Seven B

So after ten years and eight films, the cinematic juggernaught that is the Harry Potter franchise has finally come to an end. And other than making millionaires out of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint and piling even more wealth into the deserving hands of JK Rowling, what do we have to show for the last ten years?

Well, for one thing, it’s British. Yes, Harry Potter is an international brand, and yes the Americans are the ones financing the whole thing, but the Potter films have reached a point now where they’re considered quintessentially British exports. Much like the way Bond is now financed from across the Atlantic; Potter, despite where the money comes from, will always be seen (in the eyes of the majority anyway) as British films about a British icon. Plus, it’s also kept some top Shakespearian thesps employed for the last ten years, and keeps British institutions like Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman and Jason Isaacs fresh in the minds of the Americans. Not to brag, but we really can boast that we produce the best actors in the world, and the supporting cast of Potter has been the proof.

As for the film itself, it exceeded my expectations. I thought Prison of Azkaban was suitably dark and liked it for that, and I thought that HP7a was solid, but on the whole I’m the first to admit that the films have had difficulty living up to the books. Half-Blood Prince aside (which was especially bad), the films have been OK to good, and I suppose that it’s just that as a fan of the books there’s things I would’ve liked to have seen done differently. And whilst that was still true in HP7b (the final battle between Harry and Voldermort being a prime example), I thought that film really worked and was better for it.

One of the reasons for its success (in my opinion anyway) is that once they’ve done the Gringott’s heist and go to Hogsmeade (which I’m guessing probably takes up the first hour), the film effectively become a siege movie between the two groups of warring magicians, with our heroes defending their fort from invaders. The war itself is powerful, as are the gut punch deaths, that I think may really only have an impact on readers of the books. I didn’t love the Kings Cross Station scene, but it served its purpose and I think it only underwhelmed me due to the other stand out moments. The first of which was McGonagall standing up to Snape, which raised goose bumps when she stepped between Snape and Potter. Then there was the truly heart-wrenching montage of the life of Severus Snape, which served as testament to just how awesome an actor Alan Rickman truly is. Finally, there was the development of Neville, a character who has been woefully underused in the previous films. This film saw him transform from a snivelling weakling to a northern Jack Bauer, leaving him feeling like the real hero of the film.

All in all, it’s a great watch. Easily the best film of the franchise and one of the better films of this year (certainly the most “epic”). Further proof to Michael Bay that Blockbusters can have a heart.

Leaving the film the quote I’ll be taking with me is one I saw the other day which nicely sums up the Harry-Ron-Hermoine relationship. “Best friend got the girl. At least you nailed his sister.”