Harry Potter neophytes, stay away from both this film and this review, because not even Madame Pomfrey will be able to heal the confusion-induced aneurysm they will cause. For Deathly Hallows Part 2 not only shows the ultimate battle between good and evil, but also attempts to resolve numerous complex plot points including horcrux searches, large-scale battle sequences, romantic entanglements and the fate of approximately 327 secondary characters.
With so much to get through, David Yates dives straight into the action, and as Death Eaters fight Hogwarts supporters, the action sequences are big, bold and brimming with magic, as dragons, trolls and fireballs attack our heroes and reduce the once majestic school to rubble.
But all this fast-paced action comes at a high price – namely coherence, and character development. As the final film, the plot of Deathly Hallows Part 2 contains many unexpected and tragic deaths, shocking revelations and triumphant acts of vengeance. But it seems emotion has become a casualty of war, and with secondary characters lucky to get a minute of screen time, their triumphs – or indeed deaths – are sped through without demonstrating or provoking any feeling.
The only characters explored in depth are the mysterious and increasingly vulnerable Snape (the wonderful Alan Rickman) and a panicking Voldemort (a scenery-chewing Ralph Fiennes), who of course faces Harry in the climactic finale. But after a two-hour, explosion-laden build up, the fight is an inexplicably hasty and anaemic affair that lacks any emotional pay-off.
Harry Potter fans will no doubt love seeing Rowling’s thrilling battles in all their CGI splendour, and Yates’s technical team are to be commended. But after investing in eight films, viewers are entitled to heart-wrenching farewells to fallen comrades.
We signed up for magic. Ten years on, this is a bit of a damp squib.