Every Journey Has A Final Step

As a train heads off to Hogwarts, with bright, young faces on board, we look back to the first time we saw that same train. Only then, it was with a young Harry Potter, meeting Ron and Herminone for the first time, and about to begin a cinematic adventure that would last a decade. We grew along with Harry and company, but all good things must come to an end.

Not that all was good in the Potterverse. Voldemort was in charge of the ministry of magic, his trusty right-hand man Snape training the newest generation of wizards and witches at Hogwarts, and Harry and friends were all but alone in trying to find the missing pieces of Voldermort's soul. We left off at a particuarly low point; Voldemort found the elder wand, and Dobby was laid to rest. Only a few horcruxes were destroyed: the locket, the ring, and Tom Riddle's diary.

The second part start off right where we left off, even before the title card or the WB logo. Voldemort's shoots the elder wand in the air, and then we're at Dobby's grave. The rest of the movie detailed the finding of the other few horcruxes: Hufflepuff's cup, Ravenclaw's diadem, Nagini, and, of course, Harry. It was crucial that certain scenes were nailed in this movie, none more than the tale of the half-blood prince. And, by sticking to both the spirit and letter of Rowling's novel, with a certain mix of artistic license, this movie deserves to be called not only the best potter movie to date (along with part 1), but also one of the best fantasy movies ever made.

The Gringott's break-in was wonderfully done, and the dragon was wonderful. Seeing the cups multiply was a joy. However, we quickly moved on from there to Hogwarts. It's a pity we didn't get to hear more about Dumbledore's past, but some things need to be left out for the movie to flow in a reasonable amount of time. We got hints, though, so those who never read a potter book now can discover the depth of the story. Once we get to hogwarts, things get busy. Harry finds the diadem, in a scene that truly brings the book to life, broomsticks and all. And as chaos explodes all around him, we learn Snape's story and realize Harry's bravery.

I expected a huge action extravaganza in the finale. We got a lot of action, and a lot of destruction, but here's where Yates and company shine; they stayed true to the book. We see everything from Harry's point-of-view, with lots of destruction in the backgrond. One negative review I read on AICN stated that we didn't get enough time with characters like Trelawney, and we didn't see major characters death's on-screen. However, we never saw this in the book. People died on the sidelines while Harry was on his mission; we only see Tonks, Fred (or George?), and Lupin lying dead along with the others. One can argue that taking artistic license and showing this stuff would have been better, but I'm glad they stuck to the letter here.

Snape's story was also well done, with fine acting from Rickman. We saw what we needed to see: Snape's love for Lily, Dumbledore's deadly curse, and Snape's protection of Harry. I think reading the book beforehand heightened the experience; it may have been a bit fast for those unaquainted to the story beforehand. Harry's sacrifice was also well done; I could feel the sadness, and the bravery, he embodied in that scene. Radcliffe did an excellent job. There were many unexplainable emotional reactions throughout the film, and this was one of them.

Another standout was Fiennes as Voldemort. We got more screen time with him here, and despite his evil, we actually felt a bit of emotion for him. At least, I did. Each time a horcrux was destroyed, you could feel the fear in his eyes, the utter fright he had at facing mortality once again. One of the best scenes of the film was when Voldemort addressed Hogwarts after beliving he killed Potter; his mocking laugh and exuberant smiling were chillingly scary, right up there with the best of villains, including Emperor Palpatine and his horrid cackle. Voldemort is one of the classic archetypical villains, signifying pure evil. More recently, we are used to complex villains: Two-Face, Ra's al-Ghul, Magneto, Loki, and even the Joker all showed a different take on villainy. As a classic type of villain, Voldemort works well, and Fiennes more than does him justice.

The final battle between Harry and Voldemort is probably where the most artistic license was taken. We were outside Hogwarts, alone, and amid rubble. The book had the final showdown in the great hall, surrounded by the students of Hogwarts. There's a benefit to both. The movie showed that, in the end, it would always come down to those two, alone. Voldemort, the stronger and older wizard, standing amidst the destruction he caused, hoping to destroy the one person who always stood in his way. In the book, we had Harry defending himself in the place he first truly called home, surrounded by those he cared for and loved, against the one who caused so much harm. I wish Voldemort didn't crumble into thin air, but rather lay lifeless on the floor as the students walked in to see him, and cheered. This is really my only down side to the film.

The scene after Voldemort's destruction was just as anti-climactic as it was in the books. And it's as it should be; everyone is sitting, conversing, mending their wounds, and finally enjoying a moment of peace. I don't recall if Harry snapped the elder wand in the book, but it was very appropriate; it showed that he was truly a good man, and despite the good he could do with the wand, the temptation of power was something he could live without.

The epilogue was quite the fitting ending, despite the somewhat silly appearance of the gang 19 years later. They looked good close-up, but from afar, they looked just as they did as students. It felt right, though, the old generation sending off the new. I wish they mentioned Teddy Tonks, as they did in the book. However, it just felt right. The story goes on, and life moves on, even if we aren't along anymore for the wonderful ride.