HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

Director: David Yates

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes

FOR ten years we’ve watched Dan and the gang grow up, attempting to bring to the screen one of the most popular children’s stories ever written.

It’s been a tough task and large chunks of the books have been left behind on the way, but the final cinematic chapter does very well to draw all the loose ends together and provide a memorable finale.

It’s also a much stronger film than part one which dragged along.

Part two, not surprisingly, follows straight on from the previous movie, with Lord Voldemort (Fiennes) securing the most powerful wand ever.

Will Harry, Hermione and Ron find the final Horcruxes (pieces of Voldemort’s soul) or will the Dark Lord overcome them all.

If you’ve read the books then you’ll know the answers but for those that haven’t it’s a good storyline. JK Rowling had some interesting surprises in the final novel and was brave enough to make some tough decisions.

The pages are brought to life really well and the fight scenes bring back memories of those epic battles in the Lord of the Rings films.

Daniel Radcliffe has matured with each film as has Emma Watson, but it’s Rupert Grint who sparkled from the start and added the necessary element of humour.

Other stars are in the making, such as Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley and Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom, but the success has always been the strength of the supporting cast.

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape excels in this final episode and Warwick Davis as the elf Griphook makes the most of a decent role.

The acting skills are all the more amazing considering the little amount of time these bastions of British cinema are on screen.

I can’t say the 3D really made an enormous contribution, apart from a scene near the end, but the big screen experience certainly is a major factor.

Overall it’s a fitting end to a great story and when those box sets finally hit the shelves they’ll fly like the proverbial broomstick.

five out of five stars

Steve Payne

Screening courtesy of Cineworld Crawley