September 14, 2012

Film Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

(First published online November 19, 2010)
 
I would like to raise all my four thumbs up, including those which are in my feet even if one of them is like dying, just to be able to express how enchanted I am on the latest installment of the wizard boy’s story. After one and a half years of waiting, Potter fever has reigned again in film theaters.

Warner Bros. and Heyday Films who are taking care of the production have decided to split the final series of the Harry Potter which was entitled The Deathly Hallows. It was based on the novels of the renowned and richest author, J.K. Rowling. At first, a lot of people reacted wildly on the news, however, after all the explanations, the film outfit prevailed. Of course, since this is the last book’s adaptation, no one wanted to sacrifice the essence of the story since among the seven books; I think this is the most complicated part; complicated but in a positive way.

And they never failed the crowd and the avid supporter of the boy who lived. The first part of the so-called beginning of the end started on Harry Potter’s (played by Daniel Radcliffe) journey in finding the horcruxes or the objects in which the dark lord, Voldermort (Ralph Fiennes), hid some parts of his spirit to be able to survive death.

The action-filled story intensified every moment. Little romance continued to boil in the hearts of our protagonists and even if it’s watched not in 3D, shocking scenes still made the viewers feel like they were really journeying along with Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint).

I also want to say that of all the series of Harry Potter, this is the darkest one, figuratively and literally; literally since I remembered only few scenes wherein the setting is daytime and figuratively since from the beginning up to the last scenes, death becomes a casual incident. This was also the installment that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was not shown. The tone of the film is serious although light or humorous moments were never erased.

The story also served as a reunion of all the casts from the very first film and even if the character’s role was just a cameo appearance, they still added excitement to the totality of the seventh part. It’s actually like reading the book while seeing every occurrence happen in the big screen.

As for the technical aspects, yeah, every part is great. The soundtrack suits every scene and everyone pulled the right track in catching the viewers. I have studied film and through its background music, I can already tell when the shocking scenes will appear but still, because of proper coordination from the acting to its lightings, I was deeply grasped that I was also thrilled when surprising scenes took place.

It was perfectly fitted to commend all the people who once again made the story of Harry Potter successful. Great acting and scene collaborations can be attributed to Director David Yates who did not leave a trace of unfinished business on the set. As the adaptation draws to its conclusion, it is only right that those who worked hard for this craft be complimented that if not for them, the fascinating book will not be entertained and will just be left at the dusty shelves of various libraries.

I was amongst those who watched HP 7 on its first screening. I truly had fun but I have to warn others; this installment is not for everybody, even if it is rated GP. Like what I said, this is the most complicated part so if one is not really a follower of Harry Potter, he will surely be lost in watching the film. Cameo appearances of the characters are so essential in bridging every scene and explaining why in the early films, such events took place. This film also served as the ‘aha’ moment for the many unexplained accounts told in the first editions.

If you’re not a follower or if you have no idea on the story of Harry Potter, your reaction would probably be negative since the phasing of this part was so fast that if you’re not used to how things were being cooked up, you’ll definitely not understand it. Better to bring someone who is a fan of Harry Potter for you to fully grasp what is being interpreted.

I completely agree with what J.K. Rowling said in an interview, this is the best Harry Potter film so far and I am looking forward to seeing the final installment.


Congratulations for another job well done and I’m pretty sure that next year, we will surely be entertained once more.

No comments:

Post a Comment