Harry Potter’s Decade Long Ride Comes to a Magical End1

by Damon Martin

The saga known as Harry Potter comes to a close with the release of the 8th and final film in the series Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in theaters this week. The whirlwind ride through J.K. Rowling’s rousing books that inspired children to read again, came crashing through the silver screen one last time and did not disappoint when it was over.

Picking up from where Deathly Hallows Pt 1 left off last year, the Dark Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) sends a flash through the sky with a bolt of lightning struck from the Elder Wand that he snatched from the grave of Albus Dumbledore. Meanwhile, our heroes – Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) – are still on the search for the mystical Horcruxes, which each possess a small part of Voldemort’s evil soul, and must be destroyed to destroy him.

The message that love and good could conquer hate and evil has always been at the heart of Harry Potter, and even though it was always surrounded by a cloud of magic, mysticism and a dabble or two of Dragon’s fire, the story was as eternal as any told throughout time. Director David Yates, who was at the helm of the last four Potter movies, does a brilliant job of picking up from the slower building foundation film that was Deathly Hallows Pt 1, crashing through the screen with a luminous bang and crescendo in Part 2.

The acting and script are both magnificent, with British actor Alan Rickman truly being the stand-out performer as the black and lonely Severus Snape. It’s the character’s humanity and compassion that shows through in Rickman’s smart and savvy portrayal; his final act will likely see more than a tear or two shed from the watching audience. Rickman may have finally moved past being the bad guy in Die Hard, to being the thespian most likely to take home awards from the Potter series.

Even though his parts were sparse and scattered throughout the film’s franchise, Ralph Fiennes also deserves credit for bringing Lord Voldemort to life on screen in a villainous role that movie goers haven’t experienced since Darth Vader in the classic Star Wars trilogy (I’m not referencing the god awful emo screaming version at the end of Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith). And the best part about Voldemort in this series unlike Vader in Star Wars? This malignant miscreant has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and is rotten to the core from beginning to end.

The Star Wars trilogy may be the best comparison to make to the Harry Potter franchise when it’s all said and done. Much like the ‘holy trinity’ of Star Wars that went like a rollercoaster through three films, Harry Potter does much the same through 8 films and finishes off with an ending that blows Return of the Jedi out of the water.

Of course much like with the Lucas films, the young actors that brought Harry Potter and his Hogwart’s school mates to life may struggle to ever escape their magical pasts in future acting roles, the memories from this series will definitely and similarly live on forever.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a crowning achievement for the film series, sparkling from beginning to end with few flaws. The books that were sharp and dapper through every page, came to life on the screen like so few films have been able to. The magical world of Harry Potter may have come to a close with this movie, but it certainly was an unforgettable ride.