Janes Blog: 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2': Early Reviews Are In!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2': Early Reviews Are In!

Critics praise the 'stout farewell' of David Yates' action-packed franchise finale.
By Terri Schwartz

Daniel Radcliffe and Ralph Fiennes in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2"
Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

The final installment of the "Harry Potter" series is primed to make magic at the box office, but it's already getting raves from critics as well. Early reviews of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" are positive across the board, earning the flick a whopping 100 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

And although that number is likely to dip a bit once all of the reviews come flooding in next week when it hits theaters — we'll be streaming live from the New York red-carpet premiere on Monday, July 11, at 4:30 p.m. ET on MTV.com — the overwhelming consensus is that "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" delivers on every level. Additionally, it seems that splitting the "Deathly Hallows" into two parts was a good call. While reviews for "Deathly Hallows, Part 1" tended to find that the movie felt too much like a prelude to the climax of the upcoming "Part 2," the early reviews for the final film make it clear that the last installment doesn't skimp on the action, emotional core or storytelling that has driven the franchise.

Would a bad review stop you from seeing "Deathly Hallows Part 2?" Tell us on our Facebook page!

The real question is whether "Part 2" is a satisfying conclusion to the "Potter" series, and the consensus seems to be that it definitely is. But don't take our word for it: Read on and check out what the critics are saying.

The Story
"The film versions of J.K. Rowling's stories have enthralled me, and I watched them with child-like wonder. The final film chapter had me literally sitting on the edge of my seat at times, particularly in the scene where Harry, Ron and Hermione (who for reasons too complicated to go into here has to look like Bellatrix Lestrange) break into a bank and escape over the London skyline on the back of a fire-breathing dragon." — Baz Bamigboye, Daily Mail

The Performances
"The actors here have to make the most of their fleeting moments, and they consistently do. What the post-'Potter' careers of Radcliffe, Watson and Grint will be like is anyone's guess, but at this point they know how to take these particular characters to the bridge without breaking a sweat. Alan Rickman gets to show us many sides of Snape, and he's as compelling as always, even when the flashbacks use some freaky age-erasing special effects that leave his face looking odd. [Helena] Bonham Carter's Bellatrix Lestrange is as goth-gorgon as ever, but she has some fun with some early scenes in which she gets to portray the Hermione-on-polyjuice-potion version of the character. And during the film's big climactic battle, [Maggie] Smith and Julie Walters get some tasty moments that make their relatively small roles over the course of the series worthwhile." — Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

The Split
"Fully justifying the decision, once thought purely mercenary, of splitting J.K. Rowling's final book into two parts, this is an exciting and, to put it mildly, massively eventful finale that will grip and greatly please anyone who has been at all a fan of the series up to now. If ever there was a sure thing commercially, this stout farewell is it." — Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter

The Action
"Perhaps the greatest triumph of this final film is its ability to overcome the deficiencies of J.K. Rowling's writing. In the last Harry Potter volume, she failed singularly to muster the epic feel needed; as a result, on the page, the concluding battle at Hogwarts was a damp squib. But [director David] Yates here transmutes it into a genuinely terrifying spectacle, as bloodied students fight desperately against a horde of screaming black-robed Death Eaters." — Philip Womack, The Telegraph

The End
"And if you think you know how it all ends, you don't. Yates has wisely tickled the face-off between the rivals to make it even better than the version Rowling wrote in her book. Unlike many other franchises, the quality of the Harry Potter films never dropped. The producers could have broken box-office records with a basic cardboard set thanks to the dedicated fanbase. Yet they have blown a fortune to make a special experience for them." — Grant Rollings, The Sun

We're streaming live from the red carpet at the New York premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" on Monday, July 11, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Visit MTV.com to watch interviews with the stars and see the winner of the Harry Potter World Cup announced live. Tweet your questions for the cast @MTVNews using the hashtag #AskPotter.

Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Related Videos