3d Chess

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 3D (12A)

18.07.11

The three leads embark on a whistle-stop tour of series set pieces past, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The final stop is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where it’s time for the long-awaited final showdown between Harry and Lord Voldemort.

Like a master of Wizard’s Chess, director David Yates has clearly enjoyed carefully setting up his pieces for the final battle, but not as much as he loves smashing them to smithereens.  It should smart to see the Potterverse collapse after ten years of watching it expand. Yet you can’t help but share Yates’ glee while watching Gringotts Wizarding Bank ravaged by a dragon, Hogwarts reduced to rubble and the Quidditch stadium burned to the ground. It’s the end of an era, and Yates, along with long-term Potter scripter Steve Kloves, wants you to mourn and celebrate in equal measure.

Even divided into two parts, much of the final book is cut. Characters like the deceased Dumbledore’s brother spring from nowhere. Some storylines are brushed over – or swept fully under the rug (Dumbledore’s relationship with fellow wizard Grindelwald, for example). One key character’s death scene is brutally brief. But all this brevity is necessary to keep the momentum going as the body count rises.

Source: Manchester Confidential