Director: David Yates
Studio: Warner Bros.
Copyright: 2011
ASIN: B001UV4XIS
Reading Level/Interest Age: Grade 7 and up
Genre: Adventure
Viewer’s Annotation: In the final installment of the blockbuster movie franchise, Harry and friends race toward a final showdown with Voldemort.
Plot Summary
With three Horcruxes down and four to go, Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave the seaside house where they buried Dobby and go back on the hunt. They first head to Gringotts bank, where they break into Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault with the help of a goblin. They find a Horcrux there—Helga Hufflepuff’s cup—but are nearly caught when the goblin betrays them. Next they go back to Hogwarts, where Harry believes they will find the next Horcrux. Harry learn’s that it is Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem, and goes to search for it in the Room of Requirement while Ron and Hermione go to the Chamber of Secrets for basilisk fangs. Soon only two Horcruxes remain, and Harry realizes that Voldemort’s snake, Nagini, is another. But time is running out as Voldemort and the Death Eaters converge on Hogwarts. Believing Snape to be the true owner of the powerful Elder Wand, Voldemort seeks out and mortally wounds him. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who followed Voldemort, rush in to hear Snape’s final words. Snape gives Harry some of his memories, which Harry takes to the Pensieve in Dumbledore’s office as the battle rages. From Snape’s memories, Harry learns that he is the final Horcrux and must die in order for Voldemort to be defeated.
Critical Evaluation
I was initially skeptical when I learned the final Harry Potter book would be made into two movies. It seemed like nothing more than an attempt to squeeze every last possible dollar out of the blockbuster movie franchise. But I was pleasantly surprised by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Cutting the book in half gave the filmmakers the flexibility they needed to actually make a good movie while remaining true to the book. The previous three movies were so busy stuffing in all of the action that there was no time for reflection or feelings. Part 1 has feelings in abundance. Part 2 is almost non-stop action. Taken together, Part 1 and Part 2 make one balanced movie, but Part 2 on its own feels a bit unbalanced. Nevertheless, there is emotion here too—Neville’s impassioned speech is thrilling and Fred’s death is heartbreaking.
As they have been for the last several movies, the three leads, Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Emma Watson as Hermione, and Rupert Grint as Ron (who’ve been making these movies since they were 11, 9, and 11, respectively), are competent but uninspiring. Critics often rate Rupert Grint as the most talented, but I find his Ron rather dopey and lacking in emotional range. The supporting cast (especially the adults) is as excellent as ever. Helena Bonham Carter is perfectly insane and deliciously evil as Bellatrix. Mrs. Weasley, played by Julie Walters, gets a well-deserved moment in the spotlight when she takes on Bellatrix with a cry of “Not my daughter, you bitch!” Alan Rickman once again makes Snape the most interesting character with a nuanced performance. My only serious complaint is that Bonnie Wright is utterly wrong for Ginny Weasley. She has none of the sparkle and sarcasm that make Ginny a great character.
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Booktalking Ideas: N/A
Challenge Issues: Violence, mild language
In the defense file, I will include my library's selection policy, ALA's Library Bill of Rights, ALA's guidelines on free access to libraries for minors (http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/freeaccesslibraries.cfm), and ALA's strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials (http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips/index.cfm). I will also include my library's reconsideration form, in case challenges to this book cannot be defused with "tea and sympathy." I'll include positive reviews from Roger Ebert, The Washington Post, and The Daily Telegraph and mixed reviews from The Boston Globe and New York Magazine.
About the Author: N/A
Why is this title included?
Harry Potter is wildly popular among teens of all ages. This movie's dark tone puts it firmly in young adult, rather than children's, territory.