The franchise that spans almost a decade finally comes to a close with the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
“In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort.”
The final film opens right where we left off, with Voldemort acquiring the Elder Wand. Reeling after the death of Dobby, Harry learns of something in Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault in Gringotts that she is desperate to keep hidden: another Horcrux. With the help of Hermoine, Ron, and a Goblin named Griphook, the group breaks in to Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault and finds another Horcrux. After Griphook double crosses them, the trio succeeds in escaping the vault with the Horcrux, but not before Voldemort discovers Harry’s plan to destroy the parts of his soul that make him immortal.
While connected with Voldemort, Harry has a vision of Hogwarts, leading them to believe another Horcrux is hidden there. After meeting Dumbledore’s brother, Aberforth, they are snuck into Hogwarts and reunite with all of their classmates who are excited for their return. Once Harry reveals himself to Snape, the rest of the faculty stand up to those placed by Voldemort, forcing Snape to flee as they retake the school. As Voldemort’s forces close in on Hogwarts, the faculty and students make preparations for the attack, giving Harry time to find the hidden Horcrux.
The siege on Hogwarts commences, with intense and non-stop action as the inevitable final confrontation with Voldemort draws closer. It’s easiest to look at Part 1 and 2 as a single film when talking about act structures, as by themselves they really don’t fit neatly into it. With the majority of Part 2 being the final act, there is understandably a lot of tension as the story comes to an end.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is the darkest of all the films, as the final conclusion takes its toll and comes at the cost of a lot of lives. There is so much going on in the last half of the film that it is easily conceivable that it could have been split into three parts if they wanted. The potential for exposition of key battle scenes and major characters dying seem to have been wasted, as they are very rushed in getting to the final conclusion. With Hogwarts being attacked from multiple sides by multiple armies, the battle, which is fought with magic, is very underwhelming. That being said, the pacing seems to work well, which may not have been the case with all this included. Despite the omission of these things, we still get a lot of very intense action, which is done very well.
Action and intensity aside, what the final film does focus on beautifully is the emotion of the story. As other films have only two hours to convince audiences to become invested in their characters, the Harry Potter films have eight films, in which we watched these characters age from children into young adults. Needless to say, we are entirely invested, so the tragedy befalling them means more than it would for any other film.
Video
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is presented in 4k, 2160p Ultra High Definition 2.4:1. The color in this film is simply beautiful. It is a very dark film visually, and seeing the difference in color despite the dark scenes is crucial. Most of the film has a bluish hue to it, and the colors are well balanced while maintaining that tone. The 4k also provides a very crisp and clear picture, but it will be the deeper, life-like color that will cause you to notice the difference in other releases.
The Blu-Ray release is presented in 1080p High Definition 2.4:1.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS:X and sounds fantastic. The battle and action scenes, which are in abundance, will be utilizing the majority of the surrounds, creating a very powerful atmosphere of sound to experience. The score is presented beautifully as well, with great balance and levels to go along with it.
On the Blu-Ray release the audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.
Special Features
As with the other releases, nothing new has been created for these. Still, you will see a very large collection of special features, including the Maximum Movie Mode, which really does give you some amazing insight into the film from every imaginable aspect.
On the Blu-Ray disc you’re going to see:
- Maximum Movie Mode
- Focus Points
- Aberforth Dumbledore
- Deathly Hallows Costume Changes
- Harry Returns to Hogwarts
- The Hogwarts Shield
- The Room of Requirement Set
- The Fiery Escape
- Neville’s Stand
- Molly Takes Down Bellatrix
- Final Farewells From Cast and Crew
On the Bonus Disc you’re going to see:
- Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 8: Growing Up – Interviews featuring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and other cast and crew give a glimpse at what it was like for the young stars of the films to grow up in front of the camera. From early interviews to the poignant final day of filming, watch how their ideas of acting, their characters and themselves have changed through four directors, eight films and ten years.
These 4k releases of the Harry Potter films are beautifully done and will make you feel like you are watching the film for the first time. Fans of the films who have the capability to take advantage of everything being offered here will surely want to pick these up.
