) and his search for the Sorcerer's Stone, a magical artifact with the ability to potentially bring him back to full strength. The plot of this movie compared to other installments is amazingly straight-forward and easy to understand. As expected from a movie adaptation, there are some differences from the book, the most obvious of which to me was the exclusion of the minor character Peeves, a poltergeist who plays tricks on first-years at Hogwarts. However, this movie sets up a world that works just fine even with some small changes in place. On the other hand, I didn't fully understand how Harry was exactly able to defeat Voldemort, but it's best not to think about it too hard. Given how young most of the characters are, the acting is surprisingly well-done. This is especially since the child actors had little to no acting experience before appearing in this movie. The film was very well casted and it makes the story much more enjoyable. The sets also deserve special mention as it makes you feel like they're really from the book. Hogwarts, which is where most of the action takes place, looks real from the way it was handled and almost makes you want to go there if it existed.

Since this movie involves magic, it's important to have good special effects. Here, they're pulled off rather nicely with the technology available at the time. Looking back, it's easier to tell that certain things were computer generated, such as a scene where the students learn how to ride broomsticks and the character Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) has trouble and falls off. I can't really complain though, since effects have gotten better over time but the quality of them here still manages to hold up somehow. What really helps the look and feel of the movie overall is the music. John Williams delivers a great score that compliments the action and sets flawlessly, enhancing the immersion even further. Out of all of this, I only have one real complaint: When Harry is finally facing Lord Voldemort, or at least a weakened version of him, he somehow has the Stone in his pocket. The character seems to be surprised by this as well, but it's rather odd. It's explained later that those who seek the stone but don't want to use it will be able to get it, but even then it feels weird. However, I let it slide because thinking about it would ruin the experience. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a fantastic movie and an instant classic. The bright and colorful setting makes it visually appealing and it's great to see amazing performances from child actors. Seeing it again after so many years made me relive fond memories I had from seeing it as a child and I'm sure many older fans would as well. If you're a fan of the Harry Potter books or are a newcomer to the franchise, this is a definite must-have.